Life Is Beautiful

Rebecca’s hand was tightly covering her mouth, holding the cries in and not making a sound.
Frank watched the scene below with intense eyes with his hand tightly holding onto Rebecca’s.
David and Adalinda were standing, holding each others hand, bracing themselves for the worst.
They could hear the Gestapo telling the Henry’s about the search and stepping inside their home.
“Frank, what’s happening?” Rebecca whispered as quietly as she could and looked up at Frank, her porcelain blue eyes turning dark.
Frank looked at her carefully and spoke softly, “They haven’t found anything yet. But I need you to be silent until they’re gone okay?”
She nodded and looked down, putting her hand to her mouth again.
Frank looked at her softly before turning back to the open cracks of the vent.
David looked up at the vent and smiled weakly.

There were thudding footsteps beneath them on the bottom floor, no shouting or obscenities being heard.
They heard the front door of the Henrys house shut and immediately sighed in relief and breathed in.
But they were clearly mistaken when they saw the pull down staircase pulled open and Gestapo officers barged inside the attic shouting.
“Schritt zur Seite! Legen Sie die Hände hinter den Kopf!!” The Gestapo ordered David and Adalinda to step aside from each other and put their hands behind their head.
There were four men in total, one being the head officer and the rest held guns up at David and Adalinda.
Rebecca shook harder with fear and clawed onto Frank’s hand, her nails digging into his skin.
Frank inwardly gasped and held tightly onto Rebecca’s hand.
“Wo sind die anderen? Wo sind sie?!” The head of the Gestapo shouted in David’s ear, asking where the rest who were hiding were.
David replied calmly and rationally, “They left a few days ago.”
“Sie wagen, mir liegen?” He asked, scowling down at David like he was some rabid dog.
“I say the truth.” David replied calmly, a blank look on his face.
“Wie heißt du?”
“David and Adalinda Straughten.”
“Dass ein Nachname ist Deutsch!” The head officer eyed both Adalinda and David closely and suspiciously.
“Yes, we are German.”
David’s answer made the officer explode with anger.
“Juden sind keine Deutschen!”
“I am not Jewish sir. I am Christian..”
“Ihre Frau?”
“No, she’s Jewish.”

The officer stepped away from David and paced around for a few seconds.
“Sie können immer noch leben, wenn Sie Ihrer Frau verlassen möchten.”
The officer spoke, without any anger, just blankness.
David’s face went hard and he shook his head with one sharp nod.
“No, I wish to be given the same fate as my wife.”
Everything was silent for a few more seconds until the officer spoke again.
“Solch ein Narr, Sie haben fünf Minuten, um ein Sack mit nur Kleider einzupacken.”
David wanted to strangle this man but he kept his composure for his family and nodded grabbing Adalinda gently by the arm.
“Come on, let’s go pack.”
Quickly the grabbed suitcases under their bed and stuffed as much clothes as they could fit. The Gestapo was ransacking throughout the small attic, looking for any valuables.
Adalinda’s knees went weak and all her strength was gone. She fell on the bed and sobbed.
David picked her up gently and held her against him. “The children David. What’ll happen to them?”
“They’re fine. They’ll find a way out. They don’t look Jewish.”
She looked up at her husband who’s young face had grown old over the past few months.
“I love you.”
His face hardened and he replied sternly, “This isn’t the end. Don’t say those words.”
She shook her head and cried again.
“Außerhalb jetzt! Raus!” The head officer shouted and moved them roughly out of the room.
“Come on Adalinda, we’re leaving.” David spoke softly to her and grabbed her hand.
He looked up at vents one last time and nodded his head.

Rebecca cried without a sound when she saw her parents roughly pushed out of the attic.
The only thing going through her mind was that it would be the last time she would see them.

Frank couldn’t help it, his eyes watered and the tears fell freely.
His head pounded and he was full of anger.
He looked behind him and saw Rebecca crying uncontrollably. The once clever, brave and charismatic young girl he knew was broken completely in front of him.
He maneuvered himself to turn around and embrace her in the only hug he could fit in this small vent.
“We’re going to be here for a few days. We can’t leave okay?”
She nodded without saying a word and rested her head on his chest, her hope and faith completely gone.