The sky was an azure blue and the clouds seemed to be stood still, behind the buildings the red glow filled the sky tapering in to pink and orange. If you blocked out the sound of the gunfire and the whiny whistle and cacophony of buildings disintegrating from the bombs falling from the sky, you could almost believe it was a beautiful sunset, instead of the glow from fires ravaging the town.
We had turned our backs and continued our journey, a journey that had taken many weeks and had led us through several towns and farms, this had just been the latest. We had not stopped in the town, it would have been too dangerous even without the bombs of the allies, the enemy was on the retreat and as such they were not happy, they were increasingly desperate and had they discovered me, us, the consequences would have been grave, fatal.
I had led the children, my family, but not mine, through muddy fields and deserted villages, searching and scavenging for food as we went. We had made some friends on the way, we had been fed despite the threat of death had they been discovered, by more than one farmer and villager. We had to flee for our lives more than once when the enemy turned up, unexpectedly, running yet again into woods and forests, to spend another cold night beneath the stars instead of in the warmth of a barn or farmhouse.
They were amazing these children, first the three that had saved my life back at the beginning when their own mother had been so cruelly taken from them, not that they had known her well, not the youngest one at least as I had raised them from their being small, they had repaid my love and years of devotion by pretending I was their Mama when the enemy had once stumbled across us, they had left us alone perhaps because they had not the time to bother with us, perhaps because the sergeant in charge had children of his own, he had kind eyes as I recall. Then the few that had somehow become attached to us as we travelled, chidlren with no homes or families, they numbered eight now.
No matter how much Mud they had to crawl through, no matter how many nights in barns and days walking in pouring rain, no matter how empty their small tummies,they never lost hope, never stopped beleiving that we would reach safety, that all would be well, that the allies would come, that someone would come, or that we would reach a place where we would have no longer the need to run and hide.
I had thought so too, for a while, my faith had never been as great as theirs, just the determination to at least try to get them to safety, that is what had brought us this far, and we were almost there, we could smell the sea, and we had grown clumsy perhaps, not been as wary as we should have been.
I looked up at the enemy that had just knocked me to the ground, the blood salty from the cut on my lips, I was scared yes, but not for me, I was tired, I had travelled a long way and tried to keep alive eight skinny wretches along the way, I had cleaned puke and crap and nursed them as they got sick, often carrying them when they could no longer walk because they were too ill, the bullet from the gun that was levelled at me might even be a welcome relief? But it was not me they were interested in Claudine was thir target, almost fourteen, she was the prize they wanted, dirty, dishevelled, and ragged did nothing to hide her beauty and youth. And they were desperate men, fleeing before the onslaught from the allies guns and bombs, as dirty and dishevelled as we, but with the advantage of the weapons they bore. And I think they were drunk too, they smelled too bad to distinguish just one scent, but they swayed and their talk was slurred as they spoke in guttural their language of what they were going to do. I knew their language, as much as I did Claudine's.
I looked at Jean Henry, he was tensed ready to spring and I knew he would die if he moved, he too knew their language, I got up from the ground, slowly so they would see I was not going to make any move, they let me rise, they were not interested in me, not yet anyway. The children gathered round me and I placed my hand on Jean's tense shoulder, I could not let them take the young ones, could not let him sacrifice himself for his sister, I watched and readied myself for the moment they would try to take her, if anyone should feel the bite of the bullet it would be me, and I would make sure that they felt the sting of my shiv as I slid it slowly into my hand.
The one, the big one grabbed Claudine and turned his back as he tried to drag her back to where the grass was softest, the other smaller one turned towards him laughing and shouting obscenities, I sprung forward and placed the shiv between his shoulder blades, hard and furious, he dropped, his gun firing as he did so. Then another shot and I felt the burn in my shoulder as the bullet bit deep, and heard the shouts of the other as he came back towards me bayonet raised to plunge, and then he was gone, blown away from us a red spray erupting from his head as he went, dazed I looked to the left where Jean stood, he was unarmed and staring openmouthed down the road, slowly I turned my head, the blood mist beginning to take my vision, I could hear boots marching and wheels turning, then a voice, a voice from home, saying, "Its ok lass, you are safe now, lets get the medics up here" he shouted at the end of the sentence and the children were cheering and crying and laughing all at the same time. They had faith see, the allies had come.
