“I can protect you better than he can. The Nazis know he’s a Jew just by looking at him. Sitting with him would put you in danger, not protect you. “
He immediately knew he had said the wrong thing.
“Sitting on a Kindertransport train would tell them I was Jewish, regardless of who I sit beside. At least Joshua wouldn’t start a fight. He only tries to protect himself. You, Heinz Beck would find someone to fight with, even if you were on your own, inside a paper bag.”
With that, Rachel moved seats, going to sit nearer a group of girls. Ruth, her sister, whom Heinz hadn’t even noticed, gave him a reproachful look before going to join her sister. Tomas just stared at him but remained silent.
Heinz stared out of the window, his palms in fists. It wasn’t his fault trouble seemed to find him. He couldn’t stay quiet and watch as old people were beaten up or made to scrub the street. He had to intervene when younger kids were being picked on. But you don’t have to make your feelings against the regime so clear, do you? Rachel’s right. He was always angry and he knew whose fault it was. Not the Nazis, although they were bad enough. It was hers. His stepmother’s. She had stolen his mother’s husband, her home, and now she wanted to send them away so she could have Papa all to herself. But he would never consider that woman his mother. Never.
That day passed without incident. The master accepted Tomas’ presence and his brother had a great day. Ruth Bernstein had introduced him to some of her friends and the whole way home, the two of them had chatted non-stop. Rachel had even smiled at him when she caught him looking at the younger children. Maybe life wasn’t too bad after all. Trudi said you should always look for silver linings. He missed his old school and some of his Gentile friends but having to attend school with Rachel was definitely a silver lining, if ever there was one. Once she got to know him better, she would see he was perfect for her. Then she’d forget all about Joshua Stern.
2
Heinz was sitting at the table trying to finish his English homework. It wasn’t only Trudi who believed the children needed to learn English. One of the teachers at school, Mr. Epstein, had attended Oxford and he was fluent in English. He had spoken to the older children and told them they must learn to speak English to help their families if they emigrated to America or Britain.
When Heinz queried was it really necessary, the man had become quite animated. Instead of telling Heinz and the others who questioned the necessity, he asked the children to provide proof the need didn’t exist. He pointed to the examples of the queues of Jews outside the American and British Embassies waiting for papers to leave Germany. How would these families survive in another country without knowing how to communicate?
But it was his comments about how those who knew English would thrive and be able to come back at a later time to fight Hitler and his minions and return the Jews to their former positions that convinced Heinz. He liked that idea. Papa could be a doctor once more. He hated seeing Papa sneaking out to help people, at the risk of getting caught.
Something broke his concentration, a series of shrill whistles, followed by earsplitting screams.
“Papa, what’s that noise?” Tomas asked, hugging his brown bear to his chest.
Heinz was already at the window staring out at the street below. He couldn’t see anything but the noise was deafening. He heard loud banging and the sound of glass shattering over and over again. Then he saw smoke.
“Papa, the synagogue’s on fire.”
“I have to go and help. Heinz stay here and mind your brother and sister and your mama.”
Heinz opened his mouth but at a look from his father, he shut it again.
Trudi protested, “Please don’t go out, stay here where it’s safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I can’t stay here, hiding like a coward. Those are my friends down there. People will be hurt, need my help. I have to go.”
Heinz watched as she begged his father not to go but his father’s mind was made up. She should know that, just by looking at his face.
“I’ll come with you.”
“No, Heinz. You stay here. Promise me to look after everyone until I get back.”
His father’s tone told him argument was futile.
“Yes, Papa.”
He returned to the window, not wanting to watch as Tomas flung himself at their father, begging him to stay with them. He heard her bolt the front door after he’d gone. Tomas came closer to the window, sliding his hand into Heinz’s.
“What do they want Heinz? Are they going to kill us?”
He didn’t get a chance to answer, as she intervened.
“No, silly. Who’d want to kill you; everyone loves you. Come away from the window, boys. Both of you.”
Heinz stared at her, not moving.
“Heinz, I asked you to move.”
Still, he stared and would have continued to do so, only, at that moment the window shattered. A rock barely missed his head.
“Come away from the window and shut off the lights. Now!”
At her shout, he moved. He gathered Tomas in his arms and carried him to the bedroom, following Trudi. Heinz pushed Tomas’ bed as far away from the window as possible. Together they tucked the younger boy into bed, piling extra rugs on top of him to protect him from any flying glass. The bedroom was off the main street, so perhaps he would
