War Girl Lotte Read online

  Rachel sank down onto the straw floor and sobbed. “They arrested my parents today, and Herr Keller has taken over our farm.” Herr Keller was not only the mayor of the district town, Mindelheim, but also the Chief of Police and Party leader.

  “What? Why would they arrest your parents?” Lotte blurted out. “They’ve done nothing wrong.” Of course, she knew that anyone could be arrested for anything in the big cities. But here in Kleindorf? This had never happened before. People here minded their own business, worked on their farms, and stayed out of politics. Most of the time, anyway.

  Rachel’s parents were Aunt Lydia’s closest neighbors, their farm only about half a mile down the road. But since Rachel and her three younger siblings had been expelled from school for being Jewish, Lydia had warned her own children and Lotte to keep their distance.

  Rachel quietly sobbed on the ground, not offering any answer. And there really was no answer needed. Jews didn’t have to do anything wrong. They were wrong, simply by birth.

  “Someone needs to tell that awful man to mind his own business. What gives him the right to go around stealing peoples’ homes?” Lotte railed against Herr Keller.

  The sobbing intensified, and Lotte switched her focus to the more immediate concern. “Do you know where they took your parents?”

  It took a few moments until Rachel was able to speak, but even then, her voice was strained with raw emotion. “I followed them at a safe distance and saw them pushed onto one of those big train wagons. You know the ones they use for cattle?”

  Lotte nodded, not speaking aloud what they both knew. People who got on the cattle cars were never seen or heard from again. Nobody knew where they took them, but it certainly wasn’t a nice place.

  “Where are your brothers and sister? Did they take them too?” Lotte hugged the desperate girl, who might have been her classmate – friend even – in other times.

  Rachel shook her head. “We were just returning from collecting berries and mushrooms in the woods. I told them to run and hide. Since the last cow died, and we couldn’t get any seeds to plant this year, we’ve only had the rations they give us.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Lotte hugged her once more. She knew that Jews received reduced rations and were always served last.

  “Lotte, we need a place to hide,” Rachel said, wiping her face with the backs of her hands.

  “I’ll ask Aunt Lydia.” Lotte didn’t think twice before she offered. “Find your brothers and sister and meet me in the barn in an hour.”

  “Thank you.” The relief in Rachel’s big brown eyes was overwhelming.

  Lotte dashed to the house as fast as her feet would carry her. “Aunt Lydia? Aunt Lydia? Where are you?”

  “In the kitchen,” her aunt shouted back. “What’s all the fuss?”

  Lotte stumbled inside, breathless from running too fast. “Rachel and her brothers and sister…they need a place to stay…can they live here, please?”

  Lydia’s lips thinned with every word Lotte spoke, her eyes growing wide in pure terror. “No. What are you thinking?”

  It wasn’t the answer Lotte expected, and she looked at her loving aunt like she was a stranger. “But her parents have been arrested, and this awful Herr Keller has taken over their farm. He thinks just because they’re Jewish he can steal their home!” Lotte puffed out. When she’d finally told the entire story, her aunt shook her head with a stern expression on her face.

  “We can’t take them. They are fugitives from the law. They need to turn themselves in.”

  “But–”

  Lydia put up a warning finger. “No buts. Even if I wanted to offer them shelter, I couldn’t. I have to think about my children, about you. What would happen if someone found them?” She raised an eyebrow, searching for an answer.

  Lotte’s stomach churned. “I don’t know–”

  “Well, let me tell you. I would be arrested for obstructing justice. Some Party member would come and take over my farm while you, Helmut, and Jörg would serve the new owners as farmhands and the three little ones would be sent to an orphanage. There’s more at stake than just Rachel and her siblings. As much as I regret this, blood is thicker than water, and I have to do what’s best for my family.”

  ***

  Lotte returned with a hanging head to the barn to give Rachel the bad news. But when she looked into four pairs of hopeful eyes, she couldn’t.

  “You can stay in the barn. But nobody can know you’re here, not even my aunt.”

