To get a Hero

I would never be able to be a soldier as no army would accept a 13-year-old. This was a shame, as I really wanted to kick the Nazis out of my town. For the last 4 years, they have been in our town and everyone hated them. They were mean and we always were afraid what they would do if they were in a bad mood or bored. Since they came, I often dreamt of joining the resistance and asked my mom. I was told I was not old enough. How would I ever get revenge for the killing of my dad?

The war was now in its final stage. Everyone cheered when we were liberated by the Americans. People cheered as they paraded through town. It was great seeing the American and our flag and not look at the Nazi flag. The American soldiers looked like superheroes from a comic book. I looked at everything with awe, as my mom had tears in her eyes as she watched the soldiers. The town was excited. The soldiers would also be resting in the town until the next phase of the war. The town had planned a party while the soldiers were here.

I went to the town the next day and hung around the park. I really wanted to speak with a soldier and ask them about the war and what it was like. I knew how to speak English. I sat around and every time I saw a soldier, I said hi. He would look at me and walk on. Some would be mean and say to go away, they didn’t want to see any kid. This was the day I was looking forward to. I would do anything to meet a soldier and none of them wanted to listen to me.

The next day, my sister (whose name was Viki) and I went to town and sat in the same park. I sat down on a bench and got the same treatment. I just sat and watched soldiers walk by and hang around with other soldiers. They were even speaking with my sister, although she was 15 years old. I was so sad as my sister didn’t care if she talked with a soldier or not and I really wanted to speak with one.

On the way home, Viki said, “Cheer up. I know you wanted to speak with them, but they obviously did not want to speak with a boy!”
“I noticed!”
“It seems like they only wanted to speak with girls. I suppose that is what soldiers are all about.”
“I don’t want to speak about it”
“Strange… with that angel face you have and long hair…. I have an idea!”

What she told me was ridiculous! She suggested that I put on one of her old dresses and I could pretend I was a girl. In that way, the soldiers would speak with me. I have never heard of anything so silly. It must also be illegal. I knew she was teasing me, so I hit her shoulder and told her she was stupid.

After dinner, I was outside on the swings. My sister came and sat beside me. She told me, soldiers only talk with girls, as they miss talking to girls when they fight. She told me my hair could have pigtails and no one would know I was a boy in a dress. If I met some of my friends, we just say I was a cousin. Once again, I told her to drop the subject. Viki shrugged her shoulder and asked how much I really wanted to meet a soldier!

We swung and didn’t say much. Viki was right. No soldier ever wanted to talk with a boy. They missed girls and women. That was a shame, as I really wanted to meet one. I wanted to personally give the soldiers my support and say thank you for kicking the Nazis out. It was my main aim for the last few years. For some reason, it was extremely important for me. I simply wanted to know a soldier.

The matter was settled when Viki dared me to wear a dress and meet the soldiers. She asked if I was a chicken! Here is something you should know about me. I wanted to be known as a brave person and not a chicken. So without even thinking of what the dare was, I said I would do it!
So here I was the next day in my sister's room putting my sister old panties on me. They were strange and tight. The dress was stranger. It was a yellow dress with a flower print in the skirt part. It has a huge white lace collar. I felt like nothing was covering my legs. Nothing was! I could feel the air go up the dress. It was cool against my skin like an angel was touching me. She continued my makeover by putting some frilly ankle socks and sandals on me. The last step was to give me pigtails. I do not know how girls ever could stand this. My hair was pulled and tugged until my sister thought it looked pretty enough.

I looked in the mirror. A girl was looking back at me. I could not see any sign that I was a boy!
We sneaked out and went to the park. Soldiers flocked around Viki and chatted with her. I sat down by the pond and looked at the ducks. It appears as if I was a chicken. I suddenly didn’t think this was a good idea. What if someone saw I was a boy? I would be known as a sissy for the rest of my life. The ducks didn’t notice, they just swam around and enjoyed life. I held one of my pigtails as I could hear Viki's laughter in the distance. It felt very strange as the air went up my dress. It is nearly like I was half naked!

“Hello Sweetie, Can I sit here?” a soldier asked. I could not believe it, a soldier wanted to sit next to me!
“Yes.. I suppose you can”
“Oh you speak English, which is good. My name is Dave.”
“I am Pat… ohh.. Well everyone calls me Pat. My real name is Patsy.”
“Looks like I met a new friend!” the soldier said, “and I love the dress you are wearing. My sister has one that is very similar.”

