Chapter 4

Chapter #4 - December 13th, 1933

After arriving in Berlin we checked straight into our hotel. Hand in hand with her head resting on my shoulder. While new chapters in history were being written with each passing day outside, being here with her made it feel as if the world outside these walls did not exist. It was as if the world or at least my world was concentrated right into this very elevator. 

As we exited the elevator and entered into our room we placed our bags down before going to admire the view from the balcony. Gabrielle placed her arms around me while leaning her head on my shoulder once again. You could see what was left of the Reichstag after the fire in 1933.  “The Nazi’s burnt it down, I promise you that” She said. “I agree but we shouldn’t say things like that” “You never know who could be listening.” Gabrielle laughed as if I had been joking.

Maybe it was me being paranoid but for all we knew there were SS or Gestapo officers in the next room and they could hear us talking. “I’m sorry” “I couldn’t bare the thought of them taking you away.” Her face turned bright red as she began to blush. “When I arrived in Germany...” I pulled myself away from Gabrielle. “What’s wrong?” she said. Memories of my arrival came flooding back like raging river.  “Don’t shut me out” Gabrielle said while placing her hands on my shoulder. “Let me help you”

“When I stepped off the train...” After pausing for a moment to regain my composure, I took Gabrielle by the hand and brought her to face me. “It’s okay I understand if you don’t want to talk about it.” Gabrielle said. Looking down at my feet I breathed heavily while trying to remember what happened. I opened the door and walked back inside. Gabrielle soon followed with mixed emotions and approached carefully. “Don’t shut me out, let me help you” she said. 

Nobody at that point had ever wanted to help me in my life asides from my parents. “I was making my from the up the platform when I came across a young family”. Their faces began to race through my mind like a runaway train. “A group of Nazi thugs stopped them to check their papers and everything seemed to be in order at first so I kept walking” “But then I heard a whole lot of yelling and when I turned to look back...”. I paused a final time before I could gather the strength to finish the story.

“It looked as if the thugs were going to let them go until one of them made an obscene gesture towards the mother”. “Her husband protested by shoving him to the ground and as he moved to confront the others in the group he was shot in the head”. Gabrielle stood in silence trying to comprehend what I had just revealed to her. “I can’t believe that, I mean I knew they were evil but to do something like that”. “The boy who shot him.” Gabrielle interrupted me quickly. “Boy?” She said. “What do you mean boy?”

“A young SS soldier who couldn’t have been any older than maybe 19 shot him.”

 “I can’t believe that”. She said while in disbelief. “What happened to the rest of the family?” “The mother and the daughter fell to the ground in tears and clutched the mans body.” “Not before long the animals arrested them and lead them out of the station.” Those thoughts reminded me of the intense rage and hatred I felt. I will never understand why I stood by and let it happen but more so because of how the rest of the crowd never seemed to take notice. 

“Maybe I could have done something to save them”. I knew that wasn’t true but even as a bystander I felt a small degree of guilt. “The soldiers laughed it off like it was a joke”. “I’m sorry but do you think that if you had interfered you would be here now?”. “No but if they can do that to an innocent family, they wouldn’t hesitate if you gave them what they call reason”“You know you should be more careful too.” “Standing up to Rudolph like that isn’t something most people would do” she said.

“What was that guy’s problem?” Gabrielle had never explained what the altercation was about. Maybe it was because I had never asked her to but one wasn’t necessary. If she was happy I never wanted to disturb her happiness. “I’m sorry I’ve never told you.” We began to look each dead in the eye. “You deserve to know what you were getting yourself involved in.” “If it means keeping you safe and happy then I’m not afraid of anything”. After a brief kiss Gabrielle pulled away and turned her back to me. 

“We grew up together.” I paused briefly as I wasn’t sure as to what she meant. “Rudolph’s family lived across the street from mine”. Sadness and disappointment seemed to come over her as she told me the story. “He was such a kind and compassionate child”. “What happened to him?” “Really?” I said interrupting her. “He seemed anything but kind or compassionate” Gabrielle turned back to face me and almost appeared to cry. “We were very close but as he...” “Are you sure you want to continue?”

