6

Frankfurt, Germany - 1942

"Thomas" A soft voice called, "Thomas" the sound got closer to him as she stepped inside the room, her eyes darted round the place in search of the boy. Never would she have thought that he would be right beside her but under the bed.

He could see her footsteps as it moved round the room, he could hear the sounds that her hands made as they lifted up the bedspread, her naive mind would have thought that he somehow sunk into the bed.

"Thomas, het eten is klaar"

Thomas, dinner is ready

those were the last words before the door closed

He waited for awhile in case if she happened to make a return. When he was sure the coast was clear, he came out from hiding. The beaming smile plastered on his face said it all, he had won his little battle.

He beelined to the closet, it was wooden and made out of cedar. His father had made it for every room in the house. They lived in a three room apartment situated behind a workshop where his father worked until curfew.

Thomas reached for his toy soldiers and placed them on the bed, he had barely begun playing with them before he got interrupted by the door opening.

"Ik heb je gevonden"

I found you

The woman came in again, her gaze directly at him

"Thalia, alsjeblieft, ik wil spelen"

Thalia, please I want to play, He yelled.

She crossed her arms on her dress and watched the boy with a stern face. He had given her quite the trouble while she searched for him. She had even gone outside though not quite far as to avoid trouble with the authorities since it was past curfew.

She almost gave up searching but once she entered his room she knew immediately that he was under the bed and she almost smacked her head for not coming there in the first place.

It was obvious where he hid because no other place in the room could hide his fat body not even the closet.

She knowingly avoided searching for him where he hid just to lure him out from the place and it worked in her favor.

"Thomas, ik heb je gezocht"

Thomas, I have been looking for you

She came closer to him. Her five foot self towered over him. Thomas gulped, his hand fisted on his shirt.

"Oké, ik zal komen "

Alright, I will come

He grimaced putting his toys away and made his way out of the room with the woman.

Dinner was already set on the table, his father a tall Jewish man sat at the head of the table with his eyes on the newspaper, the glasses that he wore rested on his nose. He lifted his eyes to regard Thomas and Thalia as they walked into the room with Thomas' face bent down.

His countenance didn't go unnoticed by his Father as he brought down the paper he read, he watched the boy walk to the table and sit . He knew what was going on in his mind. He had been disturbed from playing again by the maid.

When he made eye contact with Thalia, she bowed her head in respect and he nodded in approval. Few minutes passed and his wife came into the room and took her seat beside him with her back facing the maid.

"Thalia, heb je zout in dit eten gedaan?'

Thalia, did you put salt in this food?

The lady asked after taking a spoon of her meal.

"Ja mevrouw dat deed ik"

Yes ma'am I did

The Lady grimaced, her nise crinkled in disgust, "Ik kan het niet proeven in het eten. Wat heb ik je verteld over eten koken zonder zout toe te voegen ?, je maakt het eten smaakloos"

I can't taste it in the food. What did I tell you about cooking food without adding salt?, you are making the food tasteless

"Het spijtma'am evrouw"

I'm sorry ma'am

Thalia bent her knee in submission and straightened up immediately,

"Het zal niet meer gebeuren"

It won't happen again

"Het kan maar beter niet meer gebeuren, jij dwaas meisje"

It better don't happen again, you silly girl

"Dat is genoeg Margot"

That's enough Margot

Her husband reached out for her hand to silence her from spewing more profanities. The lady fidgeted under his hold, she found it hard to contain her anger. The maid had angered her and it wasn't the first time she had done that. Sometimes she felt her authority was being challenged whenever she talked to her.

"Nee John, dit is niet de eerste keer dat ik haar hierover vertel "

No John, this isn't the first time I'm telling her about this

"Het is een vergissing, de volgende keer zou ze het beter doen"

It's a mistake, she would do better next time

John pleaded on Thalia's behalf, the maid bowed her head in shame, she had failed to meet up to her Mistress' taste

Margot let out a breath that she had no idea that she was holding in,

"Oké"

Alright

She turned swiftly to the maid, her hair following the movement as it was loose and rested on her shoulders,

"Laat dit niet nog een keer gebeuren"

Don't let this happen again

"Het zal niet, mijn dame, het spijt me "

It won't, my lady, I'm sorry

Thalia left the dining table and went to the kitchen, she had to warm the left over food and do the dishes too. She had already worked for a while before she glanced at the clock and noticed the time, it was past eleven and she needed to rest since she would be waking early the next morning to prepare breakfast.

She did all the work including the cooking, it wasn't a surprise since she was a maid. She had stayed with the couple for ten years. Two years after she cane to leave with them they had Thomas. He was a chubby boy even from birth, he had weighed over eight ounces and the doctors were scared that he might turn out to be obesed.

