My heart began to beat hard against my chest as I heard the distant sound of voices. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they were male, calling out to one another every so often. ‘Germans?’ I whispered to Marcel.
He looked back at me and nodded. ‘No more talking. Just do whatever I say, without question. Understand?’
I went to speak but stopped myself and nodded earnestly. Marcel reached back and took my hand. ‘It will be all right. I promise.’
It was a bold promise, but I did trust him.
I could hear the voices growing louder as the patrol made its way towards us. Marcel gestured back the way we had come and, still holding my hand, stepped around me and, keeping low, began moving away. I mimicked his stance, but I pulled my hand away. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but I knew it would make moving slower and more awkward. I gave him a quick smile of reassurance. Within a few minutes, we were back in the gully and, keeping to the edge where the trees were denser, we skirted the perimeter before reaching a track.
‘You all right?’ asked Marcel, pausing momentarily.
‘Yes. I’m fine,’ I reassured him. I had always been very athletic and could match Edgar for speed and agility when we were teenagers.
‘I can’t hear them,’ he said. ‘This is a longer way back, but it’s safer. We’ll come off the track soon and then we’ll head for the east side of the farm. It’s about twenty minutes at a run. You think you can manage that?’
‘Yes. No problem.’
I may have overestimated my abilities somewhat and after about ten minutes, I noticed Marcel had slowed his pace so I could keep up. He was barely breaking a sweat, but I was breathing heavily now. I stumbled over a tree root at one point but managed to stay on my feet, my dress catching on a branch that ripped the fabric. Again, I reassured Marcel I was all right.
‘You’re doing great,’ he said. ‘One last push.’
Finally, we came to the edge of the forest. I could see the farm on the other side of the field.
‘We can cut through the maize. It will give us good cover,’ said Marcel.
‘You don’t have to come with me. I’ll be all right now. You should get back to the camp as soon as possible.’
‘I want to make sure you’re safe.’
‘And I will be. There are no Germans in the maize field. You’re the one who needs to be careful. And I won’t even know if you get back safely.’
The corner of his mouth turned up a fraction. ‘Anyone would think you’re worried about me.’
‘Of course I am.’ I tried to keep my voice neutral. ‘I’d be worried about anyone.’
He was still smiling– a knowing smile– and then more seriously, he said, ‘Thanks.’
‘What for?’
‘For worrying. When you’ve been out here for a while, it’s easy to forget how to care about each other as individuals.’
‘That’s what makes us better than them.’
He nodded. ‘I don’t want you to worry about me, but it’s nice to know.’ He held his hand to my cheek and brushed my face with his thumb. ‘It reminds me how to care about others.’ With that, he leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
I leaned into him and took a deep breath. I wanted to lift my head to meet his lips with mine, but he pulled away, although his hand remained on my face. I covered it with my own. ‘We must always care.’
He nodded, and then– with a sigh– pulled back. ‘And on that note, I’m taking you across the field. No arguing.’
We weaved our way through the maize crop and were soon crouched at the boundary of the farmyard. ‘Please be careful going back,’ I said, suddenly feeling both relief and fear.
I don’t know what possessed me. Maybe it was the adrenaline of the moment, the danger we’d shared or just emotions running high, but I leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth. A chaste kiss, but a kiss, nonetheless. And then immediately felt mortified at my boldness. I couldn’t read his expression and I jumped to my feet, ready to flee, but Marcel caught my hand and pulled me back down.
We locked eyes and his gaze was intense and I could feel some sort of invisible force binding us together. ‘Look for the chalk mark,’ he said.
I nodded, my throat too tight with emotion and longing to allow my voice to escape. He kissed me gently on the lips before letting go of my hand.
I took one last moment to look at him before standing and slipping back out through the crops and into the farmyard.
