I'm not even going to bother, it is in a dreadful state and needs to be re-written altogether.
So....that said and with a clean slate Iam starting over. Please review, I want to know what you're thinking!
This story is set in Celle, Germany during the years 1943-1945. An 18 year old cellist born to a German father and a half-Jewish mother falls in love with a young German man only a year her senior. Their relationship is kept under wraps for fear of anyone finding out. Meanwhile, World War II is well under way and the infamous prison camp, Bergen-Belsen is functioning only eleven short miles to the north. In the beginning it only held POWs but in 1943 the SS administrators took over a portion of the complex and split it onto two parts, the civilian-residence camp and the ''prisoner's'' camp. The Jewish population in Celle has greatly diminished, now down only fifteen due to Kristallnacht and the outbreak of the war. Liesabet and her family are at risk of being discovered especially since her mother has not registered her true heritage with the city officials.
"In this town, we never before experienced such a stirring up of hatred, intolerance, and threats as we did in the past weeks and days… . In Celle, you are in a soldiers’ town. . . . The preservation and recognition of military virtues, and love and loyalty for our country, are in accordance with the views of people in this area." – Helmuth Hörstmann, mayor of Celle, in 1983 in Klaus Neumann, Shifting Memories: The Nazi Past in the New Germany
Chapter 1
Celle was a soldier's town, signs of which were evident everywhere. Schools and former churches were converted into military stations and holding places for the displaced Jews, gypsies, Poles and etc. War posters were plastered on every street corner. Young boys and girls were raised to become patriotic citizens loyal to their Fuhrer, fierce fighters for the war efforts. Soldiers marched the streets day and night filling the cafes and restaurants with their vulgar language and morbid tales of battles they had seen and people they had killed. There were two different classes of them it seemed, the officers and men of rank and the lowly foot soldiers. The officers were more polite and relaxed as they sat tall in their crisp and freshly pressed uniforms, sipping coffee and talking of women while the others in their muddy boots and wrinkled clothing took long drags on cigarettes and gulped down their liquor, their faces weary, undereyes darkened and sagging, sporting scrubble that hadn't been shaved in days. They had seen the brunt of the fighting.
It was the officers however that Liesabet found she had to worry about as she hurried down the stone streets, cello case in hand. Many of them, starved for a woman's company took pleasure in tormenting her, calling out lewd suggestions as she passed. Such an incident had occurred only a week ago when she had passed through the town's square where she had stopped to stare as a crowd of people all ages, dressed in dirty clothes some bearing the yellow Star of David, had been herded down to the old Jewish synagogue which had been given its new duty as a prison of sorts. They had been treated without respect and were publicly humiliated time and time again and not only by the soldiers, but by the citizens themselves. Many of their faces were streaked with tears while other remained stoic in their anguish. Liesabet found herself next to a neighbor of hers who spat upon them like dirt. Remembering her father's instructions to show no emotion she struggled not to give herself away with her tears.
Even so however, one of the soldiers noticed her and with several of his companions proceeded over to her.
''Sie tut dies verärgert'', one of them asked sharply, ''Does this upset you?'' She had shook her head and averted her gaze. The tallest one and most likely the highest in status out of the group had reached out and touched her cheek with his gloved hand.
''So schön für einen so jungen Menschen'', he said teasingly. She had remained completely still and didn't utter a sound while they continued to talk to her, merely nodding or shaking her head. Her heart had raced the entire time which was only a few minutes as the slow-moving parade passed by. Only then did the group turn and walk away laughing and chuckling to themselves. ''Goodbye my fair wenig Deutsch Mädchen'', the tall one called over his shoulder. She had turned and walked away quickly in the opposite direction desperate to get away from the horrible scene and her tormentors.
She had been late to practice with her friends who were upset by then but when she had explained the circumstances they were quick to forgive. They had a concert to practice for and began immediately. It was to be a small affair held in the tiny theater near the square and most of their attendees were most likely to be the soldiers but it was important to them all the same. Their friendship had formed over music and over the course of several months they had formed quite a close bond. In fact that was where she had met her boyfriend Rory, a charismatic pianist who was a year older than herself. They had first met before he had joined their little band of musicians, at her first actual concert. She remembered it well.........
