War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 307

Chapter 26: Lotte

Berlin, December 1945

T

wo months had passed since her first visit to the American administration, and many more had followed. Terry had not given up flirting with her. While she needed his goodwill to wade through the meters of red tape required to get her permanent papers, she always politely declined his advances.

“Why don’t you go out with him?” Renate, one of her coworkers, asked after Lotte returned from yet another visit to the administration office.

Lotte glared at her, taking up her spot in the line of women hammering mortar from bricks that had been collected from a destroyed building. “Because I’m in love with Johann.”

“Nobody says you have to jump into bed with the GI, but he seems nice enough and a harmless date won’t hurt anyone.”

“Well, if he’s so nice, you can have him.” Lotte hammered at the mortar, careful not to destroy the brick. Nobody seemed to understand her. Even the authorities had finally realized that it was futile to try to keep Allied soldiers away from German civilians and had eased the ban on fraternization. Since it was no longer prohibited to interact on a social level, frequenting the same bars had become commonplace. Intimate relationships were still strictly forbidden, but most of the servicemen didn’t give a toss. It was tolerated as long as both parties adhered to the pretense of keeping it clandestine.

“Believe me, I would take him in a heartbeat.” Renate laughed and placed her clean brick into a rusty bucket. “He’s young, handsome, nice and…American. He can get you all kinds of things otherwise not available in Berlin. Have you seen Erika? Her Ami soldier showers her with nylons, chocolate and all sorts of food.”

Lotte pursed her lips. “I’m not interested. And I don’t believe for one second Terry will be content with a harmless date. They all want to be

paid

for their favors.”

“And what’s so bad about it? Do you want to keep doing this backbreaking work? I’d rather have a nice job as secretary, have a handsome soldier take me out to bars and dancing… and have some fun at night.”

“Not me.” Lotte focused her attention on the work at hand, indicating the conversation was over. She hadn’t heard from Johann in almost a year, had no idea where he even was. But despite most everyone urging her to move on, this wasn’t a valid reason to go out with another man. Johann would return to her side. Wasn’t that what the crazy witch Ingrid had predicted? Lotte wasn’t superstitious, didn’t believe in witchcraft, but the more time passed, the more she clung to Ingrid’s words, wanting them to be true.

The date

for their departure to Kleindorf approached and Lotte still didn’t have proper papers. Every nerve in her body was strung tight as she observed her family making preparations. She feared she’d have to spend Christmas all be herself in the empty apartment.

“Lotte, why don’t you go down and check with the American registration office one more time?” Anna suggested as she prepared to leave for her last day of work before their trip.

“What good will it do? I was there yesterday and Terry will only ask me out again.”

Anna gave her a stern glance. “Has it occurred to you that your suitor might be holding back your papers in a desperate attempt to get you to agree to a date?”

“When did you become so shrewd?” Lotte asked her older sister.

“Since I started to work for the master of manipulation.”

Lotte’s eyes went wide. “Professor Scherer? I thought he was your idol?”

“Was.” Anna put on her gloves and coat. “I still admire his brilliant scientific mind, and I can’t complain, because he’s always looked out for me. But the ways he manipulates people to get what he wants are… outstanding.”

“I had no idea…” Lotte said.

“Nobody does. His counterparts don’t ever notice, they usually think it was their idea. So, take my advice: put on your best dress, paint your lips red and let Terry know that he’ll earn himself your undying gratitude – and a date – if he gets you the papers in time for our trip.” Anna glanced at her reflection in the mirror and adjusted her bonnet.

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

“Think about a Christmas all alone in the empty apartment.” Anna blew her an air kiss and rushed out the door. “Good luck! I’m running late.”

Lotte left work a few minutes early to pass by the administration office just before it closed. She had abstained from putting on her best dress, but rummaged in her handbag for a lipstick she’d borrowed from Anna and retraced her lips before entering.

As usual, Terry was manning the desk in the office for identification papers and she cast him a bright smile.

