The Hesitant Hero Read online

  He had already moved back into the same room while he worked out his plan for getting the children out of the country, but Marvel’s friend had consented to let him rent the room by the day. Now as he walked along, he thought about the ever-nearing war. He remembered reading something in the Bible about seeing through a glass darkly, and felt a connection with whoever had spoken it. He remembered the story in the book of Genesis about Jacob wrestling with the angel. “I guess I’m like Jacob, struggling to get something out of God and pretty sure to lose. Poor old Jake! He lost the wrestling match and got his hip knocked out of joint. I guess I can’t hope for any better than one of the patriarchs.”

  When he entered the orphanage, he was greeted by one of the workers, a petite woman who always wore the same brown dress. She had a cheerful spirit and bobbed her head up and down as she greeted him. “Bonjour, monsieur, you have come to visit the children again.”

  “Yes, I have. I hope all of them are well.”

  “Yes. They are well.” A shadow crossed the small woman’s face, and she shook her head sadly. “But who knows what tomorrow will bring?”

  Tyler had actually come to see Jolie, but as he was walking down one of the hallways, Damien Rivard came sailing around the corner, his red hair falling over his forehead and his eyes intent.

  “Monsieur Winslow!” he cried.

  “How are you, Damien?”

  “Did you bring any candy?”

  “As a matter of fact, I didn’t this time.” Seeing the disappointment on the lad’s face, Tyler reached out and ruffled his hair. “But maybe I’ll bring some next time. Have you seen Mademoiselle Vernay?”

  “She is out in the garden. Yolande is helping her.”

  The two went through the back door and Damien at once began calling, “Monsieur Winslow is here, and he didn’t bring any candy.”

  Before Tyler could get very far, he was met by a tiny whirlwind with blond hair and enormous blue eyes. He scooped Yolande up, and she put her arms around his neck and hugged him. He kissed her cheek and said, “Well, what have you been doing?”

  “Helping Mademoiselle Vernay. You can help too, or we can go inside and have a tea party.”

  Jolie straightened up. She had on a pair of brown gloves and held a hoe in one hand. “Hello, Tyler,” she said. “You came just in time.”

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

  “It’s getting pretty warm out here. Let’s go inside and see if we can find some refreshments.”

  “Is everything all right?” he asked as the group headed back to the building, Yolande clinging to Tyler as he carried her.

  “Yes, although Rochelle is sick.”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “She’s got a cold or something. She’s a delicate child. Sometimes I worry about her.”

  “It’s not serious, I hope.”

  “No, I don’t think so, but it would be better if she had her full strength before you set off across the country.”

  “I’m still a bit worried about taking three children when I know I’m not much good with kids.”

  “That’s not so,” Damien put in. “You’re good with me.”

  Jolie suddenly laughed. The sunshine caught the gleam of red in her brown hair, and she said, “Yes, Damien’s right. You are good with him.”

  “And you’re good with me too.” Yolande put one hand on each of his cheeks and pulled his face around until their noses were almost touching. “I think I would like to be your little girl,” she said solemnly.

  The statement touched Tyler Winslow. He had had very little contact with children, but these three, and especially Yolande, had affected him strongly. He laughed and said, “Well, you’ll have to be very good. I’ll only have very good little girls.”

  “I am good!”

  “Right you are.”

  They entered the orphanage, and Jolie led the way to the kitchen. She rummaged in the cupboards until she found some crackers and jam and got the children settled at a table with their snack and some milk.

  As the children chattered, Tyler said, “I didn’t tell you exactly what made me decide to come back.”

  “No. I thought you were gone for good. What changed your mind?”

  “I met a Jewish family in the railroad station. A fine family,” Tyler murmured, “with three children. They were talking about how Hitler was corralling the Jews and packing them into ghettos. I thought about Yolande there, and about Damien and Rochelle. I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do what I could.”

  Impulsively Jolie reached over and squeezed his hand. She held it for a moment, and when he looked up with surprise, he saw she was smiling. “It’s not easy growing up,” Jolie said. “It’s not always a matter of years.”

  Tyler was embarrassed, but he understood the truth of her statement. “Well, I should have grown up a long time ago.”

  “Come to supper tonight. We’ll talk about what we’re going to do.”

  “All right.” He looked over at the children. “Now I think I’ll go join the tea party.”

  ****

  The meal was nearly ready, but Marvel and Jolie stopped what they were doing and listened. As they paused, Tyler came in from the parlor, where he had been reading.

  The evacuation of British, French, and Belgian forces from Dunkirk has proved to be a modern miracle, nearly the equivalent of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt through the Red Sea. When the troops were pinned down on the beach, all that the Nazis had to do was take them. But for some reason, sources inform us, Hitler himself called a halt. It is believed that Göring convinced Hitler that the Luftwaffe would be able to polish off the men trapped on the beach. Göring was wrong, however, for the RAF kept a constant stream of Spitfires flying across the Channel in sortie after sortie, keeping the Luftwaffe from striking the helpless men on the beach.

