When I first meet him some might have called it fate, others a terrible coincidence neither were wrong. I lived in Paris in at that time with a small flat off the main streets and an unsuccessful career as a waitress at café de flore. Now your probably wondering why an English woman is in Paris France in 1944 who had witnessed the occupation with her own eyes and realised that things could not go back to normal no matter how hard I tried to.
The first things I noticed were the looks across the streets once the solders had picked up on the fact I was English. Then it was the whispers to the local people asking for my name and address. Then I was questioned and papers were asked for on street corners. That was the slow effect the nazis had on my life. I was lucky Jean kept my position at the café as many of the offices became regulars and there were many comments from them about his English employee.
However on a drizzly Tuesday morning was the day I first met major dieter Hellstrom. I'd seen him before as I clocked off shifts but never had served him. At first he never spoke to me instead he watched me serve his coffee and mutter the occasion thanks in French. At first I thought he assumed I was French, but how did he not know considering most of the soldiers that past this place offered me dirty looks or even derogatory comments in German which I understood perfectly to be " English slut".
But it was many weeks after our first in counter that he spoke to me after one soldiers had hurled an insult from across the café. "For someone who is English, I'm surprised by the lack of complaints you have from the men insulting you the way they do, now either you don't understand them or you just ignore it"he said in amused accented English,flicking ash into the ash tray to the side of him. " I understand perfectly well what they are saying I just chose not listen to someone who preaches false allegations"I retorted filing his cup with fresh coffee. He laughed at that, finding it amusing how an English girl could find a voice in such times of turmoil. "Well then why is there a young English girl in occupied Paris when home is just across the water" he asked bringing his cigarette to his lips and gesturing to the seat opposite him. I knew what this was, I knew this kind of game he was interrogating me and to refuse and to run away now would be an unwise decision. " how would you know I'm alone?, and going home to England is out of the question I can't" I replied to him. " because why would a girl like yourself work from so early in the morning to so late at night if someone was at home waiting for them and that back alley flat could hardly house more than one person" he answered stubbing out his cigarette. I shot him a look at that last remark, they were watching me how could I have been so stupid to believe I was free walking round with no eyes following me. I stared awkwardly and shifted uncomfortably in my seat, " I have to go and follow up some orders" I said quickly grabbing my coffee tray and walking to the back kitchens.
Jean asked if I was okay after that encounter I said I was fine but left early that day with an uneasy feeling. It wasn't till I got to the end of the street the café was situated on, that I heard footsteps and a shout. " you never gave me your name" the voice inquired. " it's Juliette" replied a voice leaving the scene and vanishing down several streets.
An hour later a sharp knock on the door rattled through my flat, I quickly rushed to it and opened it to a young German solider who had dark blonde hair and a tall appearance. " I understand you're the English girl Juliette" he asked leaning towards the door. "Yes why?" I questioned, " well then you're the girl the major wants then, could you get your things please madam and follow me" he said gesturing to the car parked outside the ally. " and what does the major want and where am I going" I replied annoyed but also afraid, for many people had been called for by name and never seen again. "That's for the major to say" the young soldier replied, as I reached for my handbag and tan coat realising there was no way out of this.
The car journey was so silent some would say deafening as I watched the streets of Paris pass by my window. After a long while we stopped abruptly outside a large nazi flagged entrance. So this must be the nazis Parisian lair I thought to myself. The young solider got out and opened the door for me offering his hand which I declined. The inside of the building must have once been quite grand a long time ago but it was hard to ignore the obnoxious red flags hanging on every surface. I was lead down several corridors and two flights of stairs until the solider stopped suddenly at a large oak door at the very end of the corridor, with the words Major Dieter Hellstrom imprinted onto it. He knocked it and stood with me until I heard a German voice from inside the room and left me pushing open the door.
I walked into to a rather dimly lit room with a dark figure stood up leaning on the front of his desk. The room smelt of smoke and something else which I couldn't quite work out. "Sit" he said gesturing it was more an order then a suggestion, I sat down by the chair next to where he was leaning above me. " what is it you want major" I asked looking up at him all as he blew smoke into the middle of the room.
" I want to know why you're here in Paris, I want to know why a girl like yourself is living in such a way, I want to know everything and you will tell me" he said sternly after catching my eyes.
. " I don't understand what you want and why I'm here, I lived in Paris before the occupation of the reich, I waitressed at the same café for five years and lived in the same apartment for the five years, I have no partner and no family here and I know very few people I could call a friend, so tell me major is that what you wanted to know" I replied anger echoing in my tone.
All the while he continued to smoke and his eyes never left mine. He got up and went to sit in his desk chair while he pulled out a file and pen. "Full name" he asked pulling out some papers. "Juliette Galloway" I replied staring at all the reports littered on the floor. " residence in England" he asked, "Surrey" I replied.
He continued to fill out the form until one last question " age and date of birth". "May 1st 1921, I'm twenty three" l said after a few moments clasping my hands in my lap.
"I have a proposition for you, the higher command want me to send you away with all the other British in occupied France to Germany where you will be detained, however I don't want to send such a beautiful young woman away to be detained where who knows what will happen to you, so instead of that you work for me" he explained as I watched him intensely.
" and what would you have me do if I worked for you" realising that my options were limited in this scenario.
" well you would live at my residence here in Paris you would look after my apartment, you would cook my meals, you would become my house keeper of sorts" he said lighting a third cigarette.
" a house keeper of sorts what more do you want" I asked annoyed by his arrogance.
" well you would accompany me to events, keep me amused when I get home" he replied with a smirk, blowing smoke in my direction.
" I am not your doll that you can show off when you feel like it especially to your officers, what kind of "amusement" are you looking for, do you want me just to give myself up to you, what do you you think of me sir, do you think I'm a whore like the first time we met and that was what your men shouted at me" I stood up from my chair and picked up my bag which laid beside, but before I reached the door a strong hand grabbed my waist.
Our bodies were now inches apart and he was considerably taller than I was. I could smell the cigarette smoke so clearly from the closeness. " you will do as I say, for what other options do you have and when I instruct you to do something you will follow it through and what else are you good for if not being a whore, because you're a terrible liar"he hissed in my ear whilst his one hand was still firmly gripped around my waist and the other with his cigarette.
At that last remark a single tear ran down my cheek onto his hand which had moved to painfully cup my chin. " I'm not lying to you I never lied" I said softly turning my head away from him as much as I could.
" If only I were a fool to believe that" he remarked. His hands started to roam my body free from any fighting because I realised that there was no way out now my freedom was gone from this day forward.