Chapter 16
Coach rapped on the board for their attention. “I’ll give you the second half of class to work on your projects. Right now I want to turn your attention to how the Americans got into the war and the D-Day invasion.”
Nick listened to the lecture.
“President Roosevelt was hesitant to pull Americans into another European war. To help our allies, we sent money, munitions, and out-of-commission WWI ships. We did send warships to guard our merchant ships in the area. But when the Germans torpedoed one of our ships on accident, we had a vested interest in the war. Nick?”
He jerked his head up. “Yes?”
“Would you like to share a bit of your grandfather’s journal?”
Nick pulled out the journal and began reading. “Some of this is hard to read because it’s water marked and smeared. But here’s how it starts. ‘May 20, 1944. I’m part of the 29th Infantry Division and we’re training for a top secret mission. We understand it will be dangerous, but we don’t know where our mission is and what we are to do. We know it’s to stop Germany, but they are everywhere in Europe, it seems.’ ”
Coach held up his hand. “Okay, that’s a good intro to my next topic. Who were our allies in this top secret mission?” Coach began talking about the British and Canadians.
They continued in this fashion until Coach stopped and let them work on their projects. Nick’s mind began flashing pictures like an out-of-control PowerPoint presentation. Jean Claude wearing a uniform. The German army across the river. The old, dilapidated internment camp.
“I’ve been doing more research about the area.” Nick’s mind went to the research about the Cadre Noir cadets and the German Panzers.
Cat’s expression encouraged him to continue.
“The military training schoolboys were able to keep the Germans at bay for two days.”
“The boys of your school did that?” Cat asked, clearly impressed.
His school? He’d let that slide for now.
“Yeah, they were a figurehead cavalry unit for boys who would become officers someday. I’m not sure the Romas and the boys had anything in common except living in the same area.”
“They have a connection to us,” Cat commented.
“True. But to get a good grade, we probably should tie it together in some way. And I don’t want to put anything about reincarnation in our paper. Understood?”
Cat smiled and rolled her eyes.
Nick drummed his fingers on the desk. “Both took place in 1940.”
“Maybe they aren’t connected,” Cat offered, drawing circles on her paper as they talked. She shrugged. “Maybe we’re connected.”
“Possibly,” Nick said, scrunching his mouth as an image of a man falling off a motorcycle after being shot in the chest entered his mind. He tipped his head back and studied the ceiling. “I’m confused.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure I know how the Romas and the school are connected. Can you tell me more about your people?”
Many seconds ticked past before she said, “My people are an old culture. We have been traveling around Europe for hundreds of years.” Cat’s voice took on a different intonation. Nick frowned at her speech pattern. A flatness and a hint of an accent.
She continued, “People were superstitious and thought we brought bad luck to the places we visited. Gypsies are nomads; we had no fixed place, like some American Indians.”
Nick wrote Gypsy and Indian in his notebook.
As Cat talked, she tipped her head back and looked over his shoulder with unseeing eyes, remembering details. “Before the war, the French enacted laws to track us and make our way of life difficult. We were chased away from towns. Our wagons, automobiles, and boats burned.”
Nick’s mind went to a memory of a wagon on fire, running feet, shouts, and screams. An encampment in chaos. “So the persecution stuff started before the war?”
“Yes.” Cat continued, “Our children were snatched away to be raised as proper ‘European citizens’ rather than in a caravan with loving parents and a tribal support system.”
Cat paused and ran her red fingernail over the top of the table, tracing a scratch in the fake wood.
“My sister was one such prisoner. We stayed close to Saumur to keep watch on her.”
Nick wrote Saumur and circled it on his paper.
“My little sister was named Adella.”
A memory of a little girl bringing sugar for their tea ran through his mind. A beautiful cherub face with long curling locks and a pinafore over her dress. Was he remembering Adella?
The bell sounded. Nick jerked away from images of the girl with a demure face and defiant eyes. “I better get to my next class.” Calculus. He fished his water bottle from his pack and took a long swallow of liquid courage.
Cat wrinkled her nose. “You’re not fooling anyone, you know?”
“I don’t know what you mean?”
“I can smell it.”
“Oh.” He tucked it away.
“You better be careful,” she warned. He grimaced and followed her out of class.
“Nick!” Emily said, bouncing toward him and glaring at Cat. “Walk me to class.”
“Hey! I can’t. Calculus, remember?” Opposite Emily’s class.
Emily pouted. “Oh, right.”
“See you after school.” Nick gave her a sympathetic smile before continuing down the hall with Cat. He could feel Emily’s eyes on them as they walked away.