German-Jewish

Chapter 13

Question! How would any of you reading this feel about me writing a chapter or part of a chapter from Zussman's point of view? Yay or nay? I think it has some great opportunities to show some family life type of stuff.

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Anna is a sweetheart, Walter is very kind, and I've gotten along with Charles very well. It had only been about a week, but it feels like I could call this family my family.

Right now, I was playing a card game against Robert with Charles helping me. It was some Midwestern game that I'd never heard of. It was hard!

I enjoyed it though. It felt normal. Robert and I had counted how much we'd earned during the army and were both currently looking for jobs and an apartment. We didn't want to get an apartment until we had jobs, though.

My most recent job application that I put in for was a cooking job at a restaurant in the city. I can't be a waitress, since people still feel badly towards Germans and it's hard for a lot of them to understand me, so it was easiest to go for a cook. I cook pretty well, but if I'm getting paid I'm sure I can cook just fine. I always saved my nicer clothes for those interviews and when I have to go there, but otherwise I don't have many clothes. Because of this, around Robert's house I normally wore some of his clothes or some pajamas. It didn't look good, but I just have to until I get new clothes.

I was in my favorite pair of pajamas—they're silk, and they were a gift from one of my aunt and uncle's one Christmas, I'm very surprised I still can fit in them—and it was probably around 7 o'clock at night. It was a Friday night and Robert's family was out seeing a movie. Robert and I were the only ones home.

I had just finished doing the dishes when Robert came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I finished drying my hands and tilted my head back to give him a quick kiss. I felt myself falling and gasped, just to be caught again. I was looking up at him as he leaned over and kissed me.

"You goof," I smiled as he stood me up and I gave him another kiss.

He put a hand on the back of my neck and deepened the kiss. "God, I've wanted to do this for so long," he whispered and kissed me again.

He picked me up, which I was surprised about. I hadn't thought he'd built up much muscle again. His father was a set of work-out equipment in their basement, which Anna hadn't mentioned to me because she doesn't use it much. Robert had been using it lately to rebuild some of the muscle, and I'd forgotten.

I'd also thought I put on considerable weight, but I suppose that's objective. Going into the hospital, I didn't weigh much, so 'considerable' could mean still fairly small.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and let him carry me up the stairs.

Lying next to him, I ran a hand through his thick, short hair. I envied his short hair, and I need to cut mine. He's also said he's jealous that I got to keep my hair. I guess no one comes out of prison camps happy.

I had the hand that wasn't playing with his hair holding his hand gently. He pulled me in close to him and the body heat was almost oppressing, but I didn't care. I didn't care about anything slightly unpleasant as long as he's here with me.

I hated how much I still thought of the war and the camp. I was hoping that once I left, I would let it go. That stuff sticks with you forever.