大象传媒

May turned into June.
The cherry season.
Rosie had a relation in Werder about 25 kilometres to the SE of Berlin for whom she had over the years picked cherries.
Werder is in Brandenbourg,an area much like the Weald and famous for its fruit orchards.
By now the U-Bahn,the underground railway system was operating.Because of the complexities of the journey from NW to SE Berlin the pair set off but were unable to take their soapbox trolley.
On reaching the outer terminus of the city rail system they walked the remaining 25 kilometres to Rosies relations farm.Agreement was reached that in return for their labour they would be rewarded with cherries.
After a days picking the girls remained overnight and worked out an itenary for their return the next day.
The Russians were still in complete control of Berlin and a strict curfew was in effect beginning at 9 pm.
Strict?
If you were on the street after 9 pm you were shot.
As simple as that.
To carry their reward the girls loaded 2 horses nose bags with cherries,tied them together,slung them round their shoulders and started their return journey.
Halfway back to Berlin a German driving a 3 wheeled van fuelled by wood stopped and offered them a lift in return for some of their cherries.
Wonderfull,now the tight schedule to return them home before curfew could easily be met.
The van broke down.
The German who had the cherries , insisted they push his van untill they reached his home where upon he released their precious cargo.
Their trip had now turned into a disaster.
They hurried as best they could laden with their cherries to arrive at Dehlem station just as the stationmaster was drawing the steel grid gates shut.
"Sorry girls,thats it.The last train has gone.
Come back tomorrow"
We cant, they cried, we live in Spandau.We must reach home before curfew.
The old German stationmaster eyed them up and down and spotted the cherries.
"Ok,Ok,if you will swap some of your cherries for my sandwiches i will make an exception and you can hide in the waiting room overnight and catch the first train in the morning.
Having eaten nothing but cherries for 2 days the girls readily agreed.
The U-Bahn in Berlin is somewhat similar to Londons Underground in as much as although the inner city parts are below ground ,the outer suburban stations are at ground level.
So the girls hid themselves to await the morning.During the night they were woken by the noise of heavy lorries and the movement of what were obviously troops.
Rosie who had gained the German equivalent of "O" level English said to my mother.
"Gerda,you know what
I think those are English voices"
"Dont be stupid" my mother replied"Come away from the window.If we are found we will be shot"
The first train of the morning arrived and the girls resumed their journey back to Spandau.
To reach their homes in Falkenseer Chausse they had to walk past the Spotsplatz and along Askanier Ring where there was a German Army barracks long deserted.
Outside the barracks,overnight or certainly since they had last been there a sentry box had appeared.There was a soldier dressed in uniform with white gaiters,a uniform they had never seen before,marching up and down.
The girls looked agahst.
"It must be the British or Americans" said Rosie.
"It must,it must"
Rosie approached the sentry who continued his relentless march.
"Ve vant verk" she told him.
No response
"Ve vant verk"
Nothing
She fell into step with the soldier.
Left,Right,Left,Right, about turn.
"Ve vant verk"
Left,Right,Left,Right, about turn.
"Ve vant verk"
After several minutes the sentry must have realised the only way to get rid of this mad girl was to help her.
Through frozen lips he hissed "You must go to the job centre"
"The job centre? The job centre? Ver ist the job centre?"
"In a school further down this street" he hissed.
The girls raced home,storming into her flat my mother shouted to my grandmother"Here are the cherries,we must rush to the job centre.The English are here ,there will be work"
"Not untill we have destoned these cherries" my grandmother replied.
So my mother had to sit down and start her task.
Desperate knocking at the door.
My grandmother went and opened it.
Rosie
"Come Gerda,quick we must go"
"Not before she has destoned the cherries"
"Frau Ruhl.we must go NOW,we Must"
Somehow Rosie persuaded my grandmother to release my mother from her task and off they rushed.
On reaching the Hilfs Shule they entered the building and were told to sit down.An officer finally invited them into an ante room where he started to talk to them in perfect German.
Suddenly he turned to Rosie and spoke to her in English.Rosie splutteringly replied.He turned to my mother and spoke to her.
"I am sorry"she said in German"I do not speak a word of English"
The officer sat back in his chair and sighed.
"We are looking for translators and i am sorry but your English is just not good enough"
Total deflation
The girls looked at him without saying a word.
He looked at them for several minutes,then rose from his chair,said "Wait here" and left the room.
Five minutes or was it a life time past,before he returned.
"OK girls,we also need chambermaids and waitresses for the officers mess,sign here and return tomorrow.
Euphoria
My mother raced home to tell her parents the joyous news.
Chambermaid!Waitress!Officers Mess!Oh no my girl.I KNOW SOLDIERS.NO NO NO my grandfather flattly declared.
How my grandfather was persuaded to relent is a complete mystery but he did,and the next day they duly reported for work.
Within 48 hours of its arrival in Berlin they were employed by the British Army.

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