It’s been about a year now that Lutz has been stationed in the Netherlands, Amsterdam to be specific. Before the war started he had never been in another country and also not very far from home, so this was his first experience to be outside of his country. It was rather interesting. Yes, he was very interested in the Dutch ways of life, not that the Dutch people were very grateful for the invasion of the Germans - something Lutz, as a 22 year old German soldier, didn’t understand. They only meant to bring them good things. They should be grateful to be included in the great germanic empire. Oh well. After almost a year he learnt to live with it.
Something else had happened while he was stationed in Amsterdam. He met this wonderful girl after a few months he was there. She caught his eye right away. He noticed she’d always ride her bike to work, always the same route and mostly did groceries on her way home. One day he had the courage to offer her his help with carrying everything (mostly because a fellow solider dared him to). But she refused harshly and didn’t want anything to do with these ‘moffen’, whatever that meant. However Lutz wouldn’t give up and at some point his persistency paid off. One day in winter some bullies snatched the food she had managed to collect from her. He was around to get it back and tell those boys a good lesson. Then everything started to change. It seemed she discovered that not all Germans were bad. Time passed, they often met in secret and he often walked her home - much to her father’s disapproval, but eventually they started falling in love. And yes, they had a sort of relationship now in secret. Neither of them could help it. It just kinda happened.
But yesterday Lutz received his new orders. A shock to him. He was to be moved to the Eastern Front. Just a few days ago, Germany has made its move on Russia. According to their leader, the war should be won before christmas. That was 5 months from now. Hopefully he was right. But Lutz somehow had to tell Maaike, his secret girlfriend, this information. He told her to meet him this evening. He’ be waiting for her at their usual meeting place.
And there he was now. Leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette, in uniform and all. IN the distance he saw someone approaching. Could it be her?
