Mistress

Chapter 3

It was a few hours later that the man returned for me. I had gotten dressed and made myself look somewhat presentable, and I think he noticed as he arrived. He smiled slightly when he saw me. His eyes dropped to the yellow star sewn onto my chest. "I cannot take you out with that on," he told me.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything else to wear, sir. It has been sewn to all of my clothes."

He nodded, then pulled a blouse from his bag. "This belonged to my sister. Surely it should fit you." He stepped out of the room while I changed, then returned. "We will need to leave quietly. They will know if they see us." I nodded, knowing exactly what he meant.

He took my hand and helped me to escape silently. When we were far enough away from my home, we stepped from the shadows. I took his arm and walked gracefully, trying my hardest to not act Jewish. As we passed the secret police and officers, the man nodded a greeting and kept walking. He didn't live too far from me, and we arrived at his home quickly. He held the door open for me, then led me into the kitchen. He pulled a chair for me to sit, then he sat beside me.

"We need an identity for you. None of the men have asked about my personal life, but now that they have seen you, surely they will ask." I nodded, but didn't say a word. He thought for a moment. "I want to get to know you first. If I am going to protect your family, I need to know who you are and who they are."

I cleared my throat, unsure of why I trusted him, one of the men I had been so afraid of for so long. "My name is Sofia Bauer. I am sixteen years old, and I was getting ready to graduate."

"The teachings of the Nazis are taught in schools. If you are Jewish, why did you go?"

"I wanted to continue to University in England. I had no choice." He just nodded, so I continued. "My mother is Anora Bauer, and my father is Frederic Bauer. We were not Jewish until a few years ago, just before the war." I hesitated. "I will not regret turning to God."

The man nodded. "Was it just you and your parents then?"

"No. My brother Jakob was also taken." Tears welled up in my eyes. "Please, save Jakob. He was only four years!"

The man nodded and put his hand over mine. "I will do my best. I will see tomorrow what camps they were sent to. I'll do everything I can to save them." I nodded, then he continued. "My name is Christoph Schneider. I am twenty one years old. I disagree with what I practice, but I do so to save my own life. I want to tell you that I'm so sorry for everything I have done."

I shook my head. "He works in such a way that you don't notice it. I am blonde with blue eyes. Had I not joined the Jewish religion, I would be Aryan by definition. Yet I am Jewish, therefore I am not good enough for Germany. I do not understand."

"I cannot try to comprehend what goes through his mind. All I can say is that we need to protect you and your family. Therefore, let us decide your identity." I nodded. "I will call you Annelise. The only thing against you is that you are Jewish; besides that, you can easily pass an as Aryan."

"What will I have to do? Because I will not turn my back on my people or my God."

"I would never ask that of you. We will need to entertain officers on occasion though, and go to their dinner parties as well." He hesitated. "I can't promise what they will or won't say about your people. But you need to understand that you cannot jump into the conversation and defend them. They will take you away, and me as well."

I nodded. "I will keep silent. What about here at the home, when no one else is around?"

"You can be yourself with me. I know who you are. I will not ask you to change. But you need to trust me. You have no reason to, as I have sent many Jews to the camps. I don't know how or why you changed me, but you have. I don't want this life anymore." He paused. "You do not have to love me. You do not have to sleep with me."

I smiled slightly. "Thank you." He nodded, then showed me to my room. Once I was settled, he left me to sleep. As I drifted off, I questioned my decision to come with him, wondering if I was truly safe, or if I would be killed in my sleep.