Flirting With the Wind

I soon faced Hugo who stared down at me with his green blue eyes and before I could react he leaned down pressing his lips onto mine. My eyes would not shut and I did not react; I refused to react when he was just doing the same with my cousin. I jerked away no matter how nice his lips felt against mine and he looked hurt.

“You shouldn’t do that, just go back to Bridget she is very nice,” I found myself saying.
“She was just showing me what I had to do,” Hugo responds quickly.
“What?” I inquire now confused by his response.
“They said you returned my affections and I didn’t know how to go about getting your attention, so they were trying to show me, but I see now they were wrong, I’m sorry,” he says all at once acting completely flustered.
“I don’t know what to say Hugo,” I admit completely shocked that he even cared for me in such a manner.
“You don’t have to say anything, I shouldn’t have listened to your cousins,” Hugo states looking ashamed.
“Well I could have told you that,” I comment with a soft smile as I realized he was still holding onto my hand. I didn’t let it go, liking the feeling of his rough hand covering mine.

Hugo didn’t hesitate to bring his other hand up to my face and pull me into another kiss. This time I found myself closing my eyes and reacting to the kiss. Hugo’s hands snaked their way around my waist pulling me closer to his body as I draped mine over his shoulders whilst I kept on my tip toes attempting to he closer to him. After what seemed like minutes of kissing each other we pulled away both breathing heavily. Then a terrible thought hit me. What if Hellstrom or Landa found out about this? They were Hugo’s superiors and I worried what they might do if they found out. Hellstrom would be murderous whilst Landa would act out in other ways I probably could never guess.

“Is this the moment when you inform me of your plans to join the convent,” he inquires looking at me with a hint of humor to his tone of voice.
“This was a mistake,” I say pushing Hugo away and took off running into the woods. My hair billowed behind me as my legs worked vigorously as I ran through the densely wooded area. Hugo was chasing after me; I could hear his heavy footsteps running behind me. I refused to slow down running even if I didn’t know where I was running to and I went for over an hour running nonstop. It may have seemed foolish to most but I couldn’t let myself care for a soldier or anyone for that matter, I didn’t want to hurt anyone or get hurt myself. In a sense I was horrified but then I tripped over a root causing me to stumble down the hill where I saw something I wish had never seen.

My legs buckled beneath me as I stared at the horrific scene before me; my throat clenched as my vision blurred with tears. Their lifeless rotting bodies and dead eyes staring at me tore through my soul. The smell of decaying flesh and death filled my senses as I breathed in through my nose. My hand clamped to my mouth as a loud sob escaped my lips; suddenly the war seemed so much more real. Never in my life had I seen so many dead bodies. Some were old and some were just children. The most heartbreaking was the dead woman cradling the tiny lifeless corpse of an infant. Tears streamed down my face as I sobbed violently upon seeing the familiar curly blonde locks of hair still wearing my jacket around her tiny frame; it was little Hanna and I kneeled beside her crying harder than I could have ever imagined. I felt a pair of arms wrap around me and pull me into their chest.

“So many innocents,” I sob.
“I’m sorry you had to see this Mira, I am so sorry,” Hugo says softly as he tried to calm my shaking frame.
“Is this what they have you do?” I demand pushing him away roughly as I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Mira please,” he replies pleading with his eyes.
“Answer the question damn it!” I snap.
“I just rounded them up from their homes and sent them to the camps,” Hugo mutters looking away ashamed.
“And who fights for them huh? Who fights for these innocent people?” I retort angrily gesturing to the many bodies strewn on the forest floor staring down at Hugo that was still on his knees.
“You don’t understand Mira,” he says softly.
“I understand more than you think Hugo, I know what it feels like to be discriminated against for something I cannot help being, I may not know it to the extremes as these people felt because what is going on is monstrous and unfathomable to me that innocent people can be killed so easily without valid reason, I pray that there is no God because if there is I hate him with all of my heart for letting such things happen,” I say with intense feeling.
“I understand if you think me as a monster,” Hugo says sadly. I saw the pure agonizing torture in his distraught handsome face and it caused me to feel terrible for yelling at him. It wasn’t his fault.
“True monsters show no regret Hugo,” I say softly kneeling before him and placed a hand on the side of his troubled face.
“What sort of man am I to let women and children be murdered around me?” he questions looking at me with saddened eyes.
“Just the same as I for not doing anything myself,” I answer.
“You tried to help,” Hugo states obviously having recognized the jacket the small girl was wearing.
“And I failed; please can we leave this place? I don’t think my heart can bear the sight of this any longer,” I plead looking at him miserably. Hugo nodded and helped me up. He wrapped his arm around my waist holding me close as we walked alongside one another. I felt safe in his arms in a world of murder and chaos. We walked for a while in silence until I chose to say something.

