635798

635798 refused to talk to me for however long it was. She wouldn’t ever look at me at times. Of course I knew why. She didn’t feel safe here, and I wouldn’t allow us to leave. After all the times I kept her safe, she felt as if I wasn’t doing so now. She even wrote down on a piece of paper that we were going to get caught. We wouldn’t, though. I knew Lenz well enough. He wasn’t one to look in the same place twice.

There was something that worried me. Nazis always gave up the search of a runaway after three days. Our three days were up. Why would they keep looking? This search definitely wasn’t Vater’s or Jürgen’s doing. Both knew where we were hiding and they wanted us to stay here. Other Nazis couldn’t have started it. There were too many prisoners to memorize each one. Gretel was only an Aufseherin, declining her the authority to start searches. Deep inside, I had a feeling it was Lenz. He was so against our relationship. He spat on it whenever he could. I couldn’t assume, though. Assumptions were usually wrong.

November had finally reached us. It began to grow cold in Poland, and I couldn’t help but imagine the prisoners in concentration camps suffering. I wasn’t entirely sure if their uniforms changed to a thicker piece of clothing or not. I was never there in the winter and nobody informed me. Our clothing did here in hiding. Siostra Katarzyna bought 635798 and me thick pea coats, hats, gloves, and scarves. I refused to wear short sleeves and 635798 was never seen without a sweater.

Our tiny floor didn’t received much heat. I became sick in the beginning of the month. Siostra Katarzyna took 635798 away for a while, in fear that she would catch my illness and become fatally ill all over again. 635798 caught a cold and a mild cough anyway. She was kept under strict supervision and I swear to God, a nun freaked whenever 635798 coughed or sneeze.

I recovered in only three days and 635798 was living back upstairs with me. It was quite boring since she wouldn’t talk. She created a tiny hole in our shutters so she could peek out. While she did so and waited for a response from Marta, I busied myself with reading. Siostra Katarzyna brought books up for us. There wasn’t much – just some Shakespeare and Mary Shelley – but it helped the time pass.

The letter to Marta was sent out two weeks ago and there still wasn’t a response. It depressed 635798 deeply. She feared Marta never received it, or maybe her parents found it first. She lost the will to do anything. The only reason she was eating was because of Siostra Katarzyna’s constant nagging. Otherwise, 635798 lied down in bed all the time, only getting up to use the toilet or shower.

One morning, 635798 was looking out the hole she made. I set down Frankenstein when I heard her sniffle. From where I sat, I saw a tear stream down her face. I stood up and walked over to her.

“Six, maybe she just hasn’t received it yet,” I said. “Or maybe she has and her response is still on its way.”

I put my hand on 635798’s shoulder but she quickly shrugged it off in an aggressive manner. She made no move to look at me.

I sighed. “How long are you going to stay mad at me?”

A glare formed on 635798’s face, but she still faced her hole.

“You know just as well as I do nowhere else is safe.”

635798’s grip on the windowsill was so tight that I feared the wood would break.

“Let’s eat some breakfast.”

635798 shook her head.

“You’ve gained so much strength but it isn’t enough yet. You can’t stop now.” Before she could respond, I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder. She kicked and punched me but I ignored it all. I sat her down at the table. “What would you like to eat?”

635798 crossed her arms and glowered in response.

“An apple, then.” I waved one in front of 635798’s face.

She tore it away from my hand and immediately began to eat it.

I chuckled and began to get something for myself. As I was about to take a bite out of my apple, someone knocked the signal on our door.

“Come in,” I said.

To my utter astonishment, it wasn’t Siostra Katarzyna or any other nun. The young woman’s blonde hair bounced every time she moved, and it definitely has gotten longer than the last time I’ve seen it. Her brown eyes were wide with delight as she recognized the two of us. 635798 was smiling for the first time in weeks.

“Aalyshah?” I questioned. “What are you doing here?”

