Chapter 48: Into the Nest of Vipers Part I
It was a new day, and a day which Bruno did not have to report to the Central Division of the German High Command, no less. It was perhaps because this was his first official leave of absence in a very long time that Bruno was invited to his parents' house.
All nine of their sons had long since moved out of the house. The youngest of which was Bruno himself, who was already in his mid-twenties, at the ripe old age of 25. He had three children, which was the lowest number of all of his siblings and the families they had spawned over the years.
But knowing the fact that he received an official invitation to the family estate, this was no simple request from his mother and father to visit them with his family. No, this was a yearly occasion on which the entire von Zehntner household would gather.
This not only included Bruno's siblings and their families, but his father's siblings and their families as well. Because of this, after reading the official letter of invitation, Bruno was quick to gather his wife aside and address the issue in private with her away from the children's prying ears.
"Heidi, do you know what this letter entails?"
Heidi nodded her head. She had obviously not read its contents, as it was sealed when Bruno picked it up. But she recognized the coat of arms emblazoned on the letter, which belonged to the von Zehntner family. There was really only one thing she could think of for why they received this note, and because of this she was quick to speak of her suspicions.
"I suppose it is around that time, isn't it? Though it has come a bit earlier this year than in the past. I will set aside a proper set of attire for the children. No doubt your father will want you in uniform. I will have it cleaned and pressed so that you look nice and proper for your family to see..."
Bruno himself was aware why this letter was sent, and like Heidi was suspicious about why it was sent earlier than it should be. There was no way that his father had moved it up a month or two in advance simply because Bruno was freely available now, would he?
I mean, he was the youngest son of the family, sure over the years he had managed to achieve some significant contributions in the military. Even so, such a privilege had never been afforded to any of his siblings in the past. Let alone the heir apparent, which was of course his eldest brother.
However, other than this, Bruno simply could not understand why the date had been moved up. Regardless, there was no avoiding what was to come. And because of this, he was quick to nod his head and agree with Heidi's statement.