Bitter Tears by Marion Kummerow

Author:Marion Kummerow [Kummerow, Marion]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Marion Kummerow

Chapter 17

After a seemingly endless journey, the ferry ride took less than half an hour. Richard and Katrina were spewed ashore, holding hands tightly for fear of getting separated and never finding each other again.

Richard pushed the bicycle along in the stream of bedraggled people, all of them focused on their common goal: crossing the border into the safety of Germany. Everyone had a horrific story to tell, and although few people voiced their atrocious experiences, Richard could tell by the haunted look in their eyes.

He squeezed Katrina’s hand tighter and said, “We need to get away from this crowd.”

The next morning they woke before dawn and set off, passing the other travelling groups one by one, until they reached the head of the trekkers and mounted the bicycle again. They made good progress along the comparatively good road, and while the pedaling strained his legs, his ribs seemed to hurt less and he could even breathe without difficulties. Every few hours they would trade positions and he relaxed his burning muscles while Katrina did the backbreaking work.

When it was his turn again, he kept his gaze peeled to the ground, steering the bicycle between potholes and the trash lying around.

“Look, there’s a sign!” Katrina shouted with excitement, all but causing him to lose balance as he looked up to decipher the rickety sign. It said, “Görlitz 10 Kilometers”.

“We’re almost there!” Katrina cried out in jubilation, pushing one arm high into the air.

Hope spread through his body, sending a warm feeling into every limb. Soon, they’d leave all this behind and find a place to settle down. He wondered whether he’d find his parents and sisters well and alive in their old apartment in Berlin.

He couldn’t wait to wrap each of his loved ones into his arms and share the events of the past years. It had been almost eighteen months since he’d last received a letter from his mother, back when he’d been deployed to the rear-echelon in Lodz. Before he’d asked his superior to be transferred to the front again… and before his life had taken a turn he still couldn’t get his head around.

“Hey! Watch out!” Katrina shouted just in time.

He swerved and steered the bicycle around a huge rock in the middle of the road. His heart thumping hard, he reminded himself to stay focused and not let his mind wander off to happier times.

Minutes later they encountered a bedraggled group walking east. Richard didn’t think much of it, but when more travellers moved toward them, he stopped and climbed from the saddle.

Katrina cast him a questioning glance but followed suit.

“I’m trying to find out what’s happening.” He shoved the bicycle into her hands and sidled up to a group of middle-aged women with a bunch of children. There he picked out the single old man who apparently was the head of the group.

“Excuse me, mein Herr, why are you going East?”

The man looked at him with tired eyes and said, “The border in Görlitz is closed.

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