The Miracle of Love

The snow fell like little feathers dropping from the heavens, enveloping everything in a graceful white blanket, which turned roads into white foaming rivers and houses into ugly variegated islands on this perfect white churning ocean. And on one island lived a 10 year old boy named Johan, who looked out of his window dreading the end of the tumultuous stillness, for the moment it ended, his everything, would be snatched away from him. He was one lost face in a million, but his story was special. His story was that of miracles and fate.

It was 30th January 1933 when Adolf Hitler ascended to become the chancellor of Germany. It was cold dark day in the history of the world when a ruthless dictator came to power to crush freedom of all the people living in the world. He was convinced that all the democrats, communists, socialists and basically anyone not a Nazi was his enemy and needed to be eliminated, permanently, from this world, along with their families. Johan's family was being pursued by the Nazis to eliminate them, for Johan's dad was a democrat.

Their family had been dreading this day, and preparing for it since the day Hitler came to power. They had an escape plan all laid out. Johan's uncle lived in Lyon in France. All that they needed to do was to get on the train to the border, cross it, bypass the German and French guards and get on to another train to Lyon. How hard could it be?

Johan stared out of the window, looking out for any sight of German artillery or soldiers. He had very convincingly pleaded to keep watch today, as children do when any frenzy is going on in the house. He saw his mom and dad in the garden, planting seeds for summer vegetables. Johan heard his baby sister Devorah closing in on him, while tiptoeing, coming in to scare him. Before she could do so, he shouted "BOO!" Devorah rolled back in surprise and began wailing. Johan shushed her, before his mom could hear the racket and come to reprimand him. He looked back at the window to see if his parents had heard Renata's cries, which they indeed had. His gaze met with his mom's gaze which seemed to pulverize him. Suddenly there was an outburst of gunfire as German soldiers wearing white opened fire. There was a spray of crimson red as his mom and dad's body was turned into a sieve by the bullets, as the pierced their chest. Johan's entire world was tinted red as the blood splattered all over the window. Johan was traumatized, but only for a second, as he caught Devorah by the arm and did exactly what his parents had taught him to do over a million times. He went into the cellar, grabbed his and Renata's emergency backpack and opened the hidden trapdoor that opened into pitch black darkness. He heard the sound of pursuit as armed german guards entered the house. He grabbed Devorah and jumped in.

The trapdoor closed behind them as they landed on a damp and dusty mattress that cushioned their long fall. Johan heard a soft whimper next to him. It was Renata. She asked "When are mom and dad going to come? I want them back now with me." Johan could only hug Devorah and urge her to move forward as he held back his tears. He thought to himself "Devorah needs me now, I can't break down now. I need to stay strong, for Renata's sake". Johan and Devorahran made it to the end of the seemingly interminable tunnel. They shivered as they emerged into the light. It was still snowing. A tram appeared round a corner, just as some german guards appeared down the street. Johan and Devorah hopped onto the tram, for they knew it terminated at the railway station. Devorah looked at Johan as they neared the station. There were tears streaming down her face, as she asked "Bruder, will we ever meet mom and dad again?" Johan said "Hopefully Renata, hopefully"

The tram stopped at the train station and Johan and Devorah got off. They heard a ladies voice saying on the PA system, "Ladies and gentlemen. We would like to announce that there are two fugitives loose in Nuremburg who are going to try to flee the city. We would like to tell you that they are a boy and a girl aged 10 and 5 respectively. Both have black hair. If you happen to spot either of them, please alert one of our staff members. Your help will be greatly appreciated and rewarded" Johan lifted Devorah onto his back and ran towards the washroom. He pulled out the blond wigs from the emergency backpack. He put one wig on Renata's head and one on his. The tension was palpable. Johan and Devorah then ran towards the ticket booth to get their tickets to go to Munich where they would switch trains to reach the Swiss border. Devorah and Johan were a scared, wary scared, but it was this fear that kept them going. They got on the train for Munich. The train conductor came aboard as he checked everyone's ticket. Devorah suddenly exclaimed "Look Bruther doesn't that man in the black coat look familiar. He looks like Herr Burke" Johan shoved Devorah onto his lap to prevent the ticket checker from seeing them. It was their former neighbour Burke, who had always a staunch supporter of Hitler and was sure to kill any man who said anything wrong about the Nazis" Johan Gave his ticket to the ticket checker, hoping that he wouldn't see their faces. He did, and he recognised them. His eyes grew wide as he recognised them. He quickly shouted "Why! Looks like we have some hitchhikers in here who are travelling without a ticket" He took their bags and dragged Johan and Devorah off the train. A station officer asked "Herr Burke, who are these two kids you are dragging away?"Johan's heart began racing. He thought to himself "My mom and dad have died in vain. I will have to go to one of those concentration camps, which I can tolerate, but what I can't tolerate is the fact that Devorahwill have to go there t..." Johan's thoughts were interrupted by Burke's answer "These two? Just the usual runaways trying to run away from home to Munich." Johan couldn't understand why Herr Burke would help them. He knew who Devorah and Johan were, then why not turn them in?

Herr Burke took the two kids outside the station, without saying a word to the children, his face expressionless, but beneath that thin veneer was a hurricane of emotions. He knew that this moment was going to come, sooner or later, with a family of four or a pair of siblings, but he was surprised that it came so soon. Burke regarded the pair carefully. The boy was wise beyond his years and had gone from being the sweet playful boy to being a mature adult. The girl seemed scared and was on the verge of crying. Herr Burke said to them softly when they were seated in the car "Johan, don't be alarmed or scared. I don't mean any harm. Your mom and dad were aware of the fact that they might not survive, so they told me to keep an eye out for you both. You both are going to stay with me and my wife, Olinda as our kids. Your bags have a fake Id that says so. I'll send a letter to your uncle, saying that you both are safe and sound. Ok?"

ONE YEAR LATER

An year later, Johan and Devorah were looking out of the window in Herr Burke's house, who was now called fondly by the children as papa. Devorah always wondered where her mom and dad were, and had asked this question to her papa and brother sever times, but she didn't get any reply. Devorah and Johan just stared out of the window in silence, looking at the tiny snow gliding down from the sky, as they both thought about miracles, and how one saved them.