Upon the Washing Line

"Do you want to come with me one day?" Anneliese asked Alistair.

"Where too?"

"To one of the local Dienste."

"What are you talking about?" He asked confusedly. He was still learning what everything around him meant; there were so many Dienste she could be talking about!

"I'm in command of the local Bund Deutscher Mädel."

"What?" He asked in suprise. "You're what?"

"Don't be too surprised." She scoffed. "I'm one of Adi's friends, of course I'm in charge of a small group. We're going hiking this saturday, I'm sure you'd be allowed to come. If you want." She added a scornfully. She obviously felt attacked by him being shocked about her engagement in the nationalsocialist regime. 

"No, no, that's great." He spluttered, "I just didn't think you'd spend your free time-."

"Why would I not want to spend my free time teaching young girls to find and master their place in our society? I have the oppertunity to help educate them, so I will." Her touchiness disappeared instantaneously and her scowl turned into a bright smile. The kind of smile the BDM taught all their members. "Sometimes I think you should join the Hitlerjugend, you certainly could use some more education about our Reich." Her teasing didn't bother him; perhaps because she was still wearing that enchanting smile. 

"I'd love to come visit, or join you on a hike. If I'm allowed too." 

"I'll have to check first. Maybe you won't be able to come with us, but I know the local Führer of the Hitlerjugend. You'd surely be able to join them in one of their Dienste." She'd been folding clothes that had been hung to dry in the backyard of Berghof and she know handed him a stack. He accepted it and asked where to put it, she gestured to the wooden bench a few feet away. "Just put the pile there, I'll carry them in to the according rooms later."

"Why are you doing the laundry and not some...maid?" He asked as he obeyed her command. She laughed light-heartidly and shrugged. 

"It's something I don't mind doing. And the maids are busy cleaning the house now, so I offered to help." 

Alistair returned from the bench and stood beside her again, watching her pluck the shirts and towels off of the line. She turned to look at him after a few seconds and smiled joyfully. "See? I was in the BDM only for a few years and I still very much enjoy doing everything I learned. It makes me feel like I'm in the right place."

"You learned how to do laundry?" Alistair asked almost in disgust.

"Yes." She answered, shoving another neatly folded pile of shirts into his arms. "More importantly; I learned to accept my duty and find fufillment by doing it. Now go put this over there!" She pointed at the bench again. Alistair nodded and headed off again. He thought more and more about what she was saying. In some ways, it wasn't bad. Most people, he assumed, ended up doing a job they didn't like, and that made them heavy at heart. Learning discipline and to accept doing things that might not be so fun at a young age would make them easier later. He remembered what his geography teacher had told him in tenth grade; if you enjoy 50% of your job then you're a very lucky man. Walking back to where she was busy gathering the wash he observed her. He walked slowly, to give himself more time. She had begun to softly hum a song; he recognized it as one of the musical pieces she'd played but he couldn't remember the words to it. Does Anne enjoy half of her job? He asked himself. No, I don't think so. But she doesn't mind it. She probably likes about 20% and thinks the rest of the 80% is alright. But his figures remained unproven. Having reached her again he tapper her on the shoulder. She turned to him and, gazing into her beautiful blue eyes which sparkled from the sun and reflected the white light bouncing off the wash, made his heart jump in his chest. Anne really was very pretty, especially when she was joyious like now. 

"See, if you'd have been a german boy," she started, toying at one of the shirts she held on her arm, "you'd have sang the words to the melody I was humming while walking over to me, and I'd have turned around and sang the rest of the line with you." Her sweet little picture made him scribble a mental note to learn the german marching tunes by heart and word. "And then you'd have, only for a minute, taking me into your arms and danced around the wash with me, until your father or the man you worked for called you back, scolding you. And you'd leave," she reached out and touched the bottons of his jacket, "and you'd leave with a kiss to my cheek. You'd go back to doing your duty and I'd resume doing mine. And we'd be as happy as any couple can possibly be. The Hitlerjugend makes you keep your promises, Alistair." How she got from the cute german folklore to the Hitlerjugend momentarily stupified him, but after a second of consideration he understood. Happiness comes from the stability and realization of promises for one, knowing that your partner does their Aufgabe, and that you do yours, and that no one will complain. That leaves your free-time together time to enjoy doing things, and whilst doing them you don't have to discuss work, don't have to hear all the complaints and problems that your partner has. You can simply laugh and smile in the presence of your loved one and discuss other things like literature, or the towns gossip or more serious issues like the childrens education...and once in a while, since your relationship is free from the burden of complaint and mutual negativity, your lover might ask you to dance under the washing line or outside the generals office. 

Alistair remained with Anne for the rest of the half hour until all the wash had been folded and carried to the bench, and he assisted her with both. He quickly got the hang of folding and she told him he'd make a great member of the BDM. Their laughter echoed around the yard, and for once, Alistair forgot that he was in Nazi Germany and found himself simply in the Germany of late 1938.