Timeless

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live lifetimes before the one you’re currently living? Have you ever thought that it might be possible? What about the concept of love being absolutely timeless? Well stop thinking. Just breathe...realize that things that remain unexplained in this lifetime are well...possible. Love can be timeless. Love can happen anytime and any place where and when we least expect it.

The past...the year of 1942...France. WWII Hospital.

The streets were clamored with tanks that bore the German swastika, the symbol of Germany and Adolf Hitler. Kids were laughing and playing in mud puddles, many left orphans already but not realizing it. Twenty-four year old Sandra Kines was in the office of Doctor Shamir Muthana. He was from the country Pakistan and one of the few doctors of different origin left in France. His accent wasn't strong like many of his race. Sandra was glad of that. "Do you think today the war will end?" Sandra asked him quietly.

He looked at her over small wire framed glasses. "No...not today. It will be like many other. Cloudy...with the chance of many more dying. Many more coming into the office from wounds on both sides." She was American and she had seen so many things since this war had started. So much bloodshed on both sides. Doctor Muthana was wise beyond his years. He was only forty, but he was so smart, much more smart than the Nazi doctors or the French doctors that were in the area.

As Sandra stood, and was about to speak, a French soldier came rushing in with a cot baring a wounded American soldier. Sandra rushed to his side acquiring the information the French soldier presented with including where the soldier had been shot. She looked down at the soldier and winced. His leg had almost been blown off by some sort of bullet. She swallowed and the doctor came over looking down at the wound. "We must remove the bullet at once. It is still lodged in leg."

Supplies were down thanks to the Germans. They wouldn't allow medical supplies for anyone other than German doctors. That's the reason many people were left to die. Thanks to the many American soldiers who attempted to break through the area and bring supplies Doctor Muthana had what he needed to dig out the bullet. Two hours passed and the bullet was removed. Sandra washed the soldier down, put fresh bandages over the stitched wound, and put him to rest in the make shift infirmary.

Sandra was adamant about the soldiers coming into the hospital getting better. She sat by them on many nights over their bodies hoping they would get better. Hours passed and then explosions began happening in the city, close to the hospital. Doctor Muthana was in his office on the second floor when he screamed out for Sandra. Sandra raced to the stairs where she saw him standing on the landing. "You must get out of here. The Germans are making their way into the city and taking it over. Go!" She shook her head. After spending so many hours and days with him, she couldn't leave him.

"I can't just leave you here..." He nodded his head. "But you must...there is not time. If you are captured they are not nice to American women. I cannot chance the fact I may never see you again...alive." She didn't say anything more. She stood there watching him explosions still ringing out, gun shots going off. The worry of her patients and the doctor were weighing heavily on the nurses mind. She heard a bunch of hollering in German as the barricaded door flew off it's hinges. She squealed and the doctor came in front of her.

The Germans were cursing at him and then at her. They took him off and she screamed his name. One soldier took her roughly by the arm and led her out the door into a crowded street of spectators. She didn't understand what they were saying. She remembered seeing the doctor and then nothing. One of the soldiers had taken a rifle and hit her over the head with the end of it. She saw dark and black and then fainted.

Hours later she awakened. The stench reached her nose and she felt as though she would vomit. Her head ached unbearably. She rubbed it and looked at her hand seeing the red of dried blood. She had been hit pretty hard. She went around the room seeing women that were in striped uniforms. They were Jewish women. She grunted and looked around again. She went over to a woman who lay on a bunk, eyes sunken in, and she smelled. The smell wasn't as bad as looking at these people who probably hadn't eaten in weeks. "Hello, Do you happen to speak any English?"

The woman who looked broken and bruised and malnourished looked at Sandra. "I speak decent English. I learned when I was very young. You're wondering where you are? You're in Poland. A camp called Auschwitz. Don't worry child, you'll go nowhere for a very long time. You're an American?" Sandra nodded swallowing. "Yes, I'm from Alabama, United States. I came into the Army as a volunteer nurse. I came to Europe to help people no matter what side they were on and now...I'm punished by being put in a camp?" The woman leaned up, "Doesn't get any better than this. My name is Builena. I'm not Jewish either, but I helped my neighbors who had a two year old son. My own son died years ago and I was helping them to escape to London. They caught me after I helped them across to England. They brought me here as punishment. They do not care...those soldiers. They are brainwashed by Hitler."