I didn’t ask all the questions that I planned and did not even thank the soldier. He did most of the talking. I didn’t mind, as he was my hero! He told me that when he saw me, he thought I was his sister. He was amazed at how similar we were alike. I just smiled and told him he is welcome in our country and I bet he was a good brother.

We talked and talked. He was a normal man and admitted that being in the army could be so macho and it was all about killing people. The Germans that he killed were mostly like him, as they also had a little sister. The discussion was getting a bit deep, but I did not mind. Sitting next to my hero was a dream come true.

Viki yelled and said it was time to go home. Soldier Dave asked me if we could meet the next day. I smiled and nodded as I skipped home. I was in a great mood, so Viki could tease all she wanted that I was dressed as a girl. I told her about Dave and the fact I reminded him of his younger sister. Viki smiled and said it was a shame I would be living as a boy when we came home, but at least I met a soldier. Tears came to my eyes and told her I promised to see him again, so I had to dress as a girl!
The next day, Dave had a basket and told me that he loved my hair in pigtails. We were going on a picnic. We sat in the middle of the park and ate so much food. There were chicken legs, and potato salad and some strawberries. I wasted no time in thanking him for saving us from the Nazis. I just ate and ate and listened to him tell stories about his own family, and why he joined the army and how bad war was. He wanted to be a doctor after the war. He killed so many people during the war that he wanted to use the rest of his life-saving lives. I was very careful how I sat, as I did not want my panties showing. He would see a bulge that a girl should not have! I could have sat here forever, and just listen to him.

However, he had a better idea. There was ice cream at the base, so he said we could go to the base and get some ice cream. He held my hand as I skipped beside him through town. I noticed some of my friends. They were in shock when they saw me. They were so shocked, that they could not say anything! Dave did not notice, he just laughed at the way all girls skip when they are happy. It was then I realized that I was skipping like a girl. The soldier held my hand as we entered the base.
Now it was me that was overwhelmed. There were Jeeps, tents, soldiers and small wooden huts all over the place. It was like a small town. I passed soldiers that had huge guns and was so strong that they could break me into two. I had this big smile on me as if I was in heaven. Dave told me not to be afraid! I was not afraid. If it was a Nazi camp, I would have been afraid, but not an American camp.

We found the ice cream and I was given a vanilla one. It was years since I tasted an ice cream so this was heaven. I did not even have time to speak and ask questions.

Two other soldiers came and asked who the child whore was. I heard this word before and knew it was no good. They were teasing how young I was. Dave tried telling them not to be so perverted. I was his adopted sister in the town. I could feel myself get closer to Dave as the men continued to tease. I was afraid of them, but I must admit that I felt secure with Dave. Then I started to think that only a girl would have such thoughts. If I thought like a boy, I could defend myself. Before I could stop thinking, one of the soldiers tried putting his hand on my bum. I froze as I was afraid he would find out my secret. Everything went so fast! Dave punched the soldier that fell on the ground and could hardly get up again. My heart was beating so fast. It was like a knight saved me from a wicked man.

When I came home, I quickly changed into a boy. Mom came home and seemed to be very tired. The only thing she said was that it was about time that I cut my hair. I found out why. At dinner, she said someone said that “our cousin” was cute. She looked at Viki and asked what cousin was staying here. I could feel myself going pale and worried that the secret was out. Viki shrugged her shoulders and said people said the strangest things. Mom raised her eyebrow. She knew something was going on, but she would never suspect what we were doing.

After we ate, my sister said, “Mom suspects we are up to something. Maybe we should be safe and you shouldn’t be dressed as a girl tomorrow”
“No, I want to see Dave. I have to be a girl!”
“You do notice you said you have to be a girl, and not dress as a girl?”

My sister thought I was considering myself a girl. I did what I usually do, and pretend to ignore her. She had a point though. When I wore the dress, I was a girl. I skipped, giggled, played with pigtails and even kept clean. I thought like a girl and I acted like a girl. Maybe I had a mental disorder. The fact was that I was happy. It was not only when I was with Dave. When I put my boy's clothes on, they felt wrong, it was like wearing sandpaper.

Part of me liked being a girl!

The next day, I dressed the same way I did in the last two days. I was so happy that Dave met me at the pond where we usually met. He did not have a black eye, so the two men did not get revenge on him. He had a box with him with a pretty ribbon on it. I asked him what it was.

