Second installment

Later on that afternoon they arrived, we talked for a while about what they had planned, they said they would stay until they could finalize the arms deal and then they could move on. They also said that if anything was going to happen on the battle front then they would be happy to join in and help in whatever way they could, after all they were professionals and it was always good to keep oneself from going rusty. The dinner arrived and I decided that I went so I picked up my bag and proceeded to the office, inside Ernie and James were eating so I asked Ernie if it was alright if I left and whether one of the men could drive me into Osijek, he agreed so I said my goodbyes and without a word from either I left. The moment I got into the car a wave of relief swept over me, I was now completely free for nine days, no more air raids, no more soldiering and most of all no more Ernie it was a great feeling. The driver dropped me off outside Paula's and I said thanks, he wished me good luck(which in Croatian is sretno) and left, I was free. Inside and up the stairs I went almost running, our holiday had started and I was on cloud nine, Paula opened the door and the first thing I said to her after she kissed me in was,

"are you ready".

As it happened she was, so we decided to catch the midnight train to Zagreb and the early train to the coast as it wasn't worth hanging about. We left for the train station at eleven fifteen just incase an air raid started but it didn't, it seemed like everything was going to plan, we waited inside the station and right on time the train arrived, we boarded and the train pulled out of the station. We looked at each other and then out of the window, I knew we were both thinking the same thing, how good it was to be on our way. The whole city was in darkness except for the occasional detonation which lit the sky, I hoped that the people we left behind in Osijek could perhaps have one quiet night but somehow I doubted it. We settled down to try and sleep, it was a three and a half hour journey and it was always better to sleep. We arrived in Zagreb, a city full of lights, there was no war here, there was no risk of dying while you slept, we would be safe on the platform while we waited for the connection, it was only a half hour and it wasn't cold, eventually the departure board our trains destination along with the platform number so we proceeded to find it, we got on what seemed like a half empty train and found an apartment to ourselves. The train started up and we both knew that we were really on our way,nothing could stop us now. We left the lights of Zagreb behind and started our journey to the coast, there was nothing to do now apart from wait and watch the sights as we sped past. While I was sitting there I started thinking about the difference between Osijek and Zagreb and decided to write another article, when I had finished it I read it to Paula liked it very much and said she would translate it and send it to the newspaper from our hotel. We were almost halfway there when we passed through a mountain range, I looked out of the window and thought of home and the mountains of Wales, I was happy to be going on holiday with a beautiful companion but at the same time a tear was forming in the corner of my eye, I was homesick for the first time in my life and I was missing my roots. There had been times during this war when I had experienced new feelings and emotions, I suppose it was because of this so-called war and the friendship that almost everyone had shown me,I was not as hard hearted as I thought I was, it was good to know that perhaps I was human after all. My thoughts were interrupted by Paula who kissed me on the cheek and asked if I wanted a drop of brandy, I took the flask and drank a small drop, that and her warm smile made me feel a whole lot better, no more thoughts of home, we were on holiday and we were supposed to enjoy it and that's exactly what we were going to do.