Safe but not Sound

Through the tent window, a thick cluster of stars spilt over the Milky Way. Dawn cast its frail light over Salome asleep one side of me, and Günter twitching on the other side. He muttered in sleep-speak, arguing. ‘No-no-no…you’re kidding me…no, I won’t…you must, you owe him…but my son…I won’t go…’

Best my mother didn’t know what was happening. She’d stress. Her blood pressure would rise, her feet would swell, and she’d need a larger pair of slippers. Not a good look for the Admiral of the Fleet. She could do with some Russian tablets for her blood pressure.

‘No!’ Günter screamed and snapped out of his doze. ‘What? Did you say something?’

‘Nothing! One of your nightmares.’ I needed to distract him from the distress of his night terrors. See? I am thinking of him. I took his hand and placed it on my tummy. ‘Can you feel it? The baby’s kicking.’

Günter softened and smiled. ‘What a cheeky baby! We’ll call him Philippe if it’s a boy, remember?’

‘Yes, Philippe is a good name, for a boy. Philippe Augustus, as your father was August Philippe.’

Günter withdrew his hand and turned.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘It’s still early, go to sleep.’

I did as he commanded. Best not to cause waves. Best to wait for the right time and then ask. Thus, I held onto my questions and rode with them tucked inside the rest of the day’s journey to the Convent.

[Read how the cosy carpet of Minna’s life with Günter is pulled from under her in the continuation of Chapter 5 on Wattpad.]

© Lee-Anne Marie Kling 2023

Photo: The Door, Will, Switzerland © Lee-Anne Marie Kling 2014

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The first story of Boris’ exploits set on the Pilgrim Planet…

The Lost World of the Wends

In the mid-nineteenth century, a village of Wends, on their way to Australia, mysteriously disappeared…

Who was responsible? How did they vanish?

Want to know more about the trials and tribulations of these missing people from Nineteenth Century Eastern Europe?

Click on the link below:

The Lost World of the Wends