Come Back To Us - 25. Chapter 25

December 14th, 1941

Dear Karl,

I hope this letter will find you well as all the others did.

Winter has come and although this snow is beautiful, I fear it might be stained by men’s blood in some places where I never wish anyone to go.

We heard about the United States of America entering the war to bring its support to us and our allies. This help cannot be turned down of course, but for some reason, I cannot help but be afraid of the outcome if we win this war.
But through all this fear, incertitude, and violence, God offers us a ray of hope. It will be Christmas soon! And we would be really glad if you could join us. I am sure they can allow you a few days’ leave for this occasion. I know last Christmas was not as it should have been, but I will make sure this one will be a happy moment for all of us; one we can remember even in the worst times. You have my word, and you know I will keep it.

Ask Arthur to come with you, or any other friend you have made. We will be really glad to have them joins us as well. The more the better. It has been so long since the last time we saw him, it will be a delight to see him again!

I have not got much else to say besides that.

Stay safe until I see you again and keep working hard. This is the key to anything one wants to achieve.

Lots of love for our favourite Danish boy.

Margaret.

Karl smiled as he finished reading the letter.

He was sitting cross-legged on his bed in his not-so-private quarters. After eleven months of being taught to read, he could finally read properly the most basic words and write them as well. It was so much helpful for his training.

He stood up and went to look for the Lieutenant General, well, Kristian, since he seemed so insistent that he should call him like that…

It was early in the afternoon, and for a Sunday in mid-December, the weather wasn’t too bleak. The sun was shining on the crystal-like white snow when he looked out the window that morning. He wondered if Mrs. Hopkins still went to Church to listen to the Man of Faith’s preaching. She never mentioned it in her letters, not that it was of foremost importance. He didn’t even know if the Church was still intact or not…

He found the man in the common room playing chess on his own just like Arthur previously had.

“Hey, I’ve received my weekly letter,” he sounded like kind of a child who had just been offered some sweets.

The man smiled at him as he looked up from his game.

“Any good news in it?”

“Mrs. Hopkins wants me to come to her parents’ house for Christmas.”

“Well, this is quite good news. You must be excited at the prospect of seeing them again after so long.”

“Yeah.”

He couldn’t help smiling as he remembered all the moments they had had together, the happy ones preferably.

His eyes remained focused on the man who looked back down as the silence lasted and he didn’t seem willing to break it. Not because he didn’t care because he knew he did but most likely because he didn’t know what to say.

Karl’s smile vanished. He couldn’t help but think how he would be alone for Christmas, far away from his home and family. He was undoubtedly the closest one to him in this place.

“Would you like to come with me?”

His question caused the man to look up at him again. The surprise was evident in his eyes.

“Me?”

Karl couldn’t help smirking at the way he looked.

“Yes, you. Mrs. Hopkins told me in her letter that I could bring with me anyone I wished. He wasn’t sure the term “friend” was appropriate for the two of them. But then he wasn’t sure what would be. “I”m sure she’ll be glad to meet you.”

He looked somewhat skeptical.

“It’s really nice of her and of you to choose me. It makes me feel bad to decline, but I will be fine on my own here. Thank you nonetheless.”

“Are you sure? Despite the war still going, it will be nice. She promised.”

“Yes, I am. I am sure it will. Believe me, this is not against her or any of them. I just don’t feel like celebrating Christmas this year.”

Karl’s jaw clenched against his will. The man needed to cheer up, to take his mind off all the dark things plaguing it.

“It’s not polite to decline an invitation.”

“And this is not a way to talk to your superior,” he bit back, still focused on his game. He looked like Arthur like that, and that thought made a shiver creep up his spine.

He guessed he shouldn’t insist…

He sighed through his nose in defeat.

“Alright. I won’t insist,” he sounded disappointed as the words left his mouth.

He looked away from the man momentarily to scan the room. It was empty. Men were either on missions, busy keeping up with their training or helping with other things.

“I thank you for your thoughtfulness. But I don’t want you to worry about me. I am a big boy. I can handle myself.”

Karl looked back at the man who was already staring at him.
They eyed each other silently for a while.

“I should rather be the one to thank you for being there for this whole year.”

The man didn’t reply and didn’t seem too keen on letting his emotions show through his facial expressions. But he was sure his statement didn’t leave him unaffected. His lack of reaction was proof enough of it.

He caught the way he licked his lips nervously.

“Such sentimentalism has got nothing to do here. You look like father and son.”

Karl didn’t even start at the sound of the familiar yet unexpected voice. He turned around to face him.

“Group Captain Crowes. Would you like to join me in playing chess? You will have the upper hand.”

“No, thank you. I am not here for that?”

“Then, what are you here for? It seems you are unable to live without our presence.”

The English man was looking stern and rigid as usual.

