We’d spent a night decorating it with pretty much anything we could stick on a hook. Paper snowflakes, mostly, or bottle caps that I’d used nail p...olish to paint snowmen and Santas and shit like that on. It turned our little squat into a home. Afterwards, we hadn’t fucked; we’d made love. Same thing, I know, but it’s all about the semantics, right? Later, we’d lain on a blanket next to that ugly little tree and, while he dreamed the dreams of the satisfied, I dreamt my own dreams, wide awake,. I was asleep before nine-thirty. I didn't wake up until almost nine the next morning. I slept for nearly twelve hours! Better yet, I didn't remember having any nightmares! That might be due to the fact that my life is a nightmare now.I got up carefully but I discovered that I had recovered much more quickly that I did after my first rape. I was still sore. And I would be worried about any possible damage until after I went to the bathroom and discovered that everything still worked as it was. After she had been dressed in the costume of his harem, a pair of sheer gauze traditional split crotch trousers and little else, he looked her over and nodded. Then he turned and left the women to their gossip. The biggest news was that he had met the Emir himself, may he live for ever and have many sons, and had come back from that meeting a Sergeant, a rank to which he could not have aspired for at least ten more years in the normal course of events.Later that night, all four were surprised. But that night, alone, in bed, he quietlycried himself to sleep. Why couldn't he have the pretty doll he reallywanted? Because he was a boy? If that was the case, he prayed to God that hewould wake up a girl. He wanted to keep wearing girl's clothes, and playingwith girl's things. Most of all, he wanted to grow up to be a beautiful wifeand mother. Just like his own momma.It was a prayer he was to offer up every night for the next 73 years......November 7th, 1918Near Verdun, FrancePeace! Peace.