“Mother, it’s such a beautiful day!”

“Yes, darling. It certainly is. Now let’s just tug this down a bit and…”

“Mother, why did you buy me a dress? I thought we didn’t have enough potatoes to eat.”

“Darling, it’s a beautiful day; you must look beautiful too.”

Her mother’s voice sounded rather strange, and Charlotte blinked once or twice in front of the dusty mirror. She reached out to touch the glass, and brought her palm off it in a swipe. A cloud of dust flew out, and she saw a very pale-looking girl with big eyes staring back at her.

“Mother, is that me?”

Elisabeth bent down to look at the mirror at her daughter’s height. “Yes, darling, that’s you. Don’t you look pretty?”

“I can’t see the rest of me.”

Elisabeth took a piece of crumpled newspaper from the desk and wiped the mirror carefully. Charlotte looked straight at it, her eyes wider than before. “Mother, I look really pretty.”

“Of course you do, darling. Now hurry, we must go.”

“Go where, Mother?”

There was the loud sound of vehicles passing by downstairs. Elisabeth rushed to the window to peer below, only to see the large tanks bulldoze their way through the streets mercilessly, forcing people onto the sidewalks. She turned away, but not before she saw their eyes –the eyes of the people that she had herself…

“Mother, where are we going?”

Elisabeth snatched up Charlotte’s hat and a rattan case, and took her daughter’s hand firmly. “Come, Charlotte, no questions, just follow Mother!”

Both mother and daughter made their way downstairs, but not before Elisabeth saw Frau Eichel go to the storeroom. The clerk at the counter gave Elisabeth the thumbs-up, and she pulled Charlotte along with her quickly.

"You got the passport, yeah?" The clerk hissed.

"Yes, thanks Franz, I really wouldn't know what to do without you!"

"Alright hurry along, you've only about ten minutes or so! Make sure the label on the passport doesn't come off..."

“Franz, there’re no rats in here, you fool!”

The clerk gasped, and Elisabeth immediately dashed out of the store, out of sight from the entrance. Her heart thumped madly, and Charlotte gazed wonderingly at her. “Mother…”

“Hush!” Elisabeth cupped her daughter’s mouth.

“What’s with you, Franz? First you spend the whole morning looking so fidgety, and get nothing done! Next you cry rats, rats, rats!” Frau Eichel’s shrill voice penetrated the thick air of dread that lay over the streets. “You’re nothing but a lazy coward, you fool, get on with your work! Where’s that woman – it’s a working day and she’s up there fussing over her blasphemous child! What’s the deal with fussing over that creature when the Jew is dead? She might as well try saving her own skin because I swear if she doesn’t get down in five minutes, I’ll send her and that blasphemous little creature straight to the – ”

What Frau Eichel wanted to do, Elisabeth did not want to hear. I’ve had enough of people calling my loved ones blasphemous! I married Walter for who he was, not what he was! She hurried Charlotte along the streets, putting on the big hat strategically on her daughter’s head. The tanks rolled by, and the men who wore the red armbands stared menacingly at her, but she merely looked on. She heard a few wolf-whistles, but she bit her lip and increased her pace. This is not the time for such things, no…

“Young lady, where’re you going with that girl?” A leering voice from behind seemed to propel Elisabeth forward, but the voice kept following her. “What’s wrong, lady? You don’t want to give me a hug or something?”

Elisabeth nearly cried out in shock as the voice translated into action, with a firm grip swinging her around to meet a gruff-looking soldier who had the most leering expression on his face. She struggled, but the man merely laughed. No, please, don’t, I’ve already lost Walter, don’t…

“Let go off that woman, you bastard!” and Elisabeth felt her arms released as the soldier was sent flying into the wall by a fist from a passer-by. Instinct told her to run on, even though she wanted to thank the stranger for saving her. She scooped Charlotte up into her arms and sped on, trying to block out the soldiers’ rough yells and finally, a concluding gunshot.

Elisabeth closed her eyes as she ran on. Don’t come after me, please!

She ran past a bend, out of sight from the main street, and cut across to a different street through various alleys. She was almost out of breath, but she didn’t have any time left, and she had to hurry on.

“Mother, you must be tired, won’t you stop?”

“No, darling, I – I must go on…”

“Mother, I miss Father.”

Elisabeth felt something tight in her throat. Walter…I wish you were here with me…

At last, Elisabeth heard the familiar sound of the train whistle. Oh thank heavens! She ran towards the crowded station and upon seeing the stationmaster, she set Charlotte upon the ground and handed over the passport with shaky hands. She watched fearfully as the stationmaster took it and scrutinised it, running his fingers across the words. Her heart nearly stopped when he did that, but she felt the blood come back into her face as he closed the book. Then he looked at Charlotte, before he handed back the passport to Elisabeth, who sighed in relief inwardly. She pulled Charlotte along through the bustling crowd, shouting “Hold on, Charlotte!” as she squeezed her way through. Finally, she got to the front, and was absolutely relieved to see a familiar face at the train door.

“Well come on, Frau Hertz, there really isn’t much time!”

The woman took the rattan case from Elisabeth, and then received Charlotte in her arms.

“Mother, why’re you standing there?”

Tears welled up in Elisabeth’s eyes. “Hush, darling, Frau Kirsch is going to take really good care of you. Mother will come to look for you someday, all right?”

Despite being all of only five years old, light dawned upon little Charlotte, whose eyes were the biggest as of yet at this moment. Her face contorted into that of terror, as she bawled, “No, Mother, you’re not leaving me! You’re not!”

“No, Charlotte, don’t!” cried Elisabeth, her face grubby with dirtied tear streaks. “No!”

“Hush, you little one, your mother will come to find you soon,” said Frau Kirsch, firmly holding onto Charlotte. Then she turned to Elisabeth just as the train whistle sounded for the last time. “You’re just one lucky woman. Many a time I waited and the child never came to the train station. You’re just lucky that you are a German woman, or your child would never be here.”

“I know…I know…” whispered Elisabeth. “Please take care of her, will you?”

“I’ll do my best, Frau Hertz, that’s about all I can say! But you do know that if you stay…”

“Yes, I know.”

“Well, if you insist…” Frau Kirsch raised her eyebrows.

“Mother, I don’t want to go anywhere! Mother!”

“Charlotte!” Elisabeth cried out, with all her heart, as the train began to move. “I love you!”

“No, Mother! Don’t leave me! I’ll be a good girl! Don’t make me go away, don’t…”

Charlotte’s voice faded away with the train, into the distance. Elisabeth stood there, dazed. She’s gone. My little one is gone. I’ve no one left. But at least they’re happy. I’ll be happy too…

“There she is.”

There was a shuffling in the crowd, and some mildly disgruntled voices were met with harsh barks.

The red armbands finally emerged from the crowd, and surrounded Elisabeth, who closed her eyes as she felt firm grips on her arms.

“Trying to run away, eh? We’ll teach you to associate with Jews, lady. Now show me your passport, quick!”

She opened her eyes, to see the stationmaster behind the soldiers, who looked sorrowfully at her. Nonetheless, Elisabeth smiled at him, in a rather peaceful way.

“Thank you. Thank you for giving my child a chance.”