Prologue
Josef Becker, a young man at the age of 20, was on his post in Berlin. Germany was close to defeat and he knew that.
He had a family but they escaped out of Berlin. He did not know if his family managed to get of Berlin. All his friends were killed in the war. Still Josef wanted to survive this.
“Did your wife get out of Berlin?” a comrade asked.
“I don’t know. Non-essential communications are banned.”
“Well, no news is good news, right?”
“It’s no news, that’s all it is. I don’t want to think about it,” Josef replied worried about his family.
Then there was a sound. “What was that?” The two Soldiers investigated the sound.
“Must've been my imagination.” Josef returned on his post. “It’s just a matter of time until the Russians break though.”
“Agreed. I’m looking forward to the end of all this just like you.”
Josef let out a sigh. “We should not have pushed this far east. We could have won if we hadn’t attacked them.”
“I know. But on the other hand, if would be much worse if they attacked us first.”
“Does this matter now?” Josef didn’t want to talk about this.
He looked at a family picture he carried in his pocket. “My wife, I pray that you made it out. And I will survive for you.” He kissed the picture.
“You’re really missing her, aren’t you?”
“Yes. She’s everything for me and the only thing I have left. All my friends are dead.”
“Sorry to hear that. If I may ask how your friends were?”
Josef chuckled, “I had two friends. Harry and Otto. We were together in school and went through everything. But then both were sent to the Western front, were they were killed. I can still remember how they said goodbye to me.”
“I know that you are worried about us Josef, but don’t worry, we will come back in one piece.” “Yeah, Harry is right, with our superior weapons and glorious leaders, we will push the Allies back where they belong.”
“Just be careful okay?” “Careful is our middle name Josef.” Otto and Harry hugged him for the last time before they went to the front.
“Sorry to hear that. It’s always painful to lose someone that is very close.”
“I know, I have to live with that.”
A truck was driving by. A Soldier stepped out.
“Soldier of Germany! You should be grateful to fight!”
Josef disagreed. “It’s hardly a fight anymore, Allies from the west, Russians from the East…”
“This is not the time for such talk. Keep it together, Soldier.”
“But we can’t win on two fronts!” “You’re a disgrace!”
Josef didn’t care anymore. Berlin was a Ghost Town in ruins. Explosions, Gunfire and Air raid Sirens could be heard from a distance. He felt sorry for the civilians, especially for the Children. They did not deserve something like this.
He had a flashback of his life before his wife left Berlin.
“Be careful Josef. I don’t want to lose you.” His wife hugged him with tear-filled eyes.
“I will always be careful my dear. Even if I get captured by the Russians, I will stay alive for you.”
His wife gave him a family picture. “So you’ll think about me.” His wife said with a smile, though the tears continued to flow down her cheeks.
Josef smiled, “I would never forget you my love.” He gave her a goodbye kiss.
Then he was back in reality.
“You’d better stay awake; they’re everywhere now… we have to stay ready.” The fanatic Solder scolded him.
“Can’t I think about the safety of my wife? She’s everything I have left.”
“The safety of the fatherland of more important than your wife.” Enraged, Josef grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him close.
“Do you think I do this for the fatherland? I do this only for my wife and the civilians, especially for the Children! I bet you even have no Family, otherwise you would understand my feeling!”
Scared by this reaction, the Soldier whimpered, “S-sorry, I-I didn’t meant that so personally. I have lost my family long ago. If I die for the fatherland, then I can die with honor and join them.”
Josef let him go. “Next time, think before you saying anything about other people.”
Despite the war, Josef loved his wife. They met first in in January 1944 and married in the same year. They even planned to have a Child but they wanted to wait until the war is over.
Josef hadn’t much experience. When he was recruited, he was mostly deployed behind the frontlines for guard duty. This spared him from being captured or killed.
He never believed in Hitler’s message, but followed orders for the sake of protecting his wife.
Now, he was on the frontline. He hoped that he would survive, but the chances were low and he knew that. But if he refused to fight, he would be executed. He had seen what happened to deserters.
The young Soldier had lost the will to fight long ago. Berlin was his home since his birth. Now it would be probably his grave. His wife was however what was driving him.
At first when Germany was victorious, he believed in a fast ending of the war. But that hope dropped with every year closer to defeat. The battle of Stalingrad was a sign that Germany would lose the war.
Josef deployed a great dislike in the SS and Waffen-SS. He was a Soldier not a murder.
He would never harm a civilian. He even had planned with his wife to get back into their home. If there’s anything left.
Suddenly he heard a whistle. “Artillery!”
The three men got to cover. The impact was far away from their location but close enough to be heard.
Then Josef heard something. It sounded like a child scared and calling out for her parents.
It came out from the building in front of him. “I check this out.” He walked into the building. The sound was under the stairs. “Hello?” He called out.
After a brief silence an answer came. “P-Please…please don’t hurt me. I’m…I’m scared. I don’t know where I am.” Josef could tell that the child was a girl and was crying.
“You’re in a house.”
"I know…I ran in here when I heard that scary noise.”
Scary noise? Oh no, She must been around when the bomb exploded. He thought before he heard another whistle followed by an explosion.
“Shh, you can come out, I will not harm you.” Josef lowered his K98 to show he meant no harm.
The girl slowly came out. But once he saw the girl, his brain shut down.
It wasn’t a human girl but a filly with a magenta coat, blue tear-filled eyes and a violet mane with white streaks and a Tiara on her head.
She stopped to cover her ears from another bomb. Josef kneeled down to her.
“Shh, calm down, I am here for you.” The young German reached in his pocket to give her some chocolate. “Here. These are my last rations but you need it more than me.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Just call me Josef. What’s your name?”
“Diamond Tiara.” Josef rubbed her back.
She cried a little bit more before she said to him, “I just want to go home.”