Re: Blood and Iron

Chapter 129: Death of a Routine

Chapter 129: Death of a Routine

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Since coming back to the German Reich form his time spent in the Russian Empire, Heinrich had been busy, both with work, and with his home life. Prior, he seldom spent his time in his own home, rather entertaining the many single ladies of the world, and some of those who were already married.

But upon finding himself suddenly forced to adopt a teenage Russian girl, Heinrich was ultimately forced to clean up his act. Trying his best to create an environment for the girl that was far less painful than the life she had left behind in Russia.

Ultimately, his days as a playboy, truly deserving of the term "Rake" which had incidentally been applied to Bruno, rather than Heinrich, the man had suddenly found himself completely and utterly free from any dalliances with the less respectful women of the world.

Instead, he would come straight home after work to ensure that his newly adopted daughter was properly fed, their home was properly cleaned, and that the girl had finished with her studies for the evening.

At first Alya had a hard time adapting to her new life. But after spending a few weeks with Heidi and the tyranny which the woman imposed upon her, Alya soon found the habits formed in Bruno's home had stuck.

Heinrich no longer came home to an empty and dark house, but one that was well lit, and with a meal prepared for him by his young, adopted daughter. Though the girl had a long way to go before she could match Heidi's level of skill when it came to performing chores.

At the very least, the house was clean; the laundry was freshly done, and there was food on the table the moment Heinrich came home from his day at the base. Coincidentally enough, today Heinrich came home with a subtle change to his uniform, but one which Alya instantly recognized when the man entered through their door.

Heinrich was wearing the shoulder tabs of Lieutenant Colonel, or in the German Army would be known as the Oberst Leutnant. He had been promoted today to the position and was now in charge of his own battalion.

This was a major cause for celebration, and because of this, Alya instantly expressed her shock.

"You were promoted? Why didn't you call home in advance? I would have prepared something for dessert!"

Heinrich, who was already thoroughly exhausted by the day's affairs, was quick to sigh as he collapsed onto his sofa, loosening the collar around his neck, and freeing it so that he could breathe properly. After doing so, he commented on the whole thing as if it were less than what he desired.

"Thanks, Alya, but I have had my hands full all day with managing an entire battalion of men. I mean, it's one thing to assist a Lieutenant Colonel with managing his unit, but to manage 1,000 men and everything else that comes with it. It's a lot more work than I was expecting. I just need a moment to relax, and then I'll join you for dinner..."

Alya wasn't exactly mad at Heinrich for his exhaustion. The man had cut back completely on the two things that had helped him cope with the monumental amount of stress that came with being a high-ranking officer in the Military.

Heinrich had always destressed by drinking copious quantities of alcohol and enjoying the company of loose women. But now that he had to take care of Alya, he had either completely cut himself off from activity or had restricted himself to doing so in moderation.

Because of this, Alya instantly remembered something Heidi had told her while she was under that woman's oppression.

"Whenever my husband comes home, he likes to wind down with a beer and a cigarette. Because of that, I always have a liter of beer in my hand when I greet him at the door. It's a small gesture, but one that is more welcomed than you realize."

After thinking about this, Alya instantly ran off to the kitchen and fetched some beer for her adopted father, handing it off to him as he wiped the sweat from his brow while turning on the radio to listen to the day's news.

The radio was invented in 1901 and was still not exactly commonplace in most households five years later. But Heinrich not only came from a wealthy family of merchants, but he also gained a considerable paycheck from being a high-ranking officer in the Army. Because of this, he could easily afford such a luxury.

When he saw the girl holding a beer to his face with an embarrassed expression, the man was perplexed for a second. Before grabbing hold of it and drinking its contents. At first Alya thought the man wasn't even going to say thank you for her gesture, but he surprised her with a pat on the head, followed by an appropriate amount of gratitude.

"I'm not sure why you suddenly thought I could use a beer, but you were absolutely right. Thanks kiddo, now go eat up. I'm sure you're hungry after all the work you have been doing around here as of late."

Alya sure felt a little famished, but the reality was that she would not eat until Heinrich joined her, as she had many memories of eating alone at the orphanage, and she much preferred to share a meal with her new family than she did alone.

Because of this, she patiently sat down on the rocking chair in the living room of their home and waited patiently for Heinrich to become ready to eat.

"I'll wait, I'm not as hungry as you think..."

Heinrich thought the girl was being honest at first, that is until he heard her stomach grumble no more than a minute later. And because of this, he sighed and stood up, heading to the dining room of their home, where he decided not to make her wait any longer.

Though Alya was embarrassed by forcing the man to eat with her earlier than he wanted to, she was also happy that he did not ignore her stomach's obvious signs of hunger. As a result, they shared a meal together, talking about what they had done during the day prior to meeting up at their home later in the evening.

Ultimately, after several months together, the two were starting to become like a real father and daughter.

Bruno wasn't the only one in his family who maintained his health via regular exercise. In fact, Heidi often worked out at home with the basic calisthenics that Bruno had taught her throughout the day. Just enough to maintain her health. After all, he wanted to live a long and happy life with his wife. And it would have been best if they both did their best to stay in shape because of this.

Sure, Bruno had some bad habits that affected his health in the long term. Like smoking and drinking. But quite honestly, it was a tradeoff, because as a soldier, especially one who was in the early stages of PTSD, there were certain things he needed to take the edge off. Especially in a time of peace, which Bruno had a hard time adjusting to. Moreso than many of the men beneath his command who were more than happy to flee the battlefield and live a peaceful life at home when they got the opportunity to do so.

After working up a sweat for the day shortly after her husband went off to work, Heidi began to perform her daily chores, which also required a degree of exercise. She had a complete and utter disdain for filth, and did a damn good job maintaining a squeaky-clean environment in

her home.

Aside from cleaning the home, and exercising, Heidi would routinely mother her small children, keeping an eye on them throughout the day, before finally preparing a meal for when her husband came home. By now she had mastered the art of finishing the meal just in time for Bruno to get home, so that he could enjoy a brief beer while it cooled down just enough to be the perfect temperature to eat.

And like always, this is exactly what happened when Bruno came home for the night. However, the words which the man spoke over dinner to his wife and children have instantly shattered Heidi's routine. She realized things would be changing for her and her beloved

family in the coming months.

"So... I finally found the perfect plot of land to begin building our estate upon just outside

Berlin. As for the one in Russia, I have yet to choose a city which I would prefer to construct it. But I'm thinking near Tsaritsyn, I am after all rather beloved in the area for the mercy which I showed there, and the Volga Region has a high concentration of German settlers, so when we vacation there, it won't be too alien of an environment. What do you think?"

Though Bruno asked for Heidi's opinion, she really didn't have one, and even if she did, she wouldn't argue with Bruno over it. She simply accepted his decision, as he had clearly thought

it out far more than she had.

After all, she was much too busy managing their home to be involved thoroughly in such affairs. Thus, she wore a charming smile on her pretty face as she agreed to her husband's

question without hesitation.

"You know me, whatever it is you decide, I will support you with my everything, dear!"

Bruno was happy that Heidi didn't disagree with his choice of location for their Russian Estate. However, though neither of them knew it, they both sighed in a silent lament for their relatively peaceful and humble city life in this old manor which they had called home for

many years now.

It was the death of a routine, and the birth of a new era for their family