Messy Quarters

Many of the Leutnant's memories are written to me or in reference to me. Rittmeister.

This memory takes place right after "The Argument with Manfred". I talked to Manfred in this life and he remembers me doing this. As I was telling him, he filled in what I was going to say next sort of thing.  Kind of neat eh? After the argument I was very angry with Manfred. I decided to go for a walk, through the woods. It was spring and there was mud everywhere. It was impossible to go for a walk and not be covered with mud. It started to get dark, so I decided to go back and have another "chat" with Manfred.

I walk up to his cabin, covered with mud. In this cabin he would do the paper work and such and he also slept and kept his stuff in there. There is no light on so I knock, but there is no answer. I slowly open the door and peer in. No one is there. I walk up to the lantern beside the table by his bed and light it. The place is spotless as usual. The bed is made perfectly, desk is tidy, and there is no mud anywhere to be seen. I look out the window that is sort of at the end of the bed and I see lights are on in another building. I decide to wait here for him.

I decide to make myself at home. I lay down on his bed, which is against the wall. I take out some cigarettes, which are the most foul smelling ones in all of Germany, and I know that Manfred hates the smell of them. I use the lantern to light the cigarette. I lean back and my feet are wet. I remove my boots by using my feet. They hit something at the foot of the bed, which they rebound off, hitting the wall before they come to a rest on the floor. I feel something stuck in my throat, so I decide to hork it out on his wooden floor.  Next I prop up the pillow, so I can look out the window.  I cross my legs at the ankles, put my arms behind my head to prop it up even more, occasionally freeing my right hand to move the cigarette.

After a while, I see the door open. Manfred is standing there and he looks like he is in shock.  He doesn't say a single word...he just looks at me and walks back out.  I quickly put the cigarette out and try to clean up as much as I can, before he returns with a rifle or something. Needless to say, I lie low until my transfer was passed through.

Every time I read this it makes the hair on the back of my neck bristle.  I get flashes of opening the door to my quarters at night. It is cool out and I and I am looking forward to crawling into bed. When I open the door, the light is on and someone is lying on my bed with his arms crossed behind his head and his feet crossed.  I am shocked, and I feel really pissed.  I feel so angry that I literally don't know what to do with myself.  I look at the fellow and then shut the door.  I walk off across the compound into the dark area where the lights are not shining.  I don't remember anymore.  I think I was so mad that I didn't know what to do.  Maybe I took a walk or met up with some of the guys to calm me down.  Rittmeister.