“Hugo I know you are a good man and I didn’t mean to make you feel worse, all of this just made me realize how real the war was,” I say.
“How can you be so sure about me?” Hugo inquires.
“I tend to be a good judge in character,” I reply placing my hand on top of his that rested on my waist whilst I kept close to his body. Hugo responded by pulling me closer as we walked along leaving the horrific sight of death behind us.

Three days later my uncle and aunt came home. Hugo and I kept our displays of affection to a minimum only to times when it was only just the two of us even then Hugo kept things proper. We were good together because both of us liked our space and weren’t the typical star crossed lovers. Being the proper and gentlemanly man that Hugo tended to be, he spoke to my Uncle Frederick asking if he could court me. I damn near died laughing upon hearing this because it sounded straight from a Jane Austen novel. Hugo didn’t tell me he was going to court me or ask for permission from my uncle about it so when I heard it from my Aunt Catherine I was completely thrown through a loop.

“Your uncle wants to talk to you about it and I think this is so romantic,” Aunt Catherine gushes.
“I’ll go see what this is about,” I reply with a smile as walked to my uncle’s study.
“I don’t know how your father dealt with this sort of thing but you seem to have an array of admirers Mira,” my uncle comments as soon as I sat in a chair.
“It’s a little embarrassing but did he really ask for permission to court me?” I inquire.
“You mean Sergeant Stiglitz?” he counters.
“Yes,” I answer feeling my face flush a little bit.
“Do you like Sergeant Stiglitz Mira?” Uncle Frederick asks looking at me intently.
“Is this a trick question?” I counter unable to retain my smile.
“Well you answered the question anyways with that smile and blush on your cheeks,” he points out smirking mildly. I felt a little embarrassed and raised my hand to my cheek instinctively.
“I am not blushing,” I reply stubbornly.
“You’ll be pleased to hear that I told him it was alright to court you because I know him to be a good man that genuinely cares for you,” my uncle smiles.
“How do you know that,” I question sheepishly.
“I may be old but I am not blind, when you disappeared the night your father passed, he was out there night and day looking for you even after the others had given up, besides us Shepherds have a good sense of judgment,” he replies grinning.

So then after that conversation Hugo seemed to up the notch as if he wanted to impress me. He’d pull out the chair for me so I could sit down; lend me his jacket when I would forget to wear one outside. When no one was looking he’d steal kisses causing my heart to leap into my throat and make me flustered. It was silly but was letting my guard down for the first time in my life with someone I thought was worth giving my time to. My tendency to be cold and distant faded the more time I spent with him. The time flew by, over three months passing by feeling truly happy with the life I had.

One particular night I found myself looking at old photos with my Aunt Catherine, Hugo was only passing through when my Aunt Catherine ordered him to stay and look pictures with us. I chuckled at her demands and Hugo gave me a sideways look obviously feeling odd sitting on the other side of my aunt as she requested. Aunt Catherine showed him pictures of the twins and Wilhelm but then photos of myself started to pop up here and there. Then ones focusing on me at my coming of age party surfaced and I tried to grab them before my aunt could see them. Of course I failed epically and she sighed dreamily holding the photographs in her clutches.

“And this is Mira at her 15th birthday party doesn’t she look like an angel?” Aunt Catherine smiles showing Hugo the embarrassing photograph of me when I was fifteen years old wearing a big puffy white ball gown that looked like something straight out of the civil war era with the plethora of ruffles. It was awful because the dress didn’t fit since I went through my bodily ‘changes’ a month before the ceremony and the dressmaker had troubles accommodating for the boobs that grew seemingly overnight.

