A Flicker of Light by Kagan Roberta

Author:Kagan, Roberta [Kagan, Roberta]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-01-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

N

ight always seemed to increase the severity of fever and illness. The baby awakened with a loud and pitiful wail. His fever had gone back up, and now he required another alcohol bath. Hans’ painful cries woke Petra, and she sat up and watched this strange and remarkable man as he cared for her infant as if it were his own. She wondered how a Jew who had endured so much hatred and anti-Semitism could be so loving and kind to a little one in a German home.

“I don’t even know your name. I can’t even properly thank you,” Petra said.

“My name is Aaron Gold, and you are?”

“Petra Jorgensen.”

“You are not German?”

“No, I am not, but my Hans’ father was born in Munich served in the Werhmact. He was stationed at the Russian front. He’s dead. He died in battle,”

“I’m sorry.”

“He wasn’t a real Nazi, you know, not like these others.”

“That’s what they all say. When you’re a Jew, it’s hard to make much of a distinction,” he smiled wryly.

“I have never met a Jew before, at least not that I know of.”

“Oh, I’m sure you have. You just didn’t realize it.”

“Perhaps, but you are so kind and so good.”

“I’m a doctor. It’s my job to be kind and good,” Aaron laughed out loud.

“You’re so young. How long have you been practicing medicine?”

“Well, I have been practicing under the direction of another doctor for many years, but I never finished my schooling. I would have, but they outlawed Jews from attending the university, and they kicked me out.”

“That’s terrible. What did you do?”

“I left. There wasn’t much I could do - one man against a world gone mad.” He picked up the towel, and removing Hans from the bath, wrapped the baby in the towel.

“I lost my job. They took my father to a camp, so I decided to hide out and live off the land. I’ve been traveling through the countryside ever since.”

“And your mother?”

“She died a long time ago; I was just a child. I’m glad she didn’t have to go through this.”

For a while Petra just hung her head. “The police came to tell us something about a murderer on the loose around here, but I don’t believe you could have anything to do with that.”

“I can’t lie to you. I did, but it isn’t what you think. I’d taken refuge in a barn. They didn’t see me watching them, but these two boys in Hitler Youth uniforms attacked a mentally retarded girl. I guess she probably lived on the farm. Her screams of terror ripped my heart out. The boys started to rape her. I couldn’t just stand by and let it happen. And I realized if I didn’t kill them, there would be a witness to identify me. So I picked up an axe, the only weapon I could find. At first I couldn’t do it, so I tried to scare them off, but one of them came at me. So I struck him. I guess he died.

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