Chapter 1
The wrinkles on the woman’s face showed more than they had in years. It was her ninety-fifth birthday, but her bright blue eyes shown just as bright as they had sixty years ago.
She sighed, touching her white hair. Memories of the full, blond locks engulfed her mind, and suddenly, she missed the past, the terrible, dark, heartbreaking past.
“Grammy?” The old door creaked as the woman’s seventeen year old granddaughter opened the door.
Grammy turned, her eyes swiping over her son’s beautiful daughter. It was like a reflection of Grammy’s past features. Her granddaughter’s blond hair was swept up into a bun and her blue eyes shone like the deep blue sea.
“Yes Liesle?” Grammy asked, trapped in memories.
“Grammy, I’ve told you a thousand times, call me Lisa.” Liesle sighed, sitting on the soft bed, and looking at her Grammy as Grammy stared at her. “Grammy? Are you okay?”
“Liesle? Do you know what today is?”
“Its your birthday, of course.” Liesle shrugged casually.
Grammy smiled. “That’s not all it is. It’s the seventy year anniversary of the beginning of Reichskristallnacht.”
“Reichskritsallnacht?” Liesle asked, trying to remember what she had learned in history class.
“The Night of Shattered Glass. The fourty-eight hours that millions of Jews were killed, arrested, and sent to Concentration Camps.”
“How do you remember that today is the…anniversary of that day?” Liesle asked skeptically.
“Because…” Grammy sighed. “That was the day, he came to me.” Grammy’s blue eyes suddenly became shiny with tears.
“Who Grammy?” Liesle asked, and when Grammy didn’t reply she asked, “How old were you?”
“I was twenty-five, and expecting a child.”
“What…what happened exactly?”
“Well, you’d have to go back to the year 1938, April 11th, 1938 to be exact. The day my father became a Nazi solider.”
* * * *
I was twenty-three and had finally gotten a small apartment above a bakery. I was not married, but I had decided that I wanted to go to college in my hometown, Berlin. My family didn’t live too far away, so I visited them frequently. On April 11th my mother invited me to dinner, telling me that my father had a surprise for the family.
I remember walking to my parents home at precisely five-thirty and being greeted by my fifteen year old sister, Gretel. Gretel was like her usual self. She was bouncy, clingy, and extremely talkative. Her blond hair was always in a mess from running and showing off how fast she was to the boys in our small neighborhood.
My house smelled like flowers, since my mother loved them so. On every table, empty shelf, or desk, there was a vase of flowers. I liked to think of my mother as a flower herself. She always smelled of Cornflowers, and she looked like one. Her wavy blond hair always was up in a bun and her deep blue eyes were like the petals of the Cornflower. She always dressed in bright colors and wore the same perfect pearls around her neck.
Dinner was served at six-o-clock. That was the first time I saw my father in his uniform. His blond hair was combed over to the side, and his blue eyes shone with pride at our pure Aryan family. We were perfect in his eyes, and according to him, we were also perfect in the Führer’s, Adolf Hitler’s eyes.
“So what is the occasion father?” I asked politely, sipping my small glass of wine.
My father smiled at me, and then at my mother. “I have a very important announcement to make,” he said, standing up and crossing his arms. That was when I saw it. A red band wrapped around his upper arm, complete with a Nazi insignia. I felt my breath catch slightly. Everyone was wearing Nazi insignias nowadays…but it looked even brighter and shocking against the tan uniform my father was dressed in.
I cast my gaze down, only to look up again. My father was beaming. He looked so proud. “I have chosen to join the Nazi army.” His blue eyes shone like stars as we gazed upon his perfect army uniform.
“It must be a great honor,” I said, still gazing upon the Nazi symbol on his arm.
My father chuckled. “Of course it is Katarinna. The Führer will lead me and the other soldiers to victory! We will conquer nations and cleanse the Earth! There is no man greater than our dear Fürhrer, Adolf Hitler.”
I chased peas around on my plate, the thoughts running through my mind. My father, a solider. He would be put in danger, fighting against our enemies. But it was an honor. He was happy, and proud, and that was all that mattered.
“Adolf Hitler has changed our society, our economy is growing steadily better…” My father was rambling on about how great our Fürhrer was, and how he would make the world a better place. Personally, I didn’t see how.
^ ^ ^ ^
I left the house around seven-thirty, to return to my home. It was just starting to grow dark, it being spring. I had a test to study for that night, so I was hurrying home as fast as I could. That was when I saw him.
He was sitting outside of a small shop, a Star of David painted on the window and the word “Jude” written on the glass beneath the star. I stopped as I read the word and noticed the symbol. The man’s head was bowed, but I could tell he was the owner of the shop. His slightly curly dark hair was a sign of that.
I slowly started walking past, but stopped once again as I saw the door was boarded up. I looked back at the man and then at the boarded up door. I couldn’t help but feel bad for him.
The Jewish people are threatening our economy and our lifestyles. We pay more and receive less. My father’s words echoed in my mind. Did this very man threaten our economy and lives?
The man must have noticed me standing there, because he raised his head and suddenly stared at me. His chocolate brown eyes glistened with tears as he stared into my eyes.
“What? Have you never seen a Jew mourning his shop?” he asked, his voice cracking.
“No, I mean yes…” I trailed off. I shouldn’t be talking to this man. It was wrong. I was the daughter of a Nazi solider; the Jews were my father’s, and my enemies.
“We didn’t do anything wrong. We are just trying to live!” he raised his voice. “My mother and sisters have no money, I have to support them!” He was breaking down, I could see that much. “The Nazis will kill us all. They will. They won’t stop at shutting down businesses.”
“The Nazis won’t kill you,” I argued. “I am the daughter of a Nazi solider. He is too good of a man to kill.”
The man stayed silent and gazed upon my features. My blue eyes and my golden hair…he knew I was Aryan, he knew I was pure, he knew I was superior.
“What’s your name?” he asked curiously, eyeing me.
I inhaled. He was a stranger, a Jew no less. An enemy.
He sighed. “You know what? Forget it.” He slowly stood up and brushed off his pants. “No pure German would want to be friends with a Jew, am I right?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He just started walking down the street, leaving me in the dust, staring after him.
“Katarinna Dresner!” I called after him. I watched as he paused, turned towards me, and flashed me a smile.
“Jacob Gottlieb,” he replied, our eyes meeting at a distance, and locking almost immediately. I felt my lips curve into a smile and I raised my hand, waving.
Our eyes were released from each others, and he started walking once again. And as he turned the corner, don’t ask me how, but I knew, that I would see Jacob Gottlieb again.
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