The light was fading fast as we turned out of the long path down from the forest. From up on the hill we had seen him ever so slowly walking home - cane in one hand, left hip being guided by the other. "I reckon that's the guy I photographed earlier with his son..." I thought aloud.
The path did a 'T' right in front of his house and he turned to smile at us as he prepared to climb the six steps to his door, a Tenzing Norgay sparkle of future conquest in his eyes. "Did I photograph you earlier today mowing grass with your son?" I asked him sheepishly. "No, you certainly did not! And I'm over 90! Are you that forgetful so young? Or do I have a twin I don't know about?" he responded laughing.
We got into a little discussion about the beauty of the region and within a couple of minutes he asked us if we'd come inside. "I have some pictures you might be interested in and you look exhausted! Come on in and get warm!" As we started to undo our muddy shoes, the phone was ringing inside. "Are you going to answer it?" we asked as he seemed in no hurry. "Ah that's just my daughter calling to see if I'm alright. If I don't answer straight away she'll call back soon. She's in retirement and you know how these retirees are!" He laughed with the spirit of a man who'd never retired and was happy to get on no one's nerves.
Sure enough, within a short time the phone was ringing again and this time he answered it:
"Sorry, I can't talk right now! I've just met two strangers and invited them in. Yes of course I'm ok! They seem nice! No, they aren't doing anything...they are just standing here. What are you talking about? I said I'm ok! Yes I can look after myself...the young man just photographed me and they aren't stealing anything. He's photographing me right now! I said I'm ok and that's that. I'll call you back later!"
With that he put the phone forcefully back on its hanger and shook his head. "My daughter is always worrying about me but I survived being shot through my back and a prisoner of war camp. I think I can handle things myself and I know who I can trust from the first moment."
Shot through the back? Now he had us interested! He told us how as a young man he was very patriotic for the Nazi cause in WWII. He, along with most of his generation, were swept up in the idea that they could create a 1000 year empire. As an artillery soldier with his own tank crew, he was both a clear target and a little more protected than the regular infantryman. Somehow he survived the hopeless assault on Stalingrad before being sent to Italy and then France where his tank crew were supposed to be part of the defense of Cherbourg. Once his commander realised that Cherbourg was a lost cause, the artillery divisions were sent up to Normandy. There our new friend's luck ran out and he was shot through the hand and stomach with the bullet exiting through his back.
"I was a successful tank commander if you can say that," he said matter-of-fact, "It was kill or be killed and we killed a lot however once I was shot, I was glad it was finished. The whole idea to create an empire was just so stupid. As I lay there recovering I realised just how lucky I was. So many mates had been killed and we had killed so many and all for what? For nothing. You can say I was glad to be a prisoner of the Americans."
They kept him as a 'happy prisoner' for two years before letting him head home to the Black Forest's Gutachtal where he became an armed postman for the German Postal Service (DHL) and a volunteer fireman - a position of great respect in Southern Germany. His greatest pride was reserved for a picture of him with his fire-brigade mates. "Every year there are less of us but we still meet up and celebrate all the good years we've had together. Of course we can't fight fires now but we are the 'Old Boys' for the fire-fighters today. After the war I found my joy in saving lives rather than taking them and that has given me a sense of purpose. What happened in the war can never be forgotten but a life well lived creates good memories and painful ones just fade away."
Now he's one of two men in the village choir and keeps busy by walking around the forest and looking at things, typical for good old men all over the world. As it was Reformation Day in Germany, he read us 'Luther's Rules for a Meaningful Life' which he had propped up in a corner of his sofa.
"Would you like some honey schnapps for the road home? It's dark and cold out there and I'd drive you if I could but you know I'm over 90 and that would be dangerous!" We all laughed heartily and drank his delicious home-made schnapps. As we stepped tipsily out into the night, the moon was just rising over the mountain edge to guide us the five kilometers back to Hornberg. We'd met a true gentleman and our hearts felt warm with his hospitality. The past is interesting and the future is beautiful.
Leica iiif | Elmar 50mm 3.5 | Ilford HP5 @ 800 | Kodak D76 1:1 @20° 16:30