“Papa mailed a letter to me and only me. It contained a train ticket and this place’s address. That nun who speaks German let me in,” Aalyshah explained.

Aalyshah hugged 635798. 635798 embraced her tightly. The two of them smiled, giggling along the side.

“Your hair is so silky,” Aalyshah said as she combed 635798’s hair with her fingers. “And that green in your left eye looks kind of neat. And your skin. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! It’s perfect.”

635798 covered her mouth with her hand, hiding her smile. Her violent blushing failed her.

After hugging me, Aalyshah took out an envelope from her black pea coat pocket. She handed it to 635798. “The nun said to give this to you.”

635798 examined the envelope, flipping it over multiple times. Her eyebrows were knitted together in confusion. There wasn’t a return address so there was no way of telling where the mail came from. She started to rip open the envelope anyway.

“So, how long are you here for?” I asked.

“Papa said I can stay until after Hanukah is over,” Aalyshah said. “My Hitler Youth lessons will be sent over here. The nun made a room for me and everything.”

“I’m surprised Vater let you come. I’m surprised he even told you,” I said, glancing at 635798. She was expressionless as she read through a letter.

Aalyshah shrugged. “He knew it was only a matter of time, I guess. They transferred him, you know.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Jürgen transferred Papa to Bergen-Belsen. He didn’t think Papa was safe in Auschwitz ever since you and Six left.”

I was about to respond until 635798 laughed, causing me to imagine the cute little white house again. She smiled ridiculously at the letter in her hand. She kept reading, ignoring the questioning looks my sister and I were giving her.

“I bet you I know who that’s from,” I whispered to Aalyshah.

635798 set the letter on the table. Before I could prepare myself, she slammed herself against my chest, wrapping her arms around my waist tightly. I was nearly suffocating in her grip.

“Is it from her?” I asked.

635798 looked up at me, nodding and smiling.

Aalyshah had an eyebrow raised. “I’ll leave you two alone.” And with that, she turned on her heel and left.

“Marta responded!” 635798 exclaimed excitedly.

“And what did she say?” I asked.

“She said it’s. It’s nice to hear from. From me. She missed me. Then she told. Told me what is happening at. At home. Married. Lives with parents because. Because of bombings in Germany. But she’s married! She used to always talk about. About marriage. She said she. She wants to see me. I want to see her. Her too! I can’t wait until the war is over! We must go straight. Straight to Berlin!” 635798 was jumping up and down.

“Are you going to respond to her?”

635798 nodded. “I don’t know what. What to say. How do I describe my excitement?” She sat down at the table and immediately scribbled down Swedish on a piece of paper. Within seconds, there was already a paragraph.

I chuckled as I sat across from her. I went back to my reading.

Aalyshah burst into the room just as 635798 was putting her letter in the envelope. Siostra Katarzyna ran in right after. Both were smiling and nearly laughing. 635798 looked at me questioningly.

“Wolfgang! Good news!” Siostra Katarzyna yelled.

“Did you know they have a telephone here?” Aalyshah whispered to me.

“Dein Vater called,” Siostra Katarzyna said. “News about Auschwitz! The SS men disabled the gas chambers. They’re fearing invasion from the Allies. Just think, Wolfgang! No more gassings!”

I set down my book, astonished. 635798 and I looked at each other and smiled. The Nazis were fearing the Allies. That must’ve meant the Axis Powers were losing. When one side lost, the other won. That meant no more war. No more gassings. No more mass murders. No more fear.

“The war is coming to an end soon!” Aalyshah exclaimed. “You can come home, Wolfgang.” She looked at 635798. “So can you!”

635798 turned red as she laughed.

Aalyshah hugged 635798. “Picture how happy this world will finally be.”

“Now, now, Aalyshah,” Siostra Katarzyna said. “We must pray and keep our faith. The Germans may make a comeback. The war isn’t over yet.”

“Yet,” I pointed out. “But it will be. This will all end soon.”