War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 304

Chapter 23: Lotte

“T

he Soviets refuse to expedite travel permits with temporary papers.” Anna tossed four stamped travel permits and one rejection onto the kitchen table.

Since Mutter knew that Richard and his new bride lived with Aunt Lydia, she itched to travel down there and visit the son she hadn’t seen in years. But that meant they had to cross the Soviet zone. And with the tension between the former allies running higher by the day, bureaucratic nitpicking aimed at Berliners was a common occurrence.

“So now what?” Lotte asked, picking up the temporary papers she’d had expedited at the Danish-German border.

“You need to apply for papers under your real name,” Anna said.

“Which you should have done weeks ago,” Mutter reminded her and walked over to the sideboard, from where she took a sheet of paper. “Here’s your birth certificate; that should help.”

“Alright.” Lotte gave a deep sigh. “I’ll ask for time off at work and go to the administration first thing in the morning.

The queues

at the registry office were long, even longer than those in front of the empty grocery stores and she waited for hours, before it finally was her turn.

“What is your request?” the American soldier manning the registry office asked her. He was in his mid-twenties with fair hair, blue eyes and an amazing smile that even his wartime experiences hadn’t been able to wipe away. A handsome chap.

“I need to get permanent papers.”

“Do you have proof of your identity?”

“Yes, my birth certificate.” She handed him the paper, aware that he was appreciatively eyeing her.

“It shouldn’t take long, I’ll just check our files.” He gave her a bright smile, and despite her reluctance to encourage him, she smiled back. He walked to the filing cabinets in the back of the room and searched for her name. He took out a list, mumbled something and returned, a puzzled expression on his face. “Here it says you’re dead.”

“Do I look dead to you?”

He ignored her remark. “Died of typhus in December 1943.”

She hadn’t expected them to have such meticulous records. Her request had just become a whole lot more complicated; resurrecting the dead probably wasn’t something this GI did on a daily basis. For a short moment she considered asking for permanent papers under her fake identity. But that would mean she had to live for the rest of her life as Alexandra Wagner – a notion that caused a queasy feeling in her stomach. And the young soldier would be suspicious should she ask him to look for her under a different name.

“I can explain,” Lotte said.

“How can you explain your own death? I believe you’re an impostor, maybe a war criminal.” His handsome face shifted into a grimace and she feared he’d jump up and have her arrested.

Flirt with him

, that’s what Anna would advise her to do in such a tricky situation.

Whatever you do, don’t oppose him, because he has the upper hand.

Lotte hated to pretend, but she gritted her teeth and flashed him a smile.

“Please, Mr. Spark,” she read the name on his name tag, “hear me out first, will you?” She gave him another dashing smile, the type she had reserved for Johann, the man she loved. A twinge of conscience attacked her, but she pushed it away. She did it for a good cause.

“It’s Terry,” his voice softened along with his facial expression.

Thanks, Anna!

“I had to fake my own death to escape a Nazi camp. Since then I’ve been living under the name of Alexandra Wagner.” She handed him her temporary papers, a staying permit for the city of Berlin and her worker’s ID as

Trümmerfrau

.

His eyes scanned the papers and when he read her current occupation he glanced up, his eyes filled with awe. “Is this true?”

Lotte showed him her calloused, red, and raw hands.

“That’s quite some hard work for a peachy Fräulein like you.”

She smiled at him again. “It is, but I want to help rebuild my country. You can’t imagine how much I yearned for the war to be over.”

“You did?”

“Yes, because I expected that after a German capitulation law and order would be restored and I wouldn’t have to fear being murdered for my opinions. And… I could resume my true identity again.” She ran a hand through her short hair, wishing it had grown longer already.

“Why didn’t you come here earlier? I see you registered as Alexandra Wagner a month ago.”

Yes, why? Working all day to get food into her mouth. Reluctance to go through the red tape. No. If she was honest with herself it had been apprehension at facing the past. She had been – still was – terrified at the prospect of having to recount in gruesome detail the months in her life she never wanted to think about again.

“Alexandra?” His deep voice startled her. “You’ve been far away.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Spark, ahem, Terry. It happens when I have to think about the awful time in the camp. And that’s probably the answer why I didn’t come here earlier. I wasn’t brave enough to confront my memories.” Her voice turned softer. “But now… the brother I believed dead has shown up in Lower Bavaria and the entire family is planning for a visit during Christmas. But the Soviets,” she made a face, leaving no doubt what she thought about them, “won’t allow me to transit their zone without permanent papers.”

“Nothing but nitpicking!” Terry burst out. “Damned Soviets are making our lives so much more difficult.”

“They are.”

“Will you go out with me?”

“Uhm.” Lotte stared at him aghast. “Wouldn’t that be against the fraternization rules?”

He looked crestfallen. “I’ll have to take your case to my superior. Please wait here.” He left the room, leaving her alone with contradictory emotions boiling inside of her.

Several minutes later he returned with a much older, much more senior officer. Lotte sat more upright.

“I’m Colonel Carpenter. Fräulein… Klausen, it is?” the officer asked.

“Yes. Charlotte Alexandra Klausen.” She didn’t dare smile at him.

“Private Spark has briefed me on your case. It’s quite… unusual,” he said. “I’m afraid this is going to take us some time to sort out. We can’t issue permanent papers for you just now.”

She nodded, a deep frown on her forehead.

“Do you have any proof for the claim that Charlotte Klausen isn’t deceased?”

Lotte almost burst out laughing.

I’m sitting here. Is this proof enough I’m not dead?

“My mother and my sister both live in Berlin and could testify for me…”

Colonel Carpenter looked at her and then nodded his head. “This might help. What are their names?”

Lotte gave the requested information and Terry Spark searched for her family’s names in the filing cabinets. The colonel scanned them and nodded. “Make an appointment with Private Spark for a hearing next week. Tell the witnesses to bring their own identification and any kind of proof such as photographs.”

“Thank you, sir.” Lotte sank back into her chair. It sounded intimidating but not impossible. The colonel left the room and Terry grinned at her. “Looks like we’ll see each other again.”

She forced herself to smile. “Yes. When would a meeting be convenient for you?”