A sequence of scenes flashes down through my memory lane whenever I remember the first day I met my love.
The entire school was preparing for the grand annual day of our school which was scheduled after twenty days from today. I was in 10th grade, probably 16 years old and she was in the 9th grade. Ms. Livia had selected a troop of perfect dancers amongst the secondary level. We all were standing in two queues, one for boys and another that of girls. Ms. Livia started making our pairs to dance on a patriotic song. I had no idea how to stop admiring her. With her every hair flip, I barely controlled myself. I had no idea how, but she happened to be my dance partner. May be Ms. Livia could read my mind? A girl in her mid-teens, with curly brown hair rolling over the collar of her shirt with blue dazzling eyes that took my breath away. She seemed to be like an angel who had come up from the stars to the earth for me. I could barely believe how a girl could be so pretty. I couldn't take off my eyes away from her even for one-tenth of a second. She had a strong force of attraction that could drive every man crazy. With every dance step I carried with her, I fell more and more in love with her.
We practiced for about 15 days and I felt these 15 days were enough to make her fall for me too. And I feel, I somehow managed to do it. Gracia finally started feeling something for me. She said she enjoyed my company, a lot. We used to eat lunch together every day. Since she was my junior, therefore, I helped her in solving her arithmetic problems. She also used to come to see my football matches and I feel she was my luck that made me win every match. I also used to accompany her on her art and craft competitions.
Unquestionably, grace is as beautiful as her drawings.
Werner had no idea that while he was daydreaming all this stuff, his father happened to enter his room. Mr. Sawyer Fischer was a man of great discipline. He was very practical and analytical since he was an army man. He has served his nation in the First World War, which occurred between 1914- 1918. He was so patriotic for his nation that he lost his left arm, partially, in the war but his vigor never deteriorated. He was spontaneous, energetic and determinant of his aim even at the age of 45. He was not just a person in uniform, army values such as loyalty towards your duty, respect, and selfless service for the nation and most importantly his honor and integrity were above all. Werner admired his dad a lot since he was a personality with no flaw, except one thing that frustrated Werner a lot. His dad was against Jews, like many other non-Jewish people. He saw Jews less than humans; he considered them as vermin or dangerous predators. Werner hated his dad's thinking the most. Many times he entered into an intensely heated argument with his dad but it was futile since the latter never changed his views. Werner tried his best to make his dad understand that Jews are also human but his every effort was in vain, unfortunately.
"Daydreaming again?" asked Mr. Fischer opening the door of Werner's room.
"No, not at all. Just thinking about tomorrow's match" replied Werner, hurriedly standing up in an alert position to answer his father.
"You know, I feel you should leave this football. You are 18. You are young and agile and you should serve your nation."
Werner went completely silenced since he knew where the topic was heading to.
"Look, my son, I have served my nation. I feel proud of it. If I was able to, I would have been serving even today" said Mr. Fischer looking at his paralyzed left arm.
"I know it is difficult to gather all your strength and make up your mind to stand up for this, but son, all I can tell you is you should do something for your nation. You should give back what this nation has given to you" said Mr. Fischer
"Dinner is ready!" called Mrs. Fischer to both of them.
"I think we should proceed to dine in, shall we?" asked Werner to his father.
"Yes, we can have this conversation over there," said Mr. Fischer analyzing Werner's disappointed face.
Everyone sat on the dining table including Ms. Marley Fischer.
"Smells nice," said Marley Fischer.
She was a nimble-fingered lady who has seen great atrocities of life. She was adroit and had a great experience with people, she was very cunning. After the death of their parents, she nurtured and reared his younger brother Sawyer Fischer. She was never married. She claimed that she was too busy in upbringing Sawyer and running the chores to meet both ends meet, she didn't get time to marry. Sawyer loved and respected his sister a lot and could never deny anything to her.
"Thank you, Lily helped me today," said Mrs. Scarlett Fischer smiling at her 14-year-old teenage daughter, Lily.
Mrs. Scarlett Fischer was a woman with great values who admired her husband a lot. She always stood by his side no matter how much wrong he was. She was an ideal wife with great virtue. She neither complained, nor disobeyed her husband in her 20-year-old long marriage. No lady on the entire earth could be as pure as she was. In brief, she was sinless. And, indubitably, she was teaching these same characteristics to her daughter Lily Fischer.
Mrs. Fischer and Lily served everyone and then they sat to eat with them.
"So, I was just talking to Werner about serving our nation," continued Mr. Fischer, addressing particularly to his son, Werner.
"Yes, you should serve the country, Werner. We should reserve our deepest respect and admiration to the nation, right Scarlett?" asked Marley Fischer knowing that Scarlett would agree with her words.
"Yes, of course, Madam," said Scarlett to Marley. She always addressed Marley as Madam since she felt it was the highest form of respect she could give to her.
"Yes Dad, I agree with you," said Werner who had no choice but just to agree with what his father says.
"So, when will you decide?" asked Mr. Fischer with a ray of hope in his eyes thinking that his son has finally agreed to join the army.
"After two-three years, maybe," said Werner
"But two-three years is such a…" Mr. Fischer was going to complete his sentence when Mrs. Fischer interrupted, "Just two-three years?" with sadness in her eyes. She loved her son above all and she was proud of him. She can never think of losing him in a war, therefore, she doesn't like the idea of Werner joining the army.
"You are just 18, you cannot think of joining the army at such a tender age, Werner!" said Mrs. Fischer with a disappointment on her face.
"But…" said Mr. Fischer
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To be continued...
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