“As he began to grow up he began to change.” “What do you mean?” “He was always close to his father who was an enthusiastic supporter of  the Nazi’s.” As she continued the tale of her childhood she seemed to realize something that went previously unnoticed. “Now that I think about it, I wonder if it was his father that forced my father to flee.” Gabrielle turned away again trying to contain her tears. Unable to simply stand by and let her cry I put my arms around her and tried to whisper a few words of consolation into her ear.

“Rudolph always looked up to his father and wanted his approval in nearly everything he did”. “I remember having dinner at their house one night as a child and his father spent most of the night giving us a rant about how the Jew’s are to blame for our country’s problems.” Gabrielle reached into her bad and pulled out a necklace. The necklace was so elaborate that I knew there was some kind of special meaning behind it. “He gave that to you didn’t he?” “It’s called an Algerian love knot” Gabrielle said. “It was a family heirloom that he gave to me on my 16th birthday.” 

“But as he got older, his father’s opinion became more and more important”. “When he turned 16, Rudolph lied about his aged and joined the SS”. Standing their in shock to the story I just heard I felt my words offered little comfort. “From then on every time I saw him he became less of the boy I used to know and more of that evil thing you met in Dresden.” For one of the few times in my life I didn’t know what to say. Thoughts raced through my mind as I tried to find something appropriate to say.

“When we were kids I think about our future together” Gabrielle said.  “I hate to sound obsessive but we had even decided what we would name our children.” The thought of her being with somebody else disgusted me. It frightened me to death.  “Do you miss him?” I said. Throughout this entire conversation I wondered if she was still in love with him. “I miss who he used to be.” She said.

“He’s become a shadow of his former self.” She directed my attention to the poster of Hitler on the wall.  A brush of sympathy began to come over me. “Like my father”. “What do you mean?” “It’s not the same but in some ways it is.” “After my mother died he became an entirely different person.” Gabrielle seemed lost in my reasoning. “I don’t understand what you mean, it’s a completely different situation.” “I know but it just goes to show how when people are swept up by evil forces and give into their demons they become a twisted perversion of their former self.” 

“But if there is one thing I’ve learnt from these experiences it’s that we take note of them in case we ever find ourselves in a similar situation so that we don’t let ourselves fall into darkness like others do.” Gabrielle smiled. “I promise you that no matter happens in the future that I’ll never put you in that situation again.” “Bobby...” We stood there facing each other once again with a fierce concentration. “I love you Gabrielle” “From this moment on I promise to protect you from all the evils in this world.” Gabrielle was at a complete loss for words. 

The next few seconds were possibly the most nerve racking I had ever experienced. When I noticed a tear forming in Gabrielle’s eye I rushed over to her and wiped it away as softly as possible. “Don’t make promises that you cannot keep” She said. “I’ve heard these words before and look how well that turned out.” “I know this might scare you but from now until my dying day I’ll work to prove that there is truth in what I have promised you.”

If she loved me or not I did not care. I just hoped that in one day that what we had that it could heal the pain that she felt. “I believe you, James... I believe in you” She said. That alone was more than I had hoped for. It had been along time since I had anyone believe in me the way that she did. Of course I hoped that one day she would say she loved me to but I would be willing to wait until the end of time.

Maybe I was getting carried away. Perhaps I was becoming to attached to her but I could not help myself. Everything from her long dark hair to her baby-like laugh radiated with me in a way I could not find words to describe. We both knew that with the direction Germany was headed, dark times lay ahead. Times that would test us both and so I felt it important to assure her that no matter what happened I would never allow it to change anything between us.

“Let’s go out” Gabrielle said. “My father grew up in Berlin and there’s a place that he promised to take me before he fled.” Putting on my coat I took Gabrielle by the hand and we headed for the door without question. “There’s a little place not too far from here that my dad would frequent.” Memories of having to drag my father out of a local bar flooded my mind.

