War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 131

Chapter 15

W

hen Richard woke before dawn, Katrina greeted him with dark shadows under her eyes from having stayed up all night to wash her brothers’ clothes. In contrast to their usual morning routine, he didn’t dare kiss her or even give her an embrace, as she finished stuffing their bags with food and extra clothing.

Instead he busied himself helping her set the table while she made breakfast. To celebrate the special day, she raided the weekly ration of eggs from the new hen and even took a piece of sausage from the hidden pantry beneath the kitchen floor.

Stan and Jarek came downstairs several minutes later, and, after giving mean side-glances at Richard, recounted the rumors about the upcoming closure of the Lodz Ghetto and the deportation of everyone living there.

“It’s true. The Wehrmacht has been tasked to secure transport to resettle everyone to the East,” Richard admitted.

“To death camps, you mean.” Stan sneered as he clipped out each word. “Resettlement means a gas chamber if you’re lucky or being worked to death at one of your camps, eh, Richard?”

Richard turned white as a sheet, not willing to believe that Stan was confirming his worst suspicions. “That can’t be true. Why would they do that?”

“Your good German is just like every one of those rats,” Stan said, facing Katrina, and then sneered at Richard again. “Are you really that dim-witted or are you merely protecting your sadistic compatriots?”

“No, no…” Richard shook his head, but Stan steamrolled over him. “Have you ever wondered how someone can survive on half the rations a Pole gets, which is less than a German gets? Have you ever asked yourself why nobody ever returns from one of the camps? Have you seen the skeletons clad in rags, doing the work of an ox?”

Richard felt the blood drain from his head as he listened to Stan explaining in vivid color the destiny of the Jews under the German occupation. The glimpses he’d seen suddenly all fell into place. Shame for his nation spread through his body and reddened his cheeks.

“I…I didn’t know.” He lumped back in his chair, pushing the half-eaten breakfast away.

“Now you do,” Jarek chimed in, “and what will you do about it? Sit here and feel sorry for yourself?”

“Let him be,” Katrina said, but her intervention only agitated her brothers even more.

“You’re not even man enough to stay with your army. You deserted to save your own skin, because you know that Germany will lose this war, and soon!” Jarek bellowed. “You are a filthy coward, that’s what you are!”

Richard didn’t think he was a coward. Naïve yes, stupid perhaps, but never a coward. He had volunteered for the front because he couldn’t stand witnessing more of the SS’s atrocities committed against civilians. But he chose not to mention this; it wouldn’t help to calm Stan’s and Jarek’s hate. In their vengeful eyes, his German heritage painted him a criminal without the benefit of judge or jury.

“Every single damn German is a cog in the machine bulldozing over Europe killing millions and millions.”

“You’re right,” Richard said, stunning Jarek into silence. Three heads whipped around and three pairs of eyes shot open at his confession. “I was a cog in the German war machine, but I’m not anymore. I want to do my part to stop this madness.” The words tumbling out of his mouth shocked him just as much as they did the three Poles. When had he made the jump from fugitive deserter to offering to play an active part in the Polish resistance?

Katrina regained her composure first. She poured everyone a special herb brew that tasted almost like coffee and said, “I’m worried about Agnieska.”

“Who’s that?”

“Agnieska is our sister-in-law. Her sister Ludmila was married to Piotr, our oldest brother, the one who’s been missing since the invasion,” she explained with a tired voice. When she didn’t offer any more explanation, Jarek continued for her, “Agnieska and Ludmila are Jews.”

Richard barely dared to ask his next question. “Where are they now?”

“Where do you think, Fritz?” Stan drew his eyebrows together. “In the Lodz Ghetto, of course.”

“Piotr sent the two women and his son Janusz to live with us on the farm before the war broke out, because he thought they’d be safer here than in Warsaw. But…” Katrina had difficulties controlling the tremble in her voice. “…the three of them were forced to move to the Ghetto three years ago. About a month later we received news that Ludmila had died of fever…” At the last part, her voice abandoned her.

“Two years ago all children were deported to Chełmno. Gassed. All of them. Janusz was on the list.” Stan fought against tears himself. “But for all we know, our sister-in-law is still alive.”

“Not for long,” Jarek added.

The threat of closing down the Ghetto and sending all occupants to a death camp hung over the small group like a dark thundercloud.

“Can’t you get her out?” Richard asked and again three pairs of eyes stared at him as if he’d gone nuts.

“Are you crazy, Fritz? You think we can just walk inside, find her, and walk out?” Stan glared daggers at Richard, but Jarek tilted his head and murmured, “If we had a plan…we would need a plan…there must be a way…”

The energy in the room shifted and soon they were making plans about how to rescue Agnieska before the Ghetto would be closed down. In the end, they concluded that Stan and Jarek needed to make enquiries first.