Olivia's perspective
In the hushed confines of my room in my parents' house, a forgotten relic of my past beckons. My duffle bag, still laden with remnants of my time in Germany, spills its contents onto the floor with a gentle tumble—a cascade of memories. Amidst the jumble, a peculiar box emerges, its lid dislodged, revealing a concealed treasure, untouched by time.
With trembling hands, I retrieve a folded piece of faded green paper, hidden beneath the box's bed of cotton. Unfolding it slowly, I'm met with Anja's familiar script, her words a bittersweet echo:
"Livie,
I depart through the checkpoint today, driven by a need to end this ceaseless waiting. Since we parted, thoughts of you fill every moment. In the words of our wunderschönen Abbey Road:
You're asking me will my love grow
My answer is—Ja!
I hope this reaches you before your return to the US. I may be away briefly, at most a week. I yearn to be with you, mein schatz.
Hold me in your heart till then, my darling.
Forever yours,
Anja"
My world tilts, and I stagger to the bed, heart pounding in my chest.
In a whirlwind of emotion, visions of Anja flood my mind: she is standing alone in Thielplatz, radiant and beckoning; then resolute on a wintry bus ride; and again, leaving Horst's parents' home, homeward bound.
But darkness descends—she's pursued, a desperate rush to the bus stop, Stasi agents closing in, pulling her into an ominous black sedan.
A bleak scene unfolds in my mind: Anja, confined, tears staining her cheeks, garbed in oversized, somber attire. My voice falls on deaf ears in a desolate cell.
A courtroom tableau emerges—accusations hurled, her silence met with an unjust sentence, hands bound, eyes hollowed by anguish, condemned to two years for aiding enemies of the state.
That night, a haunting dream envelops me...
We two are windows on a broken sky
Where a heartache throbs, and an angel cries;
Where a wall may fall, as two girls sleep
Who, in their hearts, a yearning keep.
(Anja's voice) Don't doubt your heart, when faced with fear.
Anja, bitte vergib mir... (please forgive me).
YOU ARE READING
The Wall Crossers
Non-FictionStep into the captivating world of "The Wall Crossers," a spellbinding tale set against the backdrop of Cold War-era West Berlin in 1971 and 1972 to the latter half of the 21st century, from Berlin to Bhutan. This narrative weaves together the lives...
