“Is that his sister? The girl holding the baby?” Sally asked.
“No, I don’t believe the older girl is, but I think the baby might be. She’s some relation to him and he won’t go to a family without her.”
“Why wouldn’t the older brother want that too?” Sally asked, taking in the fact that Heinz wouldn’t even look in the baby’s direction.
“He says the baby has nothing to do with them.”
Sally met Heinz’s eyes and knew instinctively he had understood what they were saying. For a second, she saw anger warring with guilt or shame, in his eyes. She wasn’t sure which.
Reverend Collins motioned her to move slightly to one side.
“Sally, you only intended taking in one child. You might want to pick someone else.”
But Tomas had other ideas. He’d moved to her side, putting his hand in hers. She looked down at the look of trust on his little face, before he gazed toward the baby.
“I don’t think I can say no, Reverend. I have the space and looking after a baby will keep me occupied.” Having two children in the house might make the evenings pass quicker. That was when she missed Derek the most. She bent down to the young boy’s level.
“Tomas, would you like to come with me. To my home?”
Tomas looked at the Reverend who translated. The boy nodded but said something.
“He said, you must take Liesl, the baby, and Heinz, too. Sally, three children is a lot.”
The decisions were taken out of her hands. Heinz spoke to his brother and judging by the response, it wasn’t what he thought Tomas would say. For a second, Sally saw his pain before the mask dropped once more.
“Take care of my brother.”
And with that Heinz moved back to the circle of children who had yet to be placed. Tomas started to cry but didn’t make a move to follow his brother. Sally itched to drag Heinz back, by the scruff of his collar. How could he walk away and leave such a small child alone with strangers? She’d have taken in the three of them even if Heinz seemed like more than a handful.
She bent down to take Tomas’ hand. “Will we go get your sister?”
Tomas looked in Heinz’s direction, sighed deeply and then pulled Sally by the arm over to where the girl carrying the baby stood. Sally spotted another girl, about the same age as Tomas, hanging onto the older girl’s coat.
Tomas spoke rapidly in German. Sally watched the older girl’s face as her concerned expression turned to anger and she cast more than one dirty look in Heinz’s direction.
Maggie and the Reverend came over to Sally’s group.
“Have you found someone Sally?”
Sally nodded. “You?”
“Not yet. The Reverend and I thought we would wait a bit. Maybe give some children a home that might not otherwise be picked.”
Sally knew what her friend meant. The angelic-looking children, those with nicer clothes and cleaner appearance had been approached first. Also, siblings, who didn’t want to be separated were harder to place. Most people coming forward only had room for one. Tomas pulled at her hand to attract her attention, pointing to the baby.
Reverend Collins spoke to the girl.
“This is Rachel Bernstein and her younger sister Ruth. The baby is Liesl Beck, Tomas’ younger sister.”
Sally smiled. “Pleased to meet you Rachel and you too Ruth.”
Rachel smiled but Ruth just stared. Rachel kissed baby Liesl before handing her over to Sally, speaking as she did so. “She likes to look around when you hold her. See?”
Sally glanced at the baby who was staring at her with the widest, blue eyes she had ever seen. She felt like she was being assessed, which was just silly, as she was only a baby.
“She is hungry and needs a change. I did not know where to go,” Rachel added.
Sally moved to take the child in her arms. “I can take care of that. You have done a wonderful job. Your English is very good too.”
“Thank you. Mama says it is important we learn a little. We not have much time. Not enough.”
Rachel put her arm around her sister’s shoulders and pulled her closer. Rachel’s bravery made Sally’s eyes sting. Liesl held out her arms to Rachel but she simply kissed the child on the head and turned to go back to the crowd. Liesl started crying.
“Rachel, wait.” Sally turned to Reverend Collins. “Can you ask her why she hasn’t found a family yet? I saw a few women speaking to her.”
Reverend Collins tried his best. She could see, by Rachel’s facial expression, she found the Reverend hard to understand but they made the best of things with hand signals and gestures.
“She says many have asked her what skills she has. If she can run a household and how good she is at sewing or baking. One lady wanted to know if she could make cheese.” The Reverend’s anger was barely contained. “She said she will work hard but Ruth has to come too. She won’t be separated from her sister.”
“Nor should she be. The poor child has already been torn away from the rest of her family,” Maggie huffed. Sally could only imagine what the older woman would do if someone asked Rachel those questions in front of her.
“Why don’t you take Rachel and her sister, Maggie? You can teach Rachel new skills. Ruth and Tomas will have a friend and Rachel can teach me how to care for Liesl.”
Maggie beamed but the look on Reverend Collins’ face took her by surprise.
“I don’t think that is a good solution. People will talk if I live in a household of women.”
Maggie and Sally exchanged a look, before bursting out laughing. Reverend Collins’ cheeks grew redder, making
