Playing With Matches by Lee Strauss

Author:Lee Strauss [Strauss, Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: World War Two, Hitler Youth
ISBN: 9781480111264
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Published: 2012-10-14T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

GRANDMOTHER HEINRICH had had a collection of soft lines around her eyes and mouth; it seemed she had always been smiling. At least this was how Emil’s mother described her. But Mother never mentioned that Grandmother Heinrich had a sister, until Great Tante Gerta showed up at the door one day, unannounced.

Mother was unable to hide her surprise, and barely her dismay. But as always, her manners were impeccable.

“Tante Gerta! Please come in.”

“Heil Hitler!” she responded, stepping purposefully through the door. Emil and Helmut glanced at each other, their eyebrows furrowing together.

“I have been re-assigned to work at the prison for women. It is not far from here and since your husband is currently away, I can be of assistance to you.”

A shadow of fear crossed Mother’s face. Emil could see why Mother had never mentioned her. Tante Gerta was tall, with bony shoulders, but unlike other tall women who slouched to hide their height, she stood rigid. She had a tight bun of dirty-blonde hair, piercing Aryan-blue eyes and thin lips that moved in silence as she scrutinized them.

Emil was afraid, too.

Tante Gerta dropped a medium sized suitcase on the kitchen floor and began an impromptu inspection. Mother was mortified as Tante Gerta opened a kitchen cupboard and ran a white-gloved finger along the inside.

“Tante Gerta!” Mother could keep quiet no longer.

“Cleanliness is next to godliness, Leni,” she said in clipped flawless German. “And I’m doing you a favor. I happen to know that the SS will be doing rounds in this neighborhood next week.”

“To check for dust?” my mother said, incredulous.

“Precisely. A German wife and mother must keep her home clean, for the sake of her family and for the pride of the Fatherland.”

Tante Gerta picked up her suitcase. “Please, where shall I retire?”

“Helmut,” Mother said. “Move your things in with Emil. Emil, take Tante Gerta’s suitcase upstairs for her.”

Helmut scurried off, with Emil hauling Tante Gerta’s heavy suitcase right behind him.

Later, while Tante Gerta was “settling in,” Mother pulled a folded piece of paper from her apron pocket.

“What’s that?” Emil said.

“It’s a ‘request’ that every household send one person to attend a weekly Nazi party meeting.”

Emil couldn’t imagine Mother stepping foot in one of those.

“I wondered what we would do, Emil, and… I didn’t want to send you.” She smiled softly and nodded toward the stairs. “She’s an answer to prayer.”

“Oh.” Emil understood. “Tante Gerta can go, now.”

“Yes, Tante Gerta can go.”

Having Tante Gerta in the house was like living with a vicious guard dog that growled in its throat through bared teeth. The Radle family trod carefully around her, fearful of the painful bite that came in the form of a harsh verbal lashing. Thankfully, she didn’t spend a lot of time at home.

One afternoon there was a knock on the door.

“Johann?”

“Are you alone, Emil?” he whispered. His face was flush with excitement, and he clearly had news.

“Yes.”

“I found this.” Johann handed Emil a folded piece of paper. He opened it carefully. It was damp

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