If you told me yesterday that I’d legitimately managed to take a step outside my comfort zone without being forced, I wouldn’t believe you. Except it’s true. Afterall, here I was surrounded by many who I was engaged in combat with less than a few days ago yet are treating me like a friend. To think that if I hadn’t taken a risk for a change I wouldn’t even be here. I would’ve just added another missed opportunity to my seemingly ever growing mental list.

The days leading up to Christmas had been calmer by a landslide. As the special day crawled closer, many people seemed to relax, hushed voices whispering of live and let live policies, or late-night Christmas carols being sung by a handful individuals, usually quite a few others joining in to sing along with them. The mood had certainly changed quickly; just a couple of weeks ago morale had dropped to an all time low, the reality that war was going to continue for far much more time than initially expected looming over everyone's heads.

Focusing back on the present, I monotonously grabbed another stone off the pile next to me in order to replace a shattered one. I wedged the fresh stone in between the multitude of other stones stacked up on top of each other. Usually I wouldn’t have time to fix broken stones, but because of the general ‘friendliness,’ if you could call it that, between sides lately, there was less fire.  Coupled with the fact that it was nearly dawn on Christmas, I could afford to stick my head up over the barriers and not worry so much about getting my head shot off immediately, as long as I was swift.

“George, man, you’ve got to see this!” Moving my head so that I could look over the barriers to see what Thomas was talking about, I saw the telltale signs of dawn. Dark blue sky faded to light blue, then a vibrant orange with a smidge of blinding yellow barely crossing over the horizon. Just the sunrise was captivating itself, but there were a half a dozen, give or take, German troops emerging from the opposite side. The scene looked like it came right out of a painting. I was extremely concerned for a moment until I noticed they were waving their hands in the air in a way that suggested no ill intent.

“You think this is some sort of trap or...?” I said, trailing off.

“I mean, I remember they told us to be wary, but they look to be unarmed,” pointed out Thomas. “Why don’t we meet with them? I think they’re Saxon troops, and those guys are known to be more trustworthy than most.”

That familiar feeling of knots in my stomach returned. Like always, whenever I was met with a not-so simple decision, my anxiousness came running back to me like a loyal dog. “What if the higher ups find out?” I said, my voice slightly shaky.

“We’ll be fine, it’s not like we’re on the frontlines.”

“But-”

“You don’t want to be a wimp, do you? Come on, you’ve got to take a chance for once!”

Little did Thomas know people have said that to me all my life. Thinking back to my mental list I detested, I realized something. Well not really, I had always known it. I just never could work up the courage to deal with it. The fact was that sooner or later I had to take a risk. “Alright,” I said with more certainty than ever before.

As we made our way through No Man’s Land, I took in the state of the area. Multiple broken fences littered the place, usually cut off by small craters. There was hardly any grass to see, and even the grass you could see under the miniscule dusting of snow was a putrid shade of yellowish brown. Occasionally you’d spot a large stick sticking up a few feet off the ground, or a few pieces of random in color, dirty cloth scattered about. It seemed No Man’s Land was just as marred from war as anywhere else battles were fought.

Along the way to meet those soldiers, we spotted a few other groups of soldiers from different sides laughing, exchanging gifts or talking with one another. They looked to be having a good time. It solidified the belief that this was safe-ish since others were doing it too, though I was still anxious. The whole way there I kept readjusting my battle bowler. Although the time between agreeing to meet with them and actually meeting each other felt like forever, it’d only really taken a few minutes. Once we got to them they asked if we had anything to trade. Thomas didn’t have anything he wanted to trade, but I did.

I grabbed my weathered leather bag, unbuckled the stained gold in color straps, and opened it. Once I opened it, I started digging through the bag. I could hear others begin to open their bags as soon as I pulled mine out, several clinks and clanks of objects being dug through and pushed aside. Once I reached what I was looking for, cigarettes, I took four packs out of my bag, leaving the bag open.

“Does anyone have anything they’d want to trade for four packs of cigarettes?” I asked, directed towards the German soldiers.

“Oh, I haven’t had that brand in a long time! I will take them, for...do you like chocolate?” asked Noah, a German soldier who had acted the most welcoming out of the rest of them.

“Of course,” I said. After I got my chocolate from Noah, and he got his cigarettes, the rest of the group started trading and chatting.

As I stood there just contemplating the day’s events, I was overcome with a strange feeling of contentment. I knew this fragile truce would end, it was inevitable, but I was just glad to have taken a chance for once. It was utterly worth it. I wouldn’t take this day for granted.

 

 

 

 

-Hannah C.