As he grew older he slowly reduced weight but it wasn't that much as he loved eating.

Thalia washed the dishes in silence stopping every few minutes to wipe the sweat of her forehead, the weather was hot like an unrest was about to happen.

She sighed after the third wipe. Her actions halted as she thought about the reason she would be feeling feverish.

Few days ago, she had began noticing signs that she was ill and as she began to put her thoughts together, it frightened her that maybe she had come down with a fever or something. She would have to wait until the next day to get to the store and get some drugs. It was already late even though there was a curfew.

Once she was done washing she wiped her hands on an apron that was hung on the counter.

"Thalia"

The voice startled her as she turned around swiftly, adrenaline surged through her at the thought of what could happen to her when she saw who it was she relaxed, she exhaled.

"Waarom ben je nog wakker?"

Why are you still awake?

"Ik moet de huishoudelijke klusjes afmaken, daar maak je je geen zorgen over, ik ben er al klaar mee "

I have to finish up with the house chores, it's nothing yo worry about, I'm already done with it

"Ik kan dat zien"

I can see that

He stalked closer to her and when he was right in front of her, he lifted his hand and let it caress her cheek moving a stray hair and tugging it behind her ear before he resumed the caress

"John" she moaned.

"Thalia, mijn liefste"

Thalia, my love

He kissed her cheek and trailed it down to her lips before he captured it.

Four years after she came to live with them, she turned twenty one and she noticed the Master looked at her when the Lady wasn't watching and she felt the same after all he was the first one who ever laid eyes on her.

Their relationship had started when he stayed up at night to read books and she did the house chores, the lady would be asleep and he would enter the kitchen pretending to get some water and gently rub her butt.

She thought at first it was a mistake but he spanked it the next day and the other day after that he gave it a squiz.

On the fourth day, he had gone from squizing to touching her and she never once pushed him away, she also enjoyed it. She had never been touched like that before by any man and though she knew it was wrong, she couldn't stop neither could she tell him too.

That week Margot had gone to visit a friend when Thalia dressed up in a way that revealed her cleavages and served John some coffee for him to continue his reading.

Thomas was already asleep though it was in the afternoon.

John couldn't take his eyes off her bosom and as she began leaving the dining table to her own room, his eyes followed her every movement but fixed on her butt.

She gave a last glance before she left, he knew that look. She was inviting him and he stood up to go after her.

Once he got into her room, she was standing on the other side of the bed, her arms folded. She was shy as their gazes met.

He stalked closer to her and once he was right in front of her, Hus gaze fell to her cleavage.

The soft mounds looked inviting, his curiosity peaked at what they felt like only for his hands to start carrying out his thoughts as she moaned with each fondle, each squeeze of her breast sent waves of pleasure down her bones, the feeling was strange to her.

He kissed her gently and roughly as each second came with a newfound desire for the female in front of him.

He undressed her slowly relishing in her nudity trying to remember what it would looked like as he would sleep at night beside his wife, the woman he vowed to remain faithful to till death separated them.

In that moment, he didn't remember their vows, he didn't remember the times he had to woo Margot before she accepted him to even end up becoming his wife.

In that moment, all he cared about was touching an unexplored field.

The moment he broke into Thalia's womanhood tearing her hymen taking her virtue sinfully, she felt pain but she liked it or perhaps the one who was giving it to her. His strokes were gentle as he whispered apologies to her. He had to because it wa sher first time.

Her morals had flown out the window, she didn't care neither did she remember that she was destroying someone else's marriage.

Margot was her cousin.

They stayed wrapped up in the sheets together, John felt guilt. He had broken the vow he had made to his wife.

Thalia was already asleep as she rested her head on his chest allowing him the opportunity to take in the sweet scent of her hair.

A knock on the door broke him out of his reverie and woke Thalia up. She jolted out of the bed and began searching for her clothes and so did John. He had volunteered to get the door since he had gotten ready first and he left Thalia to take out the bloody sheets from the bed and put in a basket where she would wash it later.

The guilt killed him more once he saw Margot and she rushed to him, hugged and kissed him.

That same guilt didn't stop him from going back to Thalia the next time, that same guilt didn't stop him from having an affair with his maid who was also his wife's cousin for six years. They had been careful she didn't take in.

He had gotten used to it that the guilt no longer haunted him even in his sleep. He slept well beside his wife every single night after defiling their matrimonial bed, month after month, week after week, day after day.

He kissed her in the kitchen, his hands reached under her skirt tugging it up and rubbing her thighs in a swift motion causing her to maoan into his mouth which was locked with hers.

