Battle of the Rhine

Saturday is a fine day.The clouds are like a large piece of cotton, slowly floating in the blue sky.The golden sun, the real golden sun, falls on the earth.Michael opened his eyes, and the room was silent, except for his breathing.He subconsciously touched beside him, there was no one, just a pillow with elegant flowers embroidered on the pillowcase.Quincy had picked it, and Michael had stopped him from buying the gray pair and the red and blue plaid, he had to go with the pastel flowers. "Easy to get dirty." Michael still clearly remembers the college student muttering complainingly, his red lips slightly raised, like a shy smile.

There was no one on the third floor, and no one in the living room on the first floor.Quincy wasn't home, probably working overtime, or maybe didn't want to be here at all.The Soviet Union and the Western world were in a cold war, and the same war broke out between Michael and Quincy.He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the dining table in a daze.This week, he locked Quincy out. "You're such a jerk," Michael said to himself, "you're going to die."

He drove out, wandering aimlessly.A group of twelve or thirteen-year-old boys were playing football. Michael didn't quite understand the fun of this sport. Not many American boys enjoy playing football.Quincy liked football, and he had told Michael that he used to go to a football club in Munich.When Michael tried to teach him football, a man's sport, Quincy quipped, "It's manly to roll in the mud."

"Footballs get muddy too," retorted Michael.

"No, football doesn't have to be rampant, it depends on who's big enough to win." Quincy kicked the ball, and the ball bounced on his toes, and it wouldn't roll off, "...Football is an artistic... ...a movement with a mind."

A boy fell and rolled.His companion rushed to help him up, and rolled up the boy's sleeves to check.It was a blond boy with gray eyes and a hooked nose.He got up and continued to fight his opponent for control of the football.Michael watched for a while, would Quincy play football with his peers at this age?Like this bunch of kids... no, he doesn't like to play with his peers.Can the obnoxious John play football?Will he go to Quincy with the football in his arms?Pull him out of the house by the lake, kick a ball in the sun, roll...

Michael rubbed his eyes and touched the military badge through the sweater.Quincy, he had Quincy on his mind.That's not normal, is it?He knew it a long time ago, but chose to ignore it.God, no, Satan had already planted a grenade deep in his heart, and Quincy's appearance pulled the fuse, blowing his reason and faith to pieces—otherwise why would he save chocolate and coffee?Why give a little "reward" to hard-working captives?The reason couldn't be simpler, because Michael couldn't just give the food to the same person, the second lieutenant of the Wehrmacht...

Oliver wasn't there, seeing "Mayan"'s envious look, that guy must have gone out to have a good time.The noon sun was dancing among the waves of the Isar River, and the young couple was holding hands. The innocent and happy appearance made Michael envious and jealous.He checked the time. Without Quinnessy, the puppet show and the square lost their original color.He was going to go back and buy Quincy a cake.He shouldn't have yelled at Quincy, let alone locked him out...had to apologize, Michael thought, he had to, had to—

"Old Mike!"

Michael didn't even need to look back, and saw Oliver waving on the window glass of the cake shop. "This place is too small!" Oliver said cheerfully, "Are you coming to visit too? What a coincidence—" Today "Little German" is a bit out of order, wearing a suit and tie, "Well, let me introduce... This one needs no introduction, right?"

Charlie greeted with a smile, "Good afternoon, Mike."

"Why are you here?" Michael was surprised. Sitting next to Charlie was a strange lady with dark brown hair and very fair skin, staring awkwardly at the teacup in front of her. "I want to meet Miss Neumann," said Oliver. "Would you like a cup of coffee, Mike?"

"No, I have to buy a cake." Michael understood, "I have to go later—"

"I'm going back too." Xia Li said happily, "The school's piano is too bad, I have to find a way..."

Charlie doesn't need a luthier. "We'll be fine with an accordion," she said. "Oliver wants a girlfriend and Vera wants a boyfriend. I think they'd be a good match, don't you?"

"It's perfect." Michael put the cake in the back seat of the car, and Charlie said immediately, "Is this for Carl?"

