Mama
Wolfgang Hochstetter was a good son. He called his Mama every Sunday when she got home from church. He visited when work allowed. He always remembered holidays and her birthday.
This year, luck was on his side. In a small shop in Berlin he found the perfect birthday gift, a music box. It was made of polished dark wood. The song it played was Mama's favorite. This year, he would surprise her. He had said he wouldn't be there until tomorrow but Wolfgang would be there tonight.
The power was out again. The Allied bombers had done some damage. Despite this, Hochstetter made it to the house. As he opened the door there was a flash. His chest burned, it was wet and sticky. Wolfgang looked up from the floor.
Mama was crying, "I didn't know it was you. I heard someone fumbling at the lock."
Wolfgang Hochstetter's last words were: Surprise! Happy Birthday, Mama.
Sitting on the floor next to her son's body, Frau Hochstetter thought, 'This is so wrong. My all too lenient, soft-hearted son is gone.'