Chances and Changes: My Journey with Molly

But I don’t think it would be honest to let Johann sneak back into camp. He broke the rules by leaving, so it’s our responsibility to let the guards know he’s officially back. Molly sighs. Sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest. Linda and I nod in agreement. I say if we go with Johann, then we can explain what we know. Maybe he’ll be in less trouble.

Molly tells Johann that we will come with him to the fence. He nods in reluctant agreement, too. We skirt the pond, staying hidden in the trees that encircle it, and follow the narrow, bumpy footpath that leads to a fence. On the other side of the fence, the trees have been cleared away and we see barracks arranged in arrow-straight rows. The sun glints off their metal roofs. Men like Johann in P.O.W. uniforms move around the buildings, and other men dressed in army uniforms do, too.

Johann lifts Maxie up into his arms and holds the dog close to his chest. His face is calm. He doesn’t look happy, but he doesn’t look terrified either. He doesn’t bolt off and run away. He stands straight and still. Poor Johann. I wish we didn’t have to do this.

Linda takes a deep breath and rattles the fence with both hands and hollers out. A thunderous voice asks who’s there and a hefty guard trudges toward us with ferocity. He barks Johann’s name. His frown is deep and as serious as his voice. He looks at us, and I realize Molly, Linda, and I must be quite a sight. He asks who we are.

Molly, the bravest of us, says that we’re from Camp Gowonagin. She explains we found Maxie hurt and lost in the woods, and Johann found us. We just thought the guard should know he’s back. I blurt out that we know Johann went AWOL, but they shouldn’t be mad at him. He didn’t do any harm. He was just chasing after his dog. Without an expression on his face, the guard orders us all to follow him.

We follow the guard around the perimeter. He is on the inside of the fence, and we are on the outside. When we reach a gate at the front of the camp, he opens the gate and we all file in. It swings shut with a metallic bang that causes us to all jump. A second guard approaches, and Maxie wags his tail and barks a friendly hello. The dog seems to be very happy here. The second guard shakes his head at Johann and Maxie and asks if the dog got out again. But he sounds more amused than angry. Johann turns to us and says goodbye in German again. He lifts Maxie’s paw and returns Molly’s scarf to her. We all say goodbye to Johann as he is led away.

Molly asks what is going to happen to Johann. Will he be punished? The guard says that he’ll be restricted to camp for the rest of the month. And he’ll have extra KP duty. KP stands for kitchen patrol. He’ll be washing a lot of dishes in the next few weeks. Molly asks if he’ll be locked up in handcuffs or put in a cell. The guard clarifies that this isn’t a jail. The men aren’t criminals. They’re soldiers. Some of them can come and go on the honor system as long as they ask permission. In this case, Johann did not ask permission. The guard smiles. They’re just glad that Johann and Maxie are back where they belong. Now, it’s time to take us back to Camp Gowonagin.