| [Chapter One] [Chapter Two] |
| Chapter One The air was filled with the patter of bare feet hitting wood, and lively Jewish music. The shoes were lined up against the wall by the door, the coats on a hook. There was a meeting for the parents of the students who went to the little Jewish school. They went to school in the little barn-like building, set away in a little corner of town for safety. Ever since Hitler and the Nazi�s started taking over cities one by one, they had no longer been free to go to a regular school, go to regular shops, or even walk down the street at a certain time of the night. They also had to wear the David�s Star, a sign that they were Jewish. Katerina and her sister, Rachel, hated this. They were not Jews in religion, but Jews in heritage. They were Christians, and wearing the David�s star didn�t only give them displeasure because of the discrimination they were faced with, but also because it was the religious symbol of a religion they did not practice. But, at times like this, where they were able to dance, and sing, and just hang out with their friends were precious and few. There were so many restrictions on Jews now they could barely do anything. Jews could only go to Jewish stores, and those Jewish stores were destroyed. Many Jews were in hiding, but most of the families in the room weren�t wealthy enough to know anyone to help them, and they didn�t have a place to go. Katerina and Rachel were at the meeting with their mother and father and brother, Peter. Their baby sister Elizabeth was at their small home. Their landlord was watching her. Their landlord would give them the apartment as long as they paid for the rent and everything they needed. She and her husband would watch Elizabeth until the time we had to be back in. But that�s as far as they�d go. They didn�t want to get in trouble with Nazi�s. As Peter told Katerina that he was going to bathroom, she looked outside. They�d have to get going soon. She started dancing with her friend, Franz. He was from Germany and had fled to the Netherlands when Germany had been taken over. He was Jewish by heritage and by religion. His father was the only parent of his whom had been able to make it to the meeting. His mother had just delivered his little sister, Margaret, a couple days ago. Franz and his family had a nice place to live, for they were quite wealthy. They were not in hiding because of his mother�s pregnancy, and now that Franz had made friends he refused to go. There was a lot of laughter in the room as a group of girls watched two uncoordinated boys dance. �Everyone out!� The shout sliced through the air. The laughter stopped. The patter of feet stopped. Everyone looked up, at Peter. He came in red, and shouted again, but more quietly now, �Everyone out!� We all had questions in our minds, but ran and got our coats and shoes and ran out into the cool air. When they had finally gotten away from the building Katerina asked Peter, �What�s wrong?� �I saw a Nazi, with a match!� he gasped. �Right by the gas stove!� There was a silence as his words were digested. Their safe little school was about destroyed. And Katerina realized that their parents were still inside. �Oh my gosh!� she exclaimed with fright, �The adults don�t know.� All the other children�s eyes widened. Their parents were going to die! Katerina started running to the little school. �Katerina! No! He was right by the stove!� Peter called out to her to try to get her back, but she wouldn�t listen. Peter and Rachel closed their eyes and started to pray silently. They heard a deafening boom. The music abruptly ended. The school building burst into flames. The starts of surprised and frightened cries were quickly ended. The parents had been in the room right next to the wood stove. Peter and Rachel opened their eyes. They had lost both parents, and apparently their sister, for they couldn�t see her. But then, they saw her running towards them. They ran up to her, wrapping their arms around her. Her face was black with flying soot from the raging fire that was almost through with destroying their school. �I was in the doorway. I flew backwards in the explosion.� Katerina told her siblings, her face streaked with tears. All the children watched in silence as the fire devoured the school. They were alone. Katerina, sixteen-years-old, was now supposed to help the family � the oldest child�s duty. She had to make sure that her siblings would be � but how could she ensure their safety? Thirty parents were dead. Thirty innocent parents. And now, their innocent children were left to cope. ~-~-~-~-~ Katerina, Rachel and Peter were huddling together, each one trembling as tears poured down their cheeks. Around them other children were crying. The older ones were crying because of the loss of their parents. The younger ones who couldn�t understand what was happening were crying because they were scared, and they knew something was wrong, terribly wrong, but they didn�t know what. Franz walked over to Katerina and her siblings. She reached out with one arm for him to join them, and Katerina and Rachel quickly made room. Katerina looked at her watch. �We have to get home. Our landlord will be leaving Elizabeth if we don�t get home.