Her tears continued to fall as she watched Erik’s train leave the station. He and dozens of other young men waved and blew kisses from the open windows, buoyed with the idea of a great adventure. Ans watched the train until it was out of sight, then gathered her strength to hurry home to Eloise.

CHAPTER 8

Lena attacked the tub of laundry with the plunger as if it were her enemy. She wished she had gone into town with Pieter. He should have been home by now, but he wasn’t. It didn’t take three hours to sell their milk and eggs and pick up the items Lena had asked for. That meant he was probably talking about enlisting with some of the other farmers again.

Steam from the boiling tubs fogged the porch windows where she worked. Lena removed her sweater, then pulled the kerchief off her head and mopped her brow before running the finished load through the wringer. She and Pieter had done all of the usual autumn chores together —harvesting the fall crops, butchering pigs, smoking the meat, and making sausage —but now that the work was finished and winter approached, Pieter was growing restless. Deep creases had furrowed his brow like a plowed field as they’d sat in the kitchen last evening listening to news of the war on the radio.

“Why does it bother you so much?” she’d finally asked. “We don’t have to worry. We aren’t at war with anyone.”

“You expect me to be content just sitting around all winter,” he’d replied, “while other men are doing their duty?”

“You’re too old for the draft. Besides, you’re exempt because you’re a farmer.”

“I’m thinking of joining the reserves.”

“Pieter, no! This war is none of our country’s business. If our government wants to muster troops as a show of strength, let them do it without you.”

“That show of strength kept the Netherlands neutral the last time, remember? I need to do my part.” He had grabbed his jacket and stormed off to the barn, slamming the door. Lena had let him go. They rarely argued, and she didn’t want this disagreement to come between them. But she feared it would.

She was pegging clothes on the line a half hour later when she heard their truck coming up the road. She left the basket where it was and walked across the yard to meet him outside the barn. She could tell by the way he squared his shoulders and lifted his chin that he had something important to say.

“I know you won’t be happy, Lena, but it’s all arranged. Six of us have enlisted in the reserves together. We’ll be reporting to army headquarters in Den Haag for training.”

“When?”

“Monday.”

Lena grabbed his jacket sleeves, wishing she could shake sense into him. “Pieter, please don’t do this. I’m begging you.”