The doorbell rang. I didn’t want to get up and answer it straight away. I
was too absorbed in my history project. Whoever was there rang again and again.
Then they kept their finger on the bell. It got louder and louder and started
to hurt my ears. All right then. I opened the door, and there was Thomas
standing on the step.
“Will you do something for me?”
“What? Why?”
“My mother’s expecting a parcel and I‘ve got to go
out.”
“Why can’t you wait for it?”
“Because we’re going on a hike, and we’re going to
build a campfire and cook on it.” His eyes were shining.
“Well I hope you don’t mess up your lovely new
uniform.” I felt a bit mean as soon as I’d said it.
“You could join the Jungmädel.”
Hmm. Herr Silber kept saying he would buy me the
uniform and Kurt thought it would be a good idea. Bear, though, said I would
have plenty of time for those sorts of things later. Mutti just smiled and
shrugged her shoulders every time the subject came up. Anyway, back then, I
wasn’t sure I was thant keen on creepy crawlies and sleeping outside. I wished,
though, that I could enjoy things like Thomas did.
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Well, can you take this parcel or not?”
“Yeah, I guess. Just leave a note on the door.”
“Well I hope you don’t get the hook-nose.”
“Hook-nose?”
“He’s a Jew.”
“So?”
Thomas rolled his eyes. “Don’t you know anything? You
know. Jesus-hater. Home-wrecker. Work-stealer.”
What was he talking about? “Oh, just put a note on the
door and tell him to come here.”
Thomas jumped on the
spot and clapped his hands. “Thanks.”
I shut the door and returned to my project. What an
idiot! Getting so excited about going out into the countryside with a load of
other idiots.
Soon I was once again trying to work out who German
people were really supposed to be. Herr Lindemann was always going on about how
we should be proud to be German and we should look at all the history books to
see how great Germans really were. But we’re not. We’re poor and we keep losing
wars.
Then I heard Bear coming down the stairs.
“Hey, Giselchen. Are you doing your homework on a nice
sunny day like today? You should be out getting some fresh air.”
I smiled to myself. I knew why he was in such a good
mood. He’d come back on leave last night and he’d gone for a walk with Helga
Brassel. Maybe they’d kissed. I was a bit jealous in a way. Maybe when he came
home now he wouldn’t have so much time for me. Never mind, though, I was glad
he was happy. He was so nice, my big Bear brother. Especially when he was
cheerful. And that always made it nicer for me as well.
He leaned over to see what I was writing. “Oh, oh, oh.
The glorious German people. Do you think so, really?”
“It’s what Herr Lindemann says.”
“Well, if it’s
what your teacher says, I suppose it must be true. Or at least you’d better
pretend to agree just in case.”
As if I’d ever not do what my teacher told me. What
was he thinking?
The doorbell rang again. Before I could get up out of
my seat Bear had rushed to the front door and opened it. It was the parcel man.
I could tell by the conversation.
“That right Giselchen? You’re to take in a parcel for
Thomas’s Mutti?”
Did he have to call me that in front of other people?
I quite liked it when we were at home together as a family. But I was growing
up now and ought to be called by my proper name. “Yes,” I called.
A few moments later he came back into the kitchen with
a large brown box. “I wonder what they’ve been buying? It’s not very heavy.”
“Was it the hook-nose?”
“What?”
“The hook-nose.” What else had Thomas said? “The
Jesus-hater?”
“Now then.” Bear’s eyes were flashing. I’d never known
him be angry before. Well not with me, anyway. Sometimes when he and Kurt
argued perhaps. “Do you mean was he Jewish? Yes he was – is. They’re just
people, Gisela. Remember that. Just people.”
I felt my cheeks burning. I didn’t know what to
say.
Bear made himself some breakfast and sat reading the
newspaper. He was really cross with me and I didn’t really understand what I’d
done wrong. Okay, so Thomas had been a bit cruel in what he’d said but hadn’t
Herr Lindemann said almost the same thing? That the German people were good and
it was others who were making life difficult for us. Didn’t that mean the Jews?