� She looked around. She and Franz were the oldest ones there, they should stay with the children until they knew where they were going to go. �Rachel, Peter, you go home and stay there with Elizabeth until I come back. I�m going to stay here Franz and make sure that the kids get somewhere safely.� Katerina told them. �I can handle it on my own.� Franz said. Rachel looked tired, and she had nearly died in the fire as well. �No, I�ll help.� She told him and then looked at her siblings. �Go home you two.� Rachel and Peter scurried off, walking home. Katerina looked around and wanted to cry again. They were so far out of the way of town, no one would have known what happened. There was no one to help. What were they going to do? Franz took charge immediately. Yelling he commanded, �All right! We need all families together. Now you older kids are going to have to help the younger ones get into the correct families.� The children all looked up. They were all scared and they could see it in their faces. One of the children spoke up. �What�s going to happen? Where are we going to go?� Franz looked over at him kindly, but spoke in a firm and superior tone, �I don�t know yet. Katerina and I are going to have to figure that out, but you need to help us.� �How?� another kid spoke up. �By getting all families together like I asked.� ~-~-~-~-~ Rachel and Peter reached their apartment and walked up the steps. They didn�t have a key, their parents did, so they had to knock on the door. They knew the landlord would peer out through the peephole before opening the door, so it would take longer than they wanted. All they wanted to do was sit down and relax. They were exhausted. Soon the door opened. �Rachel! Peter! What happened? Where are your parents, and Katerina? Have you two been crying?� she exclaimed. �Your clothes are dirty!� Rachel�s eyes welled up with tears and she burst out sobbing. Peter, who was younger, kept his composure. �There�s been an accident Ruth.� He started. �A Nazi blew up our school. All the parents were still in, and Katerina ran in to warn them.� Ruth gasped. �Your parents are � Katerina is�� she couldn�t go on. She was too shocked. �No, the explosion made Katerina fly out the door, she had only just stepped inside.� He reassured. �That�s why our clothes are dirty. Katerina was covered in soot, and we ran up to hug when she walked out.� Henry, Ruth�s husband stepped out of the bathroom just then and took in the scene before him: Katerina and Peter alone, with soot all over their clothes, Rachel sobbing and Peter talking with tearstained cheeks, and Ruth staring at Peter her eyes wide in shock. �What happened here?� he asked. Ruth turned to look at her husband. �The school was blown up. Katerina�s okay.� She turned back to Peter. �But why isn�t she here?� �She stayed there with Franz, their the oldest in the school. Their trying t figure out what to do with all the other kids, now that the parents are dead.� Henry looked at him, �So, the school was blown up?� Peter nodded. �By who?� �Nazi�s.� Peter said bitterly. Henry walked to a closet and pulled out four bags. �Fill these up until their full. Make sure there is some food in each. Once that�s done, take Elizabeth and get out. Go find Katerina. And don�t come back here.� Ruth�s eyes grew wide. �Henry! You�re not just going to send these children out on the streets!� �Yes I am!� he yelled. �The Nazi�s will be furious when they find out that all the children survived. I am not going to let us risk our lives for them! Take the bags, child!� Silently, his eyes wide with fear, Peter took the bags and handed one to Rachel who was now staring silently at Henry, tears streaming down her face. �Come on Ruth, we�re leaving.� He said pulling her by the arm out the door. They heard Ruth protesting all the way down the hall, and Henry�s firm voice telling her this is the way it had to be.� Rachel and Peter stared at each other. Then they went to their rooms to pack their things and then pack Katerina and Elizabeth�s. ~-~-~-~-~ The children were now all separated. Only two other kids stood alone. Katerina and Franz discussed what they were going to do, silently. Then they looked up. �All right.� Franz said. �You all need to be quiet during this time.� Katerina walked up to a little girl who was all-alone. �Hi. What�s your name?� �Emily.� Katerina looked at Emily sadly. They girl was cute. She had a head of brown bouncy curls. Her blue eyes were dark with fear. �I�m Katerina. How old are you Emily?� �Six.� Katerina sighed. The poor girl! To lose her parents so young! �Were both your parents here tonight?� She nodded her head. �Do you have any aunts or uncles or grandparents or cousins around here? Anyone you could stay with.� Emily nodded again, �My aunt and uncle.� She said and then thought a little. �Why do I have to stay with them? Why can�t I go home with my mommy and daddy?� Katerina sighed and looked to Franz for help. He quickly walked over. �Emily, your parents were in the building when it blew up.� He said in a soft, kind tone. Not at all like the voice he had used when getting the kids into a group. Emily�s eyes filled up with tears. �What happened to them?