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.He walked out the door and bid the German to follow.The old man pointed to the stand of trees with aquestion on his face.Heinrich nodded.The old man nodded, and the old lady nodded from her windowin the kitchen.The old man again nodded to him, and he began to call."Come down, it is all right.Thereis wonderful food here.Water.Come down, come down." He waved his hands in the airA first cautious head looked out from the small stand of trees.Then a second, and finally a third one.Heinrich watched as they started to cross the large open area with no cover.Slowly at first, cautiously.Finally they began to run.The littlest one couldn't keep up.The girl was the oldest, maybe ten or eleven.Then the two boys, one seven or eight, another one maybe a year or two younger.The older childrenwaited as the little one caught up.They came closer.Heinrich looked at them.They were thin, but still able to move across the openarea at a trot.They paused part way through, feeling exposed.He called to them again, and they beganrunning again.As they began to draw up to Heinrich and the old man, they slowed to a walk, looking atHeinrich and then at the old man, from one to the other.Looking for assurance from Heinrich.He keptnodding to them.Finally they stopped a few feet from the old man and Heinrich."These are good people, they have a wonderful home and food.You do not have to be afraid." Theylooked at him, and back to the large and fierce looking ancient man.The old lady yelled at the old man when she saw the children.She said something about "scrubbing inthe barn." The old man didn't look around.Perhaps he didn't hear her.Heinrich tapped him on theshoulder, pointing to the window.She repeated her command.This time the old man nodded.Heinrich saw that the children were not too sure of the situation.He turned to the old man, andquietly tried to get him to reassure the children.He spoke low, and with simple words and hoped the oldman would understand his meaning.The old man told him to "speak up, louder" and put his finger to hisear.Then a high-pitched squealing emanated from the old man's head.The children scattered; the twoboys disappeared around the shed, and the girl went the other way towards the barn, stopping near the corner.Heinrich took a step back, astounded that a sound like that could come from a man.The old manbegan cursing and talking about "something not fitting." Then he mumbled to himself.He put his finger tohis ear again.Another squeal, and the girl disappeared behind the barn in a flash of dirty linen.When hestraightened up, Heinrich was looking at him a little wide eyed, and the kids were nowhere to be seen.The old man looked surprised.He said much too loudly something about "a hearing aid." Heinrichcontinued to look at him."A hearing aid." The old man kept repeating."It helps me to hear.You know,hear."Heinrich burped long and loud at him.* * *An hour or so later, John sat back and watched as three damp, scrubbed and rosy-cheeked childrensat eating at their kitchen table, pushing in food as fast as they were allowed.He had scrubbed them towithin an inch of their lives with soap and a stream of very cold water.They were wrapped in towelswhile the tattered clothes they had were put though the wash.The German also watched them closely,and stopped them when they began to eat too fast.Their empty stomachs had to acclimate to the food.The young man had placed the horse in the shade of the barn with water and some feed.Things werecalming down.Millie was resting on the couch, looking spent.John was in the kitchen with the refugees.That's what he decided to call them.Refugees.He thought back to when he had been ten or elevenyears old, and his mother would give a meal to a traveling man out the back porch when they cameasking.They always asked to perform whatever services they could, and she usually had something to doaround the farm.Especially after his father had died.They would then move on, and a few days lateranother would show up.Those were hard times.But people looked out for each other back then; theywere all in the same predicament.The men who came to the back porch to look for food could easily bea neighbor or a relation."There but for the Grace of God, go I," his mother used to tell him."There butfor the Grace of God, go I."John examined the four, and tried to figure out the relationship between them.The girl and the littlestone looked as if they were brother and sister.Both had stick straight blonde hair and round faces withbright blue eyes.The middle boy didn't look anything like the two of them.He had a darker complexionand was short and big boned.If he had any meat on him, thought John, he could grow up to be adefensive guard for a pro football team.The senior German who had shepherded them looked altogether different.He was cleaner now, andhe looked to be no more than twenty years old.Tall and lanky, with dark hair and dark green eyes, hecarried himself with a youthful authority that showed a sense of command.He too, continued to nibble ashe watched the children eat.All of the children would look at him, and then at John as if expecting themto