It was three months ago, she was wearing her favorite yellow dress that drew in close at the waist and was cinched with a small white belt, accentuating her figure. Its sleeves were fitted down to the elbow where they flaired out dramatically. Three over-sized buttons traveled down the front as mock imposters for the dress hooked in back at the nape of the neck. Her favorite part about it however was the collar, lined with a bit of lace which hung open and loose imitating a man's suit jacket. Her hair was done up in pincurls and swept to the side in the popular style and she completed the look with a smear of lipstick and a sweep of mascara. Finished she grabbed her cello case and a sweater on her way out the door as the weather promised a slight chill.
The streets were dark and for the most part empty due to the curfew the soldiers had imposed and she hurried along as fast as she dared to the theater, not wanting to risk being caught alone and unchaperoned. When she arrived backstage her friends were already tuning their instruments and urged her to do the same. She took a deep breath and took a long gaze at the cutain which obstructed her view of the audience who sat beyond and whom she could hear talking and laughing merrily. For most of the people of Celle, productions like these were for the most part the only entertainment allowed to them and they were eager to take advantage of whatever they could. Her pulse began to flutter and her mouth went dry. She woodenly sat down and opened her cello case revealing the aged wood of the instrument which had been passed to her by her grandfather. She ran her fingertips over the carefully maintained strings and felt them reverberate softly.
''Sie wird gut Liesabet'', she heard her friend Corrie say reassuringly to her, ''You will be fine.'' She looked up to meet Corrie's eyes and gave her a smile and a nod.
''Vielen Dank Corrie.''
''Ja, wir waren alle nervös unser erstes Mal,'' a lanky young man named Roland chimed in, ''We were all nervous our first time.'' Laughing Liesabet shook her head and felt some of the tension leave her.
''I don't know why I'm so nervous, I shouldn't be, I know half of the people out there!'', she remarked jokingly.
Feeling re-newed she picked up her instrument, rested it in it's familiar place between her knees and grasped the bow loosely into her hand. Bending her elbow she ran it across the strings and was rewarded with quite possibly her favorite sound, the deep throaty voice of a C-chord followed by a series of Gs and open As. Ten minutes later the call for curtain came and they all rushed to place music sheets in place and straighten appearances. The music selections had been chosen wisely given number of soldiers sure to be in the audience. Several patriotic pieces were sprinkled in with their usual classics. Liesabet watched as Adrian, Roland's twin brother assumed his position as conductor in front of them, his back to the curtain just in time as the heavy red material slowly rose. This was it.
Clapping could be heard and Adrian raised his baton in ready, winking at Liesabet. She shot him a glare and glanced back at the music sheet to gather her thoughts. The first opening strains of Germany's national anthem resounded throughout the small two-level room and everyone stood, removing their hats in respect and also out of fear for receiving the soldier's wrath if any refused. At the cue, Liesabet began to play, still nervous but confident. She scanned the front rows, reserved for family and friends as she went over the notes she had memorized by heart. She could see her mother and father watching her with pride on their faces. She smiled at them and then scanned the rest of the room. One person caught her gaze almost immediately. He sat three rows back next to an elderly gentleman and a soldier who appeared bored already and was trying not to yawn.
He stared intently at her while she played making her flustered. Their eyes met and to her astonishment he winked at her and gave her smile. He was stunningly handsome. Tall but not overly so, his skin fair. Piercing blue eyes she could see from her position on stage set further back in his face giving him an intense look that was lightened only by the tell-tale crinkles around them, betraying his no doubt pension for a good laugh. He had a strong jawline and a narrow mouth which turned up slightly in the corners. Dark, blackish colored hair gave him an air of mysteriousness.
Thoughout the entire performance she felt his eyes upon her but she did her best to ignore him and concentrate on one of the harder selections of the night, Handel's ''Water Suite No. 1.'' She let the music take her over and she played better than she felt she had ever played in her life. When it was over her hands and fingers ached but she felt a sense of definite accomplishment. She looked up to where he had been but he was gone. She felt a slight disappointment but turned her attention back to the resounding applause as she and her fellow musicians rose to take their bows. They exited backstage and after gathering their things together they headed out the back door leading to the alleyway where much to her surprise her mysterious stranger awaited. He stepped forward with a grin and congratulated all of them but then turned to Liesabet and asked if she would like to take a walk with him. Hesitant she turned to her friends to find them already walking around the building to greet their family and the people waiting. They probably assumed that she knew the young man. Her heart raced and she was torn between calling out to them and staying to talk with him. She decided on the latter and he offered his elbow to her. Clutching her cello in her other hand she accepted the gesture and they both headed in the direction of her friends.
But the writing was really good and it got especially interesting near the end when you introduced the mysterious man.
Gender:
Points: 4996
Reviews: 107