My Name Is Naomi

Chapter Ten

Present Day 1941

Naomi trekked after Wolfgang. Her limbs felt like jelly and her mouth was as dry as cotton. After leaving behind the abandoned house back at the Nazi army camp in Munich, they had been hiking for days, staying hidden carefully within the tree lines. Wolfgang had said he wanted to get her to Hamburg. They had a port there which would get her a ship to America.  Well, it would begin her trip to America. Being a German ship, they couldn't go directly there. Naomi would have to get on a ship headed from Germany to Canada, and from there she would have to walk to America on her own. Wolfgang wouldn't be able to assist her for the rest of the journey.

Suddenly, Wolfgang's arm shot out, stopping her in her tracks. He cocked his head, "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" She asked.

He lifted a finger to his lips, listening intently. He grabbed her, shoving her to the snow. Naomi struggled against his grip, "Let me go!"

He clapped his hand down over her mouth and leaned down towards her ear. His warm breath brushed against her neck, taunting her, "Shh. Can't you hear it? Tanks. German tanks. They must be heading towards Poland."

Naomi closed her eyes, holding her breath in fear for making a sound. The ground began to rumble and she could her the stomping of men's feet as the walked and the crunch of the wheels in the snow.  They sat there in the silence of the forest, waiting as what seemed like entire German army marched past them.  Wolfgang finally rolled away from her, releasing her arm. She let out a soft breath, the panic subsiding.   The scrambled to her feet and brushed off her wet, cold clothing.

"What are they doing here?" Naomi asked.

Wolfgang shook the snow from his hair, "They must be sending in reinforcements to the lines in Poland.  They tried overtaking Moscow, Russia, only a few weeks ago."

"Did they succeed?" She asked with horror. She couldn't imagine trying to over take the Soviet Union.  Weren't they a global superpower?

"No, the winter drove them out. Winter in Russia is harsh." Wolfgang explained.

Naomi breathed a sigh of relief.  So they weren't winning everything.  Naomi fell into step beside Wolfgang, feeling the tension build between them.  She could hardly believe she was casually trekking through the forest with a German. As if they were a normal thing to do everyday.  What would my mother think? Naomi thought to herself. She would probably be horrified.

But Wolfgang didn't seem half bad. He was handsome, that was for sure, but he couldn't possibly be like the others. He had helped her so much already. Naomi twisted her fingers together, the questions building up inside her like a dam getting ready to burst.

"What do you want to know?" Wolfgang asked, as if reading her mind. He glanced at her, recognizing her surprise. He smirked. "Don't act so surprised. I can see it written all over your face."

"Well I just-"Naomi started to ask, trying to find the right words to speak. "Did you decide to join the Nazis? Do you fight for their cause?"

Wolfgang's eyes turned a dangerous shade of blue, and she could see that he was angry, "Do you mean slaughtering men, women, and children like they are animals? No, I do not fight for that.  If I did, I wouldn't be helping you."

"So, how did you get dragged into all of this?" She asked sympathetically.

"I was forced to join the Hitler Youth when this all started.  They brainwash all of the kids and turn them into soldiers. It's frightening. And sometimes all you can do is feign ignorance and pretend you are fighting for Germany. Sometimes, that is the only way you can survive." He explained, watching his boots collect snow as he walked.

"You could have run away." Naomi suggested. "Why didn't you?"

"Because of my sister. She's only eleven years old." Wolfgang started to explain, a far of look in his eye. "I have to protect her and my mother."

Naomi nodded, understanding in her gaze, "I wish I could protect my family as well.  That is why I must go to America. My father told me to do so before they left."

"Did your father tell you what to look for there?" He asked.

She shook her head, "He only told me that he would find me. I have to believe...I have to believe that I can find them again. That we can all be together again. Ayala will be a year older when I see her. She is turning ten years old at the beginning of January.  I hope my mother is looking after her."

Wolfgang cast her a glance. There was something in his gaze that she couldn't place. Pity? Sadness? She couldn't tell. But she had the feeling that he knew exactly what happened to her family, and he was holding back from telling her.

Copyright © 2017 by Rosanna Parker

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