For My Country (a Stella Novella)

For My Country

Published by Stella Minonas at Smashwords

Copyright 2020 Stella Minonas

Visit my web site at www.stellanovella.net

30% of the author revenues donated to charity

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Isabelle Mangot was slowly walking down the stairs from her bedroom gazing at the three photos she had hanging on the wall, as she did every morning, tightening the bra straps under her loose fitting dress as she kissed her fingers and touched each photo. The first photo was with her and her family when she was younger; the second was with her and her brother taken just a couple years ago and then there was her wedding picture, taken about the same time, just before her new husband went off to war. She started each day remembering just exactly who she really was, not the woman she was forced to become. These photos gave her courage and helped strengthen her real personality. As her foot reached the last step she heard the dreaded knock on the door. With a very convincing smile on her face and disgust in her heart she opened the door and let in the young Nazi Captain, Eric Schmitt. She grabbed her wrap and threw it over her letting Eric lock arms with hers as they walked a couple blocks away to the bakery where she worked.

Isabelle, I don’t understand why you wear such unflattering dresses. I want everybody to see how beautiful you are. I want them to be jealous of me. If you are worried about people bothering you, you shouldn’t. No one dare bother you. If they do, they will simply be shot. He said with a wry laugh.

Even his attempt at dark humor disgusted her. She wore the plain dresses because she didn’t want any townspeople talking about her anymore than they did already, nor did she want to tantalize any of his soldiers. What if one of your soldiers gets the urge to rape me, then kill me and hide the body? she said sarcastically, and then with a lump of vomit coming partially up her throat, added, I only need to show my body, naked, or otherwise, to you, in the privacy of each other.

You are a worrier. While I know you are not serious about my soldiers, I will agree to your request, as long as the last part remains in the equation. He replied as they had come to the bakery entrance. Eric gave her a peck on the cheek as Isabelle walked in. Then Eric turned and headed to his office overlooking the bridge. The soldiers remained outside the bakery to guard his most precious object. He knew the townspeople despised her for dating him, a Nazi Captain. That didn’t bother him, he didn’t want any trouble. He didn’t want to be forced to shoot anyone on behalf of Isabelle and possibly anger her. Before the war Isabelle was kind to the townspeople, bringing fresh bread to the elderly, giving baked goods that were intended for the garbage to the poor children and even playing football with the children. All of that was before she forced herself to shut out her neighbors in order to date the Captain and stay in Sisteron.

Isabelle worked with her Uncle baking bread and pastries for not only their few customers in town who could still afford fresh baked goods, but, unfortunately more frequently, for the Germans occupying the town. A year earlier Isabelle’s disdain for the Germans grew stronger, when her new husband had died fighting them in North Africa. They had only been married a year. It wasn’t long after he had died that her brother, who had left at the outbreak of the invasion, went missing in action. Since her parents had died before the war broke out, it was just her left in town to survive. Uncle Louis and her father, his brother, had never gotten along that she could remember. They would grudgingly get together at Christmas, Easter and sometimes their children’s birthdays, but that stopped when Louis’ only child Colette, died when she was 12 years old. Isabelle was 14 when she died and even though they lived in the same town, she rarely saw Louis. When Isabelle’s parents died in an automobile accident, Louis and his wife watched over Isabelle and her older brother. They attended Isabelle’s wedding and Louis gave her a job in the bakery, doing what he could to protect her. It was he who told Isabelle to get along with the Germans and use them as they would her.

Captain Schmitt became enamored with Isabelle’s beauty and charm one day when he was in the bakery, so she reluctantly started dating him at the urging of her Uncle, for protection. She did what she had to for him. She had heard the stories of French women forced into prostitution so soldiers wouldn’t rape them. She knew of a couple of young women she suspected had been forced into this lifestyle. Once she started dating him the German soldiers and unfortunately the French townspeople, knew not to mess with her anymore. Unfortunately, sex was part of the deal and although she cringed, it was better than being forced into prostitution with many German soldiers and an unknown outcome. Isabelle was only 22 years old and hoped to survive the war, hoped France would return to