suddenly make them stop eating.When he didn't, they would smile and nod, "Danke, Danke" theysaid, with much deference.John looked at the German who had brought them, then stood up and tapped him on the shoulder.He spun around rather abruptly and faced John.He was nearly as tall as John.They examined each otherfor a moment.John watched as the German looked at him, knowing he saw wrinkles and clear eyes.John examined the German's prominent nose and thin mouth.He looked even more like a teenager thanbefore."I'm John," he said."John Trapanese.The lady on the couch over there is Millie, and she is my wife.What is your name?" John spoke slowly and loudly, in hopes that his meaning would be clear.He tappedhimself on the chest again."John."The German straightened up, and made a small bowing motion with his head."Heinrich.Heinrich V." He hesitated, and then started over."Heinrich Busse." He glanced back at the children at the table,who were watching him intently."Heinrich Busse," he said again, while looking at them."Pleased to meet you, Heinrich, pleased to meet you.You don't speak any English do you? Spraken ze English?" John's war movie German was coming back to him.Heinrich eyes narrowed."English?" He seemed to John to go far away, as if remembering."I speak,ummm, a small little" he finally replied."Hey, Millie, he speaks English! Come here, woman.He speaks English.Hot damn, this is a lotbetter." John's questions bubbled to the surface with a rush of words."Where are you from, who are thekids, are they your bothers and sisters, how long has it been since you ate? How long have you beenwandering around? As you can see, we're not from around here originally, we just moved here.Well, wewere moved here, we didn't have a lot of say in the matter.Have you ever heard of America? That'swhere we're from.The great state of West Virginia."Millie had by now gotten up to the archway that divided the kitchen from the living room, and wasmet by many dazed eyes, including Heinrich's.The eyes went to her, and then back to John, and back toher again"I think you might want to slow down a little bit there, John.I get the feeling that he doesn't speakEnglish all that good."Heinrich slowly nodded, and finally blinked.As did the children, who went back to their slowlydisappearing meal."Sorry," murmured John."Heinrich, my name is Millie.Millie Trapanese.Glad to meet you." She extended her hand, and heonce again bowed and took it in his.He avoided her eyes by looking down at the ground."Umm und umm happy is to meet to you, ya" he replied uncertainly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.He walked out the door and bid the German to follow.The old man pointed to the stand of trees with aquestion on his face.Heinrich nodded.The old man nodded, and the old lady nodded from her windowin the kitchen.The old man again nodded to him, and he began to call."Come down, it is all right.Thereis wonderful food here.Water.Come down, come down." He waved his hands in the airA first cautious head looked out from the small stand of trees.Then a second, and finally a third one.Heinrich watched as they started to cross the large open area with no cover.Slowly at first, cautiously.Finally they began to run.The littlest one couldn't keep up.The girl was the oldest, maybe ten or eleven.Then the two boys, one seven or eight, another one maybe a year or two younger.The older childrenwaited as the little one caught up.They came closer.Heinrich looked at them.They were thin, but still able to move across the openarea at a trot.They paused part way through, feeling exposed.He called to them again, and they beganrunning again.As they began to draw up to Heinrich and the old man, they slowed to a walk, looking atHeinrich and then at the old man, from one to the other.Looking for assurance from Heinrich.He keptnodding to them.Finally they stopped a few feet from the old man and Heinrich."These are good people, they have a wonderful home and food.You do not have to be afraid." Theylooked at him, and back to the large and fierce looking ancient man.The old lady yelled at the old man when she saw the children.She said something about "scrubbing inthe barn." The old man didn't look around.Perhaps he didn't hear her.Heinrich tapped him on theshoulder, pointing to the window.She repeated her command.This time the old man nodded.Heinrich saw that the children were not too sure of the situation.He turned to the old man, andquietly tried to get him to reassure the children.He spoke low, and with simple words and hoped the oldman would understand his meaning.The old man told him to "speak up, louder" and put his finger to hisear.Then a high-pitched squealing emanated from the old man's head.The children scattered; the twoboys disappeared around the shed, and the girl went the other way towards the barn, stopping near the corner.Heinrich took a step back, astounded that a sound like that could come from a man.The old manbegan cursing and talking about "something not fitting." Then he mumbled to himself.He put his finger tohis ear again.Another squeal, and the girl disappeared behind the barn in a flash of dirty linen.When hestraightened up, Heinrich was looking at him a little wide eyed, and the kids were nowhere to be seen.The old man looked surprised.He said much too loudly something about "a hearing aid." Heinrichcontinued to look at him."A hearing aid." The old man kept repeating."It helps me to hear.You know,hear."Heinrich burped long and loud at him.