Soul to the Rhine

Chapter 132 Four Nine
"Zobet! Woo!" Rosia couldn't help crying. She opened her arms and rushed towards her. Zobet also hugged her with a smile.

"You're back, you're back." She closed her eyes and could feel the breath on his body. This young man who used to love to laugh but later became blind is still alive and he is back. There is nothing like him anymore. This is something even more touching.

Zobet hugged her quietly for a while, then stretched out his hands to separate. He couldn't see the tears on Rosia's face, but he knew she was crying.

"Don't be sad, you should admire me for finding you."

Rosia quickly picked up her hand and wiped her face. Although she knew Zobet couldn't see it, she still felt embarrassed.She sobbed twice and asked, "Then you, how did you find this place?"

"Actually..." He suddenly showed a narrow smile: "I don't know either."

"Go." Rosia couldn't help but said, "Don't bring anything like this."

"Okay." He admitted obediently: "After I got off the car, I followed my comrade. His wife came to pick him up, so I asked her if she knew you. By coincidence, she knew you."

Rosia looked at his smiling face and couldn't help but feel a little guilty: "Actually, I originally wanted to post your message there, but I didn't have a photo..."

"It's okay." Zobet stretched out his hand and rubbed her head: "Didn't I come back already?"

"Yes." Rosia smiled: "You are back. Then it's time to enter the house."

She took a step back and originally wanted to reach out and grab his arm to bring him in, but she found that he could follow on his own, his steps were very steady, as if he had never been blind at all.

Rosia was startled, then smiled suddenly, then she turned around and walked forward, Zobet followed easily.

Entering the room, Aunt Mesa was reading the newspaper and Pino was reading a book. They both raised their heads and were startled at the same time.

Pino had no impression of Zobet, but Aunt Mesha knew all these people.She stood up quickly, the joy on her face almost overflowing.

"Auntie!" Zobet already knew who was standing opposite and greeted with a smile.

Aunt Mesa seemed even more excited than Rosia. She came over and hugged him tightly as if she were her own child. She kept patting his back: "Good boy, it's good to be back." , just come back, let’s see how thin you are.”

The two hugged each other for a while, and Rosia pulled Pino over to recognize her. Aunt Mesa pressed Zobet on the sofa and went to the kitchen to find food for him.

Although Zobet was not so skinny as to be skinny, his condition was still not much better. At least when they hugged him, Rosia felt that he didn't even have a ounce of flesh on his body, and his bones were so hard.

After three or four years of torture, his stomach had become extremely small, and he started to feel uncomfortable even after eating much.Aunt Mesa did not force him to continue eating, but asked Rosia to take him out for a walk to digest.The stomach needs to be recuperated slowly, and there is no need to rush at this time.

It's autumn in Berlin now, and the scenery is just right. The Rhine River is also beautiful, with clear water, blue sky, and golden autumn leaves. It's so beautiful.

"You are stepping on golden maple leaves now. It rained yesterday and the road is wet now. Do you feel it?"

Zobet smiled and nodded: "I seem to feel it."

"There is a bench in front of you. Do you want to sit down and rest?"

"you are tired?"

"No."

"Then keep walking for a while. I haven't smelled the Berlin air for a long time."

"okay."

The two walked slowly along the Rhine River. The autumn wind was cool but not cold, and they were very comfortable. From time to time, leaves would fall on the two of them, and they ignored each other. They just moved forward aimlessly, catching up with each other. Talking nicely.

After a long time, the two began to talk about some topics that they were unwilling to mention before. Although they didn't want to, they had to mention it.

"Bettina left."

"Yeah, I know." Zobet's face turned out to be very calm.

Rosia thought about it. If there was no news about Bettina at this time, the only outcome would be to die on the battlefield.

"She was very powerful. I was with her at the time. The Soviet bombers blew up the air-raid shelter, but she didn't escape."

Zobet didn't answer.

Rosia continued: "I hope she has a better life in heaven."

"Will do."

"Yes." Rosia also nodded, and then thought of another person: "Did you see Eric in the prisoner of war camp? The last time you saw him, he seemed to say he was going to the battlefield."

