Hidden on the High Wire by Kathy Kacer

Author:Kathy Kacer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Children's fiction
Publisher: Second Story Press
Published: 2022-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Part Three:

The Althoff Circus, August 1941

Chapter 18

Irene barely remembered the bus ride back to town. All she thought about was that Herr Althoff was going to give her and her mother a place to live and work. Irene could barely keep still in her seat. She could not believe that Herr Althoff had promised to protect them. This man was putting his life and the safety of his circus on the line for her. He knew that the Gestapo could search his circus. But still, he was willing to do this. His last words before Irene had run to the bus stop had been, “What kind of person would I be if I didn’t help a fellow performer?”

There was so much to do before Irene and Mama were ready to go to the circus. They needed to pack and decide what they were bringing and what must be left behind. They had to bring Mama’s sewing machine, but it would take some planning. The box that it sat in was heavy. Getting out of the apartment unnoticed might also be tricky. Yes, there was a lot to think about. Irene wanted to anticipate every possible problem. What she did not anticipate was Mama’s reluctance to leave.

When Irene returned, Mama had been pacing the floor of the flat. But her face had lit up when Irene described all the acts she had seen—the jugglers, the high-wire performers, the trapeze artists. Irene assumed that Mama would be enthusiastic about her plan, relieved to know they would be protected at the Althoff Circus. She didn’t expect Mama’s hesitation.

“I don’t know if that’s wise,” Mama said.

Irene thought she had heard wrong. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“I think we should stay here. We’ve been safe this long where we are.”

Irene nearly screamed at her. “Safe? What are you talking about? We’re living like prisoners, afraid to go out the door, worried that soldiers will break it down at any moment.”

“But so far nothing has happening.”

“Nothing? What about Oma?”

Mama’s face reddened. “I mean, nothing has happened to us in this flat. And what do we even know about this man and his circus?”

“I’ve met him, Mama. And Papa knew him. You told me that. I trust what he’s saying.”

Mama still looked unconvinced. “But how do you know it’s going to be better there than it is here?”

Irene answered impatiently, “Mama, the one thing I know is that we’re not safe here anymore. And Herr Althoff says he’ll help us. No one anywhere else is offering that. We have to go there. It’s our only chance before things get worse here in Darmstadt.”

Mama’s shoulders dropped and she sank into a chair. When she looked up, her eyes had filled with tears. “How will your father find us if we leave this place? How will Oma find us if…when she comes back?”

Irene’s anger melted. She also worried about Papa not finding them, though she didn’t want to remind Mama that they hadn’t heard from Papa in over a year.

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