6

“We get to the airport, and my mother buys tickets to Canada, instead of Alaska. I give her a confused glance and she whispers that she’ll explain on the plane. 

“I wait until we board, and get the dog and baby strapped in; until I ask her to explain. ‘We’re landing at an airport that is closest to the Canadian-Alaskan border. From there we’ll rent a car, using a different name.’ my mother explains, in a low whisper. Geez, all of this is making me feel like I’m in a spy movie.

“We do exactly as my mother said we would. It takes us about two days to arrive at our family friends’ house. My mother was right, they are very secluded. The house blends in, you couldn’t tell that there even was a house.

“While my mother and I are upstairs unpacking, I blurt out. ‘Okay, would you like to explain why all of this is necessary?’ I ask. ‘What?’ my mother replies.

“‘Landing in Canada; buying a rental car using a fake name; and then spending two days driving out here to this home of people I don’t know anything about.’ I sum up recent events. ‘We’re hiding from the Nazis, Dana.’ my mother says. ‘Okay.. that still doesn’t explain to me why these family friends of our’s are so hidden.’ I say. ‘You can just ask them to explain that to you.’ my mother tells me. 

“I sigh, and then decide to do just that. I go downstairs to meet these strangers in the kitchen. ‘Hi, I don’t mean to sound forward, or rude; but, can you explain to me who you are?’ I ask them with a smile. Now, there’s only four of these family friends; a man who looks like he’s in his 60’s; a woman who looks the same as the man, I presume they’re married; another man, but he looks like he’s 30-ish; another woman, she looks the same as the younger man, I  presume they’re twins. 

“The older man speaks up first. ‘Hello, my name is John. The reason we’re so secluded is because, you see, we use to be spies -if you want to call it that - and we had an assignment to spy on Hitler. Something went wrong, and my wife and I’ the man stops to signal over to the older woman, revealing my assumption about them being married was correct. ‘My wife and I almost got killed. So we decided to take our two kids’ John stops once again to signal over to the younger man and woman, yet again proving my assumption that they’re twins to be true. ‘We took our two kids, and moved up here to Alaska.’ 

“‘Oh, okay, I see. So, you’re John?’ I ask, just for confirmation. ‘Yes, I’m John, my wife is Rachel. Our son is Max. Lastly, our daughter is Monica.’ John introduces everybody. ‘Nice to meet all of you, I’m Dana.’ I turn and smile at everyone. They all smile back.”

“Hold on, Max, like, great grandfather Max?” I ask my great grandmother. 

She smiles, “Yep.” 

“That’s how you two met? Literally, why have I not known about any of this?” I ask once again. 

“Yes, that’s how we met; and I never thought you’d be interested.” My great grandmother replies, with a chuckle. 

“Grandma, I’m more than interested in this. Please, tell me there’s more.” 

“Oh, sweetie, there’s lots more.” My great grandmother says with a smile.