The rainbow never sets

before you have a chance to get them."

"Snipers and such things?" "You are never safe anywhere. That's why the S.S. has gone mad in that area. They hate the French and don't understand, that we would do the same if the shoe were on the other foot."

"How can we avoid being grabbed by the S.S?" "You just volunteer for any unit you want to go to. They can make a kind of contract with you that says, they will take you when you turn 17."

"What, like the cavalry?" "Yeah, why not, but don't think you are going to ride horses. They are all motorised these days. But by all means, keep up the Tieman and Lewinski tradition!"

Later we made some enquiries and were told that it was possible to put our names down for a cavalry unit. We were promised that when we reached 17 years we would be called up by them.

After hearing Horst's report, we had some hope that that would never happen. Surely the war by then would be finished!

Soon Horst had to go back to the war, and we back to school. But for Günter, something very unexpected happened. His class, all those born in 1927, were called up to the FLAK (the anti-aircraft defence), as a FLAK helper. This seemed to be an extension of the total war effort, now affecting even us youngsters. Günter wasn't quite 16 yet.

When I thought of the future, I was getting more worried. How on earth could we win the war when everyone on the eastern front was retreating and they were now recruiting 15 and 16-year-olds to help with the war effort?

*

The year drew to an end. Christmas was very special to us, as it was the first one in the manor house. Everything seemed so fresh and new. A new place for our Christmas tree, new surroundings, new curtains. And yet, there was also the old, reminding us of the good old days, like the cosy tiled stove in the lounge with the warm seat, where Opa had loved to sit and warm his bottom. We were lucky that Günter got home-leave over Christmas. After our usual celebration in the manor house, the Goebel family stayed behind, as we went over to our old house for Christmas Eve, to be with Oma and our family from Strykowo, minus Horst, and minus Opa. Who would be missing next year? I didn't want to think of that. I wanted to hold on to what we had now.

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