High Noon

Ch5

Mama told me that we had gotten on a train that was heading towards the countryside. 

Away from the large cities where it was mostly being bombed, and a nice lady name Claire Berna had let us stay with her until we could get enough money to buy our own house.

I had gotten up and looked at myself in the mirror my face was filthy with dirt. 

My hair stuck to the sides of my face with sweat and I had scrapes and bruises everywhere.

 It was a miracle I hadn't broken anything.

I took a warm bath Mama had done the same. 

I stepped into the soapy, warm water and sank into the tub, letting the warmness fill me up and all my stress and worries go away.

I thought of Antoine suddenly and I wondered if he was okay and where he was. He could be dead for all I know.

 Ruth where could she be? I had lost her during the first bombing raid and hadn't seen her since. Was she okay? 

I prayed that she was along with her family.

I got out of the bath and dried my long blonde curly hair with a towel. Madam Berna had provided us with clothes and I slipped on the dress.

I got out of the bathroom and smelled a strong aroma coming from the kitchen.

I walked down the hall and saw a lady at the stove cooking chicken.

Mama was peeling potatoes over the trash can in the corner of the kitchen and they had been talking as if they were old friends.

She and Mama both looked at me and Claire smiled.

"Bonsoir." She greeted me.

"Good afternoon," I replied back with a smile.

"Sophie, how about you set the table for dinner?" Mama told me.

I nodded and was told where the plates, utensils, and glasses were. 

I set the table as best as I could the radio was playing cheerful music, which made it almost seem like we weren't in a stranger's home.

For dinner, we gathered around the table, and before we could start eating the lady folded her hands.

"Do you mind if we pray first, I understand if you would rather I didn't." Madame Berna said.

"We don't mind," Mama said.

My parents had never been very religious, I didn't even know if we believed in God, but even if we did we didn't show it very often.

After the lady had prayed, we filled our plates with mashed potatoes, crispy chicken with lemon, and seasoned asparagus.

My stomach growled and I tried to eat as calmly as I could even though I was starving from not eating for two days. 

"Thank you for dinner and for letting us stay here until we can get back on our own feet," Mama said as we did the dishes.

"Yeah, thank you," I said.

Claire smiled.

"It's the least I can do, during these hard times we need to look out for one another." 

After we were done with the dishes I and Mama went to grab groceries for Madame Berna, the least we could do in exchange for her hospitality.

We went into the market and as Mama was looking at some turnips I heard my name being called. I turned around and as soon as I did I was tackled with a hug when whoever it was pulled off I saw that it was Ruth.

"Oh my God, Ruth!" I exclaimed hugging her again.

"Sophie, I'm so glad you're okay." She said with a smile as we pulled off.

I saw her parents and they had hugged Mama and started to talk to each other.

"How did you get here?" I asked Ruth.

"When the bombings had ended we took a train here, it was so crowded and stuffed with people, and when we got here we had to force our way through the crowd until we came to our grandparent's house." She explained to me. "How'd you get here?"

I explained to her how we had gotten there and she nodded Ruth and her family have experienced the same thing. I and Ruth talked for hours until Mama told them that we had to leave, not wanting Madam Berna to wonder where we were.

When we got to the house, it seemed to be empty. 

Mama set the groceries on the counters and we put them away into places that we thought they went, not really knowing how Miss Berna organized things.

Suddenly we heard a crash from upstairs and then a deep cry. Mama rushed upstairs and I followed behind her, scared but wanting to know what had happened.

"Mon dieu," Mama breathed.

I saw Miss Berna lying on the ground shards of a broken tea set around her and she was crying heavy sobs, clutching a letter to her chest.

"Madam, are you all right?" Mama asked worry in her tone as she crouched beside her.

Claire shook her head and then buried her face into Mama's shoulders and Mama hugged her tightly.

"He's dead, my husband's dead, they killed him, those damn Nazis killed him!" Claire sobbed.

It was terrible seeing someone cry so much and knowing that nothing you did could comfort them or make them feel better. 

No one can replace someone you love.

Later when she had stopped crying, we helped clean up the shards of glass and she sat like a zombie at the edge of her bed reading over and over the telegram in her hands.

We guided her downstairs and put on the radio trying to cheer her up. Mama told me to make tea for her and once I did, I gave the cup to her.

Madam Berna took it from my hands her eyes were filled with sadness and then she said, "I wanted to destroy any memory I had of him, it's too painful to think about when Jone was alive, he gave me that tea set that I had broken on our wedding day, and now it's broken....." Claire burst into tears again.

Mama hugged her tightly telling her that everything was going to be okay.