“He was childhood friends with the owner.” Gabrielle said. As we walked the streets I passed a group of SS soldiers and after bumping shoulders with them I simply gave them the proper salute and we continued on our way. Gabrielle seemed happy by my reaction although it could not be any less sincere. “One day they will get what is coming to them”. “I hope your right.” Gabrielle said.

We arrived at our destination soon after, or what was left of it. Gabrielle simply stood in shock from what she saw. The front window’s had been smashed and a Star of David had been painted on the window. “I can’t believe it” She said. “My father always spoke highly of him.” While I understood Gabrielle’s shock, I stared with indifference. Of course I felt sympathy for the tenant of the building but I felt as if it should come as no surprise to any other.

“Friedrich was his name” She said continuing her disbelief. “By now it should be clear” I said. “The evil that is the National Socialist party will soon consume the entire country.” “All I hope for is that he and my father are safe”. My experiences had taught me to expect the worst but being able to maintain a level of strength in the face of darkness had helped carry me through the hardships I had already endured. “I hope that one day I will get the chance to meet your parents”. “They would love you.” 

The lingering thought of the Nazi’s intercepting her parents before they were able to flee the country lingered in my mind. Pictures of what they would have done to them were easy to imagine. But I found myself remaining uncharacteristically optimistic about it. “Papa had a contact in Florida who offered shelter to him and Mama.” “I wanted to go with them but Papa was worried that they might not make it and didn’t want the Gestapo to get their hands on me.” 

“Wouldn’t they still come looking for you?” I said. “Surely they had your details on file.” We simply looked at each other without speaking as neither of us knew what to say. “Micah’s parents took me in.” Gabrielle said quietly. “I came home one night to find our house on fire and while I could not contain my tears, I knew it would not be something to make an issue of.” Gabrielle continued with a hint of sadness in her voice. “The Nazi’s love to burn things don’t they” I said jokingly. “Books, House’s and even Parliaments.” Gabrielle gave me a little smile but I could see the pain in her eyes.

“Nearly everything we owned was destroyed in that fire.” She said with a tear streaming down her face. “Every link to my parents” “Photo’s and Memories consumed by the fire.” While I brushed aside her tears I struggled to find words that would alleviate at least some of her pain. “Lets continue walking” I suggested. “Maybe it’s best if we go some place else.” “No, I need to see this.” She answered whilst trying to hold back her tears. 

To our surprise the front door of the abandoned venue was unlocked. The interior had been ransacked with tables and chairs scattered across the room. The decorations were in pieces on the floor and the stage hacked to pieces by sledgehammers and axes. “I wish I could take you away from all this.” I said quietly as we stood amongst the ruins. Gabrielle turned to face me and smiled but her reaction came as a surprise. “I know this may come as a shock to you” She said sobbingly. “But this my home, Germany is my home.” In that moment everything stood still. I struggled to understand how she could say such a thing especially in times like these.

“I know it’s strange and you probably think I’m crazy.” She said with a small tone of humor in her voice. I felt important to assure her that crazy was the last thing I thought. Although I had little waiting for me back in Brooklyn, it would still hold a place in my heart. “Germany is still home and regardless of what is happening I never want to leave.” “Of course I want to get out and see the world, but I never want to live anywhere else.” She began to look right into my eyes to see if I understood what she was saying.

“I’ll go wherever you want to go” “Wherever you go, I will be there.” I said after pausing to think what she had just told me. Grabbing both her and holding her tight I did my best to assure her that what I was being as sincere as I could. “I can’t predict the future but no matter what happens...” “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” She interrupted. “No, I have never been more sincere about anything.” “I promise that I will always be there for you and stand beside you through whatever comes.” She leant forward and kissed me before pulling back. As she began to smile I wondered what she would say next but nothing had prepared me for what would happen next. She looked me straight in the eye and said “I love you.”

Author's Note

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