The White Rose Resists by Amanda Barratt

Author:Amanda Barratt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Published: 2020-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Kirk

December 11, 1942

Munich

Wrapped in coats and scarves, boots slipping on the slick cobblestones, Annalise and I walk toward her apartment, the sky a canvas of star-studded pitch. Annalise has her hands in her coat pockets, and she keeps her gaze on the frost-glossed cobblestones as if unsure of her footing.

I have so many questions I want to ask about her time in Berlin, her brother’s loss and how she is bearing up beneath it, but broaching them doesn’t seem right. So I wait and walk beside her, our shoulders almost brushing, my hand at the ready to steady her if she slips.

We reach an intersection just as a car drives past, headlights off. Our steps pause and my gaze follows the car. One can never be too cautious when traveling on foot in these days of blackout and frequent accidents.

“Look.”

I turn. Annalise points at the sky, head tipped back.

“The stars. Look at them.”

I look into the sky, cold air tingling my cheeks, the warmth of her shoulder brushing mine. Countless pinpricks of light, some brighter than others, are scattered across the darkness like little diamond chips. “Beautiful, aren’t they?”

“We all see the same stars.” Her words are so soft I almost don’t catch them.

“What?”

She meets my eyes, face half shadowed. “We all see the same stars. It doesn’t matter whether we’re a servant of the Reich or an enemy, Jewish or Gentile. All of us look up at the same night sky and see the same stars.”

“God’s view of equality, right there.”

“No matter how wrong the world is or how hard it is to live in it, if it’s a clear night, we know there will be stars.” She tilts her head. “Maybe that’s faith. Knowing that no matter how dark it seems, God’s light is there, even if we can’t always see it.”

Her words give me pause, but in a good way. She’s spoken of faith in the months since summer vacation, but never with this note in her voice. Almost … peaceful.

Unable to resist, I slip an arm around her shoulders, and we continue down the street. “That doesn’t sound like the Annalise I used to know.”

She nods. “I know. Something’s changed. Nein, not something.” She leans closer into my side as we walk. “Everything. God is real, Kirk. He’s real, and I believe in Him. I’ve given my life to Him.” Her eyes shine as she looks up at me.

“What? Annalise …” My words trip over each other. “That’s … that’s the best news I’ve had in a very, very long time.” A grin stretches my cheeks, matching the one on her lips. “How did it happen?”

“It started over the summer, with your letters.” She laughs. “The whole thing is practically your fault.” Then her expression turns serious. “I was miserable in Berlin. The family I used to have, even the family I thought I had six months ago, they’re gone. Not just my brother, but all of them. I was lonely and scared and I thought a lot about life.

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