"Yes...he went to work overtime, and he was really busy with work..."

"Work cheers him up."

"Are you still used to working?"

"I like children very much—but, what happened to the injury on your face?" Charlie pursed her lips nervously, "I wanted to ask just now, but Vera is there..."

"Ollie is a bad guy, he doesn't even remember to care about the girls when he sees the girls." Michael cursed, "Sir John beat him, he ran to hide in the garden... the police caught him, he Mom said she would put him in a nursing home."

"John?" Charlie stroked her chest. "He's just out of his head, just born. I hate him so much—I remember when I was very young, he came to my house. Karl was eating berries, gave him one, he Just come and show off, 'He likes me better!' I went to Carl, and Carl gave me a bowl of berries, but John was so pissed off. He was rolling all over the floor, and Carl had to hold him..."

"Yes, that's right. He scolded people, and Karl said that he would not be friends with him, and the knight cried and made trouble." Michael touched the corner of his mouth, "He and Karl got into a fight...he insulted Emma, ​​said Some very... bad words."

"He's just a slut." Xia Li snorted coldly. "He's married and comes to harass my brother every day! He doesn't allow my brother to talk to girls and scolds them for being shameless. Obviously he is the one who is shameless. Fortunately, Carl met later. Emma, ​​this is God's arrangement..."

God's arrangement.God arranged for Quincy to meet Emma, ​​and God arranged for him to meet Michael.A blond girl is holding her lover's arm, standing sweetly by the river. "He called Emma 'not working,'" Michael murmured, "what does that mean?"

Xia Li was stunned, Michael came back to his senses, and apologized again and again, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that! I don't have anything to Emma..."

"This is my brother's privacy," Charlie said sadly. "You can ask him, but I guess he won't tell you." She sighed. "John is a bad guy, but there are many people who are as bad as him, but they Not to my face. My brother loves Emma very much—”

"I know." Michael couldn't contain his sourness. "He mentions her a lot, I can see that."

"Carl's not that shallow of a man," Charlie said. "He's definitely not going after Emma and marrying her for money or status or looks. He's looking for a soul mate, soul mate, can you understand? The person who understands him best... Carl has read a lot, we - me, mum, including John... Carl is willing to listen to us, but we have a hard time understanding him. Emma can, they often talk for an hour or two , until Emma must rest."

"It's great," Michael said, and the sourness was like a boiling sea, and he could talk to Quincy for an hour or two, maybe even longer.They can lean on each other all day during the holidays.However, this may be an illusion Quincy gave him.He couldn't read Quincy and knew nothing about playing the piano.The smart college student just continued to follow his vulgar topic...

"Emma is very weak," Xia Li said, "Mom doesn't like this marriage, and the doctor said that Emma is likely... difficult to have children." She looked at the shocked Michael, "Don't mention it to brother, brother doesn't care Well, he doesn't care about having children! After the engagement, Emma's situation was even worse. They exchanged rings in front of Emma's hospital bed without a wedding. John was very proud. He said that a wedding without God's blessing is not counted, Emma 'doesn't work', that's God's will, brother is still 'clean'. What vicious nonsense, I wish I could beat him!...Mum is sad as hell, Karl comforts her and tells her not to care about the mess He took care of Emma every day, read to her, played the piano, fed her, accompanied her to see a doctor... Emma gradually showed signs of improvement, but her brother was drafted into the army. After that came the war..."

When Michael went back, his feet seemed to be stepping on the clouds, limp and weak.He pushed open the door, and Quincy, wrapped in his dusty shag coat, was leaning against the fireplace reading a book.The firelight reflected his blond hair and fair face, the corners of his eyes were slightly red, and the blue eyes were like the most exquisite glass crafts.

Michael hugged him, "God," he hugged Quincy tightly, "God—"

"Mike," Quincy said without struggling, but stretched out both hands with difficulty, and patted Michael on the shoulder, "What's wrong with you?"

I have committed a great crime, Michael let go of his arms, hugged Quincy in a different position, and slowly stroked the soft blond hair - he destroyed a person's innocence, hell is where he came from, and it will be is his eternal home.