Zobet shook his head: "I haven't seen them. I am in the Air Force and I am not with them."

"Oh, that's right."

"But," he added, "he shouldn't go to the battlefield?"

"why?"

"Because as a police lieutenant colonel, he was very good, and Goebbels would not allow his men to go to the battlefield."

Zobet stopped and said in a low, unusually calm voice: "Perhaps you should send a letter to the funeral committee."

Rosia was shocked for a moment: "You mean, he has..."

Zobet shook his head and said nothing, but Rosia already understood what he meant.In fact, she had thought about whether to add Eric's name when she sent the letter to the funeral committee a long time ago.But she never dared because she didn't want to believe that it would end like this.But now listening to Zobet say this, it seems that she is deceiving herself.

The two of them returned home in silence.Zobet's body is actually very weak, and his energy has been almost exhausted after walking for a while.Aunt Mesa tidied up an empty room for him on the third floor, made a bed and quilt and let him go in to rest.

Rosia was in her room, holding a piece of letter paper and holding the pen in her hand several times without writing anything down.Finally, when the ink on the pen had dried, she shook her arm and wrote Eric's name on the paper.

A week later, she received a reply from the funeral committee.

Eric's body was found in the Dachau concentration camp in Munich. He committed suicide and was later submerged in an air raid. He is now buried in the Silgert cemetery in downtown Munich.

After receiving the news, Rosia immediately cried at the cold reply sheet. So many people she knew had been harmed by the war after all.

I remember that the last time I saw him, his mood had changed a bit, and he seemed to have already developed doubts about the war.Now that he committed suicide, is this a relief for him?

Over the weekend, Rosia and Zobet took a car to Munich with two bouquets of flowers.The two stood quietly for more than three hours at the Sirget Cemetery. The names on the tombstones were still familiar, but the people were no longer there.

After Christmas in 48, 49 came soon. This year was the time for the return of prisoners of war. Almost all the American and British prisoners had returned. They were in poor health and not in good spirits. They just stayed in silence with their wives at the station. Hug each other, and then follow your loved ones back home.

There was no Heinrich among these people, and no one had seen Heinrich, as if he had disappeared into the world.

Rosia never thought of sending a letter to the funeral committee, because news from as far away as Siberia would not reach here. What's more, she believed that Heinrich was still alive. He made a promise, but she never thought that he would die.

Whenever she had free time, she would go to the station with Zobet, where a large billboard was erected, filled with news and photos of various captured soldiers. She only had a photo of Heinrich. , which Pino sent to her when she was in Stalingrad.She was reluctant to post this only photo, so she made many copies in the photocopying agency, and then posted them all over the surrounding wall.

This kind of crazy behavior always allows people to vent their unhappiness. Rosia always wants to laugh every time she sees a whole wall of Heinrich. Although it will soon be covered up by other news, but by then She will reattach it.

Soon it was summer in Berlin, and on this day, she received a wedding invitation.

Ilana is getting married.

A girl about the same age as her is getting married now.Rosia was surprised, but when she told Aunt Mesha about it, she was knocked on the head.

"You don't even look at how old you are."

Rosia was knocked dazed for a while, but when she came back to her senses, she realized that she was indeed no longer young. Born in 1922, she must be 27 now. No wonder Ilana got married.

But the problem was that Elana didn't just invite her to the wedding, she wanted her to be a bridesmaid.

Rosia has never done this kind of job in her life and has no experience at all.Other than wrapping up a red envelope, I don’t know what to do.

She wanted to shirk it, but Ilana seemed to have known it for a long time. Before she could reply, she sent two more wedding invitations, inviting Aunt Mesa and Pino to come, and strictly forbidding her to refuse.

It is a big event for good friends to get married.Besides, Rosia has been suffering from bad luck for a long time, so she should also participate in some happy events.Aunt Mesa volunteered to choose a bridesmaid dress for her and told her some German etiquette in person. The steps were not troublesome and were even easier than a Chinese wedding.

Ilana's wedding was held in Frankfurt. Her husband is a Luxembourger, but the two have been childhood sweethearts since childhood and have a good relationship.When the war broke out in Germany, her husband returned to the country and reunited after the war. The two still had feelings for each other when they were young. After several years of getting along, they decided to get married.

