“He’s leaving me”

Whispered Aiko in the dark while holding her tears.  This time, only God knows for how long he will be leaving for war and leave her.  She cannot prevent him from going as she knows that he’s going because of his own and never because other people ordered him.

“Aiko, watch out!” screamed one of my friends when we were walking together at the forest that evening.  I’m so foolish; really, I just watched the surroundings around me and walked quite far from them.  By the time I heard my friend’s screaming, my vision was blocked with a big tree that was falling.  I closed my eyes and hoping that I’m still alive somehow.  Suddenly, I felt someone pulled me away and carried me in both arms.

I was so afraid that I still do not open my eyes.  Out of the blue, an unfamiliar voice spoke to me. “Are you okay?.  Do you hurt anywhere?” I opened my eyes to see the owner of that husky voice and saw a pair of blue azure eyes was looking at me with concern.  I was shocked and hurriedly jump off from his muscular arms.  When I looked at him which was only wearing black coloured tank, I blushed because I never been close with man before.

He looked at me and shook his head.  “Miss, are you okay? You seem to be having a fever because your face is red right now” I stammered to say my gratitude towards him.  It seems a cat has caught my tongue that time.  “Thank you, kind sir. I’m really appreciate your help if not I will be dead by now.” I smiled when I managed to finish my words.

When I looked at him, my heart suddenly beats quickly.  I don’t know what the reason was.  It is because of his looks which completed with a pair of blue azure eyes, a well-built body plus with a height that I estimate that he is around 180 cm or something, his hairstyle that brushed neatly or maybe, just maybe because of his kindness when he helped me?  I was confused.  He looked at me and smiled.

As he was walking away, I asked something that I would never ever do it in my real life and it was shocking to me too.  “Sir, can I come again?” His face looked shocked but when he turned his back at me, he nodded.

“Sir? I have been wondering.  Where do you come from? You don’t seem like Japanese to me. “I asked when we met again after that incident.  After that incident, I went into the forest alone to see him.  Even though he did not say much but I enjoyed looking at him.  “I come from German, by the way.  Can you do me a favour by just calling me Ludwig? It is kind of weird when you keep calling me sir.  Full name, Ludwig Beilschmidt.” I was overwhelmed with happiness when he told me his name that I forgot that I was standing on a log. 

In a blink of eyes, pain shot through my veins.  It was my fault though, didn’t look where was I standing and the result was, my ankle was hurt and I could not even stand up. This is so embarrassing.  Why I do have to encountered many incident in front of him.

Quickly, he stopped his training and ran towards me.  “Why are you so clumsy?!” I was shocked with his high voice but somehow his high voice did not match with his worrying face.  “Can you stand up?” I shook my head because my ankle was really hurt at that time.

“If that so.  Come, climb at my back then.  I carry you to your home” he said thus lowered his body.  I hesitated but he insisted me to climb his back, “Don’t worry, for your little, petite body, it won’t be heavy for me to carry.” I climbed and he made me wrapped my arms around his neck properly.  Thank god he could not see me right now because, I knew, my face will be so red right now. 

His body was so well-built that I felt really comfortable behind him.  After a while, we reached my home and he asked me if he can come in to put me on a chair or something.  I said yes.  We went in and he put me carefully on one of my wooden chair at the living room.  He went around my little house and walked back to me carrying a bottle of oil. “Aiko-chan, this is going to be hurt. Bear with it”.  He said and flipped my long dress a bit. I was startled, “What are you doing?” I asked with a blushing face.  “I just want to massage your ankle.  If not, you will feel more pain than you are now.”

My sprained ankle did hurt.  I gritted my teeth to bear with the pain.  His warm hands massaged my ankle until I felt better.  After he has done, suddenly he spoke.  “I’m going back to my country Aiko-chan. Germany has sent their telegram to me that I’m needed back at my country for the war.” I was speechless when he said it.  It felt like thousands of swords stabbed my heart.

“Oh, all the best then, please take care of yourself.” I said while trying to hold back my tears from falling. He stood up and went to his bag.  After a while, he took out a shawl which was coloured as blue as his eyes.  Suddenly, he wrapped it around my neck carefully and covered my ears. We looked at each other but I cannot understand what he was trying to say to me as he covered my ears tightly.  Only then he released it, “Take care.” Is the last word that I heard from him before he walked out from my house and vanished slowly in the dark night. 

p/s: Ein means the number One In Germany