About an hour later Bear stood up. “I’m going for a
walk.”
I would have liked to go with him but something about
the way he looked at me told me that that wasn’t an option this time.
Not long after I’d done as much as I could on the history project. I was
getting confused, anyway. It didn’t really make sense. Nobody seemed to like
the Germans because of the war but Herr Lindemann had kept telling all of us in
our class how great the German people were. And the Germans didn’t like the
Jews but the Jews were some of the cleverest people around – good business men,
doctors and lawyers. I was worried as well that Bear might still be cross and
that he wouldn’t want to spend time with me – especially now that Helga was on
the scene. Is that where he had gone now? Was that why he hadn’t wanted me to
go with him? What could I do to get back into his good books?
I saw his boots standing in the shoe rack. They were
pretty dirty. That was it. I could clean them for him.
I put out newspaper and organised the shoe-cleaning
things. I brushed off the loose mud and rubbed the polish into the stiff
leather. Then I brushed the boots vigorously until they began to shine, finally
polishing them really hard with a duster. Goodness, they really gleamed now. I
was enjoying this. There were other shoes that needed cleaning as well; Mutti’s
working shoes, the ones I wore for school, an old pair of Kurt’s and even some
that Vati had left behind. I polished until my arms ached and I had polish all
over my arms. I guessed I probably had some on my face as well because I had to
keep pushing my hair out of my eyes with my mucky fingers. I was determined now
to make sure that all of the shoes really sparkled.
I was just finishing the last pair when I heard Bear
whistling.
“Goodness,” he said, as he opened the door.
“Somebody’s been busy.”
He definitely seemed in a better mood. He picked up
his boots. “You’ll have to join the army if you can shine boots up like that.
Where did you learn to clean shoes so well?”
It wasn’t really that clever, was it? I’d watched Vati
do it hundreds of times.
“Did you see Helga again?” I couldn’t believe I’d just
said that. It was none of my business.
He blushed then grinned. “Yes. I took her some
flowers.”
Had they kissed again? Had they even kissed yet? I
would have loved to know but didn’t dare ask.
“That’s nice.” Would somebody bring me flowers one
day? Herr Silber often brought them for Mutti.
“Actually, do you fancy coming into town with me on
the tram? We can go and have coffee and cake? At that nice little place near
the synagogue.”
“Now? What about lunch?”
He shrugged. “The portions are big there, I’m told.
They’ll make up for not having lunch. And they’re not too expensive,
considering. Herr Silber gave me some money last night.”
“Yes, but don’t you want to save it?”
“Helga and her mother are going there this afternoon.”
“So wouldn’t you rather go on your own?”
“You’d be my excuse for going.”
I shook my head and then
nodded. Why should I argue? I liked cake, didn’t I? It wasn’t often I got taken
to a nice café.
I’d never been into this café before. It had always looked too smart. It
was in one of the old buildings right in the middle of the town.
“Come on then,” said Bear pushing open the heavy
wooden door.
It was a bit gloomy inside at first but my eyes soon
got used to it. It was so elegant. There
were white table cloths and pretty china and silver cutlery. There were candles
and a small vase of flowers on every table.
There was such a strong smell of coffee and the coffee
machine whooshed and spluttered all the time.
It was quite full. I thought everybody must have a
Herr Silber who gave out money, then. The other people there weren’t like us,
though. They were all smartly dressed. Some of the ladies were wearing fur
stoles even though the weather was so warm.
It was the cakes, though, that astonished me, the most.
There were large tarts, covered in fruit, big gateaux smothered in cream and
fancy individual ones very cleverly iced. I had no idea which one to
choose.
“Have you decided yet?” Bear was actually frowning as
he studied the display.
Then I saw it though.
My favourite. “Can I have some baked cheesecake?” I said.
“Good choice. Lemonade to drink?”
I nodded. I
really would have liked a coffee, though but Bear would probably have said I
was too young. I wasn’t, but I never
wanted to argue with him.
