Battle of the Rhine

Michael almost thought he was going to be stationed forever beside this wood on the Rhine.The soldiers had nothing to do but smoked, played cards, wandered around, and drove to nearby towns to "get" some ham and cheese.A block of cheese that big was hard as a rock and had to be broken open with a hammer.In addition, they also play on grass.With the bodies buried, there was nothing for the German prisoners to do.The prisoners in some places have been released to go home. Michael saw a few Wehrmacht soldiers on the road, disheveled and carrying a little belongings.

"Permit," Oliver said, in German that sounded almost English. "Okay, let's go."

"The troops of these guys are disbanded." Michael held the gun. "The war is over, but we are still here."

"Those sons of a bitch Japs won't surrender," Oliver said, kicking a small rock away. "Fuck, have you got enough points yet?"

"Quickly. What about you?"

"How many points do you have? More than me."

"Eighty... almost, eighty, or seventy-eight."

"I'm less than you, 76," Oliver muttered. "The Japanese are more fucking crazy than the Germans. I'd rather bask in the sun than go to the Pacific Ocean."

"It's not our turn," Michael had heard rumors. "The paratroopers will definitely go first. But if they let us go, there's nothing we can do. Why don't we have enough points? But I think it's almost over."

"What are you going to do when you get home? I'm going to go to my grandfather's workshop. Just forget about studying..."

"You don't want to stay in the army anymore?"

"I'd better save it, man, I want to get married too. Rolling around in the army, how can a girl fancy me?"

More than once Michael considered—"dreaming" would be more appropriate—to find a way to get Quincy back to America and serve him as his assistant on the farm.It has been confirmed that several batches of German prisoners went to the United States.Quincy is a college student, and he must be good at math, so let him do the calculations.There were a few spare rooms in the house, and Quinnessy could choose a sunny one.Old Michael had planned to have ten children with all his heart, but it was a pity that his wish failed, and he had only one son, Michael.After Michael and Mary got married, the old guy thought about having grandchildren.Michael failed to get Mary pregnant the first year, and he couldn't the next year.Old Michael called the two of them chickens who didn't lay eggs and knew how to cluck all day long.The old man was still thinking about it before he died, and forced Michael to swear to have ten children.Michael swore, but Mary's stomach didn't move a bit until he enlisted.

"I want to expand the farm," Michael rubbed his fingers, "and hire a few more helpers... It would be great if I could hire some Germans. Their wages are half that of local workers."

"Aren't you afraid that the Germans will poison your well?" Oliver said. "I don't think they are convinced."

"Well, it won't. Everybody wants to live--it's up to now."

"By the way, have you sent all your salary back home?"

Michael receives a salary of fifty dollars a month.He spends very little money, and in a war zone, you don't have much money to spend. "Sent it back, Mary can save money more than me." He touched his chin, but in fact he set aside a small amount as "private money".A man should have some personal money for a rainy day.

"You two have such a good relationship," "Little German" sighed. "I can't do it. When I think of giving my money to others, I just... forget it, or I'd better not get married."

As night fell, Michael routinely called Quincy out.The prisoners of war lay on the ground like corpses.On Tuesday, Quincy hit his head for unknown reasons and lost some blood.The military doctor saw it and said it was nothing serious, it was just a flesh injury, so he wrapped him in a thick bandage.Michael suspects that Quincy wants to kill himself, but is optimistic that he won't.He had to go back alive to see Emma, ​​the girl with the same blonde hair as himself.Quincy liked Emma, ​​and Michael was uncomfortable thinking about it.Quincy stopped struggling and was tied to a tree like a docile sheep.Michael sometimes tied him like this, doing nothing, sitting quietly, smoking a cigarette, and saying a few words.He said it unilaterally, because Quinnessy never said a word to him again.

"You guys get paid, too?" Michael said to himself. "I asked, and you don't get paid as much as I do. Hitler is such a cheapskate."

Quincy hung her head, strands of blond hair sticking out of the bandages. "Did you send your salary to Emma?" Michael was smoking, and he also had the bad habit of smoking. He must quit after returning to the United States, otherwise Mary would quarrel with him. "I sent more than half to my wife and kept some for myself. Do you do the same? I see that all men who marry their wives do it."

The moon climbed into the sky, and the moonlight was like a bright river.Sitting under the bright moonlight, the evil thoughts in Michael's chest receded slightly, "Have you thought about what you will do in the future? I have inquired, and many prisoners like you have been released home. You are late You just joined the army, right? Maybe you'll be able to go home soon, if you don't have any bad deeds, such as massacring prisoners and civilians..."

Quincy seemed to be asleep, as he always looked listless.Michael held his lit cigarette, thinking about how to speak.Say "I've got a job offer"?This is definitely not right.invite?Obviously not.College students are a rare commodity, and as long as Quincy can be released, he should have no trouble finding a job.It would be a waste to have him work as a small accountant on the farm.Michael suddenly remembered that if Quincy came to his farm, he would have to bring Emma with him.But he only wanted Quincy to come alone.He hadn't met Emma, ​​but he felt strangely hostile towards her.Michael threw away the cigarette butt, yanked Quincy sideways, and thrust his hand into his chest.The wedding ring was hidden in the hidden pocket of the shirt, and Michael squeezed the ring, surprised to find that his heart was full of jealousy.

After another week, an order came from above that these prisoners should leave here.They will be sorted like goods, some will be released directly, some will go to court for trial, and depending on the outcome of the trial, they will be imprisoned or shot.After listening to the order, Michael was at a loss, nervous, and a little bit of pain.In a few days, he won't see Quincy again, basically a farewell.It was a good thing for the German that he could finally escape the clutches of the Yankees and not have to live in humiliation and terror all day long.Michael had been particularly rough that night, and he must have scratched and scratched Quincy in several places.what to doMichael sat under a tree and smoked.Satan sowed the seeds of evil desire in his heart, and it grew into a towering tree in a blink of an eye.Quincy was leaving him...to another life.He would reunite with Emma, ​​go back to work, and raise a brood of blond children.For a moment, Michael even wants to kill Quincy.A voice inside growled: Kill him, and he'll be yours forever—he drew the gun, and shoved it back a few minutes later trembling.No, he can't do that.He closed his eyes, and began to pray for God's mercy, so that he could get rid of the demon's control as soon as possible, and return to being the normal Michael Fiennes.