As we sailed back, I came to speak with my wife for the first time about matters beyond the ordinary, and we agreed to meet again, which happened on July 15, 16, and 17, when I was on vacation and took a trip to Copenhagen.
On the evening of Saturday the 16th, we took a trip to Bakken and nearly missed the last train, and we will never forget the company we ended up traveling with to Nørreport. I have never heard such impudent women.
The following day, there was a meeting in Helsingør, and the two of us took a trip there, where the whole time we were under observation by my good friend Ernst Christensen. After that period, I often made little trips to Copenhagen, many times by bicycle.
The Sunday after my aforementioned vacation, Ester took a trip to Haslev to visit “the Glasssmith,” who was her and her siblings’ foster father. I rode out to meet her on Saturday evening, and we met at midnight at Greve Strand, after which I accompanied her to Bregentved, where we parted at 4 AM and were then to meet again at 8 PM on Sunday at Sædder. From there, we took the route through Vallø Garden, where we stayed until about 11 PM, after which the journey continued towards Copenhagen.
On September 1, 1939, the war with Poland broke out. On September 3, England and France became involved, thereby turning it into a major world war.
On the same day, my brother Aksel got married. I had rented a car and drove my parents to Havnelev Church and afterward to Konges.., where they were to live, and where the waves of war talk ran high among uninformed people.
On September 7, 1939, Russia attacked little Finland, for which all Danes had sympathy. On that day, I was also in Copenhagen and saw my mother-in-law for the first time.
1940
In February 1940, there was to be a large meeting in K.B. Hallen, and my father wanted to attend, and so did Esther. She managed to “plant” herself next to us without “the old man” noticing anything.
In March 1940, we had a Sunday with meetings all over the country—in Haderslev, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense, Nykøbing F., and Forum, where Esther and I attended the meeting. Afterwards, we ate at “Lodberg” together with a number of comrades.
Whit Sunday and Whit Monday I spent together with Esther, who was then working at Paskovsvej 16, Gentofte.