Five years - that's all we got E-Book

Sandra Borchert

• Herausgeber: neobooks Self-Publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Deutsch

Seitenzahl: 101

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Growing up on an Army Camp in Surrey, Lucy and her mother decide to move to London towards the end of World War 2. Shortly afterwards, Lucy starts to study in Oxford, where she meets Phil - a young, handsome and extremely talented photographer. But before their love can develop, Phil has to leave Oxford to start his work in London. It takes some very lively years until both finally start their lives together. After some really happy years their family life starts to change. Phil comes back from a job as war photographer and his post traumatic stress disorder starts to change his personality. How is Lucy going to deal with the 'new' Phil and what if their family and love is going to break apart?

Leseprobe

Sandra Borchert

Five years - that's all we got

Sometimes you find true love twice

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Inhaltsverzeichnis

Titel

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

XIII

XIV

XV

XVI

XVII

XVIII

XIX

XX

Impressum

I

Don't we all want to believe in true love? Wouldn't we be lost, if there was no such thing? Don't we all wish for someone to read our every desire, knowing exactly what we want, without us having to speak a word of it?It doesn't matter how old we are, deep inside we are craving for just that. Our hearts long for warmth and comfort. Anyone who experiences true love once will not let go of it. And when you lose it, you will search your whole life thereafter. How can I possibly know that? I was lucky enough to experience true love twice. That's impossible? I also thought that when I was young. What changed my mind? My life and the man of my life. Together we are living in a little Cottage in Bridlington, the place of many memories. It is quiet here and our children love to visit us. And if they do, we light up the candles, bring out the good wine and look at the ocean. Then we have time for our memories.

II

In 1930 the world was still safe and sound. I was six years old, just starting elementary school. My father was an officer in the British Army and we lived on an army base in Surrey, a suburb of London. At that time there weren't a lot of children on that base, but those who were, were spoiled by their fathers. On the other hand we had to help our mothers with their daily chores. No traces of spoiling here. By day we had to help with the shopping and at night dad came home with new and exciting stories about the latest drill exercise or his newest assignments.

I had a strict upbringing despite the love of my parents. Or maybe it was because they love me so much. Punctuality and dependability were very important to my mother and my father alike. And of course my general behavior among other people. My mother was a strict catholic and so she taught me the importance of helping other people and care for them. That is why we often offered help to young mothers which were overstrained with a newborn child while their men were on missions. It was great fun for me. I always wanted a younger sibling but it was not possible for my mother to conceive another child. But when I look at it in a different light, I had quite a lot brothers and sisters those days. Then the school-life began. My grades were good even though I was pretty lazy. Nevertheless I managed to pass my exams every time.

My biggest problem was doing my homework. At school I was forced to pay attention, but at home I got lost in thought. My mind started to wander and in my daydreams I helped my father to fight all the evil in the world. I missed him very much. Everything was better when he was at home, even homework. He had the ability to explain everything to me in an easy way. Sometimes he went with me outside to show me how physics work. We threw little stones on a sandpile and returned a few days later to look if they turned up again. Or we went kiting and learned everything about aerodynamics. One day we even built a tin can telephone with my mother, to teach me about acoustics. My father was a fantastic teacher. He was a very handsome man, too.

Every woman on the base envied my mother. He was 1.9 m tall, had thick brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. And apart from that he was the nicest and most empathetic man I ever knew. I was so proud of being his daughter.

So the years went by.

It was time to leave the school and go out into the world. A career in the Royal Army was not possible for me at that time, but that was not what I wanted either way. I wanted to leave the base behind and see the world. Therefore I applied myself to study in Oxford. I was a talented writer and had no troubles learning foreign languages. But it was not easy to see the big wide world in those days. At the end of 1943 Germany tried to occupy London and the surrounding areas. My father was sent to Germany. At that time he was already gone for half a year. We did not hear very much of him and were deeply concerned. I often heard my mother cry in her sleep or calling out his name. So I decided to stay at home for one more year. It was a difficult time. We had to try to manage without father. It was particularly bad at night, during air raid alarms. We sat inside the bunker holding each other tightly. All women and children together. Those were strange days. At night we were scared and during the day we waited for a life-sign and tried to keep our houses clean. There was not anything else to do. Most of the children were sent to host parents in the north, so they would not have to suffer the worst of the war. The days went by one after the other and no news of father or anyone from his unit got to us.

