Image: Angel of the Smile, Reims Cathedral illustrated by David Geister
Discover the amazing L’Ange au Sourire: Discover L’Ange au Sourire, the Angel of the Smile, a mesmerizing statue at Reims Cathedral. Learn how this statue has captivated people for centuries and its significant impact on the individuals in the story.
I hope you enjoy this excerpt from Chapter 20, "The Angel’s Smile." Kathy’s reflections and the challenges she faces during these turbulent times are deeply intertwined with her quest for answers and hope. As she navigates both personal and professional obstacles, the journey brings her closer to understanding the power of resilience and the impact of a single moment of grace. I’m excited for you to delve into this chapter and experience the unfolding of Kathy’s story amidst the backdrop of war and its trials.
CHAPTER 20
THE ANGEL’S SMILE
The electricity was off again, so Kathy undressed by candlelight. Usually, she liked the soft candlelight, but tonight the flickering shadows were alive and mocking. “Men are evil,” whispered the shadows. She blew out the candle to stop the shadows.
Standing at her window, she looked at the moonlight glimmering on the river, now polluted with the sickness of pigs. The moon cast shadows of war, beside the tents of the Displaced Persons and on the Prisoner of War camp, of men defeated. The black leaves of the linden tree waved back and forth, going nowhere.
The shadows persisted. “You sought to help the world. What happened to you? You seek to change the world? Ha! One Lieutenant Groot can stop you.”
She had no answers, yet believed there must be an answer, somewhere. “Right will triumph, it will, it will.”
Kathy jumped from the window onto her bed, past the blackest shadow under the bed. She stuck her head under the pillow, without relief. She had to find an answer, to shut out the terrors.
She had no way to face this miserable war. No way at all. She’d tried to hate the Germans, but that didn’t strengthen the starved. She’d been shocked by the wounded. She was angered by those with venereal disease. She’d found a refuge in Charles’s loving arms, yet this was no solution. She had no answers.
In the morning the sun had dispersed the shadows. She set aside the problem of facing life, and resumed the simpler tasks of feeding a thousand patients three meals a day, and making sandwiches for Captain McClain’s promotion party. She had arranged to ride into Reims with an infantry Major who was a patient. She had made her ward rounds and had written the special diets. Her last job was to tell Mathilda about a diabetic’s diet.
Kathy took the diabetic’s diet list from her desk and handed it to Mathilda. “He comes through the cafeteria line and chooses his own food. You check his tray by this list.”
“Don’t you write his diet for him?”
“No. I’ve taught him to calculate his own.”
Mathilda’s lips tightened into a narrow, straight line. “That’s not the way it is done. The dietitian writes the diets, not the patient. He doesn’t know enough.” Mathilda looked to Vivienne for support, but Vivienne sat at her own desk with her back turned.
Arguments with Mathilda had flared easily lately. Kathy would have dropped the issue with a less-important patient. “He’s learning. Please, Mathilda. He has to do it himself. He won’t go home because he is afraid to inflict his special diet onto his family. It’s taken me weeks to convince him he can choose foods from a cafeteria line, and I’ve shown him how to get the right amounts. He’s beginning to realize he needn’t be a burden to his family. Please don’t undo all my efforts.”
Mathilda stood, caught her rayon stocking on a splinter of the chair, and began to cry. “If you want that fancy service given to the patients, you’d better stay and give it yourself. I won’t.” Head high, not stopping to inspect the damage to her stocking, she walked out.
Kathy looked sadly after her. “That must mean Hooch won’t marry her yet.”
Vivienne swung around in her chair to face Kathy. “Not yet. That’s why I didn’t want to side with you against her. She has enough against her. I’ll take care of your diabetic.”
“I could go another day, but I don’t want to miss Captain McClain’s party—and the ride with Major Powers. There’s something about him I’d like to know better,” Kathy said.
“Go ahead. You did my work yesterday.” Vivienne took the diet from Kathy’s hand. “Why hasn’t Major Powers gone home? He became well before VE day. We never keep amputees two months.”
Kathy slung her purse across her shoulder. “Thanks. Major Powers says he won’t go home. He says his place is here with his outfit. Every day his driver picks him up and takes him to his men. They are in the paratroopers’ old camp. Two legs or one, he’s still his company’s commander.” She looked out the window for his Jeep. “Today he’s going to SHAEF headquarters, to the Little Red Schoolhouse, to fight for his command at General Eisenhower’s office. That’s also where Captain McClain is stationed, so I’m riding along. We’ll have dinner with his company, so don’t expect me till late.”
“Remember to salute the brass. We get out of practice here.”
Outside, a Jeep drove up. With another “thank you” to Vivienne, Kathy hurried out.
“Hi,” she said to the driver, a Sergeant who opened the Jeep. The Major moved his short aluminum crutches to make room on the seat beside him.
“Hi,” said Kathy. “Any news? Are you going?”
“To Reims? Yes.” He spoke with a rich vigorous voice that rose from deep in his strong chest.
“No, I meant to China.” She should not have mentioned China, but the words were out before she considered them.
The Major was not bothered. His smile stayed relaxed. “That will be decided today. I’ve a new weapon.” He held up a fat manila envelope. “My men petitioned to keep me, unanimously. The brass can’t ignore this. My men know what I can do.”
After arriving in Reims, the Major told the driver, “Park in the parking lot beside the cathedral.”
“I can drive you right to the schoolhouse, sir.” The driver spoke with fond respect. The Major was a man his troops would admire. He was a fighting man, a tough-whiskered man, so powerful it was impossible to think of him as handicapped, even with a single leg.
The Major accepted no concessions. “No. Stop at the cathedral. Do me good to walk a few blocks. We leave at 1500. All right by you, Lieutenant? And you, Sarge?”
When they stopped, the Sergeant opened the door. When Kathy stepped out, Sarge offered her a gentleman’s steadying hand. When the Major hopped out, he steadied himself on the Jeep while the Sergeant stood at attention. Major Powers dismissed him with, “See you here at 1500.”
The Major swung his crutches with long steps over the cobblestones. Without bothering to look down, he set the crutch tips on the stones, letting them slip securely into the crevices as he shifted his weight onto them. His foot was large enough to bridge the cracks, and so he hobbled with remarkable sureness over the uneven stones. “I want to look at my angel.”
“Your angel? On the cathedral?” Kathy hurried to keep up with his long stride. Her heel slid into a crevice and turned her ankle. She hopped quickly to regain her balance.
“The Angel of the Smile. L’Ange au Sourire the French call her. How could you look at the cathedral without seeing her smile?”
Thank you for taking the time to read Chapter 20. I hope you enjoyed the glimpse into Kathy's journey and the evocative moments that shape her path. Your support means a lot, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts on this chapter. Your feedback is invaluable as we continue to explore and develop this story together.
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