Letters

Schultz entered the barrack 2 with a huge smile. Finally there were the letters, which the prisoners hoped for. And he was sure that maybe one or two or maybe even more chocolate bars for him would be there.

The boys, his boys, were always friendly to him, and even more when he brought news from their homes.

The prisoners saw the letters in his hand and surrounded him immediately.

LeBeau yelled "Jacqueline! Finally she writes me!"

Newkirk grinned very bridely as he got a letter from Mary, one from Carla, one from Suzy and one from Jane.

"Schultzie, did you loose some? I was sure Jill wanted to write me, too? Or do you keep them for reading yourself this night?"

Schultz looked at him. "I swear, I haven't read any letter. But this Suzy... " He screw his eyes estatic.

Carter opened his one and smiled.

"Mary Jane wrote. She says, that she still loves me and waits for me. "

He pressed happy the letter to his heart.

Newkirk stroke his head.

"I feel lucky for you, pal. "

Hogan opened his letter and grinned. "I bet, my mom will write, that I should eat enough at the end" he turned the pages "Yes, like every time."

Peter couldnt decide which one he should read as first and finally he choose the alphabetically way and opened Carla's.

"Listen. ‚Peter, I'm waiting longing for your return and only in my dreams and thought I can caress your body with hot kisses. I miss your pulsing…' I better stop, it's going too private. " He smiled at the others cheeky.

Schultz listened fascinated and closed his eyes, then saw the last letter in his hand.

"Sergeant Kinchloe, this one is for you."

He gave him the envelope and looked at his boys eager.

Kinch stared at the letter, recognized the writing and congealed.

Hogan gave Schultz two of his chocolate bars and drove the chomping sergeant out of the barrack.

Everyone was reading his letter, only Kinch stared on his one, without opening it.

After a while he laid it on his bed and went to his locker to search something in it.

Hogan used the time to throw an eye on the letter, took it into his hands.

Kinch saw the movement and said very sharp "Sir, leave it. "

Hogan looked at him surprised and the letter fell back on Kinchs bed. Kinch glared at him, took something from his locker and the letter and went into the tunnel without a word.

The others looked after him and then prompting to Hogan, who shrug his shoulders.

"It looked like a kid's writing."

Peter asked surprised "Kinch has a child? "

Carter was also surprised. "That can't be. He isn't even married."

Peter sighed and Hogan pulled Carter his hat into the face.

Only LeBeau looked sad towards the tunnel.

"I... I will go to him."

When Louis reached the radio area, he saw Kinch who was still staring at the closed letter. He went closer.

"Kinch, can... I help you, somehow?" he asked shy.

But he just shrugged his head, didn't even looked up.

"Please... leave me alone. "

Louis noticed that Kinch just wanted to be alone and silently he went back to the others. Also he tried to concentrate on Jacquelines letter, he couldn't.

Kinch only showed up to the roll call and avoided the looks from the others. After the roll call Hogan pulled him aside.

"Kinch, if you want to talk, about anything, come to me."

He just nodded shortly and went back to the tunnel. Hogan looked very caring after him, he was sure, even if Kinch wasn't joking all the time, this mood was wrong for him. He wanted to know what was written in this letter.

The next days Kinch was in the tunnel most of the time and acted like doing something on the radio.

Hogan wasn't that technical genius, but even he saw that Kinch was only doing senseless stuff.

At the fourth day he decided to ask him about it, but not directly.

"Kinch, what about a game of chess?"

He didn't even looked at Hogan.

"No, thanks, Sir. But you can ask Carter. "

"I was hoping for a challenge, not a massacre. "

Kinch smiled a little bit, but Hogan couldn't decide if it was of politeness or because of the joke.

"Please, Kinch. I ask you as a friend."

The sergeant looked up.

"Okay, tonight, after the roll call."

Satisfied Hogan nodded and smiled.

"Wonderful, thank you."

Kinch looked after him and sighed then starred again in front of him without doing anything.

After the roll call he went to Hogan and with him into his office, where the chess board was ready for playing. Kinch opened the game, but after a few moves they both were in a dead end street. They looked at each other.

"It's not the game that you are thinking of, Sir."

Hogan looked into his eyes.

"No, I'm thinking about you. Why you are so… away from us. It's something about this letter, right? Kinch, tell me what's going on, please."

He looked at him and pulled the still unopened letter from his pocket.

"Read it."

The colonel shook his head.

"It's your lett... "

He stopped him and pushed the letter in his hand.

"Read and you'll understand. "

Hogan opened the letter finally. It was okay for him to read Klinks letters, also the very seldom private ones, but this was another thing. He unfolded the paper and read the children writing:

"Hello Uncle Ivan!

Yes, it happened. You told me to write only if it has happened. Last night Mom died: She was in the hospital again. I was with here, she had smiled. She had thought for us.

Because you are in the war in Europe, I live with grandma and grandpa, because they are my law guardians…"

Kinch smiled. "Legal guardian…"

Hogan kept on reading.

"...while you're not here.

Mom will be buried next week, next to Daddy. So they are united again.

I hope you will return very soon to me and Granny and Grampy.

The kids here are nice but they look at me so strange. Somehow they are afraid of me.

I love Granny and Grampy, but it would be better to live with you.

Your nephew James. "

Hogan looked at him and tears were in his eyes.

"Your nephew, how old is he? "

The sergeant starred at the ground. "In two weeks he'll be nine. "

Hogan went over to him, put his hand on the shoulder of the other man and gave him back the letter. Silent he asked "Do you want to go? To him? "

He glared at him quietly and pulled a photo from his pocket.

It was the photo he took from his locker the day he got the letter.

"It would be the best for him. "

He gave Hogan the photo, which showed a normal family, but in the group of whites there was a black woman holding a little black boy.

"He doesn't feel well with them, you can read it. "

Hogan looked at the photo and nodded.

"You were right. Now I understand. Kinch, if you want to go back to the States… I could find another man for our radio… "

The sergeant wanted to stop him but Hogan shook his head.

"Think about it before you say anything. It's your choice. I will ask London for another radio operator, then. I will clarify it with them. Just because you are one of the best of my men. "

Kinch wasn't able to say a word, he just smiled at Hogan happy.