From Darkness

Chapter 18: Sights

"No more English classes? How am I supposed to learn English now? It's as though everything that is British or American is damned!" Liesel complained as she and Ivy left their school.
"Shhh... keep it down, Liesel. Why do you want to learn English anyway?" Ivy said.
"Why do you want to learn Spanish?" she asked in response.
"Well, because I like it," Ivy replied.

"There you go. I like English, and I wish to visit America some day," Liesel said to her.
"Ugh, I can't understand you sometimes. America is full of Negroes and Jews," Ivy said.
"I never said I wanted to live there..." Liesel said and they laughed.

"Speaking of..." Ivy pointed to the end of street they were walking by, a residential street near the center of the city. Gestapo police and SS soldiers were dragging and shoving Jews into a large truck.

"Where do you think they're taking them? To the camps?" Liesel wondered.
"I'm not sure, perhaps our fathers know, but of course they wouldn't tell us. Probably the camps, yes, but where are these camps anyway?" she said.

"No idea..." Liesel squeezed Ivy's hand. "Come on, we've got a party to get ready for."

Ivy looked back as they walked onward and saw the soldiers beating up a young boy who refused to get in the truck. With a baton, they struck a blow to his head and he fell on the ground, unconscious. Ivy couldn't help but feel sadness. All the way to her house she couldn't stop thinking about her guilt. It troubled her that she could feel pity for a Jew, after so many years of learning how wrong that was. She was weak, only a weak person could feel sad for Jews. What is wrong with me? He was just a filthy little Jude, a little cockroach. Cockroaches are disgusting...

"Ivy, are you listening?" Liesel was asking her.

"What? No, sorry. I was thinking of what dress to wear," Ivy lied.

"Oh, I know, it's so difficult! Men have it easy, they just wear their uniforms or a tuxedo, no need to think," she sighed. "Anyway, I have to run home if I want a chance to look decent tonight. I'll see you soon," Liesel hugged her and went on her way.

"Yeah, see you later," Ivy waved after her and went in her house.

Her parents were hosting a ball in honour of the recent annexation of Austria into Germany. It was now a province of the Reich. The Führer had done Austria a favour by sending troops in to establish order, and by restoring his homeland to the Reich. Austria had been in deep turmoil and economic instability, while Germany was increasingly strong and steady. Many high-ranking officers from the SS and the Army were going to be there, and even with the help of five servants, Mother was stressing over the festivities.

"Yvonne, where have you been? Have you seen what time it is? Your grandparents are on their way and your father and Mr. Von Schäffer will be here soon! And then the guests will be arriving shortly after that!" Mother shouted at her. Simone was a lovely woman, but when it came to dinners and parties, she turned into a bit of a monster.

"I was at BDM and school, mother, did you want me to leave those early?" Ivy said.

"Don't you talk to me like that, young lady! Apologize and proceed to get ready, hurry!" Simone simply didn't have the time to pull Ivy by the ear like she deserved.

"Yes mother, I'm sorry mother," Ivy started going up the stairs.

"Oh and you have a letter from Uli, I left it in your room," Simone told her.

Ivy sprinted up the stairs and into her room. She carefully tore the envelope open; it had been well over a month since Uli's last letter. Ivy knew they had grown apart, and that they only wrote to each other out of habit, a sort of commitment or obligation. Yet, she suspected there was more to Uli's silence than distance or time.