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~ 2 ~ Finding her bike was one thing, making sure she got away was another. Soldiers walked past her, unaware of her presence, as she lay hidden in the shadows. Thinking she was far enough away, she hopped on her bike and rode home with a huge smile, a glorious grin. She had done it. During all this, Dien felt that she could conquer what ever she set out to do, after all she was doing this for her family and her own preservation. One cold rainy afternoon on her way home, a wagon carrying coal tipped over. Soldiers chased the many people scouring on the ground for bits of coal. Shots were fired. Dien managed to get gather some lumps of coal, stuffing them into her pockets, then running like the wind to flee the bullets as she heard them whistling past her head. This coal was for her mother to build a fire, to cook whatever they could get. Mostly her meals consisted of beets and carrots but when your hungry, anything in a pot was good. Many families did without; and they felt blessed to have what they had. Days grew into weeks and weeks into months. As a young teenager,her life was not filled with dances and movies and young men, but of sounds of bombs and the threat of being taken to a camp These thoughts were on her mind constantly. Will the Canadian soldiers ever reach them? Her father had often told her he never wanted to see her with a soldier! Why? She understood not enemy soldiers, but what if the allied forces came? Could she not embrace them for saving her homeland! The undergound news of allied troops nearing spread quickly. Everyone waited anxiously. Dien and her girlfriend were in the Centrum when they spotted mass troops walking down the streets. Were her eyes deceiving her? They were not the enemy,but many soldiers who have come to help them... They ran in amongst the crowds of cheering people and cried with happiness to see them. Would this mean that the enemy had left? Had Holland and all surrounding areas been liberated? Joyous thoughts that this day would come...was now reality. As the days past, there was much celebration. Everyones mood improved ~ soon they imagined this war would end completely. Maybe then their lives could get back to normal. It had been 5 long years ~ what was normal? Celebrations and dancing in the street, her mother shyly agreed for her to attend, with a friend, but warned her of her fathers' words... Walking down the crowded street, Dien spotted two soldiers walking straight towards her. As they neared, her heart pounded. These two soldiers were Canadian. Many times the allied forces handed out supplies to all families in need. With each step Dien and her friend took, their smiles grew wide. In passing, the soldiers' attempt to communicate by whistling made the two girls giggle. Wondering what they should do, the two young men turned and marched behind them, all the while talking in a strange language. Dien turned to face a handsome man ~ tall,with dark blue eyes. She could see in those eyes the pain of war. She immediately wanted to reach out to him. All thoughts of what her Father had said never entered into her mind. Times were better right now and she wanted to enjoy them ~ after all she was 18. He told her his name was Guy and somehow they managed to understand each other. Dien had learned many English words in school and she was determined to keep this conversation going, to find out all she could. They shared a coffee together and made a plans to see each other the following week, when Guy would have some leave. Excitedly she thought of nothing else the following week and waited anxiously to see Guy. She told her sisters about meeting him and described him ~ the more she talked of him, the more she wished the weekend to be closer. Dien busied herself at the bakery. With the Allied forces there, the fear to walk the streets was gone, no gun fire could be heard. Meeting Guy was all she could think about these days ~ everytime they met they grew closer. Dien was falling in love. She wondered was this a true love or was this thankfulness to a young man so far away from his homeland. Learning to share through a look and a caress, soft meaningful kisses, she realized that he was very special to her. Guy knew he was in love with her. He asked to meet her parents, talk to them, tell them of his feelings. Suddenly she remembered her fathers' words, how could she have forgotten them. He had been so forceful in telling her. Now she must explain to Guy why he could not meet her parents. Dien was petrified how could she take a soldier to her home, even if he was a good one... She kept putting him off, until one day Guy told her, "I am going home with you."
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