"One day Daniel got so fed up, he wanted to get more food from his uncle and took off. After three days he came back with a hoard. I thought I had lost him too! Now, I said we must take our leave and with our new provisions we easily made it across the fields. Daniel said he had met the same Nazi again and others who seemed to be busy with their investigations. At about that time, Rommels North African Corps had retreated from Benghazi and Tobruk and were sent to rest still wearing their tropical uniforms. In the evening we found them singing and drinking in the locals, mostly white wine.
I think it was time for us to go anyway, I put it to the manager and he was sorry to see us go. He offered to help us by saying he could move us to Maquis of the Coreze if we wanted to... Our mind was made up and the worst gaps in the bridge had been finished. After the pay out the next day and a good meal we went to rest in the old cemetary. The only peaceful place was among the graves and we were not watched or bothered, the grass was green too!
The Germans were busy, we watched them doing a lot of exercising keeping their troops on the go, we observed their assault tactics and were quite impressed, they fell down on their knees after creeping and running after an imaginary enemy as well as rolling away from imaginary shooting, it was excellent training.
We fell asleep and a nightmare suddenly woke me up. I felt an enormous fear. I am sure it was a premonition or warning of disaster and I should have taken heed. In my dream, presenting itself in black and silvery flames, a very pale man of death visited me, I believe as a warning of imminent danger ... I tried to shake the feeling off by telling myself that is was probably due to the presence of the gravestones plus the steak we had eaten had been a bit rotten! I boiled it down to this combination.
We packed our belongings and took the first bus to a place called Mont-de-Marsan, which we reached in the evening to be greeted by a bus full of school children all happy and gesticulating. The country was rising now and we could see the foothills of the Pyrennes in the haze. We left the country of D'Artagnan behind, called Aquitaine and moved towards the country of the Basques now with lots of sheep rearing and horses to lovely mountain views ...
Looking for the usual hidden restaurant and hotel, which didn't take too long, we found one ideally situated near a mountain stream and we checked in. Casually asking for a room they gave me the usual answer, "Go and ask the permission from the Kreiscommandatura". Once they found out that we were trustworthy they let us in, they knew the name of the game, so did we!
It was a dangerous game like everything else it could cost them dear if they were found out, from a severe fine to closure or even deportation and who knows what from there to the camps. Anyway, there was still a good bit of honour around and nobody gave anybody away unless ... "
To be continued ...
No comments:
Post a Comment