Second installment

The day started with a phone call saying that Alan was being released from hospital the next day and could someone go to fetch him, that was the best news I had heard for a long time, at least I would have one friend at the base. The film crew were spending most of the time in Visnjevac mainly because of the foreigners there, I still didn't think that was going to be the objective documentary that they said they were making. There had been a meeting that morning which Ernie and James had attended, I couldn't go as I had a model to work on, they returned saying that our unit was on the move again, the present location was to be used by command, we were like gypsies never staying in one place too long. It was decided that Ernie and James would go and look over the new base that we had been given, they didn't say much about it other than it was a school, another non-permanent base I thought to myself.

With the UN on their way as peace keepers the war maybe coming to a stop and all the schools would re-open forcing us to move again, I was getting very fed up with the fact that I didn't know whether my position in the Croatian army was secure or not. The only thing that we knew was that we were to get our new I.D. cards and it was printed the fact that I was joint second in command of the unit, that wasn't going to impress James, I was at long last being recognized although it wasn't actually a rank like you get in any other army but it made me a lot happier. Later that afternoon Ernie and James returned saying that the school was ideal and was only a short distance from our current location and that we would move in two days time. They also informed me that as soon as we had moved the attack that we were planning had to be carried out quickly before the UN arrived, perhaps hq had decided that they would try and get some of Croatias territory back and inflict some damage on the enemy before the war was brought to an inconclusive end and a sort of retaliation for what they had done to Croatia. Thinking about the reason for the attack I somehow thought that it was Ernies idea as he wanted one last fling to increase his popularity before he returned to civilian street. What with the move, the attack and the arrival of Alan I didn't have time to wonder around at least now my mind was occupied and I was getting back to my old self.

Early the next morning Alan arrived back looking very happy to be back home amongst his friends, he did not look at all bad considering that he had lost the sight in one eye. The girls and most of the original unit were all glad to see him again but it was a pity that George wasn't there as he had been the cause of the accident that had put him in hospital in the first place, we all considered Alan as our friend, I wondered if Ernie did? We told him that he could sleep in the office for the time being as that was the quietest place and he could get as much rest as he wanted. We gave him a new uniform and boots, he dressed and was glad to be looking like a soldier again, the only bad part was that he wanted a rifle, ammunition and grenades, everything that he was asking for was designed to make him feel like a part of the unit again even if at the moment could not see more than fifteen meters in front of him at least for the present he looked the part even if he wasn't able to do the job, Ernie said it was ok to give him everything that he wanted I think that he was just trying to humour him. When he were alone I told him everything that had been going on while he was in hospital, he didn't seem surprised and I thought that he was more like me about what had gone on, so I left him to get some rest.