A noise broke them off, it was from the front door.

They wondered what could be happening at that moment. John pushed her behind him and went to get the door

"Wie is daar?"

Who's there?

"Ik ben het, David"

"It's me David"

He knew that voice it was his colleague from his work place and he opened the door to yell at his friend only to see some other people with him. The Nazis.

They pushed John aside as they entered the house, their leader crinkled his nose as he looked round the house, his moustache folded and lifted upwards as his lips formed a pout.

"Doorzoek het huis, breng ze allemaal naar buiten"

Search the house, bring them all out

They entered into the house, throwing anything in their part on the floor from vases to the radio, they upturned the chairs and slammed the television.

"Alsjeblieft, we hebben niets verkeerds gedaan"

Please we haven't done anything wrong

John pleaded on behalf of his family

"Stil of ik duw mijn laars op je keel"

Quiet or I shove my boot on your throat

The raiding continued for sometime even after Margot and Thomas were woken up from their sleep and brought to the room where the leader stood. He scrutinized Thomas eyeing the boy up and down. An innocent one, he knew that. He was too pure for the world and the era he was born into. Hitler didn't like the Jews and the little boy was unfortunate to be a Jew.

One of the soldiers made a joke about the boy regarding his weight

"Kijk naar deze, hoe lang denk je dat hij in het kamp zou overleven? Hij is te dik om te wedden dat hij binnen twee weken zou krimpen"

Look at this one, how long do you think he would survive in the camp? He's too fat bet he would shrink in two weeks

"Dat is als hij niet naar de gaskamers gaat voordat hij krimpt"

That is if he doesn't go to the gas chambers before shrinking

Another one joked and they all guffawed except Timothee. He kept watching the boy until a Soldier came closer to him snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Sergeant Timothee, we zijn klaar hier"

Sergeant Timothee, we are done here

"Oké, laten we ze nemen"

Alright, let's take them

The soldiers stood them up and dragged them out forcefully and into the cold night. Timothee was the last to leave the house as he looked around, he shook his head and closed the door leaving behind the rats and cockroaches.

Cold water splashed on his face waking him up from his sleep. Thomas looked around in fear, he had hoped that what happened the other night was nothing but a bad dream. He looked around him. The room was dark but he could make out a silhouette that stood in the dark.

"Sta op jongen"

"Get up kid"

He jolted up fast. The fear was written on his face as he sniffled back mucus, he had cried through out the night.

He followed the guard outside where he saw children his age and younger than him being lined up together with the elderly people that were past the working age. He spotted his parents but couldn't get to them, they were at the other end at their own line.

The same soldier from the other night came up to him a ns as usual his mouth was pouted forcing his moustache to crinkle. He looked at him with no emotion evident in his eyes.

Thomas looked away as his face was bent down

"You would see your parents again"

That sentence caught his attention as he looked up at the man who had begun walking away.

Was it true?

Would he see his parents again?

Would he go back home again?

Even for a kid his age, he knew that he was far from home. He was in a strange place and the energy he got didn't sit well with him. He wanted his parents, he wanted to be held by his Mother, to be sung a lullaby by the maid and to work on a piece of wood with his Father.

In that moment he wanted nothing but to be on his bed staring at his toys.

Thalia watched Thomas from her end, she was in tears. She knew what was happening to them but she couldn't shake off the sick feeling that she was having.

She leaned against the wall, Margot was behind her

"Gaat het goed met je?"

Are you ok?

Margot asked lifting her hand to touch her head only to drop it back with a gasp escaping her lips

"Thalia, je bent ziek"

Thalia, you are sick

Thalia nodded

"Hoe lang ben jij ziek geweest"

"How long have you been sick?"

"Ik weet het niet, amybe een paar dagen"

I don't know, maybe a few days

"Een paar dagen, waarom zei je niets"

A few days, why didn't you say anything

"Het maakt niet uit zuster. Het komt wel goed"

It doesn't matter sister. I will be fine

Margot shifted her attention back to her son ho was already stating back at her, his eyes were filled with tears and they flew down his cheek obec they made eye contact. She wanted nothing more in the world but to hold her son and tell him that he was safe, that everything was an illusion, that he was just having a bad dream.

But even she knew that it was a lie.

She turned behind her and John was there, his face was bent down. He was in distress. The feeling was evident on his face. "John" she called softly

He looked up at her and threw his face down. He was conflicted, he was going to either die or live being a slave to the Nazis.

Hitler was ruthless, they all knew that.

He knew what awaited them at the camp, he had heard stories about it, how people died from sickness and malnutrition.