  Every kind of boat imaginable, from destroyers to fishing boats, aided in the effort. The men waded out into the ocean and were carried by the smaller boats to the larger ones. It is estimated that some three hundred fifty thousand men were taken off the beach and ferried to England. There were, however, a great many casualties.

  Regretfully, practically all of the Allies’ equipment had to be left on the beach. This will set the effort back many months, and there is talk that Hitler may take this opportunity to strike at England when she lies practically helpless.

  Marvel shook her head. “There are many who say that the British have deserted France, but that is not so. They had no choice. It’s God’s miracle that they got away.”

  “It’s a pretty critical situation,” Jolie said. “All that stands between Hitler and England is the English Channel. I’m afraid for England.”

  “That may be harder than Hitler thinks,” Tyler said. When Marvel asked him what he meant, he said, “Britain has the strongest navy in the world. How would Hitler get his men across the Channel? I think Britain has a chance, but what I’m worried about is what we’re going to do.”

  “One thing is certain,” Marvel said. “You must leave very soon.”

  “And take at least Rochelle, Damien, and Yolande with you.”

  “That’s why I came back,” Tyler said. “But I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and I’d like to convince the two of you to come with me.”

  “Leave my home?” Marvel straightened up. “Never.”

  “It won’t be the same after the Germans come. You know that, Marvel.”

  “I will be the same and God will be the same. Someone must stay here. One day the Germans will be gone. They will be defeated, as they were in the last war.”

  “I believe you are right, but still it will be a hard time for everyone.”

  Tyler argued as vehemently as he knew how, but neither Marvel nor Jolie seemed to be listening. Finally they sat down to eat, and immediately after dinner, Tyler went back to his place, discouraged.

  It had been a long time since he had written to Caroline, and he decided it
was time to be honest with her about the situation. Taking a sheet of paper and a pen, he sat down and began to write.

  June 4, 1940

  Dear Caroline,

  I’m sorry I haven’t written for a while. Things have come up that are too complicated to explain, and with the way the mail is working these days, I may even be home before this letter reaches you.

  He went on to write about how he had almost left France and then had changed his mind. As he wrote, he was careful to focus on the situation at hand—the German invasion and the plight of the Jewish children should the Nazis take over—but he said almost nothing of a personal nature.

  When he came to the end of the letter, he tried to put into words how he felt. When he had left, Caroline had made it plain that she wanted a future together for them, and he knew she was used to getting her own way. He took a used envelope out of the wastebasket and tried to compose a sentence that would express his sentiments, but he wasn’t happy with anything he came up with. Finally, feeling like a coward, he wrote:

  We will have time to talk when I get back. In the meanwhile, I have not forgotten how you came to my aid when I was at a low point. I will never forget you for that, my dear Caroline.

  With love,

  Tyler

  He reread what he had written and, shaking his head, folded the page and put it in an envelope.

  ****

  When Tyler arose the next morning, he turned the radio on and stiffened, for the announcer’s voice crackled as he spoke, and a cold chill seemed to run over Tyler as he listened.

  Early in the morning the Nazi army had struck at France with all their might along the Somme and the Aisne. From the announcer’s attitude and obvious despair Tyler read into his words, the French were in utter confusion. No one, it seemed, was really in charge, and though the military said they had mobilized six million men, it was apparent that they had actually mobilized only three million. This put, the announcer said, only sixty French divisions along the Somme to oppose at least a hundred fifty Nazi divisions. The big mistake was keeping troops inside the Maginot Line instead of facing the Germans head-on. There seemed to be a stubborn density in the minds of the French leaders, who still believed that a fixed line of force could stop airplanes and tanks, while airplanes could fly over and the tanks could easily go around the ends of a line.

  Tyler went at once to the Vernay house. As he had suspected, both Jolie and Marvel had heard the broadcast. They invited him to eat breakfast with them, and he tried to put a good face on the events. “Maybe the Maginot Line will stop them, and remember, the British still have some forces in France that weren’t evacuated.”

  “It is not enough,” Jolie said. “France is doomed.”

  “Jolie is right,” Marvel agreed. “You and the children need to leave soon—while you still can.”

  “Will you take them right away?” There was a pleading light in Jolie’s eyes. “If you don’t, I will do it myself.”

  Her words hurt Tyler, for he had come back for no other reason. He saw that she still did not trust him and knew that the weakness she had seen in him before, especially when they were still in the States, kept her suspicious. “I’ll do it, of course.”

  “That would take a huge load off of my mind,” Jolie said. “We must plan carefully.”

  ****

  Tyler would have left the next day, but Rochelle’s illness had gotten worse, so they were forced to wait. There was little else to do except listen to the radio. They heard that the roads were now filled with refugees streaming away from the battle zones, and one day Tyler said, “We may run into German troops somewhere along the line.”

