My Story: World War II - German [COMPLETED]

25: Lies Pt. 2

(November 1940)

Weeks passed since Wilson started teaching me English. And I got really good at it too. I could read, write and speak in English and that was how we kept all sorts of secrets from everyone.

"Happy birthday, Adeline," Wilson said at my birthday party. I was finally thirteen, three months after him. He awkwardly handed me my birthday present.

"Thank you, Wilson," I said and he smiled at me. I opened the present and found an English dictionary staring at me.

"What is that?" Bree asked as I thumbed through the dictionary, taking pride that I knew a lot of the words in the dictionary.

"An English dictionary," I said. She turned up her nose at my response.

"There's some other things in the bag," Wilson said. I reached into the bag and pulled up two more books. Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare in English.

"Thank you, Wilson," I told him in English. He smiled.

"You're welcome." Bree shoved her present in the way of my English books that everyone was looking at like they should burn. I forced a smile as I opened it.

"Pencils!" I faked exclamation. Bree smiled proudly as everyone was fawning over the fact that she got me pencils.

"I am so sorry," I mouthed in English to Wilson. He shrugged and looked around.

"They are just jealous," he mouthed in English back. I laughed a little before looking at Bree.

*

"Adeline, darling," my mother said as she walked into the living room where Wilson and I were practicing our English writing skills. Bree and the other guests were still there and they were all talking.

"Yes, Mother?" I asked. She held up a letter and I could tell from the neat handwriting and curl of my name who it was from.

"Alaric!" I yelled as I ran to grab the letter. I opened it and read it quickly.

My dearest sister, Adeline,

I am hoping that this letter gets to you by your birthday. Mother has written to me about you and your friend Wilson. I think it's quite amazing that you are nearly fluent in English. But you may want to ask Mother about the gift I got you.

Much love,

Your brother, Alaric

"Mother, what Alaric's gift?" I asked. Mother opened the front door and Alaric walked in. "Alaric!" I yelled as I ran to him and he picked me up.

"Adeline!" Alaric yelled as he threw me into the air. I laughed as he caught me and wrapped my arms around my older brother's neck.

"I missed you," I said and he hugged me tightly.

"I missed you as well," he whispered as he leaned back a little.

"Can we go out?" I whispered to him and he nodded. Adalwolf and Alaric always took me out on my birthday so we could have sibling time. I missed Adalwolf.

"Want to ditch?" he asked and I nodded as he put me on my feet.

"Go ahead," Mother said and I took Alaric's hand as he led the way to the door.

"Alaric, what do you think of Hitler's ideas?" I asked as we walked down the street. He looked dashing in his uniform and bigger. Like more muscles than before.

"Adeline... it doesn't matter what I think, what matters is that we are getting more money into the house," he said, strained and I could tell that he wanted to say the truth.

"If I did something that was illegal, would you protect me?" I asked. He looked down at me before pulling me into the alley.

"You can not tell anyone about this conversation, am I understood?" he asked and I nodded.

"Anything illegal or wrong we may talk about is to never leave us," I stated and he nodded.

"Adalwolf is gay. I forged papers to get him and his boyfriend to America but they didn't make it and Adalwolf is arrested," he said. I was taken aback and I could tell Alaric was trying to read my face.

"Wilson is teaching me English so we can give information to Britain and America," I whispered and he stared at me.

"Tell then that Germans are sticking to the borders, and to cover the ditches to hide and take them by surprise," he told me and I nodded.

"I will. I will make sure that they know," I said as I swallowed and he kissed my forehead.

"I know you will, Adeline. But make sure that they will protect you, just in case. At the very least, one Zimmerman needs to leave here," he said and I hugged him.

Adalwolf Zimmerman

(December 1939)

I watched the snow falling lightly over the ground and held one of the small boys that I was watching. The children's block was a much better choice. I had lost about 50 pounds bringing me to an unhealthy weight and my bones were showing. I was already thin and starving simply made it worse. Jack had been slipping me extra food when he can, considering that they got rations as well and there were only a few things that he could transport back to me.

"Adalwolf, I don't know where my parents are and I miss them," the small boy in my arms said "Where are they?" He was no older than six. He was shivering and I was trying to warm him up which is why I was holding him. I could explain everything but that.

"Uh..." I thought as the other children came around to listen.

"Where are our parents?" one of the girls asked. They all looked up at me with curious eyes and I felt me bite my lower lip.

"Your parents are being heroes to the countries. They are making the soldiers safe," I said. One of the kids cocked his head at me.

"My dad is a banker," the kid told me and I swallowed.

"There are finances that have to be done," I said and all the kids started talking about how their parents were making a difference.