Erika- A War torn Love

Chapter 9

As I started to return to consciousness, not really aware of what had just happened, I was immediately aware of the immense pain that gripped my body. As I opened my eyes I heard Leisel shout for my father to come over.

I began to slowly re-acquaint myself with my body, first wriggling my fingers and toes, and then gradually moving my arms, only slightly, but enough to establish I still had them. Then my legs, this was when the pain became worse. I felt Leisel pushing my legs back down, as she told me not to move them.

I did not think the pain could get worse, but then against Lesiels advice I tried to sit. I cried out in pain as my father reached me.

"Lay still Erika, you have been injured you must lay still" he shouted.

I wondered how long I had already laid here, and as I did my father moved away to the corner of the cellar muttering as he went. I thought back to what had happened. I now realised a bomb had gone off, near me. I must have laid here for some time as I suddenly felt my stomach gargle, I was famished.

Before I could think anymore about food I began to feel less alert and realised the pain was making me feel dizzy, I felt like I was going to throw up. Then everything began to go dark. My last view was my father coming back towards me with a syringe in his hand.

As I awoke again I knew my father must have given me a painkiller, because the pain I had previously felt had all but gone. I again tried to sit. Leisel hurried over but instead of pushing me down like before she helped me to sit. Slowly she moved my hands behind me so that I was able to push myself up. Leisel was pushing old potato sacks into my back to keep me propped up as my father came with a bowl of dried fruit and meat.

"Eat Erika" my father requested.

As he put the food into my mouth I felt a wave of sickness, this was because it had been some time since I had eaten. I made myself chew down on the food, swallowing it slowly and taking sips of water in-between. After a couple of times of being almost certain I was about to throw up, I managed to eat the whole bowl.

As I finished eating, Leisels father spoke,  "You have a laceration to your left leg, caused by a wood splinter, I removed it two days ago. The rest of the pain is simply caused by bruising. It will improve with time and as you begin to move about again".

Leisels father had answered my first question in his explanation of my injuries, I had been asleep for two days, and then as I looked around taking in my surroundings I realised, we were still in the cellar.

The cellar to our house was relatively small, this was because it was built during the first world war as part of an extension to the main house. Therefore the room could have been no more than five meters by three meters. There was a small alcove with a heavy iron door covering it. My father used this as a safe area to store oil for the lamps. Although the main house had electricity, the cellar did not, therefore the oil lamps were the only source of light.

Before the war the rest of the cellar was very empty aside from a few boxes of potatoes and root vegetables. Since the war began however, my father had moved blankets, water, dried fruit and meats down here, as a precaution for an event such as this.

As I looked down I realised I was sat on the only real bed within the cellar, made from old potato sacks and blankets. I felt guilty for being in comfort whilst everyone else sat on the cold hard floor. I also began to feel guilty for not getting to the cellar soon enough. I knew my hesitation in watching the bombers was why the bomb had gone off before I had made it into the cellar.

"Leisel where are the pain killers from?" I asked.

I only asked because we never really had any medication in the house. I was certain even with all his preparation, my father would not have stored medication down here.