Bear gave our order to the lady at the counter and a
waitress in a very smart black dress and a starched white apron showed us over to
the table. Bear gave her our ticket.
“One black coffee and a lemonade,” he said. He sat up
very straight. I think he was trying to look smart. I found it hard not to
giggle.
She wrote in her little notebook, smiled at me and
then went towards the counter at the back of the shop.
Bear looked around. “Do you like it here?”
I nodded, though actually I wasn’t all that sure. I
felt out of place.
A few more people came in. All of them were really
well dressed. I had put my own best frock on – Bear had said I should. But it
looked very dowdy compared with the ones other girls my age were wearing.
“Oh. Here they come.” Bear blushed bright red and
looked away. “Don’t stare at them and if they do see you looking, pretend to be
surprised.”
“Didn’t you tell her you were going to come here?”
He shook his head.
I quickly looked at Helga and Frau Brassel. Helga was
wearing a pretty white dress that had a pattern of pink roses over it. Frau
Brassel had on a grey silk dress with a hat and a fur stole to match. Would I
ever be able to dress like that?
At that moment the waitress arrived with our drinks
and slices of cake. Bear rubbed his hands together. “This looks good.”
The lemonade was delicious. The cake was rich and
creamy. He’d been right; the portions were so big that it more than made up for
not having lunch. By the time I’d eaten half of my slice I was convinced I
wouldn’t be able to finish it all.
“Is the coffee all right?”
“The best I’ve ever tasted.”
“Will you go and talk to them?”
“Maybe, when
we’ve all finished. If I get the chance.”
Suddenly somebody knocked on the window. I jumped.
Kurt’s face was staring at me. What was he doing here? He hadn’t written to say
he would have some leave.
He mouthed something at Bear and frowned.
“I think I’d better go and talk to him,” said Bear.
“You wait here.”
I watched him walk out of the café and into the
street. He and Kurt stood talking on the pavement. I couldn’t tell what they
were saying.
I toyed with the last of my cake. I just couldn’t
manage it. I pushed the plate away.
“Are you all finished here?”
I nodded. The waitress cleared away the plates, the
cup and saucer and the glass. “Would you like anything else?”
I shook my head. “My brother will be back in a
minute.”
The waitress smiled and nodded. “Take your time. It’s
fine.”
He didn’t come back in a minute, though. Nor in five
or ten. He and Kurt were talking for ages. Suddenly Kurt started shouting. I
could hear him now all right. So could everybody else in the café.
“You should not be mixing with the scum like that.
Don’t you know they’re taking our jobs and stealing our homes and businesses?
This café should belong to a good German family, not people like them.”
Bear was shaking his head.
Kurt suddenly stared waving his arms around.
Bear started shouting, though I still couldn’t make
out what he was saying.
Then Kurt leaned forward and punched Bear on the nose.
It began to bleed. Bear swung his arm at Kurt and made his nose bleed in turn.
Then they were on the ground. Punching and kicking each other.
“Help, somebody. Please stop my brothers fighting.” I
shouted as loud as I could but everyone just stared at me as I ran out of the
café.
“The bill?” said the waitress as she passed me near
the doorway.
“It’s all right. We’ll take care of that.” Frau
Brassel stood up and waved the waitress over to her.
By the time I got outside two men had pulled Bear and
Kurt apart. Kurt shrugged himself away from the man who was holding him.
“If you’re going to defend that sort of scum you’re
not my brother anymore.” He picked up his cap and walked off.
I punched Bear in the stomach. “Why do you and Kurt
always have to fight?”
He looked such a mess. His best white shirt was
covered in blood and dirty marks. There were some cuts on his face.
Helga and Frau Brassel came out at that moment. Frau
Brassel shook her head and raised her eyebrows.
“Helga…?” Bear walked towards her. “I’m sorry you had
to see that.”
Helga stared at him for a few seconds, frowned, linked
arms with her mother and turned her back on him. The two women walked away
towards the centre of the town.
I guessed he wouldn’t be kissing Helga anytime soon.
He didn’t say a word on the tram journey home.
