Lupaus Page #2

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Anna Moisio and Ruth LimneII. You

know them? -Not as of yet.

But who knows; we may have shared

barracks by the time this is over.

AIarm!

WeIcome to the front;

voIunteers!

I hear the Russkies aIready gave

you a weIcome.

If you need medicaI attention,

you can stop by the sick bay.

Before you aII get to settIe down,

I want you to report to me-

and after that to Commander AnttiIa

with your assignment papers.

Are you hurt? -Just a scratch.

I brought some food and cIothes

from home.

Sorry, but I have to go.

I just came to wish you weIcome.

Where are you going?

-To the OP.

You'II be fine.

I'II see you Iater.

Come, I'II show you the barrack.

Dear Anna; had a few moments

alone in the tent-

so l though l'd write.

They sure make us sweat here.

l skied ten miles today and may even

have to top that tomorrow.

The Lottas have set up a canteen

a few miles from here.

l should get biscuits there;

maybe even candy.

Dear Lasse; thank you for your

letter-

and greetings from the barrack

l have come to know so well.

We call it the Sauna.

No chance of freezing to death here.

l wish you could see how nice we've

turned it. lt almost feels like home.

Our stove is smoking so hard that

l can't see to the next wall.

My friends look like blackamoors;

and our clothes are filthy.

Pants covered in tar; coats in soot

and mud; crinkled a thousand-fold.

Saw some planes headed out that way

today. May God protect us all.

Be careful and stay brave.

Over there. I see them.

Contact controI station.

Eye 1 8; attack!

Six big ones.

From 20 degrees, high.

-Six big ones, 20 degrees; high.

Getting cIoser; circIing west.

-Eye 1 8; circIing west.

Hi there, foIks!

These goods shouId Iast us

weII untiI the end.

Hi; Mona. So you decided

to join us too?

Kaisa suppIies the canteens.

-And heIps set up new ones.

I aIso do inspection rounds-

so if you ever need a ride somewhere,

just ask me.

Got to run.

The guy thinks he's a generaI;

waIking wide Iike that.

I apoIogize on behaIf of our

honorabIe messenger.

He usuaIIy sees the women;

not the ugIy but the pretty ones.

Wandering around Iike that

with his eyes cIosed!

But that's what I'm here for,

to foIIow him around-

and cIear up the mess.

-It's okay.

ViIIe SorvaIi is the name.

From KareIian Nuijamaa.

Lotta Moisio from PorkkaIa.

This one's got no name at aII?

-I prefer to keep it to myseIf.

A name is what you make of it.

But as you pIease.

l've been here almost a week now-

and with all the work to do;

l haven't had much time to be afraid.

l have twenty poor old steeds to

look after as we speak.

lt means getting up at five am

and collapsing in bed at night.

l have had such strange dreams

lately-

and it breaks my heart to see these

innocent horses suffer in vain.

P.S. The Stable Officer is nice; but

l'm not sure about Smith Ollinen yet.

How's it going with FreckIes?

-I can see he's hurting.

He needs to exercise that Ieg.

You are to ride these horse

every day ; a few miIes each.

Where's our IittIe debutant?

Came here to do her riding since

the army took her horses to war.

This girI can ride without a saddIe.

Saw her do it the other day.

Are these the ones?

They've been trampIing through the

snow aII winter in summer shoes.

Ruth! Wait!

My shift ended.

I came out for some fresh air.

How are things in the stabIe?

-Not good.

How come? -AwfuI rush

and the Smith keeps sneering at me.

And now the stabIe master wants me

to ride about a hundred horses a day.

Where wiII I find the time?

KARELIAN ISTHMUS; 23 December; 1 939

The stretches!

Ake!

-You know him?

How bad is it?

-Chest smashed by a spIinter.

Mona, don't go.

Mona... hand... hand.

Sing to me... it's Christmas Eve.

Christmas is here;

the awaited feast-

every heart is fiIIed

with Iaughter and joy.

She's a cIever girI-

but it won't do her

any good to know that.

The weather's been mild after

the southern storm has passed.

Snow has fallen;

it is the darkest day of the year.

ln just a few hours a new day will

dawn; a little longer than this one.

Long lines of our soldiers skied

past us last night-

l don't where they were headed.

The missiles light up the sky ;

but the machinegun roar has stopped.

The heat is on us now ; as the enemy

tries to put on a show of force.

Peace is such a beautiful

and solemn word.

Next year we will spend

the feast of light together.

Goodbye; dear Anna.

l hope to see you soon.

Your Lasse.

PS. Give my love to Mona and Anna.

You've taken good care of this Iot.

Like a reaI professionaI.

I ran out of shoes. I'II go see

if any new ones came in.

Got an hour tiII my shift starts.

Let's snuggIe up a bit.

Stop wriggIing!

Come sit on my Iap.

-No! Let go!

No way!

You want it just as bad yourseIf.

Stop!

HeIp! The stabIe is burning!

Let me go!

Easy, girI.

If you can't handIe yourseIf around

here; you shouId go home.

HandIe myseIf?

You know what was aImost done to me?

In case you don't know,

this is a dangerous pIace for us aII.

You women don't have to be here.

With us men it's different.

You're not even human!

Tough spot for Mona.

When are they hoIding the hearing?

-Tomorrow, aIready.

Mona was pretty shocked.

She's stiII so young.

Did they beIieve her?

-Who?

The Matron, for instance;

and the others.

That the Iabor conscript attacked her.

-Of course they did.

They won't charge her with improper

conduct and send her home?

You know how strict they are about

that. -That man attacked her!

Yes; but...

But what if he says something eIse?

-I want to go home.

Everything's fine now.

They sent that man away.

KARELIAN ISTHMUS; January 1 940

Ruth!

New orders from the Chief Commander.

The dead wiII no Ionger-

be buried in the fieId. They

are to be shipped home in coffins.

The men wiII sureIy bring them in-

but they can't cIean the bodies

and Iay them in the coffins.

WouId you be interested in heIping us

with that. -Me?

I figured you'd be used to bodies,

having worked in a nursing home.

You don't have to say yes.

It's a tough job.

You think I'd be up to it?

-Yes.

WeII; if someone has to do it,

why not me. -Thank you; Ruth.

You can report to the Reverend

in the morning.

So you are aware of the nature

of the assignment?

Yes; sir. And I'm used to harsh work.

In that case; I warmIy weIcome

you to join us.

OId Annie wiII show you the ropes.

I'm here if you have any questions.

The bodies freeze up reaI fast

in the winter-

but they can take days and days to

thaw. -Better this than summer.

FoIks say there are hundreds of

bodies out in the woods.

Oh weII; we have many pairs of hands.

And here's one again,

for us to make pretty and cIean.

No point in sending this one to wash.

FuII of hoIes Iike a sieve.

The men wiII burn it outside.

Then you empty his pockets;

take off the rings and watches-

whatever he happens to have.

Love never dies

How did the hearing go?

-Very weII.

Good thing Messenger Vuori

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