The Promise

Chapter 6.

Chapter 6.

December 1932
Lüneburg, Germany.

A light dusting of snow falling was from the sky. The street lamps in the village were glowing in the dark night and the snowflakes sparkled in the light as they floated towards the ground. Ruth walked down the deserted streets, arm in arm with Erik.

"I still can't get over the fact that you dared to celebrate Christmas far away from us Berlin," she grumbled.

"You don't celebrate Christmas anyway, Jew that you are," Erik replied with a laugh. "What difference did it make to you?"

"But your mother and Oma were all alone."

"They weren't alone, they had each other.  You must remember that I hadn't seen Father since the divorce and I figured I owed it to him, Fritz and Johanna."

"Tell me the truth, Erik, how was it spending Christmas with them?"

"Well..."

"Wait, let me guess. Your father tried and get you to join the military, Fritz supported him in his endeavor and Johanna pretended to be supportive of you but in reality she was to get you to give in to your father and brother."

Erik glanced at her. Snowflakes covered her fur hat and a few clung to her eyelashes. Her cheeks were bright red from the cold. "How well you know my family, Ruth."

"I have to know the enemy's tactics," Ruth replied with a sigh. "I was so afraid you would give in and never come back."
Her fear reflected in her eyes.

Erik smiled soothingly. "Don't worry, I won't give in. Someone has to stay with Mother after all. Fritz now lives in Berlin and Johanna, while studying in Hamburg, spends the holidays with Father. She hasn't come here once since everything was finalized. I think she blames Mother and doesn't want to speak to her. And to think just last year we were such a complete family. Now it's all bits and pieces."
They both were silent for a time as each pondered the words Erik had spoken.

"Anyway," Ruth broke the silence. "Enough of that miserable subject. It's New Year's Eve and we ought to be planning for the coming year."

Her words caused a pensive look to appear on Erik's face.

"What is it?" She prodded. "You've been rather serious since you returned. What did your father say to you to make you like this?"

"Just politics," Erik replied. "But I don't want to talk about it." He paused and checked his watch. "It's almost midnight. Do your parents know you're out here?"

"Of course not," she laughed. "They'd never let me go walking at night alone with you. I told them I had a bad headache and Father sent me to bed. Sara has gone to stay with relatives for the holidays so there's no one but me in that room. I snuck out the window and here I am enjoying the snow with you."

Ruth spread out her arms, lifted her face to the sky and spun round and round.
"You little liar!"

"Oh, and what did you tell your elders."

"The truth. I said I'm going out for a walk to greet the new year."

"Did you mention you were going with me?"
"They never asked."

Ruth stopped spinning and crossed her arms in front of her. "You omitted truth."

"But I didn't blatantly lie."

"Well my parents won't let me go for walks alone any more than they'll let me go for walks with you. I had to lie." She laughed again and scooping up some snow threw it at Erik.

A gong from the town clock told them it was midnight.

"Goodbye 1932. Hello 1933." Ruth whispered in a dancing voice. "What's your new years wish, Erik?"

A secretive smile crept onto his face. "Can't tell or it won't come true. How about you?"

Ruth studied him for a moment before coming up close to him. "I wished that you would kiss me."

The effect was exactly what she had hoped. He widened his eyes and blinked at her in disbelief. "You wished I would do what?"

"Kiss me," she replied. "And not just a little peck on the cheek. My first real kiss ought to be proper!"

"Proper?" There was a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Ruth battered her eyelashes. "Like the ones in the moving pictures where the hero pulls the woman into a tight embrace and passionately kiss her."

She fully expected him to blush from her blunt words. Instead he reached out and gathered her up in his arms, bringing his face close to hers. Ruth let out a little gasp from the sudden gesture.

"Like in the moving pictures, huh?" Erik whispered.

Ruth let out a nervous giggle. "Erik Schultz, turns out you have some nerve."

He let out a soft, mischievous laugh, "I actually have a great deal of nerve."
"Is that so?"

"You'd be surprised. I just also have a strict Christian upbringing thanks to my Oma, so I don't allow myself to cross any lines when it comes to you."

Ruth gazed into those beautiful blue eyes and allowed herself to get lost in them. One day their owner wouldn't have to worry about crossing any lines. Not yet of course, they were still too young, but in her mind Ruth already had the future all planned out for Erik and her.

"I still want my kiss though," she said at last.

Erik smiled and brought his lips to hers