19
Jack and Rose stop to catch their breath just inside an alleyway. Rose immediately went to Jack and inspected him for any new cuts and bruises that his stepfather may have inflicted.
“I’m alright Rose,” Jack reassured her as she ran a hand down his arm. “He was just beginning when you came in. What were you doing there? You shouldn’t have come.”
“I was looking for you Jack and I’m glad I did. He would have killed you.”
“You should have stayed away. It was dangerous for you to come.”
“It was too dangerous for me not to. What? Do you want to go back there? Did you want him to cut you with that knife?”
“No. Of course not. I just want you to be safe. That’s all,” Jack stared at the ground, realizing what he was sounding like. “I don’t mean to criticize…I’m just scared for you. I love you Rose. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Rose swallowed and looked down at her shoes that were now worn from all the running they had done. Jack’s apartment was now a good two miles away. They were safe, but for how long was anybody’s guess.
“What now? You can’t go to my house because they know you’ll be there,” Rose swallowed looking around at their surroundings.
Jack’s eyes widened as he spotted the record store that his friends and himself frequent. “Over there,” Jack pointed. “Mr. Heimrich will help us. He’s the one that sells swing music and help people at risk of being sent away,” Jack took Rose’s hand and pulled her to the record store. Rose noticed the strong silence as she stepped inside. She shivered and stepped closer to Jack.
“Who is it?” a gruff voice asks from the store room in the back.
“Jack Dawson Mr. Heimrich!” Jack answered.
“Jack! What can I do for you? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in the store,” a middle-aged man with silvery-gray hair entered the room. Mr. Heimrich was a old friend of Jack’s father and knew that Jack could be trusted. The man gasped in shock and dismay when he saw the bruises on Jack’s face.
“My Lord! What happened to you?”
“My mother’s fiancée did it when it became clear that I wasn’t going to give up swing and become a Nazi in training,” Jack explained, noticing how the man’s face reddened with rage.
“And where was your mother during all of this?”
“In the next room ignoring Jack when he called for her,” Rose explained, anger evident in h er voice. “How could she do that? Jack’s her son! Her only son! She should have been protecting him! Not standing by watching Jack get hurt!”
“That woman…she’s a disgrace. Your father would be so disappointed if he was here. But he’d be so proud of his son for standing his ground. You’re a fine young man Jack.”
“Thank you,” Jack blushed.
“And who is this lovely young lady?” The older man took Rose’s hand in his own. “She’s real pretty Jack. Is she your girlfriend?”
Jack nodded. “She’s everything to me. My guardian angel you can say.”
“What’s your name girl?”
“Rose Dewitt Bukater,” Rose swallowed nervously. She grew even more uneasy when the man’s eyes lit up.
“Your father wouldn’t happen to be Jeremiah Dewitt Bukater would it?”
Rose nodded and was taken aback when the man began to laugh.
“Well that just beats all. Another Dewitt Bukater in my store and part of a small resistence, just like her father.”
“Rose’s father was a part of the resistance?” Jack asked, his eyes lit up in interest as well as Rose’s.
“Sure was. And it wasn’t just because he was Jewish either. He believed that all men were equal and that the tyranny of the government should be stamped out as soon as possible.”
“Wow Rose, that’s quite a legacy,” Jack squeezed her hand.
“I-I had no idea,” Rose wiped away her tears of pride.
“It was indeed a big secret. He made it clear that no one outside the group was supposed to know. He said his wife would never understand if she were to find out.”
“And she wouldn’t have either. We didn’t even know he was Jewish until he died and she was mortified by that.”
“I remember that Ruth. A cold fish if I ever met one. I was surprised Joesph married her since her family were very anti-Semitic. Well you two are very welcomed to stay here for as long as you need,” Frank Heimrich smiled. “Follow me.” He disappeared through the door he had came through.
“Are you sure it’s safe here?” Rose asked, finding it hard to be just a little suspicious.
“Positive. Frank helps people hid and disappear if they need to. So it has to be safe.”
Rose just nodded and allowed Jack to lead her into the back room. She gasped in surprise when Frank pushed aside a bookshelf to reveal a dark stairway.
“Follow me,” Frank began up the stairs.
“Come on Rosie,” Jack had her held her hand tightly as they followed Frank up into a well lit hallway with one door on the left and one on the right. This surprised Rose. From the outside the store looked like it was a one story building. She had no clue of this second level.
“You’ll be staying in here,” Frank unlocked the door to the right. “A nice Jewish family are staying in the other apartment.”
“Wow. You must help a lot of people,” Rose looked at Frank in awe, thinking how brave he must be.
“I do what I can. Jack, you and your girlfriend can stay as long as you need to.”
“Thank you Frank. This means a lot to us .”
“Well your father had saved my hide a long time ago. You can consider this me returning the favor.”
“If he was alive he’d thank you too,” Jack looked tearful at the mention of his father. “They never did find his body did they?”
Frank shook his head regretfully. “Nothing. Well I’ll leave you two kids to yourselves now. If you need anything I’ll be right downstairs,” Frank smiled, leaving the teens alone.
“He’s a good man,” Jack sighed, collapsing onto the nearby bed and buried his head in his hands.
“Jack…why did you leave my house this morning? You were safe. They didn’t know where you were. They couldn’t reach you.”
Jack looked up into the warm concern in Rose’s eyes. She loved him. He could see that clearly and he loved her twice as much. He’d do anything to keep her safe.
“Rose…everyone that helped me got hurt. They even broke Mr. DeRossi’s hand to find out where I was. I couldn’t let that happen to you. So I left. I rather have taken a thousand beatings then let you get hurt because of me.”