� �They died, Emily.� Katerina told her softly, and then realized that the little girl didn�t understand. �They�re gone, and they�re not coming back.� Emily blinked and took a step backward as she understood what Katerina was saying. The tears started pouring down her face. �They�re not coming back?� Emily asked. �No.� As the tears started to come down even faster and harder, Katerina, the one who had delivered the awful news, pulled the girl into her arms and rocked her. After she released Emily, Franz said, �You have an aunt and uncle you can stay with?� The little girl nodded silently. Franz directed her over to a spot as Katerina moved on to the chubby little boy, standing alone also. Suddenly a pop sounded through the air. Someone was in the woods by them, and had stepped on a twig. Everyone froze with fear. Siblings grabbed on to each other in fright. Franz pulled Emily closer to him, and Katerina hugged the little boy. They all stared at the clearing. Rachel and Peter stepped into view. Rachel was carrying Elizabeth, and Peter was loaded down with bags. �Rachel! Peter! I told you two to stay home!� Rachel scolded. Peter looked at her. �Henry kicked us out.� �What?� Katerina asked, astonished. �He gave us bags and told us to pack up.� He repeated, and then, in a smaller voice he asked, �Where are we going to go?� �I don�t know.� Katerina said. Rachel didn�t know if she would be able to hold her composure, until Franz spoke up. �You guys can stay with us.� �Really?� Katerina asked, surprised at the offer. �Of course, my mom won�t want you on the streets. I don�t either.� He told her. �Thank you, so much.� Katerina thanked him, smiling. Then to Rachel and Peter she said, �Go sit down somewhere. Please stay out of our way.� Elizabeth started to cry, and when Katerina and Peter couldn�t console her, they brought her over to Katerina, who rocked her as she helped Franz figure out what to do with the children. ~-~-~-~-~ Franz opened his door. They were all exhausted. They had taken all the children to their new homes. There had been thirty stops, and had to walk all over town to find some of the places. Luckily, all the kids had places to go, and all the places where in their area. Franz� mother came over when he got home. �Where have you guys been? I�ve been worried sick!� she yelled before she came through the doorway. She looked surprised to see who was there. �Katerina, hi. It�s nice to see you. Franz, who are these other kids? Where is your father?� Katerina spoke first, �These are siblings. Rachel, Peter and baby Elizabeth.� �It�s nice to meet you.� She said politely. Then thought a little and said, �Where is your father Franz? Katerina, why are you guys here?� Franz was looking worried now. He obviously didn�t want to tell his mother what happened. �Um, the school was blown up by some Nazi�s. Peter saw them preparing to blow it up and was able to warn us. We couldn�t get to the parents in time.� Katerina told her, not wanting to say that they were dead. �Franz and I got all the kids sorted by families, and then made sure they all got someplace to stay, with friends or relatives.� Franz�s mother put her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. She backed up and sat down on the bench by the door, shaking her head. She put her face in her hands and wept for awhile. Franz quickly ran to his mother�s side and tried to comfort her. She looked up and then asked. �Are you kids not able to go home?� Katerina shook her head. �Our landlord kicked us out. Franz said we could come here. I hope that�s ok.� �Of course it is!� his mother exclaimed. �Come on, we�ll find beds for all of you. Here! Let me take your sister.� Hannah was by Katerina in an instant and took the baby from Katerina�s arms. �Thank you.� Katerina said. Elizabeth was light, but got heavy after a long period of time.� Hannah held Elizabeth up in the air. �Anna has a big crib. We�ll be able to fit Elizabeth in with her.� �Oh, you don�t have to do that.� Katerina protested. She didn�t want Franz or his mother going out of their way. �She can sleep with me or Rachel.� �Nonsense! She can sleep with Anna!� Hannah said. �Now, we�ll talk more in the morning about things. First, let�s find you three a place to sleep.� ~-~-~-~-~ By the time Katerina was finally able to lay beneath the covers in a soft bed, she was exhausted. They decided had that they would move the bed that Hannah and Franz�s father slept in, into Franz�s room where he and Peter would sleep. They would move Franz�s bed into his mother�s room where she would sleep. Katerina and Anna were sleeping in a guestroom. Katerina and Peter had protested about moving Hannah�s bed, but she had exclaimed, �Of course we�ll do it. It�s only logical that with three beds in the house, Peter and Franz will sleep together and Katerina and Rachel will sleep together. If I�m sleeping alone, I should have the smaller bed. It�s only a bed after all.� Katerina and Peter had accepted that, and everyone had agreed on the sleeping arrangements. But, Peter had firmly insisted that he could curl up with a blanket and pillow and sleep on the floor that night. |
| � 2001 Crissie |