1
Berlin, November 1938
Heinz Beck walked to the train stop, eyes and ears on full alert, just in case they were waiting for him. The attacks were increasing. What had once been an occasional beating, or stones being thrown, had turned into an almost weekly event. He wasn’t about to show his fear. His heart raced painfully, his stomach clenching, not just from hunger. A combination of fear and frustration that he couldn’t fight back. Not as he’d like to, anyway. If he inflicted any injuries on a Gentile, his family would be made to pay the price. The hair on the back of his neck rose. Was he being followed? He turned quickly, almost hitting his younger brother.
“Tomas, what are you doing here, you should be at home.”
Tomas blanched at his brother’s tone. “I want to go to school with you. Papa says I’m smart. I’m too old to stay home with Liesl and her.”
Heinz took his brother’s hand and considered what he should do. He couldn’t blame the child for not wanting to stay home with their stepmother. He did everything to stay away from the house too. But, if he turned up at school with his soon to be five-year-old brother, the master might not be happy. As it was the school was overcrowded. Now that all the Jewish children had to go to the same school, there was very little space for extras.
“Please Heinz. Brown-Bear will be as quiet as a mouse, I promise.”
Who could resist a request like that? Sighing loudly, Heinz took his brother’s hand and led him to the elevated train station. They lived about thirty minutes away from his new school. He chatted to Tomas, in an effort to hide his discomfort. What if the Hitler Youth got on the train or worse the SA? Those men, in their brown uniforms, took delight in tormenting Jewish men, women, and children. Usually, Heinz escaped their attention, as he didn’t resemble pictures of a typical Jewish male. Although he had dark hair, his eyes were blue, not brown. Still, a quick glance at his papers and the red J for Juden would surely get him into trouble.
He smiled acknowledgment at Rachel Bernstein, one of their neighbors who was also waiting for the train. His heart beat faster and he could feel his cheeks flushing. Always the same reaction, which was silly as she was just a friend. She was in love with Joshua Stern. Now, Stern, he looked like a poster boy for the Jewish congregation. Heinz had lost count of the number of times Stern had been picked on at their last school. Teachers and pupils alike.
“Morning Tomas, are you coming to school too?” Rachel asked.
“Yes, and I’m so excited. I can’t wait to show the teacher how good I am at math. Papa’s been helping me and I can count all the way to a hundred. Want to see?”
Heinz groaned, as Rachel nodded her head. In his element, Tomas proudly recited the numbers. He then showed off his English abilities – their stepmother had taught them a couple of words. Heinz’s mouth curled. Trudi was insistent they had to leave Germany. She had been trying to get Papa to agree to send them to England ever since the Nazis marched into Austria. Or maybe even before then. She just wanted to get rid of him and Tomas, so she could have Papa all to herself.
“What’s wrong with you? Bad breakfast?” Rachel asked. It took a couple of seconds for him to realize she was talking to him.
“What? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking.”
“Do the world a favor and don’t. The expression on your face would turn milk sour.”
He didn’t smile, even though he knew she was teasing. Trudi was winning, he knew she was wearing Papa down. Only last night, he’d said he would consider it but only if the three children left together. That had put a stop to Trudi’s plans. She wouldn’t let her darling Liesl go to live with strangers in another country. Who wanted to live in Britain anyway?
“Have your parents been talking about the Kindertransport again?” Rachel whispered, having looked around her first to check nobody could hear her.
Heinz nodded.
“Mine too. They say it’s the only way we can leave but I want us to go together. So does Mama. She says we still have a chance with the Americans. Papa’s brother emigrated there when the Nazis first came to power. He can sponsor us. He’s rich.”
Heinz thought Rachel was rich. Certainly, the Bernsteins had more money than their family did. Papa and Mother used to live in a large apartment and he remembered having servants. But that changed when Mother died and Papa wasn’t allowed to work anymore. The current regime had no time for Jewish doctors.
“Are you far down on the list?” he asked and immediately regretted it, as her face fell. She nodded but didn’t elaborate. Everyone, even the children, knew where they stood on the emigration list. Every day conversations spun around theories of how fast the Americans would work through the quotas, what tricks could be used to improve your chances, the stories of how so-and-so had got out, etc. It made him wonder what everyone had talked about in the days before Hitler. He caught the fear in Rachel’s eyes. He tried to reassure her.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. They said some South American countries will allow us to go and live there.”
“Heinz, Papa was talking to your father. He wants us to go on the same Kindertransport. He says you could look after us.”
Heinz sat straighter. Mr. Bernstein had really said that. Her next words made his chest fall.
“I told
