Live for Tomorrow

It was two days before Weihnachten, 1917, and the ancient, narrow brick alleys of the imperial medieval city where the emperor Charlemagne had once ruled in Aachen, Germany, were crowded with last-minute shoppers, horse-drawn carriages, and an occasional auto. The stalwart citizens of Aachen seemed determined to enjoy the Christmas festivities despite the war, 21-year-old Karina Winkler decided as she returned yet another cheerful holiday greeting from a warmly dressed passerby. She glanced at the bronze-cast figure of Charlemagne which dominated a large fountain in the middle of the cobblestone-paved market square around which were clustered the beautifully decorated shops. Goods were displayed invitingly in the festively decorated shop windows. Karina paused momentarily in front of a tempting konditorei window where delectable pastries and bars of marzipan beckoned invitingly. Delicacies such as these were rare indeed due to food shortages, but the shopkeepers had saved their best for this holiest of holidays. She stared longingly at the chocolate-covered pieces of marzipan which would taste exquisite and help ease the sting of the bitter cold, but the cost was equal to almost one week’s wages. Fighting temptation, Karina reached into her satchel for some pennies, but then reminding herself of her sacrifice to the soldiers, she turned resolutely away. She could not in good conscience enjoy such a sinfully delicious piece of confectionery while young men were starving and living in frigid foxholes while fighting to protect her country. Hunching her slender shoulders against the biting cold, she looked up in trepidation at the heavy, lead-colored clouds. She could smell the promise of snow in the air, and thought that if she did not enjoy walking so much, she would be sorely tempted to take the streetcar to escape the sub-zero temperatures. But Karina had dressed warmly in her stylish black wool, ankle-length coat with matching fox fur hat and mitt so she could enjoy watching the crowds of shoppers, especially the young and handsome soldiers who smiled and winked as she walked by. She loved the attention, and realized without the slightest bit of conceit that she was attractive enough to turn heads with her thick, long golden-blonde waves and delicately pink cheeks contrasting strikingly with her large, dark-brown eyes and long, sooty lashes. 
“Karina, wait for me!” She turned to see Maria, her dearest friend and co-worker at Braun’s haberdashery, running to catch up to her. Puffing from the exertion and sweating 
profusely despite the cold, Maria paused briefly to catch her breath. Looking somewhat disheveled from her run, Maria reached up to adjust her hat which had slid to one side of her head despite the long hat pins which were entwined carefully through her long, dark mane. Pulling a daintily embroidered handkerchief from her satchel, she wiped her sweating brow with a plump, slightly shaking hand and nodding at the contents within her purse said, “Did you bring your gifts today?” 
Karina smiled warmly and nodded as she opened her own satchel, her dark eyes sparkling impishly. “Yes, Maria, I did, and look, I have even wrapped them in Christmas paper!” Both girls admired their handiwork for a few moments until they heard a clock chime in the distance. It was time to leave or they would be late for work. They made their way to an ancient stone overpass that looked down onto a street where soldiers had to pass on their way to the battlefields. Reaching quickly into their satchels, Karina and Maria dropped their gifts to the soldiers marching on the street below. Several of the men looked up and waved their thanks. 
Nodding with satisfaction to Maria, Karina said, “Now we have made someone happy.” Both girls had been saving up their salaries for months to purchase the supplies needed to make their gifts, and they had been working feverishly to complete their gifts in time for Weihnachten. Their gifts were hand-knit crosses which hung from a narrow braided rope to be worn around a soldier’s neck. Karina knew that God was definitely needed in the trenches, and their gifts were a reminder of His constant presence. They had managed to knit over 2,000 crosses which was a small amount considering the total number of soldiers. It was a small gesture but from the heart, and Karina and Maria knew their gifts would help ease the loneliness the soldiers were feeling during this normally festive time of year. Separated from their loved ones and forced to exist in horrid conditions, the crosses would comfort and provide protection to their brave soldiers. The historical city of Aachen was the last German town before the converging borders of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, so their beloved city was the final glimpse of home for the departing troops.