He had thought he would never get to experience it but he was proved wrong. At that moment where he stood, he prayed for death

Thalia slumped disrupting the registration process that was going on for the Jews, few soldiers came to where she was and were ordered to take her to the doctor.

The people around murmured, they thought that she had faked it so as to avoid going to the camp. The soldiers dissipated the rumors as Timothee ordered for her to be brought back after she met the doctor.

She was taken to the doctor, the man in his early fifties examined her checked her pulse, her blood pressure and decided to take further tests after asking her some questions

"We gaan dood, nietwaar?"

We are going to die, aren't we?

The doctor stopped what he was doing and gazed at the girl as she repeated the question again.

He nodded lightly then she held back her tears with a loud inhale. Those tears betrayed her as they fell on her cheeks. She whimpered and covered the tip of her nose with her clasped hands as she bent down to cry.

The doctor couldn't console her, her fate had been sealed once Hitler came to power. He felt pity for her.

When the results came out few hours later, she was shocked at what she saw. At the worst time in her life she was with a child.

The child of her cousin's husband

The child of her Master whom she had shared her bed with as she spoke loving words during their love session.

A child born out of wedlock.

Her mother instincts kicked in as both hands reached for her stomach, she cried louder. She cried for forgiveness from God, from her cousin that she had stabbed in the back, that she had broken her home without her knowledge.

At that moment, she was sorry

A soldier came to take her back to the queue and he took tgebresulta tahtbwere to be shown to the Sergeant. She walked in front of him, her legs wobbled and she caught herself but earned her a glare from the soldier.

They got back to the queue only for her to see that Margot and John were no longer in the place where they were before, the line had moved forward and they both were now at the front. With Margot directly in front of the registrar. She was walked to the front with the soldier as she was now a special prisoner. The soldier handed the results to the Timothee and he flipped it open and stared at it, a chuckle escaped his lips

"Je bent zwanger"

You are pregnant

Thalia inhaled, Margot was surprised and John was ashamed.

"Het is oké, we zouden het bedrijf op prijs stellen"

It's ok, we would appreciate the company

"Ga achter haar staan"

Stand behind her Timothee gestured to Margot. He knew after all, he wasn't human.

He wanted the next scene that would occur to happen.

Margot still surprised turned around halfway to face Thalia

"Thalia, wie is de vader?"

Thalia, who is the Father?

Thalia bent her head down in shame, tears flowed from her eyes.

The registrar wanted to stop them from talking but Timothee signaled for him not to and he let them be.

"Thalia, vraag ik nogmaals: wie is de vader?"

Thalia, I ask again, who is the Father?

Margot was getting angry. The fact that they were almost about to sign their death warrants at the table didn't bother her.

"Het is je man"

It's your husband

She had to tell her the truth, if they were going to die then she drmeserved to know what she had done to her. Thalia sobbed and her voice croaked, when she lifted her gaze to her sister's she saw the effect of her damage.

Margot was in tears.

"Waarom?"

Why?

That was all she could say, the pain was too much. She couldn't form words that would match what her heart felt. She had been betrayed by her husband and her cousin. Death would bring her peace, it was her only solace.

"Mijn excuses"

I'm sorry

Thalia sobbed harder

"Mijn excuses"

I'm sorry

John's voice was cracked, he was also remorseful

Margot turned around swiftly and wrote down her name then left the line for Thalia to do thesame with the registar.

Thomas had heard what happened, he saw everything transpire right under his eyes. He saw his mother leave the line, she was heartbroken. He heard about his sibling that wouldn't be coming from his Mother but by their maid who was his Mother's cousin.

When his father glanced at him, he threw his face away that action broke his Father but his Father had no idea that he was broken too.

As they rounded up the children towards one end, they were asked to walk down a path which they did and that path was to their death.

That evening they arrived at a place and were asked to take off all their clothes to allow them take a bath and later they would be given food and water. They did that and as Thomas entered the building to take his bath. He turned around and met his gaze.

Timothee's

He remained callous as he watched Thomas enter the building, he had no idea what awaited him in that so called bath room.

The Gas chambers

As the door closed, screams followed. Screams of children filled the air and some Jews that were assigned to carry out the dead bodies turned their faces away.

Soldiers stood near the place, oblivious to the wails of the children. Timothee stood there too with his mouth clenched.

The screams died down until no sound was heard again. He knew that Thomas was already gone to a much better place away from their world that hated him because of his race.

In that moment, He couldn't bring himself to cry over a boy or the lives that were already lost. He was a demon and demons had no emotions.

In that moment and the moments thereafter, He felt nothing.