Erika- A War torn Love

Chapter 3

Since our trip into the woods had resulted in a near miss with Mongolian soldiers. Leisel and I had not ventured into the woods again. Not because we were afraid, but because winter had now set in, there would be no cover at all should we come across them again.  We had instead walked along the road home. We still made sure we took the longest possible route going up and down all of the small side streets. It was quite exciting finding little alleyways which we had previously walked past.  Today was like any normal day, Gerda had just burst in the class late as usual, and I had remarked on the book we were reading to defuse any tension. I was already thinking of an alternate route home which we had not yet taken past the old swimming baths.

What happened next however was not normal. It was quite simply the cruellest unforgivable act, which assured me that my opinion of Hitler and his Nazi regime was just.

The door to our classroom burst open, pushed so hard it was sure to have marked the wall it hit. German SS filed into the room, these soldiers however did not have the kind amiable look my brother Fritz portrayed in his uniform, but were cold in their eyes looking like they were going to enjoy what they were about to do. It was the same look I had seen my father giving repeatedly when hunting and killing wild bird.

Their commanding soldier was called Girling, he was to become a prominent figure of the war whom I was to hate vehemently. He ordered the soldiers to train their guns on us. All I could think was why point your guns at us, girls, we are of no threat to the Nazi regime.

Then it hit me, what if they had seen Leisel and me in the woods those few months back, and now they had come to punish us for this act?

No they could not be here for us, that was weeks ago, they would not have waited this long, anyway if they knew surely Fritz would have warned me, as he knew where I had been that day. That's when he spoke.

"All those of you who are Jewish stand now".

As girls began to stand Leisel looked at me.

"Stay down, you are as much German as Jewish, and anyway looking at you they would never know so wait see what they want first" I uttered.

As I finished speaking Gerda was standing up. The Soldier next to her hit her with the muzzle of his gun to make her stand faster. I was so pleased I had stopped Leisel standing. I couldnt believe what I was seeing. We sat frozen as we looked around our classroom.

A third of our class were standing. Helmstedt had a relatively large Jewish population, all with respectable jobs and homes. As I sat looking at my classmates standing with guns trained on them I felt a wave of anger pass through me and I knew, that if they were taken I was going to follow. I had to know why these girls were being singled out from the class.

As they were ordered to gather their belongings from their desks something inside of me knew they were not coming back to this class, what I didnt know, and nor did they was the horror of where they were to be taken.

They were then lined up at the front of the class, soldiers shoving them into a line with the ends of their guns and kicking them to move faster.

Girling then spoke "These girls, look at them, they are the symbol of the past and that which is wrong with the Germany of today, take a look and those girls, remember their faces, and remember they are now the enemy of Germany. Those who are harboured will be found and those found harbouring will be punished".

With that they were lead out of the classroom. Those of us who were left in the class sat in silence until the last girl left. As I stood up Mrs Waltz urged me to sit, but I had already decided I was going to follow the SS and find out what this Girling and this war meant. Mrs Waltz stood at her desk, I thought she would try to stop me from opening the door, but she did not move. I looked back at Liesel with a caring look as if to say not to worry about me then left the classroom.