A Flicker of Light (31 page)

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Where is she?’

“On a farm in the country.
I pray every day that she is safe.”

At the camp, Peter learned of the hunt that had begun for Aaron, but as of yet, no one suspected him of the escape. Things could become unsafe. Spies could be found everywhere. It would be best to be as far away from the
Jew as possible. Tonight, he would send Aaron away. The more he could distance himself from the prisoner, the less likely he was to be suspected.
Elki
had recovered completely, and therefore they best be rid of the Jew. After all, he had only promised Aaron that he would allow him to go without turning him in. He had not vowed to hide him or protect him any further.

“You must leave tonight,” he told Aaron once he’d arrived home.

“Very well,” Aaron looked at him, relieved that Peter was going to keep his word.

“They are searching for you. We must get you out of here. Go off into the countryside and stay out of sight. The war is almost over. Germany is done for. The Allies are bombing Berlin. Anytime now they will enter the city, and all will be lost. Hitler has gone underground. I think you will be all right if you stay off of the main roads. It is just a matter of time now. The Fuehrer is in real trouble here.” Peter said.

“Take him in the auto, Peter, as far as you can out of this area. Help him that much for all he has done for us.”
Elki
said as she held Peter’s gaze until he dropped his head and agreed.

Dressed in civilian clothes, Aaron was once again loaded into the back of the automobile and he lay upon the floor, covered with the blanket, as they headed out into the country. Peter wore his uniform, which enabled him and
Elki
to be out after curfew witho
ut drawing attention. If they were stopped by the Gestapo, the couple
would claim to be lovers on a
romantic rendezvous. Unless the officers were especially vigilant,
Aaron would be invisible
in the darkness.

“Aaron,” Peter said,
“We are taking you as far from Dachau as we possibly can. They are looking for you nearer to the camp, but they will never assume you could have gotten this far on foot.”

“I thank you for everything
,
” Aaron said.

“We have been more than fair with you. Now you must promise us that if you are caught you will never reveal
where you have been and what
happened.
Elki
and I must never be brought into this, do you understand? You must realize that it will do you no good to condemn us. We have been kind to you, so be sure that you never tell them how you escaped.”
Peter said.

“I understand. And you have my word.”

The ride out of the city stretched Peter’s nerves tight, and he remained silent the entire trip. He gripped the steering wheel with sweaty hands and shook
Elki’s
fingers from his arm when she tried to comfort him. He was putting all of his trust in a Jew. Aaron seemed to be a good Jew, but he was still a Jew. But what choice did he really have? If he brought Aaron back to the camp, then there would
be questions he had
no answers for that would not implicate him. If he shot Aaron, then there would the mess of a dead body to explain, and he had never killed anyone. The thought of this man’s blood on his hands after all he had done for him and
Elki
sickened
him. No, it was best to take Aaron
as far away as possible, where they would never find him, and then let him go to fend for himself.  Peter knew that he must pay close attention to the speed limit; if he drove too fast, they would surely be stopped and questioned. It took all of his self control to drive slowly. He wanted to rid himself of this burden as soon as possible. The muscles in his back and neck felt as if they were tied in knots. When, at last, they reached a wooded area, Peter stopped the car. His hands were trembling as he looked around; the area was completely unpopulated, without even a farmhouse within sight.
Elki
had packed Aaron a small bag of food and a thermos of water. She had come to
care for him, and she held his hand tightly for a moment. Then she wished him well as he left.

“Thank you, doctor. I will pray for you. You saved my life.”
Elki
said.

“Goodbye,
Elki
. Goodbye, Peter. May God be with you
both.
”

Peter did not answer. Instead, he continued to look around to assure himself that they were alone.

The sound of the car door slamming broke through the silence of the night. Then the engine roared and the couple disappeared in a cloud of dust. Alone in the darkness, Aaron stood in the center of the dirt road. He looked around and then made his way into a heavily wooded area.

Freedom - the taste of it - lingered on his lips as he spoke the word, “Freedom. I am free.”

He walked deep into the forest, listening as a night bird called out to its mate. The fragrance of fresh air engulfed him and he sucked it deeply into his lungs. Aaron lay on the ground and fixed his eyes on the stars.

“Petra, darling, my love - soon the war will be over, and I will come home to you.”

He found it difficu
lt to determine which direction
he would have
to
travel
to find
the
Bruchmeiers
’ farmhouse and
the woman he loved once again. For the moment, he was content simply to be free once again.
He drifted off to sleep smelling
the clean, earth
y scent of the soil.

When he awoke, as he looked above him he imagined the tree branches reaching up to the heavens, their arms extended, as if to caress God. To be alive! He had survived Dachau. For a moment he saw Saul’s face in his mind and heard his voice, “You made it, Aaron. It’s almost over now. I did not see the end of this terrible Third Reich, but you will. Remember me, Aaron. Remember me always, and I will not have died in vain. God be with you, my friend.” A single tear slipped down the side of Aaron’s face.