“Oh Jack…,” Rose wrapped her arms around him and lost herself in his embrace. “I love you and I’d do anything for you; Even if it means facing a thousand Nazis. So no more needlessly running back into danger. Do I make myself clear?” She pulled away and green stared into blue.
“Very clear,” Jack smiled, kissing her tenderly.
“Jack…I just want you to know that I’m going to love you forever. Nothing will ever change that. So if your mother does find you and force you to join Cal’s group, I’ll understand. I’ll know that it was against your will.”
“But it’ll never come to that Rose. I swear it,” Jack wrapped his arms around her. “Just do me a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Promise me that you’ll stay as far away from the Nazis as you can get. I know with Cal coming around it’ll be hard, but at least try. Remember Hansel knows where you live and he’ll be bound to stop by your house looking for me.”
“I promise Jack. I’ll try my best to avoid them,” She kissed him once more. “Well let me get back home. I have to do the laundry before mother returns. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“Ok sweetie. Remember, stay safe.”
“I will. Bye Jack,” Rose waved, closing the door behind her.
Jack sighed and leaned back on his pillow, already missing Rose like crazy. “Someday Rose, we’ll live in a world full of peace and love. No more Nazis to worry about.”
~*~
“Rose sighed tiredly as she entered her house. It was going to be a long day. She can just feel it.
She’s about to head upstairs to her room when she heard voices coming from the parlor. She frowned. No one was supposed to be here, not until Saturday when her mother was to return. Biting her lip she stood to the left of the entrance so she couldn’t be seen. She peeked inside to see her mother home early and looking rather flustered and talking to Caledon Hockley, dressed to the hilt in his new SS uniform.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into her Cal,” Ruth ranted, pacing the floor. “Disturbing a family squabble…attacking a fine officer like that? It’s that music she’s began listening to! The music and those people!”
“Calm down Ruth. Things are not that bad yet. For now I have everything under control. Hansel has decided to let me handle Rose’s punishment, just as long as he gets his fiancée’s son back. Which he will. They have nowhere else to go but back here again. We’ll send the boy back to Hansel and we’ll set down and talk with your daughter. Give her the ultimatum.”
“Marry you or be sent to Ausherwitz,” Ruth’s statement fell on Rose like a block of steel.
“And believe me Ruth, she doesn’t want to go there. That’s one of the worst camps we have,” Cal grinned evilly. “So! Where is my new bride? That is the question.”
Horrified, Rose turned and ran out onto the sidewalk, desperate to get away from her mother, Cal, and their dastardly plan. She ran to the one place where she knew she was safe. Back to the record store. Back to Jack.
~*~
Jack got to his feet as his apartment door was flung open. Expecting Hansel to come barging into the room, he was ready to run. But there was no need for that. With Frank right behind her, Rose flew into Jack’s arms, tears pouring from her eyes.
“Rose?” He stared at her in disbelief. “What happened?” He looked at Frank, who shrugged helplessly.
“M-my mother returned early. She was with Cal!” Rose cried, clinging to Jack for dear life.
“What? Did they see you?”
Rose shook her head no. “But I heard them talking! Oh Jack, it’s horrible! My own mother! How could she do this to me?”
“Rose tell me. What were they talking about? What’s gotten you so upset?”
Rose tightened her hold on Jack and told him everything she overheard. “What are we going to do?”
Jack frowned. The situation was getting out of hand. Now he was affecting Rose’s precarious situation. There must be something he could do to change the situation. Something that would get them both to safety. What would his father do in this situation?
Then like a bolt of lightening, it came to him. His father was an American. Plus he had family there, family that would take them in, despite the fact that he hadn’t seen them in five long years. America! The new world! The land of opportunity and freedom! Where the Nazis had no control! Where Rose and he could be safe!
He pulled away from Rose and looked deeply into her eyes, wiping away the tears that were still falling. He breathed in deeply, not sure how well this idea would go over.
“Let’s go to America.”
“What?” Rose asked in disbelief.
Frank nodded his approval. “Makes sense. Your father was from there after all. He always talked about his folks. Said he wrote them all about life here in Germany and his son, regretting that they weren’t in town when you three visited. Those poor folks, your ma never did write to tell them that their boy had disappeared.”
“Jack wait a minute,” Rose interrupted. “What are we doing again?” She was so confused. Everything was going so fast.
Jack took her hands in his and gave a gentle squeeze. “We’re leaving Germany Rose. We’re leaving for good. It’s too dangerous here for either of us stay here.”
“But America? Now? It’s so far away,” Rose’s eyes were full of fear. “How will we survive? How will we even get there?”
“I can take care of that,” Frank piped up. “I can get you tickets on the next departure of the Hindenburg (author’s note: I’m changing the year to 1935). Plus there’s something Jack’s father had put away for his son. He saw where the government was going. So he made a way to flee with his family if need be. He left the stash with me for safe keeping. I know he’d want you and Rose to have it…to use for your escape.” The man left the room and returned five minutes later, carrying a tin can that he handed to Jack.
The boy gasped in surprise when he opened it. It was a huge bundle of American bills.
“How? How did he get this much money?” Jack swallowed.
“He said some cousins from Boston sent it.”
“Well Rose…it looks like the surviving part is taken care of thanks to my dad. So what do you say now? We go to America?” He turned back to his girlfriend who stared at him in shock.
There really was reason to say no. She really had no family. Her friends had problems of their own. She’ll end up in that concentration camp because she’ll refuse to marry Cal. So really there was no other choice but to go to America and start a new life with the man she loved.
She smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around Jack. “Ok Jack. Let’s go to America!”
“Whoohoo!” Jack picked her up and swung her around.
Frank smiled at the
young couple. “Let me get everything
together for you two,” He left Jack and Rose alone to enjoy the rest of the
night.