He slipped the envelope into his coat pocket. “I didn’t want to ruin your day.”
His fiancée has rejected him, and he’s worried that he might dampen my spirts.Her heart ached. He’d lost everything—family, fiancée, sight, range of hearing, and his passion for music. To make matters worse, he would have no one when he returned to Leipzig. They sat silently on the bench, with Nia taking turns to nuzzle their hands, until the biting cold compelled them to leave.
CHAPTER15
OLDENBURG, GERMANY—DECEMBER4, 1916
Using his left hand, Max clasped the handle of a harness attached to a German shepherd named Gunda and stepped onto the frozen ground of the training course. On the opposite side of the dog was Waldemar, the trainer who had been assigned by Fleck to work with him. Stationed around the course were teams comprised of a blind veteran, guide dog, and trainer.
“We’re going to practice the basic guide dog commands that we covered yesterday,” Fleck called to the men. “This afternoon, you’ll switch dogs and trainers. This will help me determine which shepherd is a good match for you—and which partner is a good match for the dog.”
Waldemar leaned to Max and muttered, “Clasp the handle overhand, not underhand.”
The man’s sour breath pervaded Max’s nose. He adjusted his grip.
“Trainers,” Fleck said. “You may begin.”
“Do you remember the commands?” Waldemar asked.
“Ja,” Max said. His mind raced, recounting each of the commands.Halt. Forward. Back. Right. Left.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Waldemar asked.
“Forward,” Max said. He felt a tug as the dog walked ahead. The pace of the shepherd was consistent with the other dogs that he had worked with the day before, however, he couldn’t help noticing how different it felt from his predawn walk with Nia and Anna.
Anna had insisted that Max get in extra practice before school, and she’d awakened him extra early. They ate breakfast with Norbie, who had set his alarm clock to prepare coffee and fried turnip. And while Norbie climbed back into bed for a bit more sleep, Anna, Max, and Nia traversed the still streets of Oldenburg.
Like an old friend who anticipated one’s thoughts, Nia guided him through town—to the train station, around St. Lambert’s Church, and to a pond near Oldenburg Palace. Anna spoke nothing of Wilhelmina’s letter, and nor did he. Although he was saddened by his failed engagement, he was relieved to have resolution.It’s better to end it now than when I return home,he’d thought, shuffling over a snow-covered path. But with the end of his relationship came a simmering dread.I’m going to be isolated and lonely, unless I receive a canine companion. He’d made his way to the training grounds, accompanied by Nia and Anna, with a newfangled resolve to do everything he could to graduate from guide dog school.
“Pick it up,” Waldemar grumbled.
“Schneller,” Max said to the dog.
They quickened their pace. Boots and paws padded over the ground.
“How long have you been working with shepherds?” Max asked, attempting to generate a conversation.
“Long enough,” Waldemar said.
Max probed further, but it soon became clear to him that the trainer had no intention of speaking to him, other than to give orders.
Under the direction of Waldemar, Max and Gunda traveled over the course, making several left turns, right turns, and stops. Eventually, Waldemar steered them away from the obstacle area. They entered a trail, which cut through a barren field. The sound of the other trainers’ voices faded, and then disappeared. Lumps of frozen earth and exposed rock made it difficult for Max to walk. Using his right hand, he tapped his walking stick in an attempt to locate obstacles.
“Where are we going?” Max asked.
“Never mind where we’re headed,” Waldemar said. “Keep your focus.”
Maybe this is meant to mimic the difficulty of cobblestone streets. But why not do this in town?He buried his thought and continued walking.
Several minutes later, Waldemar requested him to direct the shepherd to stop, and then to back up.
“Halt,” Max said, giving a backward and downward jerk on the harness handle.
The dog stopped.
“Back.”
The dog and Max slowly stepped backward. The heel of his boot struck something hard, and he tumbled onto his backside. A sharp twinge shot through his tailbone.
