My Name Is Naomi

Chapter Three

Munich, Germany

Nazi Base Camp

December 1941

"Wolfgang!" someone called out to him, slapping him on the back. His friend Otto smiled at him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Man, you are definitely great with the ladies. They were all over you last night!"

Wolfgang shrugged, "They weren't that great of girls, then, if they let themselves be controlled like that. Besides, they all looked the same."

"Gorgeous baby blue eyes and blonde curls...what was not to like?" Otto teased, rubbing Wolfgang's head full of blond hair.

"That's the problem. They're all the same!"

"What? Are you not all for the Ayran look? Die Führer says it makes us superior."

"Just because I'm blond? That's ridiculous." Wolfgang shook his head. He pulled Otto's arm off of his shoulders. "Come on now. You need to focus. We are supposed to be looking through the rubble. Check for survivors."

"What do they do with all of those Jews anyways?" Otto asked, trailing after him, down the torn up street.

Wolfgang looked around, feeling a pang of sadness for the families who had lived here. Their homes were completely destroyed. Otto snapped his fingers in front of his face, "Hello? Anybody in there?"

Wolfgang batted is hand away, "Let's just get this over with so we can go home, okay?"

"Sure." Otto shrugged and pointed. "I'll check over here. You look there."

He watched his friend retreat before heading over to one of the destroyed looking homes, he peeked through the debris. If anyone was buried under there, they couldn't have survived. He sighed and continued the long search. He had finally walked all the way down to the end of the street after a full hour of looking. He saw Otto was still looking through his side. Wolfgang looked around the corner of a building that was half standing and was startled. There stood a doe-eyed girl, clutching a bag to her chest. She looked terrified. The girl took a hesitant step back and said something in Hebrew.

"What?" Wolfgang asked, shaking his head to show he didn't understand.

"Are you going to turn me in?" she slipped into German.

"To whom?

"The Germans." her voice shook. She took another step back. "You're one of them."

One of them.

Those words drilled a hole into his heart. There was so much fear and hatred thrown into those words. Wolfgang held out his hands, trying to show he wasn't going to hurt her. "What is your name?"

Maybe small talk would ease her up a bit. The girl's shoulders tensed up and her mouth became a tight line. All right, so maybe that wasn't going to work. Wolfgang tried to throw her a dashing smile. It worked on all of the other girls, "I'm Wolfgang. Wolfgang Braun."

"Naomi." she had spoken so quietly, he had barely heard her.

"What a pretty name." he said. "And what is a girl like yourself doing out here? Where is your family?"

Tears formed in the girl's gorgeous brown eyes, "My-my family?"

"Yes, are you alone?"

"The Germans took them."

Wolfgang's smile fell. Of course they did. They probably were taking them to a concentration camp. Not that the girl needed to know that. He nodded, "I know."

"Where? Where did they take my family?" Naomi cried. Her shoulders shook and she looked down at her feet, trying to hide her tears.

"I don't know." he lied. "But I do know that I can help you."

What was he saying?! He couldn't help a Jewish girl! They would kill him for that. But something inside of him was aching to help her. She looked so heartbroken. She had lost her home and family in one day. She was all alone...

"I have to get to America." she said, wiping her eyes. "You would help me get there?"

"Yes. I can try." Wolfgang replied, looking over his shoulder. Otto was still occupied with his search. He hadn't looked up to notice him yet. Good. He turned back to Naomi. "Stay here until tonight. And I promise I can help you. Can you do that for me?"

She hesitated before nodding. "Okay."

He pointed to the building beside them, "Hide in this building until I come to get you."

"How will I know it is you?"

"I will whistle three times as a signal." he peeked around the corner again and saw Otto meet his gaze. Otto waved. Wolfgang nodded and waved back. He turned to Naomi. "I'll see you tonight, then."

"Okay." she said quietly.

He hurried around the corner to join Otto before he got suspicious. Otto jogged over to him, "Hey, did you find anything?"

"Nothing." Wolfgang lied easily.

"Me neither." Otto smiled. "Let's head back."

At least Otto was easy going. Wolfgang might not have gotten off so easy if he had been working with someone like one of the sergeants. He wrapped his arm around Otto's shoulders and they walked back down the street together, leaving the ruins behind. But even as they walked away, his mind was still on the girl hiding behind the last building on the street.

Copyright © 2016 by Rosanna Parker

All Rights Reserved

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-Rosanna