M.J. Hollows - The German Nurse

Jack shuffled his feet, praying for this situation to end as quickly as possible. The silence dragged on and he felt more and more visible as the seconds clicked away.

‘Your English is very good,’ he said to the interpreter, trying to fill the gap.

‘Thank you. I studied in England, and it’s a great opportunity to have a chance to practise it. It’s a fascinating language, a mixture of German, French, and Latin. Fascinating.’

Jack nodded in reply, almost regretting the compliment. He didn’t want to be drawn into a conversation with the man, but the silence was even worse. He shuffled again, suddenly feeling the weight of his legs. He realised the interpreter was waiting expectantly for a response. He racked his brain for something appropriate to say, but all he wanted to do was to scream ‘get out!’ The closer they were to him, the closer they were to Johanna.

‘Where did you study?’ he asked instead, hoping that the conversation would end up with the kommandant drawing his interpreter away.

‘Oh, er,’ the interpreter mumbled, apparently surprised by the question. Jack wondered if anyone had taken an interest in him like this before, or had merely passed him off as an extension of the kommandant. ‘At the School of Tropical Medicine in Liverpool. A fascinating place. Naturally since the war began I have had other duties to perform. I must attend to the kommandant. Excuse me.’

The kommandant had stood again, turned to leave, then stepped to the side, as if he had forgotten something. He snapped his heels together, while raising his right arm into the air with his palm outstretched. ‘Heil Hitler!’ he shouted.

The German liaison officer barely hesitated before he too clipped together his heels. ‘Heil Hitler!’ he returned with equal conviction.

There was an awkward moment as the kommandant appeared to look around the room. The others appeared unsure, shuffled their feet and looked at each other for direction. David’s eyes bored right into Jack’s from across the room, and Jack shook his head with as little motion as possible. There was no way that he would salute. Sure, they were in charge now, but what did it mean to him? Who was Hitler to Jack? He may serve him in some way, but he wasn’t about to debase himself like that. David seemed to be buoyed by Jack’s response, and he took a deep breath before returning to work.

The kommandant let his arm drop, and nodded to the interpreter, before finally leaving the room, his highly polished boots clicking lightly as he walked along the tiled corridor floor. The interpreter followed a few steps behind and the sound disappeared into the distance. It was another moment before everyone returned to work and sound rushed back into the room like a coming tide.

Jack stood, strong in his decision. There was something about the kommandant that Jack couldn’t quite identify, but something told him he would have to watch himself. He could never let them know about Johanna and who she truly was. He didn’t think any of them could be trusted. His eyes went to the orders the kommandant had left behind, which had already been circulated to the press for the morning papers. Some of them would be almost impossible to follow.

ORDERS OF THE COMMANDANT OF THE GERMAN FORCES IN OCCUPATION OF THE Island OF GUERNSEY

1st July 1940

(1) All inhabitants must be indoors by 11.00 p.m. and must not leave their homes before 6.00 a.m.

(2) We will respect the population in Guernsey; but, should anyone attempt to cause the least trouble, serious measures will be taken and the town will be bombed.

(3) All orders given by the military authority are to be strictly obeyed.

(4) All spirits must be locked up immediately and no spirits may be supplied, obtained or consumed henceforth. This prohibition does not apply to stocks in private houses.

(5) No person shall enter the aerodrome at La Villiaze.

(6) All rifles, airguns, pistols, revolvers, sporting guns, and all other weapons whatsoever, except souvenirs, must, together with all ammunition, be delivered at the Royal Hotel by 12 noon today, 1st July.

(7) All British sailors, airmen, and soldiers on leave in this island must report at the police station at 9.00 a.m. today and must then report at the Royal Hotel.

(8) No boat or vessel of any description, including any fishing boat, shall leave the harbour or any other place where the same is moored, without an order from the military authority, to be obtained at the Royal Hotel. All boats arriving from Jersey, from Sark or from Herm, or elsewhere, must remain in harbour until permitted by the military to leave. The crews will remain on board. The master will report to the harbourmaster, St Peter Port, and will obey his instructions.

(9) The sale of motor spirit is prohibited, except for use on essential services, such as doctors’ vehicles, the delivery of foodstuffs and sanitary services where such vehicles are in possession of a permit from the military authority to obtain supplies. These vehicles must be brought to the Royal Hotel by 12 noon today to receive the necessary permission. The use of cars for private purposes is forbidden.

(10) The black-out regulations already in force must be observed as before.

(11) Banks and shops will be open as usual.

(Signed) THE GERMAN COMMANDANT OF THE Island OF GUERNSEY

When he was walking home he couldn’t help thinking that he hadn’t seen Johanna since before the invasion. She had sent word to the police station that she was all right, but he longed to see her with his own eyes. When they had first met, almost two years ago now, they would spend their evenings together as often as possible, talking about everything and nothing all at once. That was before the war had come and changed everything. Since the attack he felt her absence more keenly. She had come to the island to escape her past, she had said, but now she was desperately trying to find work as a foreigner.

He was reminded of their early days together when he passed Creasey’s department store at No. 9 High Street and spotted the window display. There were a pair of sapphire shoes in the window that Johanna had pined over when they had last been there. He looked at the price and sighed. There was no way he would be able to afford them on a policeman’s wage, not unless he saved up for some time. With the war going on and now the occupation, he didn’t know whether spending all his money was a good idea. He wondered what would happen to their money and the banks now that the Germans had taken over. Part of him thought that it didn’t really matter anymore, their lives as they knew it were over, all they could do now was take care of themselves, while the other part of his brain told him the only way through it all was to stick together.

He entered the department store through the double doors and was immediately amongst the goods they sold, everything he could think of from musty-smelling leather clothing, to hat boxes and luggage. The shop had prided itself on selling everything the Islanders needed all in one place, and the inside of the store always filled him with wonder. Unfortunately he didn’t get many chances to come here, except for the few times when Johanna and he were together, so now he walked amongst the racks and rows, taking it all in.

As he passed one counter a staff member looked up and spotted him. A smile broke out across her face and Jack mentally prepared himself for a sales pitch, but it didn’t come.

‘Jack Godwin,’ she said, still smiling. ‘What brings you in here?’

She stopped what she had been doing and placed it to one side. It took Jack a long moment to fully recognise her. It had only been a couple of months since he had last seen her, and it was amazing how much someone could change in that time. ‘Madeleine?’ he asked, uncertain. Her face had filled out since he had last seen her, and the shop assistant’s dress made her look older. Her blonde hair was cut shorter than when they were children.