Memories VII

The year passed in a flash, with a great many events of little consequence. Sophie and I grew even closer, though I expanded my group of friends substantially. Sophie seemed content to speak philosophy all day with her brother and his friends. Willi joined Hans’ high winded group, and remained close friends with me. Sophie remained in a romantic long distance relationship with her long time boyfriend and devoted Nazi, Fritz Hartnagel. Over the year, Willi and I grew closer, and after a few dates, decided to become a couple. And then the year was over. Walking to the train station with Willi’s arm draped protectively over my shoulder, I smiled at Sophie consolingly. She was off to serve as a nurse for summer break. Sophie was required, as she had not been a member of the Hitler Youth for as long as a devoted Nazi was supposed to, to serve in the war effort. I was heading home to visit my family, and Sophie and I were once more on the same train. Willi left us at the station with a peck on the cheek for me and a hug for Sophie. He was going to work as a medic with Hans and his group. I reached up and hugged him as he pulled away.

“Be safe,” I whispered the first cloud of worry crossing my mind as I thought of what his job entailed – he would be right out there in the front lines where all the fighting was happening.  He smiled at me and touched my cheek lightly.

“Aren’t I always?” he enquired gently before trotting away to his train. Sophie threaded her arm through mine consolingly.

“It’ll be alright - they’re all going to be fine,” she intoned soothingly, patting my shoulder.

Sitting on the train, I pulled out another B. Traven book. Sophie laughed at my book choice.

 “What are you reading? Another B. Traven? Those books aren’t even that good, you know.” She smiled and batted at the book playfully. “What’s it called?”

“The White Rose. And his books are good. Full of romance, and, and…” I shrugged.

“The White Rose… interesting. What do you think it means?” Sophie mused. For her, a title was not merely a title. It was something deeper, something with a meaning. I thought for a bit.

“I suppose it represents purity - innocence and bravery in the face of evil,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“Innocence and bravery in the face of evil… eloquent. It just might work,” Sophie mused. I smiled halfheartedly up at her, wondering what she was talking about.  Suddenly snapping out of her strange revere, she said

“Would you mind terribly going down and getting a sandwich from the trolley? I haven’t had lunch yet…” I grinned at her, replying

“And no one believes me when I tell them you’re secretly lazy.” Nonetheless I got up, accepting the folded bills from Sophie, and got up to go buy her lunch.

The train ride was lengthy, and before long Sophie was rocked to sleep by the gentle motion of the cars swaying back and forth. She was the picture of serenity. Lately she’d seemed stressed, on edge, and jumpy. I reached across to adjust the blanket on her lap, when my fingers grazed a white slip of paper, causing it to drift to the floor. Reaching down, I picked it up to return it to her when I noticed some of her scribbles on the back. Thinking it would be nice to edit her writing as a surprise for when she woke up, I began reading. The front seemed to be some uninteresting philosophical sentiments, things I wouldn’t waste my time reading. I flipped to Sophie’s scribbles on the back, and began reading.

‘I think he’s part of it. He said part of the second paragraph just Thursday… “Goethe speaks of the Germans as a tragic people, like the Jews and the Greeks, but today they seem to be a rather spineless, weak willed herd of hangers-on…” I found this in his room. He must be a part. They must be trying to distribute these. Hans must be more careful. He’s sure to blunder somewhere – and this is something that his good looks won’t be able to get him out of. But he’s got others to steady him, I’m sure of it. Yet I feel obligated to help. Are some of these beliefs not mine? Stolen from my lips by Hans? And I may be the only one who can save them from my brother.’

My head spun. Something dangerous was going on, and Sophie was weaseling her way into the middle of it. Looking up at her sleeping form, I saw a shadow flicker across her face and a frown crease her brow.  Whatever she had gotten herself into; it was dark enough to haunt her dreams. And I knew that until I could figure out what was going on, this mysterious danger would haunt me too.