“Even more so now,” Hugo answers.
“Why because I am of age?” I counter rolling my eyes.
“Mira don’t be so crude, he’s right you have grown quite beautifully, I am jealous you got to have such a lovely coming of age party, what was it called again?” she asks.
“Quinceanera, and I would have gladly given you my party, damn thing was a bigger deal than a wedding,” I reply leaning back on the couch.
“It was a wonderfully beautiful ceremony, such a fairytale, and that whole bit with the heels it was like Cinderella,” Aunt Catherine gushes.
“Most fairytales started out as tales of deceit filled with sex and violence, they have been warped to sell more to the public,” I comment.
“Mirabel,” she scolds giving me a warning look.
“Fine, I won’t divulge my extensive knowledge of literature and all things foul,” I smile.
“Why did you have such a big party?” Hugo asks.
“Being half Puerto Rican it is tradition to have this sort of party, it’s a big ceremony, my mother also wanted to keep me in touch with my roots, she sure loved planning it,” I reply. The time went by and finally Aunt Catherine grew tired of looking at photos much like I had and Hugo sensed my boredom.
“Would you like to take a walk outside Mira?” Hugo asks me formally.
“I’m going to help my aunt put these back away,” I respond.
“Nonsense Mira, go walk with Hugo,” my aunt protests.
“Are you sure?” I counter.
“Yes, yes now run along,” she says shooing me off. I chuckled lightly and walked alongside of Hugo to the outdoors. We walked around outside grounds not really talking until we were past the soldier’s quarters and Hugo was the first to speak.
“I didn’t know you were half Puerto Rican,” he comments.
“Is that a deal breaker?” I reply with a raised eyebrow.
“Not at all,” Hugo states with a smile.
“That’s good sometimes in America it is frowned upon,” I say.
“I don’t know how it is possible for anyone to frown upon you,” he responds.
“That was very corny Hugo,” I point out with a smile.
“You seemed to have enjoyed it,” Hugo grins.
“Just me trying to be polite,” I state with a chuckle. Hugo gave me a sideways smile.
“You are something else,” he says.

It was that night at dinner when I found out Hugo had been called to duty along with Hermann and Martin because my uncle had led it slip. I was so very angry with Hugo because he had known he had to go for over three weeks yet he kept it from me. My pride and anger caused me to refuse even to look at Hugo for three full days even after his many attempts to get back on my good side. On the fourth day I found myself outside for a walk trying to rid my thoughts of pure chaos. I saw Hugo waltzing towards me and I turned around ignoring his presence.

“I am leaving tomorrow, and since I do not know if something were to happen I want you to know I love you,” Hugo says sincerely. But I didn’t say anything in response; I didn’t even look at him just stood there with my back to him. We never told each other those three little words; this was the first time I heard them leave his mouth. It was overwhelming and I found myself walking away as if he wasn’t even there. I hid in my bedroom until it came time for dinner, and when I came down for dinner I saw Hugo’s empty seat. My heart clenched looking at the empty seat; he didn’t come to dinner.

Once I finished dinner I went to my bedroom still so full of pride. I did my usual routine of dressing in my ivory silk nightgown and went to bed hoping to sleep this nightmare away. No such rest came though, and I found myself tossing around restlessly for hours unable to fall asleep with the thoughts that weighed heavy in my mind. I kept trying to deny what my heart was telling me, it was telling me that I loved Hugo. It was now one in the morning and I put all logic aside then began my descent down the tree; I had to see him to show him just how much I loved him.

I hadn’t even taken the time to put on a jacket but even the cold winter could deter me as my shaky hands fumbled with the window to Hugo’s room. Quietly I opened the window and hoisted myself up into the small space I had created. I wasn’t as graceful with the landing though and I made a small clatter when I bumped into something. Of course being the good soldier Hugo was, had heard even the quietest of noises and he sat up wielding his knife but as soon as his eyes focused on my standing figure he set the knife down.

“Mira what are you-” Hugo starts to question but I cut him off by pressing my lips onto his. I lost all control; channeling every emotion into the kiss making it the most passionate kiss I had ever given. Hugo responded very quickly to it all and pulled me closer to his body whilst I now was on his lap. Both breathless we pulled away looking at one another.
“I tried to deny loving you but I can’t. Te amo (I love you),” I say softly as I rested one hand on the side of his face. Hugo may not have known much Spanish but he knew those words and soon he brought me into another kiss. Propriety and the world around us no longer mattered at that very moment. As clothes were discarded I didn’t care I just wanted to savor what moments I had left with him as my hands felt every muscle taking every note of the way he would react to every touch. Both of us took in each other’s bodies with our eyes; he was perfect to me.
“You’re so beautiful,” Hugo says taking in my figure. It made me blush hearing him say this and he smiled noticing this then kissed me tenderly on the neck slowly making his way back to my mouth. I wanted him just as much as he wanted me. This was our moment not anyone else’s.