Chapter TWENTY


The first part of the journey hadn’t been too hard. They followed the troops leaving Herat, benefiting from their kindness, water bottles, some food though the preference was always given to the men, then the children and last, of course, the women. Still it was enough, just barely.

She found scraps of a blanket along the side of the road and fashioned a sling out of it, carried what she found in it, extra clothing, more water, a scrap of bread, once a real treasure…a part roll of toilet tissue that the soldiers hadn’t bothered to pack.

The further they went the colder it got and it was now noticeably up hill. Winter in the Kush was always severe and it was now the season for snow and frigid temperatures. One of the older women she had been walking with collapsed on a particularly hilly stretch and Honey sat with her, shared some of her precious water with the dying woman and when she died, took her heavier chadur, her supplies and her sandals, said a small prayer over the corpse and left to rejoin the other refugees.

“How low you have sunk, Petite Etoile” she thought to herself as she carefully folded the chadur into a roll and placed it in the additional sling she now carried. “Now you are reduced to robbing the dead.” She shook her head at the guilt that tried to overwhelm her. She would do whatever was necessary to survive, to get home to Urs and the boys. If that meant stripping the dead of things that would keep her alive and that they no longer needed, so be it.

“I Believe in You!!!”

That was a better mantra to keep her going. She kept walking even as the first flakes of another snow-fall started to appear above the rutted road, daydreaming about Urs singing to her while their boys listened and smiled.

**

In the house in Kussnacht am Riggi, the daily routine revolved around the twins. Carlos, Seb and David had gone back to London, reluctantly on their partners parts since all of them wanted more time to play with the boys.

In a surprisingly short time Urs grew used to sleeping lightly to listen for the boys in the night, though for the most part they were good babies, slept through the night after the first few days home, good natured little souls who seemed to like having music played quietly for them as much as they enjoyed the tickling and cuddling sessions. Urs parents came to visit and meet the new grandsons, which of course meant another period of sadness when they were told the entire story, as far as it was known at the moment. Still it was a wonderful visit. Mami offered to come and help Katja with the babies while Urs had to be away and that relieved him greatly.

**

The three remaining Divos asked for a meeting with Simon and presented a united front when they were escorted into the office.

He stared at them, not a smile on any face.

“Okay. I don’t like the look of this. Are you lot going to tell me something that will make me unhappy?”

David cleared his throat. He had lost the toss for who was going to do most of the talking.

“Not necessarily. We had an idea of something special to do over the Christmas Holiday season and though Urs can’t be here right now, we’ve come to see what you think.”

Simon’s look softened considerably at the mention of Urs and the thought of him being united with his sons.

“Yes, I can see that he will be busy for a while. Hopefully he gets it all under control by January…The schedule is very full from the 3rd on.”

“We met the doctor that Honey handed the babies off to and learned that she was in a place called Herat, west of the Kush range. She was going to try to get to Kandahar where most of the Allied Forces are based. Nancy thinks it will take her about two and a half months …if she survives the trek and no one discovers that she’s not Afghani. We would like to do a bunch of shows for the troops starting about December 1st and see if we can find her.”

Simon sat stunned for a moment then exploded. “Are you out of your f***ing minds!!!!??? It’s bloody dangerous to go there and how in hell will you find one special woman in a sea of those black robes they wear? You can’t even see the eyes on most of them. Absolutely not! No way! I won’t allow it!”

David paled as he looked at Seb and Carlos, both of whom nodded yes. They all stood and faced Simon.

“In that case, we all, with heavy hearts, tender our resignations from the group, Il Divo. This is Urs letter of resignation in the event you said no.” David lay an envelope on Simon’s desk.

Simon was stunned speechless as one by one they turned to leave the office.

“Get your arses back here!! Jeez, can’t I blow off steam without everyone getting all pissy. Now let’s talk about this show and how you think it will help.”

David slipped Urs’ letter off the desk and back into his pocket as they all sat again, unable to hide the grins of relief.

**

The military escort was long gone now, in their armored vehicles and trucks outdistancing the slower refugees who had only their feet to propel them to possible safety.

It had been 3 weeks and the snow was falling heavily now, near the top of the pass. The wind swirled the cold flakes in biting waves that slipped under the double layer of chadur she wore. Honey knew from childhood that she had to protect her core as well as her extremities. And if she lost the use of her feet she would be as good as dead.

She stopped at the side of the road and ripped one of her slings apart, using the fabric to cover her thin sandals and bare ankles. Instantly it felt better and she put the remains in the other sling along with the three precious water bottles she had, keeping them close to her body so they wouldn’t freeze …..and no one would be tempted to steal them.

Another woman walked beside her and murmured quietly, asking if she had any food. Her Farsi was only adequate so she mumbled and said no, then walked on, leaving the woman behind. No, she had no food, hadn’t for two days now, but that wasn’t important to survival, not like water was.

Another hour and the long line of desperate people reached the summit. It was snowing so heavily that it was impossible to see far but they could feel it in the road, a definite down hill slope. There was no point to stopping here, it was far colder here than in the foothills, so nearly all of them went on, the few who stayed behind not likely to survive until morning in the below zero temperatures.

She watched through the veiled part of the chadur that covered her eyes. The men who had fallen back to walk just in front of the group of women and children….there was something about them that didn’t fit.

They walked upright, not bent and tired, hungry and suffering like most of the men with the long line of people….and they were both too young and not old enough…..all the other males were either very young boys or elderly men, past fighting age.

Infiltrators from the Taliban….hiding among the refugees. She would have to be extra careful now.

**

Urs returned from taking the boys for a sleigh ride. They were acclimated now and seemed to love the fresh air and cold weather, tried to catch snow flakes and Peter licked them off of Urs’ face when he picked them up to go inside, making him laugh which in turn made both the boys laugh too.

Katja came over to help get both the rosy cheeked little guys out of their heavy bunting bags, since they couldn’t yet walk it wasn’t necessary for them to wear out-door pants but they could crawl, scuttled about like little crabs and had to be watched all the time in the house. Urs had designed and built a large play area for them, big enough that he could step over the rail and join them. One of their favorite games, and his too, was ‘climb on Papa’ and they often indulged then had a nap all cuddled up together.

They each took a boy to change into fresh diapers, then sat on each side of the fireplace while Peter and Lucas emptied a full 8 ounce bottle of the warm goat’s milk Urs had gradually switched them to over the past weeks.

He was getting to be an old hand at this now, even managed to free one hand to sip at his mug of Ovomaltine.

“I think they’re gaining weight. This sweater is getting pretty tight on Luke now.”

“Ja, I know they are. And I think it will not be long before Peter stands on his own. He is getting very strong.”

Urs looked down at Luke, laying back contentedly in his arms, nearly asleep as he finished his snack. His hair was changing color a bit, had more red highlights in it now, not as bright as Honey’s but a definite burnished look.

“You’re starting to look more and more like your Mami, my son.” He raised the sleepy child to his shoulder, expertly got up a bubble of air and kissed his tiny cheek before putting him down to sleep.

“When do you leave?” Katja asked him after she put Peter down to sleep as well.

“Next Monday. Mami should be here on Sunday, early, then I have to meet the guys in Germany late Monday. Pray for us to find her Katja. I think this is our last chance.”

**