The three Rosias arrived two days in advance and were arranged to stay in a hotel.The night before the wedding, Ilana even made a special trip to chat with her.

"Would you like to come out and talk to me?"

"What's wrong, are you afraid of marriage?" Rosia asked with a smile.

"It's nothing. I just feel a little emotional. I'm about to get married. Time flies really fast."

"It goes by so fast. We haven't seen each other for three or four years. You have grown up too."

"What do you mean I've grown up? Am I always very young?" Ilana was unconvinced.

"Well, you've always been big, everywhere."

"You...well, you Rosia, what are you talking about? Let's see if I don't beat you to death." She said and chased after her with bared teeth. Rosia turned around and ran away. The two chased on the road for a long time, sweating a lot. , until they came back in a circle, the two of them stopped panting.

"Honestly, Sia, what have you been thinking these past few years? Are you still waiting for your boyfriend?" Ilana mentioned her matter: "I don't want to say that he is dead, but we don't want to say anything. I don’t know when he will come back. What if it takes another five or ten years? You still keep waiting. "

Rosia wiped the sweat from her head: "I don't know either, but he will definitely come back. I promised him to wait."

"You love him so much?" Ilana looked speechless.

Rosia smiled: "It's probably not as serious as love. Strictly speaking, I don't like him, but things are unpredictable. We experienced things together in the Soviet Union that even God could not imagine. Maybe I like him, but it's also The bond is too deep.”

"Then you are still willing to wait?"

"No, I will only wait for him for ten years. After ten years, I will find someone to marry immediately."

Ilana was stunned for a moment and couldn't understand why it was this deadline.

Rosia pushed her shoulder: "Okay, go back, you bride-to-be don't suffer from dark circles anymore."

Elana was a little reluctant to give up, but thinking that what she said was also true, she had no choice but to turn back in three steps.

Rosia stood downstairs and watched her leave until she disappeared at the end of the street, then she exhaled and turned around to go upstairs.

Why ten years?
Because after ten years, all the prisoners will come back. If he doesn't come back, he has not kept his promise.

……

The next day, the weather in Frankfurt was nice and crisp, and the wedding was held as scheduled.They didn't invite many people, so the venue was very quiet and leisurely.Ilana wore a white wedding dress and a crown on her head. She was led by her father to the center of the church.

Next to the pastor, stood a young man in a neat suit, looking at her with a smile on his face and a warm spring breeze. The small church was instantly filled with happiness.

Rosia was right next to her. She watched with a smile as Ilana walked over. The two made vows, exchanged rings, and then kissed under the sacred light.

She applauded with the people around her, and sincerely wished that this girl who had been with her through life and death, and experienced many hardships and joys, would now be happy and have no more worries.

In the last part of the wedding, Ilana threw the bouquet to her.Although she was a little stunned, she still smiled and accepted her blessing. Of course, this was also because she was the only girl in the church.

After the wedding, the three of them stayed in Frankfurt for another day before setting off back to Berlin.

They didn't have anything important to do, but after all, Zobet was alone at home, and his life would be inconvenient.

Not long after that, it was October [-], [-].

The People's Republic of China is established!

Although this is something that everyone knows in modern times, and everyone does not express any special feelings, it is because they have never had the opportunity to truly face this moment, and they cannot feel the joy of hearing the news with their own ears. Shocking.When she truly faced this moment, her heart felt like it was filled with boiling hot water, and the sound of the gears of fate turning could be heard in her ears.

This great country rising in the east was finally born. Rosia was extremely happy every day. She wrote a diary, walked around the room, rolled on the bed, and kept going up and down the stairs. But no matter what she did, she could not express her feelings. Emotions couldn't calm her down.

In the evening, Aunt Mesha cooked a big meal. Four people and a dog gathered around the dining table, and specially opened two bottles of red wine.

"Cheers to your country's birthday!"

"Cheers to the new life!"

"Cheers! To China!"

　This is the first half. Everyone who needs to explain has finished doing so. The second half will come up in an hour.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)