I held my cap with my left hand and in my right hand was a bouquet of Rose flowers. I stared hard at the transparent glass screen. I couldn’t believe what l was seeing. She was arranging her ammunition slowly like a Robot. When l stood close to get a better view, she was fixing a barrel into the barrel well of an M16–series Rifle. Towards her left on the wooden table was a rocket launcher and a couple of grenades. I dropped the bouquet on a table nearby and walked to our resident Doctor in our base in Berlin. “ why is she still in there?” l asked and gestured with my left hand at the assembly room where the only thing between me and her was the transparent screen. We were on a brief break and it was so strange to see her working at that time. “ Colonel, you haven’t heard about it?” He coughed and took a lace handkerchief from his breast pocket. “ The assault was successful, but as you can see…….” “ Tell me what happened, l can see!” l shouted at the Russian doctor. He was startled by my hoarse voice. Maria dropped the Rifle, as if she was aware of our presence, then she continued with her task. “ When she was launching the missiles something happened, l think that was the reason. Look Colonel Ajayi you can ask her friend. They were there Together during the air raid. She would tell you all you need to know. For now, Maria is still gathering her pasts” Suddenly a fiendish Anger got hold of me and l gripped the babbling Russian. I pulled him closer by his collar and stared hard at him. “ What happened to her, what is she gathering. “ l asked in a soft but scary voice l use often whenever l was addressing a Junior in the Army. “ She ar……ar……. She is mentally unstable at the moment. you should see the video records of the flight during the air assault on the Stasi. To get her back into her normal self, things she did before that flight should be repeated and her friends should visit her now” he said. I released his collar and gazed at the transparent screen. “ she would be normal. Just give her some time. Are you close to her? “ The Russian asked. A nod was the reply l gave. “ If you made her upset the last time you met her, please don’t go inside. You might destroy the scaffolding of hope we’ve been building since yesterday” He said and left. I walked to the wooden door. The knob was cold. I was about to pull it when l felt a soft pat on my shoulder. I turned slowly. It was Lucien, the American soldier in charge of the joint wing of Air assault in our base. “ Good morning Ajayee” the American said, in his funny accent. I gave him a dry smile. He sniffed and gripped my shoulder. As if he was reading my mind , he said: “ She would be fine. I think you should watch the video records of the raid. Man that gal is so brave” I beamed. This was no strange comment. Maria was a trained volunteer from Croatia. We met during the recruitment of fresh pilots for the six-month training on how to fly military helicopters. She was on my team. And if you can remember, the second World War was no joke and the Germans were fierce, so we required more hands to claim more territories. She was in my team and what l had for her was nothing more than pure admiration. No strings attached. “ It would nice if she can remember you. Your date with her would be nice,” he said and walked down the corridor. I smiled at My friend and opened the door. “ Good morning Maria,” l said and walked closer to the wooden table. She dropped the draft pad she was holding and pulled out a map from a bag close to her. She gazed at me as if l was an Alien from Mars. She took a divider and fixed it on the map. “ Good morning “ she answered. I was surprised. Being my favourite Junior, this reply of hers was so strange , it was like a Pierce of a sharp needle. “ l am Ajayi” l said and held out my hand. “ Kako si ?”** Silence. She dropped the divider and shook my hand. I was relieved and my spirit rose from the dark abyss l fell into after l heard of her present state from the Russian. “ How can l help you,” she said and smiled at me. I smile was Angelic and Da Vinci himself would confuse her for Mona Lisa if he saw her. “ How was the flight ?” l asked, feeling stupid. She looked at me and brushed the curls of her gold coloured hair. “ It was nice, we shot a lot of German birds during the raids. their pilots were good. And we blew two of their Antennas. “ she said. Even in her current state, the part of her that l knew so well was radiating. She was a proud professional. “ And by the way, what is your name?” she asked. I was awestruck by her question. What part of me is fading? I thought. What part of me in her memory is she remembering and which is she losing? “ my name is Ajayi. Your instructor”. She scratched her chin and pulled her map closer. Is she thinking? “ I don’t know you, but you resemble an African l know in Croatia. Are you Luke?” “ No” l replied feeling dejected. My spirit went to its nadir. I knew l was lost somewhere in her past. l didn’t know how long it would take her to visit those places we met in