“Heinz, I’m certain you do. Your stepmother wouldn’t have let you make the journey without something. Hide them well, not in anything that can be searched. They will tear everything to pieces in their bid to steal. A friend told me they even stole a Star of David necklace from a child on the last trip. What could they possibly want with that?”
“Gold!” Heinz spat out. The Nazis plundered the country at every level, from making the Jews pay for the damage they themselves did on Kristallnacht, to stealing apartments, furnishings, gold, bank accounts. You name it, they took it.
“Mama gave me some diamonds. But just in case anything happens to me, I want you to know I sewed some into the hem of Ruth’s dress.” Rachel leaned closer, the scent of her hair tickling his nose. “She’s too scared to know, as she would give the game away.”
Heinz nodded and then realized what Rachel had said.
“Nothing is going to happen to you. You are coming to England with us and that’s final. I won’t let it.”
She gave him a sad smile but didn’t argue. Instead, for a second, she leaned in closer, leaving no distance between them.
“You will be a good man, Heinz, when you get control over that temper.” She kissed his cheek. “I never thanked you for what you did for Mama.”
And then she was gone. Back to caring for the younger children, soothing their cries for their mothers and fathers. Heinz glanced around; it was the children who didn’t cry who bothered him the most. The ones who sat as still as the Catholic statues Trudi had shown him when she’d taken him to see a Catholic church one time.
He remembered the funny smells in the church and the paintings in the windows made from glass. The priest had been nice enough, patting him on the head before moving Trudi away to speak to her in private.
He’d thought Papa would be annoyed when he told him about visiting the church, but he had instead exchanged a small, secret smile with Trudi. He’d told Heinz not to tell anyone about the church visit, particularly Aunt Chana.
Later he heard Papa ask Trudi if the paperwork was possible, but he hadn’t known then what Papa meant. It was only in Dachau, listening to the stories of how other Jews had tried to leave, he heard about Jewish children being given fake Catholic papers, in a bid to hide from the Nazis. Was that what Trudi had been trying to do?
Suddenly, the train screeched to a stop. Rachel glanced at him, her face turning white. They heard loud German voices and the barking of dogs. Some children began to wail but most were stuck silent to their seats, in terror. The compartment doors were thrown open.
“Luggage inspection!”
The older children scrambled to take the cases and haversacks from the luggage racks above the seats. The Nazis hadn’t learned any patience.
“Schnell! Schnell! Open up,” they screamed as they moved along the carriage. Any bag that wasn’t opened up fast enough was torn apart. Soon the carriage was strewn in clothes and underthings, as the men searched for anything of value. Just as Rachel had predicted, nothing escaped their eagle eyes. When they caught a young child with twenty marks, he got a vicious clout across the head. This despite the fact his protests about not knowing it was there rang true. Necklaces were yanked from around girls’ necks. In one case they threatened to pull out a girl’s earrings as she took too long to remove them. Her hands were shaking too much. Rachel stepped forward and removed them calmly, before handing them to the solider. The look he gave Rachel made Heinz’s hair stand up on the back of his neck. It wasn’t the look one gave a child. Heinz moved so suddenly, Liesl protested with a squeal and chose that moment to roar in protest. It got the man’s attention, giving Rachel a chance to dart back into the crowd of children.
“What’s wrong with that rat? Trying to hide something valuable in its clothes?”
Before Heinz could react, the man grabbed Liesl from his arms. Liesl’s roars soared as her arms flailed about in protest at the rough handling. The solider shook her as if she was a small dog. Heinz stepped forward but it was Tomas who came to the rescue.
“Stop that. You’re scaring her, you bad man. Adults don’t hurt babies. Go pick on someone your own size you, big, fat meanie.”
Heinz’s breath caught in his chest. What on earth had got into Tomas? What would the Nazi do to his brother?
“Sorry Sir, my brother gets a…”
“Silence.” The man thrust the protesting Liesl at Heinz. “Undress her. I want proof she is hiding nothing.”
Heinz did as he was bid but kept an eye on the Nazi and his brother at the same time. The Nazi held the back of Tomas’ neck making Tomas stand on tip-toe to try and remain on his feet. Tomas’ face was white, his large blue eyes taking over most of his face.
“There,” Heinz held up his naked sister who stared at the Nazi too but in silence this time.
The Nazi dismissed Liesl with a wave of his hands, his attention falling to Brown-Bear, clutched in Tomas’ hands.
“Give me that bear.”
Tomas paled, cuddling the bear closer.
“No. He was a present from my Papa. Papa died and it’s all I have left.”
“Give it to me or I will throw you off the train.” The solider lifted Tomas further off his feet. Despite this, and the continuous threats, Tomas kept an even tighter hold of the bear. The Nazi’s eyes gleamed. Heinz was sure he believed Tomas was holding onto the bear because it was stuffed with valuables.
“Give the man the bear, Tomas,” he hissed. “Now!”
Tom glanced at Heinz, his eyes wide and filled with tears. “Do I have to?”
Heinz nodded. Tomas hugged the
