4For days now, Joachim had been wondering why he did the things he had done in his life. It always seems that you think about these things when you're at a personal fault and you know it's the end of something. The stars outside shone, and, for the first time in years Joachim wondered if the stars he saw were perhaps the shining stars inclining the presence of his parents. It was illogical. He shook his head and brushed away the question, but not without his mind wandering back to his parents.
Joachim knew they wouldn't want to see him now, for all he knew they weren't alive any longer. Even if they were, why would they want to see a son who disowned them to take the last name 'Ribbentrop' with a von. "I disowned my parents for a noble addition to my last name." For the first time in his life he realized what he had done. He began to feel guilty and realized his ego was slowly crashing.
Next came the woman he married. Joachim always knew but never acknowledged that he had married her for the wrong reason. At first had he married her out of love and devotion? He shook his head. He missed her so much right now. All he wanted to do was hold her and tell her that he loved her. Joachim closed his eyes momentarily to stop the water from spilling out of his eyes. He wasn't in love with her when he married her, but he grew to love her. She was a good wife, and a good mother.
"My sons," he thought for a minute. If he were to talk to one of them right now he'd choose Rudolf. Seeing as he was the eldest, Joachim knew him longer. He felt that he could connect with Rudolf at certain times.
While in the midst of Joachim's reflection an erratic, unaimed, manical laughter emerged from Hess' cell. "What is Rudolf doing up at this time of the night?" thought Ribbentrop as his concentration was lost. The laugh chilled Ribbentrop to the bone.
"I should atleast try to sleep," Joachim muttered to the still air in his cell. He honestly wished that he could get out and go for a walk. He needed to clear his mind.
Minutes later he heard choking and sputtering from a nearby cell. Then came the sounds of boots hitting the cold floor. The voices shouted and he picked up on them with his keen sense of hearing.
"The bull cheated the noose! Get this covered, immediatly! Doctor, find the reason for this death! I will not let any more of them take the easy way out! Hermann Goering!" The guard's voice echoed throughout the whole entire building. Ribbentrop's eyes snapped open. "Goering...dead...?" he thought. Memories of being hit with Goering's field baton and their arguements flooded his mind. He felt as if he should feel as if he had won and triumphed over his enemy, but something deep inside of him told him he'd best gather all his courage...
Not too soon after the guard of his cell entered. "Joachim? Wake up."
"I am awake."
"Great. Get on your best clothes."
Ribbentrop heard the other cell doors opening. He knew it was time. His time, as well as the others. A few minutes later the guard was back. "Let's go." Joachim walked down the hall to a room filled with press members and the gallows. He felt his heart thumbing hard and fast in his chest. His mind swirled with memories, quotes, times come and gone, and of happier times like holidays with his family. He did not show it in the least bit, but he was never this nervous in his whole life. However, nothing could stop him from showing, even if this time it was fake, an extremely huge ego. He didn't feel composed enough to answer at first when the man asked him his name. After the second time it dawned on him he was to respond.
"Joachim von Ribbentrop!" His words came out louder than he had intended. He walked up the steps and kept his mask of ego clung to his face. He was then asked for his last words. It didn't register he'd need to say last words and he felt sweat droplits gathering at his brow.
"God protect Germany." Then he realized he should atleast go down with some sort of monologue. It'd never be allowed, he figured, and settled on something more than a few words. "May I say something else?"*1
The interpreter agreed.
"My last wish is that Germany realize its entity and that an understanding be reached between the East and the West. I wish peace to the world."*2 Joachim held his breath and waited for the cloth to go over his head. He just wanted it to be over. Right here, right now.
He got his wish.
Within a second he felt himself falling. He wanted to cry out, or atleast to grab at something, but before a full thought could form itself, he felt a painful shock in his neck. His head flung back and he struggled for breath. He felt his limbs twitching and head the bones in his neck giving way while the air rushed from his lungs and made him gasp for bits of air. He thought of his parents, his wife, his children, his life... The pain in his back and neck was too painful. There was nothing more he could do but wait for everything to fade away.
Keitel heard Ribbentrop walking by and the wood panel giving way to let Ribbentrop fall to his death. He thought of his sons and closed his eyes when it was his time to go.
Kaltenbrunner was well aware of what was going on, but really wasn't ready for this. He closed his eyes and thought about what he should've done with his life.
Soon enough all the defendents that were sentenced to death had been hung. A lone man in a cell now surrounded by empty cells, stared out the window wide awake in the middle of the night. He couldn't believe that all of it had happened. Everything. The war, the trials, the hangings. Rudolf thought of the times with them. Once imparticular came to mind about Goering bashing on Ribbentrop. Rudolf Hess let a loud chilling laugh ring out, echo through the hall, and let the octaves of laughter bounce off the walls. After a good laugh he fell asleep. The guards couldn't help but wonder.
This story was completed roughly ten minutes before October 16th. I could not help but to write something about this event. I don't actually know if the people were actually thinking like this or not, but I just figured I'd write something about it. Review if you'd like, but I'm not asking you to. This is just one of those things that you feel that you have to get out. So, I did!
/Heinrich
*1 and *2 = Actual spoken last words of Joachim von Ribbentrop