A few month later the first bad news arrived. My mother and some other woman decided to form a kind of initiative to help those woman whose husbands had fallen. Together we helped them to get their things in order. Afterwards they wrote down all the memories and supported each others at appointments with the authorities or the funerals. It was not a good time, but we all held each other up and still got tighter. Any envy between the women was forgotten about.

After almost a year we still had not heard from my father. I was uncertain whether I should hope for news to come, or fear what the news might turn out to be. My heart was hoping but my mind remained realistic and prepared for the worst.

When Germany surrendered in 1945 we breathed a sight of relief. Although London got off lightly compared to other cities and the enemy troops did not reach Surrey, the nightmares and the fears of the last years would never fully leave us. But from now on we had to look forward. We had to be strong, organize our lives and prepare for the return of our husbands and fathers.

But none of them returned as soon as we hoped. We waited for days, weeks, months.... and then we had certainty. A letter reached us. My father has died in Dresden. The long-expected was now certainty.

III

What followed was a sea of tears and sorrow. Still, even without my father, life had to go on. Therefore we decided to move to the city of London and retake control of our lives. My mother found herself a job as a secretary to a jewish real estate agent. And I was accepted at the University of Oxford. My mother decided that I should use the compensation pay from the army to finance my studies even though it would not cover the entire time. Now I was finally able to get going. In 1945 I enrolled in the subjects Latin, English, French and German.

At first I was living with my mother and commuted between London and Oxford. But then I found employment at a local photographer and was able to rent a small flat in Oxford. At that point I did not qualify for any scholarship.

Far away from the destroyed London I could start a new life and flourished right away. I befriended some other girls at the University. We were quite the pride. We studied together, went swimming and dancing.

Dancing has always been my passion. My mother had taught me how to. Before she married my father my mother had been a dancing instructor. Many times I had watched them through the keyhole at night holding each other tightly to the music.

Nights with my friends usually meant we needed new shoes the next day, because we danced through our old ones. Most times we spent the night at my place and talked until the early morning hours. We talked about everything that came to our mind. Yes, even about boys. Of course boys were the hot topic even then. But at that time it was not about sex. It was more about getting married and starting a family. Nevertheless I did not want to get married soon. I wanted to enjoy my youth, work and travel a lot. Even though during my childhood we often moved from camp to camp I had never the chance to visit any place outside of England. I often had the desire to visit foreign places and dreamed of Paris, Rome and even New York. Usually my dreams were rudely interrupted by the alarm bell which mercilessly rang every morning.

This was also the case on that particular sunday. As an exception I had promised my boss to develop some important photos for a newspaper. It was summer and in the morning already so warm that I would have loved to go to work in my underwear. On my way to work I purchased some rolls and jam in case we got hungry.

I was more than surprised when I realized that my boss was not in the shop. Instead of him someone else opened the door for me. A young man, maybe six or seven years older than me. He looked at me with his big blue eyes: “Oh, good morning! Please come in!“ He closed the door behind me. „Please excuse the mess. I could not find the photo paper. Oh and by the way, my name is Phillip. I am the substitute. You must be Lucy. Glad to meet you. Unfortunately, I was not told where all the things were to be found. Maybe you can help me?" He looked at me in embarrassment.

I showed him where everything was and we worked the whole day to develop the photos. Of course we did not sit there in silence. He told me about his studies and his family. And also that one day he wanted to live in Westend London and be a famous Photographer.

It was fun talking to him. He was much more intelligent than most boys my age. He also practically interested in everything. Especially the fine arts. He loved the opera and theater. His favorites play was “Romeo and Juliette” and he was able to recite every single verse. Just listening to him fascinated me. The time passed as fast as it never had before.

It was already dark when we left the photo laboratory. Phillip was a real gentleman and even brought me up to my front door. Supposedly he was concerned that someone would rob me.

I was a little shy because it had never happened before that a man escorted me home. At that time I was not very interested in a relationship anyway. But that day I felt a little different. Phillip said he would be back at the studio the day after. Strangely this time I could not wait for my alarm bell to ring.

On the next day my friends were very surprised that the only topic I wanted to talk about was my Sunday. They claimed that I must have be in love, but that was of course utter nonsense. Such a thing would not happen to me. Still, there was a strange sensation in my tummy.

Radiant and with my books under my arm I was on my way to work. But there I was crestfallen. No Phillip. I couldn't hide my disappointment.