Sandra nodded. "Obviously. I was wondering...is there any way I can find out if someone else was brought here?" Builena shrugged. "I do not know. Who are you looking for? I can speak to a friend of mine who is in the men's camp. I go over for books twice a week. I can speak to him maybe while I'm waiting in line." Sandra cleared her throat. "His name is Doctor Shamir Muthana. He's from Pakistan. He was my friend and doctor confidante before being brought here. They captured the city and we were drug from the hospital. They hit me over the head and I'm not sure what might have happened to the doctor." Builena nodded. "I will try my best to find out what happen to your doctor."

While in the camp Sandra wondered day after day, what had happened to Shamir. One day she was finally dressed out in a striped uniform same as the Jewish people wore. As she was waiting in line one morning for something to eat, which she worried was laced with arsenic poison, she heard her name being called. She looked up that familiar accent washing over her. In line serving the food, was Shamir. Tears of relief washed down her cheeks. He was alright. As she neared him in the line he leaned over and whispered. "Don't lose faith, don't lose hope. We will make it through this. I will find you after this is over." Day after day she saw him. Weeks led into months and she too became like the others.

One night the German soldiers came into her room she shared with the other women. They were herding them out like cattle. "Where are you taking us?" One scared, teenage girl asked the soldier. He grinned at her and shrugged. "We are taking you to the showers. You will be given showers and clean clothing." Sandra's eyes darted to Builena who shook her head. As he neared the back of the room and looked at Builena and then at Sandra, Sandra learned to play like she was looking after a sick Builena. "What is wrong with her?" Sandra looked at the soldier. "She's in pain, something ails her. I'm currently looking out for her."

He sniffed her and snarled his nose motioning for the other women to follow out the door. Moments later a noise went up into the air outside. People were being gassed. Sandra closed her eyes. She didn't want to know that thousands upon thousands were being killed. This was a nightmare and she began to wonder if she would ever wake up. Weeks passed into months and months passed into a year. She saw the Doctor and one day he passed her a note. On the note it read:

Dearest Sandra.

One year has passed since we first came to this camp. I have watched you everyday. You have helped many people and I admire your bravery. You have not given up hope. In my country we have the belief that things happen for a reason. Always remain strong. They took many last night to the gas chamber. I fear I may be next. If something were to happen to me, please remember my family in England. Look for them, tell them what happened to me. Thank you.

Dr. Shamir Muthana.

Tears fell upon her pale cheeks. She was more than sure now that this was a nightmare in which she would never wake up. A few months more passed and still both she and the doctor carried on. Finally word got to the camp that all the immigrants and some of the Prisoners of War were being transferred back to France. She was one of them that were hauled onto the train. As she was sitting down near the door to get fresh air, she heard a voice, "May I sit with you, Sandra?" She turned to see Doctor Muthana standing there. Fear along with happiness made her more than happy to be seeing him. Arms wrapped around his neck.

They hugged, cried, and laughed. Then surprisingly his lips found hers. The kiss was knitted with unspoken words and love. A love that was forbidden between them but yet had found it's way into their hearts. After they broke the kiss, She starred at him for a long time unable to find the words to speak to him. He didn't speak to her. She swallowed and finally blushed, "I'm not sorry that happened."

He shook his head. "I meant for it to happen. I wanted it to. I've been wanting that since the first week I met you but I was too afraid to act on what I was feeling for you. I'm in love with you Sandra. I was so afraid that we would be separated but by the grace of Allah, we were not parted. We were meant to be. I can see that now. After the war is over, I would be honored if you would return with me back to England. From there we could be married."

Sandra smiled looking at him. "Are you asking me to marry you Doctor Muthana?" He smiled in return, "I think I am...yes. Yes, I am asking you to marry me." She nodded brushing a kiss to his cheek. "Then the answer would be yes. Yes, I will marry you." When they got to France, she was shocked to be pulled away from Doctor Muthana. She cried out as his hand parted from hers. She stood stunned as the German soldiers lined the men up along some trenches near the rail road tracks. Each prisoner was blind folded. Sandra's heart raced. In that moment, it seemed like hours. She heard gunfire and then saw smoke. Doctor Muthana was gone. She raced towards the trenches but someone...Builena had grabbed her arm. "Do not go! You cannot! They will kill you too..."

They had killed the doctor. Her world crashed around her. Her racing heard was now broken. She blinked and began sobbing. She was being whipped by a huge piece of leather from one of the soldiers for stopping. She didn't feel it. The doctor would want her to try and survive. She would...for she had a reason. She had to find his family and let them know what happened and she wouldn't give up until she found them.