  Rachel’s face was strained with uncertainty. “But Lotte–”

  “No buts. You’ll stay here until we find another place for you. For the time being, you’re safe here. Nobody comes in here but me.”

  Rachel’s fingers twisted, her anxiety clear in her every movement. “Are you sure? Maybe we should turn ourselves in? It might not be so bad where they’re taking us.”

  Goosebumps rose on Lotte’s arms as she remembered the stories she had heard. She gave her friend a very serious look. “I wouldn’t want to find out.”

  Chapter 3

  The next morning, Lotte got up before everyone else and slipped into the pantry, where she took a few crusts of bread, some cheese, and a chunk of sausage. Hiding everything in her pinafore, she passed by the vegetable garden, picking a few things here and there, adding them to the other provisions. Then she slipped into the barn.

  Nobody showed up. They’re probably still asleep, poor little things. As much as she wanted to wait and talk to Rachel and the other three children, she had to continue her normal routine. Any change would only alert Aunt Lydia that something was amiss.

  She fetched her milking stool and left the offerings where she was sure Rachel would see them, including a note that she would see her at nightfall. As soon as she finished her morning chores, Lotte changed into her new dress and asked her aunt if she could visit a friend in Mindelheim. Since it was a Saturday and the corn and silage harvest hadn’t begun yet, her aunt agreed, under the condition that Lotte would be back in time for the evening chores.

  Lotte hopped on her bicycle and fiercely pedaled the six miles into town. On the last mile, the road rose steeply, and by the time she reached the market square, her cheeks were burning with heat and sweat had dampened her dress. Breathing heavily, she came to a stop in front of Irmhild’s house.

  Irmhild must have seen her coming because she dashed out of the front door even before Lotte had parked her bicycle. “Lotte. I had hoped you’d come by. Happy belated birthday.” She gave her friend a hug and grimaced, her long light-brown braids framing her face on either side. “Ugh, you’re all sweaty. I don’t understand why you can’t push your bicycle up the hill like everyone else.”

  “Because it’s faster and more fun to pedal,” Lotte wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.

  The look on Irmhild’s small face was evidence of her opinion about the fun part. “Speaking of fun, want to get some ice cream and go down by the river? My treat for your birthday.”

  “Ice cream?” Lotte giggled and linked arms with her friend. “Who would say no to such an offer? Certainly not me.”

  Irmhild had been in Lotte’s class until she left school earlier this year to start working at the town hall. Since Mindelheim was the district town, it handled everything from birth certificates and identification papers to ration cards, weddings, taxes, and state pensions. Even property titles and death certificates passed through its doors.

  Five minutes later, the friends arrived at the market square. Despite being the district town, Mindelheim was a tiny place with only five thousand inhabitants. Irmhild bought two cones of ice cream for them, and they ate the rare treat while crossing the cobblestone square with the big fountain in the center. Passing the town hall, the grocery shop, the hardware store, and the church, they reached the dirt path down to the river. When they arrived, they both shucked their shoes and socks and sat on the riverbank, dangling their feet in the cool water.

  “Do you know when school sta
rts this autumn?” Lotte asked.

  “No.” Irmhild shook her head, making her braids swing like bell ropes. “Herr Keller, the mayor, said maybe it never will. Most of the boys have been drafted during the summer break, and there’s no need for higher education for the girls.”

  Lotte sighed. This meant more boredom for her. But most of her classmates had dropped out of school anyway. They were needed at home or as workers on the farms.

  “So, what are you going to do after the summer?” Irmhild asked.

  “If it were up to me to decide, I’d leave this place.”

  “But to do what?” Irmhild leaned back on her elbows, raising her face to the sun.

  “Who cares? Anything is better than being stuck on a farm in the middle of nowhere.” Lotte took a pebble and sent it skipping across the water.

  Irmhild shot a look at her friend. “It’s not that bad; at least we have enough food and a warm bed.”

  Lotte turned and looked into Irmhild’s blue eyes. She was her only friend, apart from her cousins. Most people didn’t understand why the two of them had become friends. On the outside, they were opposites. While Lotte was impulsive, outspoken, and always up for a fight, Irmhild was quiet, thoughtful, and tried to accommodate everyone. But despite those differences, they shared the ambition to become more than a wife and mother.

