Alf nodded and grinned at him. Johnny’s face was healed too. The scars weren’t so bad. They’d left him looking like he’d suffered from bad acne once. He could live with it. His headaches had gone also. He rarely got them now but hadn’t had one for almost a week.
Alf had got to know the Indian too. His name was Vijay and was from the Punjab. He told Alf about how his people were ancient. Thousands of years old when the golden haired Macedonian had arrived in his country. How Alexander the great had been unable to defeat the seven foot tall Rajah Porus sitting astride his mighty elephants.
“How old are your people?” he had asked Alf.
“Not that old. We were once Celts, invaded by the Romans and then almost a thousand years ago by the French. That was the last time that we were invaded. Of course we have….”
Alf stopped himself just in time. He was about to mention how the British had controlled India for the last century and a half but thought it might upset Vijay.
“Can you teach me to fly a plane?”
Now Vijay smiled.
“Yes. In theory I could.”
“Would you?”
They asked the doctor and Captain Schwann the commandant of the now completed P.O.W camp attached to the hospital if they could have some small boxes and some pens. They also borrowed two small brooms. The Germans had agreed, even mocking Alf that if he’d had wings he would surely fly away and never come back. They had watched amused as Vijay had drawn gauges and instruments on the boxes and tied the brushes into position. They used pallet blocks as foot controls. The German guards had stood around and made jokes until Schwann got in amongst them and not annoyed sent them back to their posts. He looked at the mock up then suddenly burst out laughing.
“It will never take off,” he said roaring with laughter as he walked away.
“I must admit,” Vijay said in his heavily accented English “I’m surprised they are not concerned about me teaching you this.”
Alf looked at the cardboard controls. The broom handle joystick. The wooden pedals.
“It does look rather childish.”
“True but the basics are simple in flying. Now if you’re ready we can begin.”
A week later Alf, Johnny, Vijay and many of the others were moved into the temporary tents. They had no electricity or running water. The men cooked for themselves. They weren’t given much. There wasn’t much to go around. Basic living was what Rommel had ordered and that was exactly what they got. They spent their days talking, playing cards and dice, making tea in old petrol cans which gave the tea a disgusting taste. But you really got quite used to it.
Vijay was still on crutches. He had suffered gunshot wounds to both legs and would probably never walk properly again for the rest of his life. He limped around the compound most days. He never gave up hope.
News was difficult to obtain. Every day the German guards would tell the British captives of German achievements to demoralise them. The truth was that the German supply lines were over seventy five per cent successful. Allied shipping in the Mediterranean unable to sink enough of the convoys to make an impression.
“Will we ever get out of here Alf?” Johnny asked.
“Of course we will. The war will end eventually and we are all under Rommel’s protection.”
“Sometimes I feel like just jumping over that barbed wire fence.”
“I’m sure we all feel like that.”
“That corner where the guards can’t see you. Just jump the gate and be gone,” Johnny was saying, more to himself than anyone.
Alf stood directly in front of him. The sun was over Alf’s right shoulder and was dazzling Johnny Larder.
“What corner? What gate? What are you talking about?!
Alf moved to one side. The sun was no longer in Johnny’s face.
“The corner of the guards hut over there by the main gate. I was there for over half an hour the other day. Just standing there minding my own business. The guards were bringing in boxes of supplies and when I moved out a little I realised the guard in the watch tower hadn’t even seen me. He was facing inside the compound and only shouted at me when he turned around.”
Alf was staring at his friend open mouthed.
“He didn’t see me Alf. If I’d known I would have run for it. But look! It’s all flat desert. There is