Read Online The Roses Underneath by C.F. Yetmen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: C.F. Yetmen
Ads: Link
you know it’s not real. It’s all over now.”
“But what if Papa can’t find us? What if he never finds us?” Amalia’s chin began to quiver.
“He will find us. Don’t worry. Your Papa is a very smart man. And I will try again to get word to him about where we are. It will be all right, I promise.”
“You always say that. And it’s not all right. Not at all. I miss my Papa.” She began to cry, still chewing on the strudel.
Anna put her arms around the girl. “Oh, Maus. It’s all right to cry. Papa loves us and he will find us. Until then we just have to be brave and take care of each other. And today you’ll get to meet some new friends and have a lovely time with Fraulein Schilling. The day will go by in no time and then we’ll be one day closer to the day when Papa is with us again.”
Amalia continued to cry, and eventually the whistle of the kettle joined in. Anna stood holding her daughter. She again imagined Thomas walking up the Adolfsallee, she and Amalia leaning out the window waving at him before running down the stairs as fast as they could, laughing and crying at the same time. She knew it would not happen like this, but it was a nice story. Maybe it would happen. There must be a good reason why he had not answered any of the messages she sent.
The early morning sun already felt oppressive. Anna found a small spot of shade in the central court of the Collecting Point waiting for Captain Cooper. She wondered if she still had a job, after disappearing Friday afternoon. Begging for forgiveness when the topic of her absence came up was the only strategy she had thought of so far. She stood on the bottom step of the entry, her back against the wall, and tried to stay out of the way of the mad activity. Everyone had something to do or somewhere to go and she felt conspicuous. She tugged nervously at her pants, and then tried to tame her hair. In the rush to leave the house she had forgotten to pin it up and now it hung loose around her shoulders, dry as straw and just as straight.
“Hi there.” The voice surprised her and she swung around to see the short Long, the MP from the guardhouse. He sauntered over, one hand digging in his breast pocket. “You waiting for someone?” He fished out his cigarettes and offered her one. Anna held up her palm and shook her head although she would have loved to have it to settle her stomach.
“I am to go with Captain Cooper to survey some buildings. I mean, I am to translate. I was told to wait here.”
“You and the architect, huh? Well you’ve got yourself a nice day for it. Where’s your sidekick?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Sidekick, you know, your partner in crime.”
Anna looked puzzled.
“Your daughter, the cutie.” He chuckled.
“Cutie?”
“I mean she’s cute, you know, adorable. She’s a smart one too, but I bet you know that. Anyway, where is she?”
“She is staying with a family up on the hill. They will bring her down this afternoon.”
“You mean that lady who brings kiddies down here every day? What is it, some kind of school?”
“Not really. Just sort of a babysitting service.”
Anna paused. She had left her child with someone she knew nothing about except that she had survived the war, just as Anna had. What had Frieda done to make it this far? Everyone who was still standing was suspect to Anna. When Amalia and Anna had arrived at the house that morning, Frieda had greeted them with a smile and taken Amalia to play with some dolls. Two other children—a little boy and his older sister—had already arrived and were happy to be there. It seemed everything was good and proper. But Anna knew appearances were not to be trusted.
“You okay, Fraulein?” Long was smiling again. He rocked on his heels as he took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke straight into the sky.
“Yes, of course,” Anna said. “And it’s Frau. Frau Klein.”
“I see. And where is Herr Klein these days?”
A jeep pulled
“But what if Papa can’t find us? What if he never finds us?” Amalia’s chin began to quiver.
“He will find us. Don’t worry. Your Papa is a very smart man. And I will try again to get word to him about where we are. It will be all right, I promise.”
“You always say that. And it’s not all right. Not at all. I miss my Papa.” She began to cry, still chewing on the strudel.
Anna put her arms around the girl. “Oh, Maus. It’s all right to cry. Papa loves us and he will find us. Until then we just have to be brave and take care of each other. And today you’ll get to meet some new friends and have a lovely time with Fraulein Schilling. The day will go by in no time and then we’ll be one day closer to the day when Papa is with us again.”
Amalia continued to cry, and eventually the whistle of the kettle joined in. Anna stood holding her daughter. She again imagined Thomas walking up the Adolfsallee, she and Amalia leaning out the window waving at him before running down the stairs as fast as they could, laughing and crying at the same time. She knew it would not happen like this, but it was a nice story. Maybe it would happen. There must be a good reason why he had not answered any of the messages she sent.
The early morning sun already felt oppressive. Anna found a small spot of shade in the central court of the Collecting Point waiting for Captain Cooper. She wondered if she still had a job, after disappearing Friday afternoon. Begging for forgiveness when the topic of her absence came up was the only strategy she had thought of so far. She stood on the bottom step of the entry, her back against the wall, and tried to stay out of the way of the mad activity. Everyone had something to do or somewhere to go and she felt conspicuous. She tugged nervously at her pants, and then tried to tame her hair. In the rush to leave the house she had forgotten to pin it up and now it hung loose around her shoulders, dry as straw and just as straight.
“Hi there.” The voice surprised her and she swung around to see the short Long, the MP from the guardhouse. He sauntered over, one hand digging in his breast pocket. “You waiting for someone?” He fished out his cigarettes and offered her one. Anna held up her palm and shook her head although she would have loved to have it to settle her stomach.
“I am to go with Captain Cooper to survey some buildings. I mean, I am to translate. I was told to wait here.”
“You and the architect, huh? Well you’ve got yourself a nice day for it. Where’s your sidekick?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Sidekick, you know, your partner in crime.”
Anna looked puzzled.
“Your daughter, the cutie.” He chuckled.
“Cutie?”
“I mean she’s cute, you know, adorable. She’s a smart one too, but I bet you know that. Anyway, where is she?”
“She is staying with a family up on the hill. They will bring her down this afternoon.”
“You mean that lady who brings kiddies down here every day? What is it, some kind of school?”
“Not really. Just sort of a babysitting service.”
Anna paused. She had left her child with someone she knew nothing about except that she had survived the war, just as Anna had. What had Frieda done to make it this far? Everyone who was still standing was suspect to Anna. When Amalia and Anna had arrived at the house that morning, Frieda had greeted them with a smile and taken Amalia to play with some dolls. Two other children—a little boy and his older sister—had already arrived and were happy to be there. It seemed everything was good and proper. But Anna knew appearances were not to be trusted.
“You okay, Fraulein?” Long was smiling again. He rocked on his heels as he took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke straight into the sky.
“Yes, of course,” Anna said. “And it’s Frau. Frau Klein.”
“I see. And where is Herr Klein these days?”
A jeep pulled
Similar Books