Chapter
4
1

S

ecuring a taxi was an impossible feat. Petra stood on the side of the road, her contractions doubling her over with pain as
Siegland
tried unsuccessfully to flag down a cab. Finally
,
a civilian took notice of the old woman and the young girl standing on the sidewalk. He pulled his car to the curb.

“You need a lift?” A man smiled out of the window of his automobile. He sported a full head of silver hair that he’d combed away from his forehead into thick, dry waves. A light yellow film covered his soft blue eyes.

Siegland
felt unsure. She had never been in a car before. Now here was a stranger offering to take her and Petra where they needed to go. Perhaps he wanted something from them. Her fear of the Nazis had made her distrust everyone. She did not mind if he would accept money, but what if he had an ulterior motive? The hair on the back of her neck stood at attention. For a moment she thought to refuse him. She glanced around once more for a cab as the man waited. Petra groaned as a contraction wracked her body and a thunderous explosion in the distance rocked
the ground around them. Black smoke wafted up from the area filling the sky. Petra coughed and bent further forward.
Siegland
made up her mind.

“Yes, we need a ride to the hospital,” she heard herself say.

The man meant only to help. He had seen the old
er
woman and the girl, and offered what he could. Soon they arrived at the hospital. A nurse helped Petra into an examining room. Since the bombing had escalated, most of the personnel had left
,
and the hospital
was operating
with a skeleton st
aff. Only the extremely devoted
medical professionals remained. People injured in the explosions lay in the rooms, many unattended.

White walls and white sheets surrounded Petra. A nurse wearing a white uniform entered as the doctor examined her. The nurse smiled, gently wiping the perspir
ation from Petra’s face. “I am N
urse
Kuefer
, but you can call me Erna. This is Dr. Fiedler. He is a very good doctor. You are in good hands.”

Petra managed a wry smile. She longed for Aaron.
Where could he be?
She prayed he was not dead, but she could not be sure.
Would he ever know about the birth of his
child?
So many questions filled her mind. Closing her eyes she saw his face.

Siegland
sat in the waiting room, but she could not remain still. Shuffling back and forth, she watched the clock and prayed for Petra and Klaus. She never asked much from life, only her family, the cottage she lived in
,
with its warm fireplace, and plenty of good f
ood. Her simple, comfortable world
was gone now.

Siegland
worried that the baby had come so early. She wondered if the child would be healthy, or even if it would survive. If Petra should die in childbirth, she would return to
the farm alone and await Klaus’
return. Her love for the girl who had become her daughter welled up in her t
hroat. For once in her life,
Sie
gland
Bruchmeier
did not f
eel like eating.

The Forest
Outside
Munich

T

he beauty of the forest renewed Aaron with its natural wonder. Since
his imprisonment, he found joy
in the smallest things. The voice of a hummingbird thrilled him. Watching a bee pollinate the purple wildflowers that grew in bunches fascinated him. A black and yellow spi
der spun a web on a tree branch, and
Aaron laughed out loud at the sight of it. He still lived and breathed. Here he stood amongst God’s greatest creations: the trees, the squirrels, the rabbits
, and the flowers, to name a few.
His appreciation had grown so strong that he enjoyed every moment
, despite the hardships
. The only thing missing was Petra. How he longed to share the beauty all around him with the woman he loved. Walking through the forest
,
he found a small brook. There he saw patche
s of
water still frozen. Bending to drink the fresh, clear water, he watched the small fish swimming beneath him. The water tasted sweet, sweeter than any wine he’d ever tasted, and he dra
nk his fill. Then filled the empty
thermos he carried with the fresh liquid.

Despite the warming weather, the water was still frigid, far too cold to bathe. But he longed to feel it upon his skin. Soon, he thought. The weather has already begun to break. I will wait, rather than catch a chill. His experience at the camp with freezing water had given him a terrible aversion to it.

Instead of eating the food
Elki
had packed for him, he decided to catch a fish. The
food could be saved
for a time.
Elki
had packed his rations in small cloth bag. He emptied the bag and used it like a net. It took time and patience but he caught a small fish. Without
the ability to build a
fire, he knew he would have to eat it raw. The fish had a slightly slimy flavor, but it filled his stomach. Then he caught another one and left it dry on a rock in the sun. A few hours later, he placed it into his bag and began to move on.

He walked; unaware of wh
ether he headed toward the
Bruch
meiers
’ farm or away from it.

Dachau Concentration Camp

“D

r.
Rascher
, I understand the prisoner who escaped was under your supervision for quite a while. From what I have heard, you seemed to have taken quite a fancy to him.”

“I wouldn’t call it that,
Oberstg
r
uppenfuhrer
. I found him a knowledgeable doctor. His talents appeared to be advantageous to the Fatherland, nothing more. Once he no longer served a purpose for the party, I returned him to the barracks with the rest of his kind
,
” Dr
.
Ra
s
cher
answered.

“From what you know of this man, where do you think he might hide?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

“Hmm, very well then, you will join us as we comb the nearby forests in search of your escaped friend. When we find him, you will
be the one to
shoot him dead as proof of your loyalty
to the cause,
”
t
he
Oberstgruppenfuher
said.
T
he
doctor nodded in agreement.