Before he could reply, Karl decided to speak to try and avoid a potential tension that would ruin the mood.

“Are you free for Christmas?” He asked plainly.

He didn’t really understand. They pronounced the word “Christ” with an “aɪ” sound while for the word Christmas it was a simple “ɪ”. This didn’t make sense to him… But there must have been a reason.

“This is none of your business.”

He wouldn’t let him intimidate him again. He could be tough and unaffected too when he wanted to.

“Mrs. Hopkins wants you to come home for Christmas.”

He shouldn’t be asking him because it would be a ‘no’ for sure.

“I won’t.”

“Why not?”

“For I have a family.”

“They can come too then.”

“They don’t like mingling.”

No. No. No. And again no. He wouldn’t let him do that to Mrs. Hopkins. He could face his fury without a problem to make him yield.

“She will be disappointed if you don’t come. So you don’t have a choice.”

It was silent for a while, and Karl didn’t look away.

“Is this supposed to be some kind of threat?
“It’s not a threat. I’m just acting like you.”

He could do whatever he wanted, fire him or have him do the worst tasks as punishment for being so disrespectful. He wouldn’t stop.

“You seem to be forgetting that we do not hold the same rank.”

“Neither do we. So I can only reiterate what Karl has just said.”

Karl couldn’t help the small smile that came on his face.

“But it hasn’t got a professional dimension.”

He should have known his intervention wouldn’t be enough. He needed to be smarter than him. To beat him at his verbal game. He thought back about that one time they had played chess together. This could be useful.

“Are you afraid?”

He didn’t answer immediately while he could have. This could only prove his words had an impact on him. The silence wasn’t just emptiness as he had always thought it was. There were words in silence. There were thoughts as well.

“I’m not. Stop with your nonsense. I just can’t go.”

“If you cared about them, you could make time to go. I don’t think your family cares about you as much as they do.”

“You don’t know anything about my family,” he snapped back.

“No. But when I look at you, I can only think so.”

The silence that followed may have been bad news for him, but once again, he couldn’t care less. And he would ask for Kristian to plead his case.

“Fine. I will go with you. But you’d better keep quiet all the way during the round trip.”

Karl nodded.

“And don’t ever mention my parents again. Understood?”

“That’s fine with me. Thanks for Margaret.”

Arthur only eyed him with his usual look for a few more moments before he turned around to leave.

Karl stared at the empty entrance for a while. The ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. This was a victory.

“Never had I thought you could be so tough with him.”

He turned around and looked at Kristian.

“It was for a good cause.”

They kept staring at each other with knowing looks.

“if he behaves like he behaves all the time there, it won’t be a happy moment. I think I was smart enough to decline.”

Karl smiled as he released a breath and made a sound that could have been assimilated to a laugh.

Kristian smiled as well and let out a small laugh.

“Such sentimentalism has got nothing to do here. If you keep behaving in such a despicable way, I will have you sent to the North Pole so you can learn how to be cold. Understood?”

Karl’s laugh echoed through the room as Kristian was imitating the English man. It was so well done. He then joined him in his laughter.

Never had he thought the man would be so…so much like Paul when he met him for the very first time. He could have been rigid, strict like the men of his rank should be. But he knew how to have a good balance between his relaxed side and that of his rank.

Their fit of laughter died down after a few moments. They both caught their breaths as their eyes met again.

“I hope he didn’t overhear me.”

“If he had, he would already be here scolding us.”

“Or he may choose to be vicious and wait for the right time to find a way to make us regret what has just happened.”

“You wouldn’t let him have his way anyway.”

“Of course not.”

Karl smirked again.

They didn’t mean to be mean to him, but after all, it wasn’t their fault if the man was humourless.

“Let me go write my letter to Mrs. Hopkins.”

“Are you going to tell her about that?”

“I don’t think so. She’s a kind-hearted woman.”

“But she’s humourless.”

“Mockery is not her type of humour.”

“I see. He paused as he glanced down at the chessboard. “You can join me once you are finished.”

Karl smiled.

“Okay.”

He made his way back to his room, and after he managed to find a quill and a white sheet of paper, he sat down on his bed to start. The mattress was so hard that you could easily used it to write or do anything else with it that involved a table.

Dear Margaret,

Arthur and I will come to your parent’s house for Christmas. I can’t wait to see you all again.

Take care until then.

Lots of love from your favourite Danish boy.

Karl.

This must have been the shortest letter he has ever written himself. It was more like a kind of written message to confirm they would come. He didn’t want to write courtesies as was the norm. He only wanted to write a natural and spontaneous message without a fancy style and long sentences. He just wished there was a much quicker way to send this kind of message, that would be as fast as his thoughts themselves when he wrote them.

He smiled as he read again and again what he had just written, and his lips turned up to form a smile.

He really couldn’t wait.