  Although she was in the Bund Deutscher Mädel, the Hitler Youth organization for girls, Irmhild didn’t agree with most of the Nazi ideology. She just didn’t voice her concerns aloud.

  Lotte took another pebble and tossed it into the water. After watching the ripples until they reached the shore, she murmured, “You remember Rachel?”

  “Yes, why?” Irmhild’s voice was languid, but even without looking at her, Lotte sensed the tension building between them.

  “Her parents were arrested yesterday and sent off in one of the cattle trains.”

  A sharp intake of air was the only answer from her friend.

  Lotte stared at the lazily flowing river. “Rachel came last night while I was milking the cows. She was with Aron, Israel, and Mindel in the woods when it happened. They can’t go back. Herr Keller has taken over their farm.”

  “He’s been after that piece of land for years,” Irmhild said. The tension between them was suffocating now, and neither one dared to look the other one in the eyes.

  “It’s so unjust!” Lotte jumped up and stomped her foot. “Why is he even allowed to do this? Go around stealing other people’s homes? I hate–”

  “Shush, Lotte.” Irmhild grabbed her hand. “Sit down again, or you’ll draw attention to us.”

  Lotte shot her a dirty look but obeyed. After a long silence, Irmhild raised her voice again, “Where are they now?”

  Lotte looked around to see if they had gained unwelcomed eyes and ears. “Can you keep a secret?” When Irmhild nodded, she whispered, “They’re hiding in the barn.”

  “What? In your aunt’s barn?”

  Lotte nodded, chewing her bottom lip.

  “Does your aunt know?”

  “No. Lydia said we can’t shelter them, it would be too dangerous.”

  “Well, I hate to say it, but your aunt is right. Do you have any idea what would happen if anyone finds them? Herr Keller would happily take over your aunt’s farm as well.”

  Lotte ran her hand through her wild curls. Irmhild always imagined the worst possible outcome. Nobody would find them, nothing would happen.

  “They’ll have to hide someplace else,” Irmhild hissed.

  “But where?” Lotte shivered at the helplessness in her own voice.

  “They could stay with relatives.”

  Lotte snorted. “I don’t think they have any left.”

  “An orphanage maybe?”

  “What kind of orphanage takes Jewish children?”

  “Hmm…but they can’t stay in your aunt’s barn. What should they eat? Without ration cards, they can’t get anything.”

  “I snuck them some milk, cheese, bread, and a bit of sausage this morning.”

  “Ahh…and you think this is enough for four children? No, they can’t stay hiding in the barn.” A long silence ensued before Irmhild spoke again. “We have to find them a safe place to stay.”

  “But where?” Lotte buried her head in her hands. Yesterday, everything had seemed so easy. Rachel, Aron, Israel, and Mindel would hide in the barn until they could return to their farm. But after listening to Irmhild’s words, she knew that was nothing less than impossible. Either they would starve to death, Aunt Lydia would question the missing provisions, or…

  Icy chills ran down her spine as she remembered that harvest was about to start anytime soon. With dozens of people milling about the fields and barn, it was only a matter of time until someone found the children in hiding.

  Loud voices from the other side of the river drew Lotte’s attention, and she saw a group of elementary school children racing each other to the water.

  “If they were Aryan, they would be safe,” she murmured more to herself, but Irmhild’s head flew around, and she stared at Lotte with wide-open eyes.

  “You mean like getting them fake papers?” Irmhild asked.

  Lotte hadn’t considered that idea. “Now that you mention it, I think it’s a great idea, but where would we get them?”

  “At the town hall, of course,” Irmhild blurted out, a terrified glance in her eyes following the initial enthusiasm.

  “Yes, that’s brilliant…but who?” Lotte cocked her head and noticed the agitation in her friend. “Oh! You! Of course, you can do this. You work in the town hall. You do those things all the time. I mean, issuing papers and certificates.”

