The rainbow never sets

"Why have you never told me this before?" "For your own sake. It would have caused a colossal conflict within you. One day you might have said something, quite unwittingly, which could have betrayed your real feelings, and then you, and we all, would have been in trouble."

"But Vater, didn't you trust me?" "Of course I trusted you. Maybe one day you will understand." "I want to understand now, that's why I wanted to talk to you. Heinz was telling me, that there's little hope that we're going to win the war. I just can't see how Germany can go on, after we have lost the war? All those efforts, all the dead, all the destruction, can all this have been in vain?"

"No, my boy, such things never happen without a purpose, provided that we learn from them. Wars do not solve differences between nations."

"So what will happen after Germany has been defeated?" "We will probably be ruled by the occupying nations, until such time when we can form our own government. Life goes on."

"Really! Ah yes, the rainbow! So there is life É after death?" We walked silently, each one immersed in our deep thoughts. "I can see now, why you were so keen to get over the river Elbe, because you didn't want to come under Russian rule."

"That's quite right." My political naivety had been eroded. I began to learn slowly. Sunday, 8 April. Our family went to church in the morning. Pastor Borchert was a good preacher, and I felt I would have learnt a great deal from him, had I lived here. No wonder Heinz was so mature.

On our way back from church, I heard a familiar droning sound high up in the sky. There were several squadrons of bombers flying in formation in a northerly direction. I was reminded of previous sights and I shuddred. Who would be the target this time? We didn't have to wait for long. We heard the sound of explosions in the distance. It wasn't far from us.

As soon as we arrived home we went through the garden gate, overlooking a low land where vegetables were grown. Further down we could see horses grazing on meadows near a brook. From here we could see north. A cloud of smoke appeared on the horizon.

"This can't be more than ten kilometers from here," Vater commented. He was very good at estimating distances.

"Where could that be?" I asked, no one in particular. At that moment Frau Koggel, the farmer's widow, appeared in the garden gate. She pointed at the smoke and said: "This is where Halberstadt lies."

I had never heard of that place. The clouds of smoke became bigger and blacker. The bombing had ceased. We went inside for lunch.

When I saw Frau Koggel after lunch again I asked her, what sort of place Halberstadt was.

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