* * *An hour or so later, John sat back and watched as three damp, scrubbed and rosy-cheeked childrensat eating at their kitchen table, pushing in food as fast as they were allowed.He had scrubbed them towithin an inch of their lives with soap and a stream of very cold water.They were wrapped in towelswhile the tattered clothes they had were put though the wash.The German also watched them closely,and stopped them when they began to eat too fast.Their empty stomachs had to acclimate to the food.The young man had placed the horse in the shade of the barn with water and some feed.Things werecalming down.Millie was resting on the couch, looking spent.John was in the kitchen with the refugees.That's what he decided to call them.Refugees.He thought back to when he had been ten or elevenyears old, and his mother would give a meal to a traveling man out the back porch when they cameasking.They always asked to perform whatever services they could, and she usually had something to doaround the farm.Especially after his father had died.They would then move on, and a few days lateranother would show up.Those were hard times.But people looked out for each other back then; theywere all in the same predicament.The men who came to the back porch to look for food could easily bea neighbor or a relation."There but for the Grace of God, go I," his mother used to tell him."There butfor the Grace of God, go I."John examined the four, and tried to figure out the relationship between them.The girl and the littlestone looked as if they were brother and sister.Both had stick straight blonde hair and round faces withbright blue eyes.The middle boy didn't look anything like the two of them.He had a darker complexionand was short and big boned.If he had any meat on him, thought John, he could grow up to be adefensive guard for a pro football team.The senior German who had shepherded them looked altogether different.He was cleaner now, andhe looked to be no more than twenty years old.Tall and lanky, with dark hair and dark green eyes, hecarried himself with a youthful authority that showed a sense of command.He too, continued to nibble ashe watched the children eat.All of the children would look at him, and then at John as if expecting themto suddenly make them stop eating.When he didn't, they would smile and nod, "Danke, Danke" theysaid, with much deference.John looked at the German who had brought them, then stood up and tapped him on the shoulder.He spun around rather abruptly and faced John.He was nearly as tall as John.They examined each otherfor a moment.John watched as the German looked at him, knowing he saw wrinkles and clear eyes.John examined the German's prominent nose and thin mouth.He looked even more like a teenager thanbefore."I'm John," he said."John Trapanese.The lady on the couch over there is Millie, and she is my wife.What is your name?" John spoke slowly and loudly, in hopes that his meaning would be clear.He tappedhimself on the chest again."John."The German straightened up, and made a small bowing motion with his head."Heinrich.Heinrich V." He hesitated, and then started over."Heinrich Busse." He glanced back at the children at the table,who were watching him intently."Heinrich Busse," he said again, while looking at them."Pleased to meet you, Heinrich, pleased to meet you.You don't speak any English do you? Spraken ze English?" John's war movie German was coming back to him.Heinrich eyes narrowed."English?" He seemed to John to go far away, as if remembering."I speak,ummm, a small little" he finally replied."Hey, Millie, he speaks English! Come here, woman.He speaks English.Hot damn, this is a lotbetter." John's questions bubbled to the surface with a rush of words."Where are you from, who are thekids, are they your bothers and sisters, how long has it been since you ate? How long have you beenwandering around? As you can see, we're not from around here originally, we just moved here.Well, wewere moved here, we didn't have a lot of say in the matter.Have you ever heard of America? That'swhere we're from.The great state of West Virginia."Millie had by now gotten up to the archway that divided the kitchen from the living room, and wasmet by many dazed eyes, including Heinrich's.The eyes went to her, and then back to John, and back toher again"I think you might want to slow down a little bit there, John.I get the feeling that he doesn't speakEnglish all that good."Heinrich slowly nodded, and finally blinked.As did the children, who went back to their slowlydisappearing meal."Sorry," murmured John."Heinrich, my name is Millie.Millie Trapanese.Glad to meet you." She extended her hand, and heonce again bowed and took it in his.He avoided her eyes by looking down at the ground."Umm und umm happy is to meet to you, ya" he replied uncertainly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]