CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The summer went quickly, and I had a very good time with Catherine. We went to the races several times with the Meyers, but we never won much. Meanwhile, the war was not going so well in Italy. September came and it looked like the Italian Army had made a mistake in trying to attack so many different places. I heard from one officer that the Italians had lost over a hundred thousand men in one area alone. Because of this, many people were beginning to be against the war. Several towns had had conflicts between the people and the police, because the people were marching in the street, demanding that the war be ended. An English major I met in a bar was very negative about the outcome of the war. He believed that the Germans were too good to beat. The Italians were suffering. The Russians were suffering. Everyone was suffering except for the Germans, he said.

My legs were much better now, although I still had a little trouble walking. I still exercised daily at the hospital.

One day, I got a couple of letters. One was from the military. They informed me that I had only three more weeks of rest, and then I needed to go back to the front again. The other letter was from my grandfather, who gave me news about my family, and sent me two hundred dollars to live on. Rinaldi also wrote me and wanted to know when I was coming back. I then looked at a few of the American newspapers Mrs Meyers had brought for us. The news in them was quite old and uninteresting. About the only thing I cared to read was the sports page. But even that bored me after a while.

Later that evening, Catherine came in to see me.

"I got a letter from the Army today. They are only giving me three more weeks, and then I've got to go back."

"Why not? Go!"

"I don't want to leave you!"

"You won't leave me. We'll be together! Wherever you go, I'll go."

"That doesn't seem possible. What about your job here?"

"If they don't let me, then I'll simply quit. But I don't think it will be a problem."

"I hope we can go together then!"

"Don't worry about that, I'll work that out! But ... but ... " She suddenly looked anxious.

"What's wrong?"

"I love you, Henry, but please don't blame me. Please forgive me."

"What is it? Don't worry, I won't blame you." I went over to hold her. She was shaking and crying. "I am here with you. I'll always be with you!"

"I don't know how to tell you, really. I'm so sorry, Henry. I'm going to have a baby. I don't know how it happened. I was taking pills to prevent having a baby, but it still happened. Please don't be angry with me. I don't want to cause you any problems."

"I'm not angry or worried."

"Tell me. Where shall we go? We'll move now. You'll return to the front. I'll have the baby. And then the baby and I will wait for you to come back to us."

For a short while, neither one of us said anything. I did not know what really to say. She did not either. Then she came over to the bed and took my hands in hers.

"I'm sorry, dear. I don't know what to do. I just want you to be happy. I wish we could be together always, but you have to fight in this war. We can't change that. We can only face it."

"Yes, we need to be strong. We'll be together after the war. I love you!"

"How about a drink?"

"Only if you have one too."

"I'm on duty now. Come on, it will make you feel better."

"Alright then. If you insist."

She poured me a glass of wine and then got up to go.

"You are leaving?" I asked.

"If I leave now, I can come back later."

"Alright, I'll be waiting."

(end of section)