Chapter I

I sit in my desk, watching as Herr Goeribbels scribbled something on the board.

"Today, class, we shall be learning about our glorious nation, Germany."

I sit with my head resting on my arm, watching as the weathered hand of my teacher rapidly jerked about the blackboard, writing something that I could not apprehend. Soon after, an object outside catches my attention and I begin to stare at it out of the corner of my eye. I take out my pencil and begin to draw the object, which I deduce to be an armoured car. As I start shading the first armoured plate, I feel somebody tap my shoulder.

"Hey, Franz, the teacher is looking at you," whispers a voice.

I look up, and I instantly fall backwards, startled by two glaring eyes drilling into my face.

"Class is not for drawing. It is for learning. Now stop drawing and pay attention!" scolds the teacher.

I sigh, and I put my pencil down. I put my head on my desk, and I start staring at the blackboard, which has many incoherent little scribbles written on it. If I focus more I could possibly apprehend what is on the board, but I am in no mood to learn today. I just watch as the teacher hobbles back and forth and explaining something I do not hear. Our "glorious country" just invaded Poland, and now many young men are being sent to the front lines to just die. Just at that moment, I feel another tap on my shoulder.

"Franz, the teacher is glaring at you again."

I look up, and I see Goeribbels fiercely staring at me. He asks me a question.

"What precisely was the armoured car outside?"

I fumble through my books, and I quickly find that the car in the black and white picture and the armoured car outside match. I look at the caption.

"Leichter Panzerspähwagen, sir," I say, reading off of the caption in the book.

"Very good! Now, who here can tell me-"

His voice trails off again, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I look outside once more, and this time I see a small bird land on the sill outside. I take out my pencil and start sketching it in the back of my old notebook. Luckily, the teacher does not catch me this time, as I am cautious. At the end of class, as I am about to leave, the teacher calls to me.

"Franz Müller! Come here."

My face, before filled with joy with the end of school for the war, contorts with horror as my teacher calls me over to his desk.

"Yes, sir?"

"Franz, I know that it is the end of school, but your life has just begun. Don't waste your time doodling small drawings in class. Doodling will never accomplish anything in life."

"I know, sir."

"Don't just say that you know. Show me that you know. Join the Wehrmacht and serve your country. You are indeed brave enough to do so, are you not?"

"Of course, sir."

"Very good. You are dismissed."

I sprint out of the room. As I run down the stairwell from the first floor and sprint through the ground floor, I cannot help but notice a recruitment poster on the wall. I read it, and in big, bold letters, it said:

Join the Wehrmacht and serve your country today!

I ponder for a moment, and I continue to run. As the first rays of gleaming sunlight shine into my eyes, I see my friends playing with a large rubber ball in the middle of the wide street. I call out to them.

"Hey Franz! What happened with the teacher?" inquired Heinrich, one of my friends.

"Nothing much. He just told me to stop drawing. Let's enlist in the army! Even the teacher said that we should."

Heinrich sighed. "You know that this is just another ruse to obtain recruits, right?"

I think for a moment. "I guess you're right. But still, it would be fun!"

I could not be more wrong.