  “Actually not. I prepare everything, but Herr Keller has to sign the papers and put his official stamp on them.” Irmhild rubbed her forehead. “I don’t have access to the special paper we use for identification cards either.”

  “Can’t you just sneak into his office, take four leaves of that paper, put the stamps on it and fake his signature? It can’t be that hard, can it?” Lotte leaned forward, excitement buzzing through her veins. Finally, something might happen in this sleepy town. A real adventure.

  Irmhild destroyed her hopes with a wild shaking of her head. “It’s too dangerous, we should think of something else.”

  But after tossing ideas at each other for several more minutes, Lotte said, “There’s no way around it. You have to make new Aryan papers for them. It’s their only chance.”

  “But if Herr Keller ever notices…” Goosebumps sprang up on Irmhild’s arms, and she didn’t finish her sentence.

  “He won’t. Not if you’re careful. And it’s for a good cause. Don’t you want Rachel and the others to be safe?”

  Moments passed by as Irmhild thought it all over. Just when Lotte feared she would go crazy with anticipation, her friend sighed. “All right. I’ll do it, but you can’t ever tell anyone. And you have to give them the papers. I can’t be seen anywhere near Kleindorf.”

  “Now we’re real spies. Isn’t that exciting?” Lotte asked, giddy with enthusiasm.

  “What is exciting?” a deep voice asked.

  Chapter 4

  Lotte’s breath stuck in her lungs while her head flew around to face the direction of the voice. Two tall and strong boys her age stood a few feet apart, eyeballing the two girls. Both blond, they wore the uniform of the Hitlerjugend, a tan shirt with pockets, black shorts, and a black rolled neckerchief. The official insignia of Hitler’s Youth movement – a swastika logo on an armband with red stripes bracketing a white stripe – adorned their right upper arms.

  “None of your business,” Lotte snapped at the older one.

  But Hans Keller, the oldest son of the mayor, wasn’t one to give up easily and cast her a lazy smile. “Come on, Schätzchen, we’re neighbors now. Let me in on the fun.”

  “I’m not your darling.” Lotte turned her head away. Hans had a way of making her neck hair stand on end with his behavior. He was so full of himself.<
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  “But you could be, and it wouldn’t be to your disadvantage.” He moved close enough that the tips of his shoes were touching her thigh. Before Lotte could jump up and give him a piece of her mind, Irmhild put a calming hand on her arm.

  “We were talking about Lotte’s new dress,” Irmhild said.

  “You do look very nice today,” the other boy complimented her. Uwe was the son of the forest warden and had dropped out of school earlier in the year to take over his father’s duties while his father served at the front.

  Lotte looked up. “Thanks, Uwe.” During the last six months, Uwe had grown from a boy into a man. While he was a few inches shorter than Hans, his shoulders had broadened, and the muscles on his upper arms stretched the uniform shirt. No doubt, those muscles were a tribute to the hard work of felling trees and chopping wood.

  For some reason, looking at Uwe made her feel lightheaded, and she quickly glanced to the side, where Hans stood and leered at her. She noticed the metal pin on Hans’ shirt pocket.

  So, he moved up in the ranks. I’ll bet being the son of the chief of police and mayor helped in becoming the leader of the local Hitlerjugend.

  “What if we give Lotte and her new dress an opportunity to be admired?” Hans asked, a cocky eyebrow raised. “There’s a dance tonight in Kaufbeuren, and we could all go there.”

  “No. I can’t.” Lotte fisted her hand in her skirt. As much as she would love to attend a dance event, the idea of going with Hans caused the bile to rise in her throat.

  Irmhild came to her aid. “I’m sorry, but my mother would never allow it either.”

  Hans gave an exaggerated sigh and flopped on the ground beside Lotte. “So, we could go down to the pond for a swim?”

  “Do you not understand the word no? Irmhild and I want to be left alone,” Lotte said, sitting as upright as she could.

  Uwe gave a dry chuckle, and Hans’ smile fell. “There’s no need to be rude.”

  “I wasn’t trying to be rude, but we were having a conversation, and you interrupted it.” Lotte swallowed. Inside she wasn’t half as confident as her words conveyed.