My Story: World War II - German [COMPLETED]

15: Letters

I woke in the morning with Wolf, knocked out next to me. I sat up and ran a lazy hand through my bed hair. I slid out of bed and pulled my robe over my shoulders. I smiled at my reflection as I opened my music box.

O' Come Josephine in my Flying Machine

Up she goes

And up she goes

I watched the dancer in the music box go around and around as the music played. I put my face on my hand as I watched. I sighed and picked at my lip.

"I always wondered what song it played," Wolf said, his voice gruff from sleep. I looked at him with a small smile.

"It's my parents' song," I told him as I sat on the bed. He moved my hair and I sighed as he ran his thumb against my cheek.

"Your father was livid when I first asked him for your hand," he said as he rubbed my hand.

"Of course he was. You are the small town boy from Auschwitz trying to marry a Berlin girl," I said and he laughed.

"I pursued him by saying that I was in the army and I would always protect you, even if means that I have to kill every Englishman myself," he whispered. I giggled.

"I think that is little extreme," I said. My father was constantly out of the house, working at the factory that was basically his life since Mother died. That meant that he walked to the factory and found my father to ask him if he can marry me.

"He said that you have visit him though," he said. I looked at the door.

"Watch the boys for me and I'll go to the factory then work. Ada has to go to work today as well," I said. He kissed my cheek.

"Of course," he said, "I promise that I won't let the Gestapo take them. They are helping me repair this dump, which they will be." I laughed and I went to change.

***

I walked into the factory as I fixed my collar. My skirt went to my knees and I saw that a lot of the men looked my way as my heels clicked against the zinc floor. It was suppose to be a doll factory but I saw guns and bullets being made.

"Father?" I asked as I saw the familiar shape of broad and square shoulders of my father. He turned around and smiled.

"Alia, what brings you to the factory looking like you belong on the cover of Life magazine?" he asked. I laughed.

"Ada bought me the new lip stick as a birthday present. And yes, I got the book you sent," I said. He nodded. "And next time you tell my fiancé that it is okay to die on me, you will get hurt by me."

"I had to make sure that the boy was appropriate for my baby girl," he said. I laughed and shook my head.

"What is going on in the factory? I was going to pick up a new outfit for the girl that I tutor," I said. Father whistled and nodded to some of the guys who ran off.

"Doing our part for the war effort. The government wants us producing weapons so we are," he said as one of the guys brought me a small package. "And the outfit."

"Wolf's brother is fighting right now. Maybe the guns you make will protect him," I said and he laughed a loud joyous laugh.

"You always look at the bright side of things, don't ya?" he asked. I cocked my head at him.

"Father, it's called the German spirit," I said with an unsure smile. He shook his head.

"These young ones will never understand," one of the men said as a whistle blew. Father patted my arm.

"You need to get to work, darling," Father said as he kissed my cheek.

"What does he mean that we will never understand?" I asked.

"He means you didn't grow up in a war zone and I only hope that you never have to be affected by this war," he said and pushed me towards the door. "Have a nice day." I started walking, trapped in my own thoughts.

***

"Miss Ziegler!" Isabella's little sister, Adela, yelled as I walked into her room. She wrapped her arms around my waist and laughed as I tickled her.

"I have a present for you," I said as I went to sit in the chair in the corner. She was eleven and her eyes lit up when I said present.

"You shouldn't have gotten me a present," she said as I held out the package. She opened it and the outfit was similar to what I was wearing at the moment. "This is beautiful!" Adela was rich but she always the beauty in the simple things.

"I'm glad you like it," I said with a small smile. She ran to her bag and pulled out a paper.

"Will you help we write a letter to the soldier I pulled out of he hat today? He lives in Berlin but he is fighting for Germany now," she said.

"Of course I can," I said. "What's his name?" She gave me the paper and my heart skipped a beat.

Alaric Zimmerman.

Alaric Zimmerman

I picked at my boot as I thought about the two people I killed in a twenty four hour time frame. I pulled the trigger on one and I failed at the career I wanted.

"Hey Tiny," Butch said as he sat down next to me. I wiped the tears from my eyes and straightened out my back.

"Hey Butch," I said and he cleared his throat.

"I know killing someone is hard but don't be so harsh on yourself. It's war," he told me.

"I don't care if it is the best thing in the world. I managed to kill two people and one of them was on my side," I said and he patted my back.

"Barrel wasn't killed by you. He was killed by those b*****ds that shot at us first," he said. I stared at the ground. "Bernadette wants to comfort you so I'm going to go," he told me. I nodded and he stood.

"Come here," Bernadette said as she sat down and wrapped her arms around my waist. We just sat in a pleasant silence.