“This is a dress for my sister,” he smiled, “… It is for my adopted sister. Yes…. You! I noticed you only have one dress, so I figured you would need this one. After all, you have to look you best when I take you to the town dance.”

Dave gave me the package as I cried. I opened the box and seen a white fluffy dress with a purple ribbon. I felt the fabric and it was so soft. This made me cry more as I never received such a pretty present as this before. This made him smile and say that he was happy that I liked it. Dave suggested I try it on to see if it fits. So I went behind a bush and changed from Vivis old dress to this dress. I felt like a princess! I skipped out to Dave that was waiting with a camera. He asked if he could take a picture. This was something I never did before. I never saw a camera!

Click

He was done. I jumped into his arms and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

As I done this, two Military policemen shouted Dave’s name. They asked what was happening. Behind them was the two mean men from the day before.

“This young girl is a friend. I just bought her a dress and she is very happy”
“There has been a complaint that this young girl is more than a friend!” One MP explained.
“I do not know what you are implying. This young girl is a friend. I call her my adopted sister! There is nothing illegal going on!”
“We will discuss this at the station. I have just seen an underage girl kiss you. You most likely will be charged with molesting her!”

By now a crowd of people were there. I saw one of the MP’s take some handcuffs. My heart was beating fast and I was crying so much begging the military men to leave Dave alone. They didn’t seem to want to listen to my pleas. So without thinking, I lifted my dress where everyone could see a bulge in my panties…. It was a bulge that no girl would have there. Everyone went silent. A few whispered that I was a boy. Dave stared at the bulge. The MP’s were silent and then told Dave there was obviously a mistake. When they went, Dave looked at me and said, “How could you? You deceived me! What were you after, my money?”

I stuttered through my tears that I just wanted a friend that was a soldier. I ran all the way home and cried myself to sleep on my bed.

I was asleep when mom came home. She woke me up and told me to stand up. She slowly took off the dress. She was not mad but said she heard what happened. I expected more, but that is all she said about me dressing as a girl. She then took me out to the kitchen and put me on the stool. Dave was not arrested but he was humiliated. Everyone in town was asking why I dressed as a girl. As I was getting the latest gossip, mom was cutting my hair. It was like I was getting an arm or leg cut off. It was then time to eat. Nothing was said at dinner. I felt like it was the end of the world.
“Are you a boy or girl?” Mom asked as she tucked me in.

The next day was the party. My family went and I was dressed as a boy. Everyone was in a good mood. I got some weird looks and some said it was good that I got my hair cut. Besides that, I was left alone. I sat on a chair and watched the soldiers and town people dance. This was supposed to be the night that I danced with Dave. The only contact I had with Dave was when he looked at me, sighed and looked the other way. Otherwise, he stayed well away from me!

Viki could see I was sad. She told me to go to the pond where I usually met Dave. She would tell him to meet me there, so we could say goodbye. You must agree, that compared to other sisters, I had the best. I walked down to the pond and sat where I used to sit. I was more alone there, as only the ducks and stars were keeping me company. I bet the ducks were asking each other was I not the girl that used to come? I waited and waited until Dave would come. It seemed like I was there for a lifetime! Then I saw the American jeeps and trucks full of soldiers leave town.

The soldiers were gone.

Viki told me that Dave said he had nothing to say to me. This explains why he left without saying goodbye.

The next month was like I was in an empty hole. I was so sad and cried a lot. I stayed at home, and if I was not doing my chores, I would sit under a tree and watch day change tonight, night change today, and on and on. Mom and Viki tried to cheer me up, but they could not. I was beginning to accept that this was the way I would be.

One day, Mom told me that we were going to the big city by train. We would be having a fun day in the city. I did not want to go. However, I was told it would be a special day, as it was mothers and daughter’s day. Was she teasing me? The fact was that she knew I was as much of a girl as a boy, and I needed to be a girl once in a while. On the train, she told me I could be a girl in the big city or when I came home. She only wanted me to be happy!

I was now smiling when I was in the big city. We visited so many shops and mom got me some dresses, as she said I could not wear the white dress all the time. We had time to go to a cafe for some ice cream. We sat on a small table outside. Mom told me she would be coming back. I looked at the people walking by and all the soldiers. When I looked for where mom was, I saw her sitting at another table waving at me.

I soon found out why. Dave sat down and said “My adopted sister always loved ice cream”

I sure did!