  “If that happens,” Jolie said quietly, “then God will have to guide you.”

  The three were having supper together, as had become their custom since Tyler had returned from Paris.

  “You really believe that God guides people?” Tyler asked. “My folks believe that and my brother does too.”

  “Yes, I really do. What about you? Don’t you believe it?”

  “I guess I do in a sort of vague way, but the rest of my family has great faith in God.” He looked down and didn’t speak for a moment. “I’ve missed something somewhere along the line.”

  “You will do fine. Maman and I will be praying for you. God will be with you. But what will you do when you get them to England?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that,” Tyler said. “England is in for a rough time. It’s the only nation that stands against Hitler now. I think I’d like to take the children to America. I could find a good orphanage there. Or I’ve even thought of taking them to Africa.”

  “To Africa!” Marvel exclaimed. “You mean to be with your family?”

  “Yes. It’s a rough life, but at least there’s no war there.”

  When a knock sounded at the door, Jolie went to answer it.

  “Your daughter says I’m a weak man,” Tyler commented when Jolie was out of earshot.

  “We’re all weak people.”

  “You’re not—she’s not.”

  “Yes we are. Weakness comes out in many ways.” She reached over to put her hand over his. “You haven’t found yourself yet, but you will.”

  Tyler felt warmed by this woman’s strength and by her encouragement. He had not expected to have it. “Do you know who Superman is?”

  “You mean the cartoon figure? Yes, I have seen the comic book.”

  “She wants to marry Superman, a man without faults—and that’s not me,” he said, attempting to smile.

  “Jolie is a very strong woman, but she has to learn that everybody has shortcomings, and we must not love people less because of them. We must pray that they will be overcome. Find God’s will, Tyler. If it is His will for you to be with my daughter, He will find a way to bring the two of you together.”

  Jolie came back into the room. “It was Madame Colle from next door. She wanted to borrow some milk, but we’re all out.” She saw that the two were looking serious and asked, “What are you talking about?”

  “About you,” Tyler answered. “I was just saying what a strong-willed woman you are. I’ll bet you were a strong-willed child too.”

  Marvel laughed. “She was that, of a certainty.”

  “I’m no more strong-willed than you are, Maman.”

  The two traded several teasing remarks. “Since you’ve decided I’m strong-willed, I might as well be so,” Jolie said with a smile that she could not hide. “But on a more serious note, I’ve decided to go as far as the coast with you,” she told Tyler.

  “Why, that would be wonderful!” he exclaimed.

  “Your French is not good enough, and the children might be a problem.”

  “That may be the best thing. What port city were you thinking of?” Marvel asked.

  “Le Havre, I think, would be the best, but if the radio reports are true, the Germans are already in some ports. They may already be there.”

  “If that’s closed, Cherbourg might be a good option,” Marvel said.

  “Yes, that would be good. It’s not far,” Jolie said. “You could cross the Channel to Bournemouth.”

  “What about Rochelle? How soon will she be able to travel?”

  “I would prefer to wait until she’s a hundred percent healthy,” Jolie said, “but I’ve given the matter a lot of thought today, and I think we’d better not. I think it would be best to leave as soon as possible—even tomorrow.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  A Slow Start

  The morning of June tenth dawned bright and clear, and Tyler spent the morning solidifying his plan in his head and saying good-bye to the friends he had made during his stay in Ambert. After lunch he walked to the Vernay house, still thinking through his plan.

  Marvel answered the door and welcomed him in, and when he went inside, he found Jolie listening to the radio. She looked up and said, “Bad news again.”

  “More bad news? Are the Germans advancing faster?”

  “No, but Italy
has declared war on the Allies.”

  “Italy!” Tyler exclaimed. “What does that mean?”

  “It means,” Marvel said, “that now the Germans will be coming from the north and the Italians will be coming up from the south.”

  “All the more reason to leave right away, but first we must listen to Churchill’s speech. They’ve been saying all morning that he was going to make a speech and now it’s just coming on.”

  Churchill began to speak in his gravelly voice, which was unfamiliar to Tyler. He listened as the prime minister laid out the problems that lay ahead for the British Empire, then concluded by saying:

  “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender! In God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”

  Tyler listened intently and then looked up and said, “That man means what he says.”

  “I wish,” Marvel said quietly, “that we had had a man like him in charge of our government in France.”

  ****

  All three of the children were tremendously excited, Tyler saw, when the car pulled up in front of the Vernays’ house. One of the women who worked at the orphanage had offered to give them all a ride to the train station, and they had stopped off at the house to pick up Jolie and Tyler. Rochelle looked tired and sat fairly still in the middle of the backseat, but Damien and Yolande were bubbling with excitement, their hands flying out the open car windows. Damien pumped questions at Tyler faster than he could answer them. “Can I ride in the engine? Will it be a big train? How long will it take to get there?”

  “Whoa there, young man,” Tyler said with a grin, “we’ll have to see about that.”