“Hello, pretty woman,” he said. “Your papers have finally arrived, but the boss is on leave and won’t return until after Christmas.”

“Oh no! Can’t you make an itty-bitty exception and give them to me?”

“I’m not supposed to…” He had an awkward look on his face.

She wanted to scream with despair, but remembered Anna’s advice. “My entire family is leaving Berlin for the holidays and I’d be forever indebted to you if I could go with them. Pleeeeaaaaasssse.” She threw in a fluttering of her long eyelashes for good measure.

His eyes darted from her to the papers lying in front of him. “I guess… I’m not sure…”

“Do you still want to go out with me?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course, I do!” He looked like Christmas had come early and Lotte felt a bit guilty for using him, because he seemed to be a genuinely nice guy. “I guess I could make an exception.”

“You would do that… for me?”

He chuckled. “I know what you’re doing, but if you promise to go out with me in the New Year I’ll do it.”

“It’s a deal,” Lotte said, feeling immensely lighter. She agreed to see him as soon as she returned from Kleindorf and took her new papers. Then she rushed to the Soviet administration to get her travel permit to transit through their zone.

Three days later Anna, Mutter, Peter, Jan and Lotte boarded the train to Munich. It was an uneventful train ride and in Munich they changed into a regional train to Mindelheim. At their destination Jörg waited for them with an ox-driven cart.

“Jörg? Is that really you? You’ve grown so much,” Mutter said and Lotte rolled her eyes. Did adults always have to say the same things?

“My mom says the same, Aunt Frida,” Jörg answered while Peter hefted the suitcases onto the cart. “You must be Jan. You can sit with me on the coach box.” The two boys were only one year apart, but the younger Jörg had half a head and two dozen pounds on Jan.

It had started to snow earlier that morning and the ground was covered ankle deep in a blanket of white. The weather made for a magical world with muted sounds. Lotte wrapped herself in the blanket Jörg had provided them and ducked her head between her shoulders, shielding herself from the icy wind.

“We are here.” The cart stopped and everyone but Lotte hopped off. She was frozen in place, and the scene unfolding in front of her eyes took her breath away and impeded any movement. Despite the icy cold, sweat broke out on her skin and she felt her face burning up.

“What’s happening to your sister?” Peter’s voice asked.

“I don’t know. She’s in a state of shock,” Anna answered. “Lotte, darling, can you hear me?”

Lotte shook her head, feelings of unreality overtaking her senses. Anna couldn’t be here. Anna was in Berlin.

“I’ll carry her inside,” a male voice said and she felt herself swept up in a pair of strong arms.

“Let me go! You have no right!” She struggled as hard as she could, but the merciless man only gripped her tighter and threw her over his shoulder. Kicking and screaming she felt the helplessness of her existence invade her soul and the fight left her body. Should he do to her whatever he wished, she was done for.

When Lotte opened her eyes again she lay in bed, staring into the worried eyes of her sister, Anna, who expertly took her pulse and rubbed Lotte’s trembling hands.

“What happened?”

“You had a memory lapse and fell into a state of shock. You kicked Peter quite hard when he carried you inside.”

“I’m sorry.” Confusion colored every thought as she struggled to make sense of the strange room and her sister sitting at her bed. “Where am I?”

“Aunt Lydia’s farm.”

“I never want to go back.” Shudders wracked her entire body and she feared passing out again.

“It’s over. Whatever you saw, it happened in the past. The war is over, and you’re safe.”

Slowly reality returned to Lotte’s senses and breathing became easier. “You’re right. I was caught in the past, experiencing it all over again.”

“Seeing the farm again triggered your subconscious. It does happen. But the good thing is, it probably won’t occur again.”

“Glad my sister is a medical expert.” Lotte tried a small smile.

“Do you feel strong enough to come downstairs and say hello to everyone?”

“I guess I should.” Lotte left the bed with wobbly legs and climbed down the stairs with her sister’s help. “I want to see my brother.”