A Cockaigne. We loaded some cans on our arms and went to the canteen. Meanwhile, Amelie had set the stove in motion. We were looking for a table. I pulled my pistol out of the holster put the guns down. Then I sat down and set about dismantling my rifle to clean it.
Thort watched me. I showed him how it worked. Then I instructed him to clean the Klauke pistol. Soon it smelled from the kitchen and the appetite stirred. Thort said, “Hmmmmmm, here it smells good. Finally, hot food.” I had once managed to warm up something on Ibboholmen, but as starved as the two were, I could imagine that this was a feast for them.
The two ate hungry, especially Thort. The stew, mixed together from various cans, did not taste bad.
Thort had found beer cans that were cellar cold. It was the typical Swedish light beer. With something you had to keep the troupe in a mood. I knew it from my time in the army.
Pripps Bla was better than nothing. Even Amelie drank a can of it in thirsty moves. When we wanted to clean up and do the washing up, Amelie threw us out of the kitchen. We would stand in her way and the three plates would not be the biggest job.
“Better take a shower or do something else,” she said.
Thort had already walked around a little before and had found the dressing room in addition to the pantry and had already supplied himself with laundry.
“I’ve never worn a uniform,” Thort said.
“Then try it," I said, "it’s very convenient in our situation.
“I’ll take a shower,” Thort said.
“Do it, you both smell a little strict.”
“Couldn’t we wash’ if we had been shot right away.”
“Well then off with you in the shower.” I went with him and broke up the lockers in the laundry room, where fresh bath towels and soap were housed.
I went to the bedroom and got a bed ready. They consisted of double-decker beds. Typical army beds. Amelie came to the door on her high-heeled sandals.
"Do you want to sleep here with us or would you rather have a separate room. There are even smaller dormitories for non-commissioned officers.
“No, I don’t want to be alone. I have fear in the dark alone and in unfamiliar surroundings.”
I asked her which bed she wanted and put it to her, gave her bed linen and told her to put her luggage on the top bed.
“Where’s the baggage,” she asked. “
"You will have one tomorrow when we have re-clothed you. Your summer dress looks very pretty on you but is not very useful and you will also have to exchange your sandals for other footwear. Above all, the military clothing protects you from injury, pointing to her knee.”
I helped her build beds. Then she sat down on it. She really smelled a bit strict.
“What about showers,” I asked her.
“I would like to, but what should I go to bed with? I only have the things that I have on my body. "
“I can give you a T-shirt from me,” I offered her.
“Look, I still have freshly washed in my backpack. They’re way too big for you, but you can get a knot on the side, maybe it’s fitting.”
She nodded approvingly, "But I have no underwear, just what I’ve been wearing for days”
I spread my freshly washed shorts in front of her and offered her one.
“At least for tonight, that will probably go, then you have at least some fresh clothes on your body.”
She took up a pair of shorts with a critical eye,
“it’s way too big for me, it’s going to fall off my body like that.”
“If you tighten it left and right with a safety pin," I told her, holding the shorts on the left and right a little tighter on the waistband.
'Do you have some?" she asked.
I gave her my sewing kit. She accepted it with a smile. Thort came into the bedroom. He was wearing military pants and a green T-shirt.
“Oh, it’s good to be clean and showered again.”
I said to Amelie, “Then you can go now. I’m just coming along and show you where everything is.”
She got up and slipped into her sandals with a sore face distorted. The bubbles on her feet reappeared. I took my college shoes out of my backpack and offered them to her.
“Of course, they are far too big for you, but they would have to go to the shower to slouch.”
She asked, “And what are you doing?”
I held up a pair of chucks. Then she got into my shoes and went off smiling gratefully.
I went to the shower room and tied a small towel to the doorknob. She looked amazed and I told her, so we guys know you’re in there.
She smiled. I gave her my toilet bag and said,
"You can use anything, just let it stand. I go to the shower when you’re done.”
I showed her where she could find fresh towels and soap, then I left her alone.
In that time, I unpacked my backpack and put my stuff on the top bed. I took a look at the Automatgevär 4. It showed clear signs of use, it smelled of cordit. When I put my finger in the ejection slot, I had black burn residue on my finger. This weapon had been used to shoot. I pulled out my cleaning kit and disassembled the weapon. Thort watched with interest.
“What’s that for a rifle he asked.”
“An Automatgevär 4, this is a Swedish license building of a German Heckler & Koch G3. It has caliber 7.62 mm and can shoot 80 rounds per minute. If you get them reloaded fast enough,"
I told him. I cleaned all the parts of the rifle, pushed the tombak residue out of the barrel with a fine brass brush. Then I oiled the weapon and loaded it with ammunition. Thort was amazed when he saw the finger-length cartridges.
"Hähä, you can really mix up the tin cans with them.
“I think so.” I said.
I walked into the aisle and fired a shot. The weapon barked and worked perfectly. At the end of the long aisle you could see the impact.
“What was that?” Amelie asked behind us, putting her head out of the shower room.
“Nothing bad I just tried the new weapon,” I said.
She disappeared back into the shower room. It took her quite a long time to get back from the shower room.
“Whether it might have been washed down?” teased Thort.
“No, I don’t think so,” I said,
“Women always need a little longer.”
A short time later we heard a door open and shuffling steps in the hallway. Amelie suddenly appeared in the doorway. She had kempt her hair. My T-shirt she wore with a knot on the side, one of her shoulders stood out naked. It reached her thighs and with a belt she could have put it on smoothly as a mini dress. She looked very pretty in it. Then, with a little hip swing, she walked down the aisle at the beds. It looked a little funny with the far too big shoes.
"Well, guys how you like?”
We applauded for fun. When she arrived at her bed, she threw her stuff on the top bed, turned her back and threw the T-shirt up at the back so I could see my shorts on her.
“I have them a little tighter sewn, that was better than the safety pin.”
“OK,” I said, “you can keep them if you want.”
“Merci (French: thank you)," she said, giving me my sewing kit back.
As she bowed out, I smelled that she smelled of perfume. The smell seemed familiar to me.
“I’ve got a little droplet of your shaving water that smelled so good. Without perfume, I’m naked.”
“We don’t want you to be naked,” I laughed, and she laughed back sugar sweet.
In general, she had a sweet face when she laughed. Two dimples formed in her cheeks, which made her smile look particularly sweet.
When I came out of the shower and moved for my bed, she was still sitting on hers. Thort was already asleep, I wished her a good night.
" Merci et bonne nuit (French: Thank you and good night)," she said softly, forming a kiss with her mouth.
Smiling, she slipped under the duvet. I also lay down and fell asleep after a while, my Klaucke loaded on my bedside table.