Vill you?

Aaaah inspired by the stories told of how my relatives met. My grandfather (I'm talkin a few greats old) met my grandmother on the docks- trying to sell her body for money to help her ill/dieing mother- she was 13 at the time and my grandfather was pushing his late 20's or 30's (I'm told he was 37 when they were offically married). He was arriving from Germany, having spent years serving under the Nazi party as an SS member to save his own life (spending most of that time allowing the escape of as many Jews as he could without getting caught) before realizing Germany was going to lose the war. He fled once and ended up in France where they humilated him, making him dig ditches naked for almost a year. He was rescused by American's only to be sent back to Germany. Knowing he could not stay he booked the only remaining boat out of the Fatherland (he had plenty of money to bribe) and sailed to the US. As he was stepping off the boat he spotted her- his future wife. I'm told he fell for her instantly, despite her being so young, he thought her the most beautiful creature he had lain eyes on. So he came to her from the boat, dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

She was in great needed, wanting any sort of money so she instantly said yes- not caring who he was. So he took her off to the planation he had purchased while still in Germany (yes, this man had some damned good connections). It's said my grandmother hated him for 'taking her life away' even though she married a VERY rich man...
The years passed and he desired children however, despite her bitterness towards him, my grandfather said he would wait until she was ready.

Eventually the kindness and warmth he showed her broke the ice on her heart. She fell deeply in love with him, seeing that he was a wonderful man despite what his past might have told (although before the war he was a happy and well loved owner of a bakery shop). She told him she was ready for a family- their family. The years would pass and she would bare eight of his children before he died of a heartattack not long after 6 of his oldest sons went to Germany.

She was heartbroken, lost- for she had found the man of her dreams at last only to have him cruelly snatched when they had just found happiness together.
Only 2 sons remained, one 12 the other 8, both too young to go to war. Depressed my grandmother spent the last years of her life ridding herself of all his money that she could through drinks and in the end drank herself to her grave.

The two remaining sons were left to fend for themselves with what small amount of money remained (for the town which her husband had donated so much of his kindness and money too turned on her the week after his death, demmanding SHE pay for all the bills owed by people that her husband had issued pardons for). They sold the planation and moved onward...

But for some reason their story still amazes me. My family doesn't like to talk about it much (we're very closed on our past since our family is mostly pure german) yet when they do speak of such a meeting I can sense the bit of wistfullness. He- my grandfather- was known to be very passionate in all he did and wanted nothing more than the complete happiness of his beloved young wife.

Story, people, ect. are (C) MRM because it's my damned families life.

I know I have relatives still in Germany and we've tried to trace all of the sons but the tree branches out greatly...