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Sleeping Amidst Challenges |
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William Johnson was an odd sort of fellow. Although he was only just twenty,
there were already two deep furrows in his brow. He was quiet, composed, and
always seemed to have the hint of a smile on his face. His eyesight was
good, and he worked diligently. The only issue with him was his insatiable
appetite for sleep. It made no difference where he was: whenever he had a
spare moment, he would spread his greatcoat out on the ground and lie down
on it. Within two minutes, he would be fast asleep, impervious to the
elements.
There were two things that could disrupt this habit. One was when something
went wrong with the truck. This filled him with so much energy that even the
company commander or the political instructor would be wasting their breath
trying to make him go to sleep. His soft, warm greatcoat might as well have
turned into a bed of nails as he climbed over the truck or lay underneath to
fix it. If it was a minor issue, he might take a nap after resolving it, but
if it was a major problem, he would work on it tirelessly until the truck
was ready to move again at night. He couldn't be bothered to eat properly on
the job. He would ask someone to bring him a couple of steamed rolls, and if
those weren't available, he would wash down a biscuit with a mug of hot
water. He never let Henry Williams handle daytime repairs because he
believed that the driver needed sleep more than his companion did. He only
sought Henry Williams' advice when confronted with a problem he couldn't
handle himself.
The other thing that could prevent him from sleeping was an urgent
assignment, like today's. Henry Williams need not have worried about that.
When they encountered enemy aircraft at night, they drove without lights
under the cover of darkness. William Johnson would sway gently and breathe
lightly as if he were asleep, but at any moment, he might suddenly shout,
"Stop! Bomb crater!" Then he would jump down from the truck to inspect its
depth and determine whether it was possible to go around it. If avoidance
wasn't feasible, he would grab his shovel from the truck without saying a
word. Within ten minutes, he would skillfully fill the hole.
Henry Williams' personality was the opposite of William Johnson's. He was a
vigilant and energetic man with boundless drive, always wanting to complete
any task as quickly as possible. He was never satisfied driving at less than
sixty kilometers per hour. This often led to arguments between the two.
Once, while crossing a zone under artillery fire, Henry wanted to accelerate
to full speed, but William vehemently opposed the idea. Instead of delving
into all the details, William simply said, "No matter how fast you drive,
you won't be able to outrun the shells."
"What do you suggest then?" Henry asked.
"I'm all in favor of driving fast on decent roads, but the ground in front
of us is filled with craters. If you drive recklessly, even if we manage to
dodge the shells, a crash would be enough to render the truck useless."
Following William's advice, Henry acquiesced calmly. The only consequence
they faced was shrapnel tearing some holes in the truck's canopy. |
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