Saving Anna

by Sharon Struth

  The decision he’d made last night to be nicer to Anna struck like a thunderbolt. And why was that again? Oh, right. To prove to himself he wasn’t a self-centered jerk.

  Josef patted Max on the shoulder. “I’m glad she could help you with them. If you need anything from me, you let me know.”

  They chatted about the weather, the wine festival. Josef watched the sidewalk, hoping to see Anna soon.

  Five minutes turned into ten. At the fifteen-minute mark, he stood. “Well, looks like your dogs are getting a good walk, Max. I may go do some errands. Can you ask Anna to call or text me when—”

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  Anna jogged toward them, the two dachshunds in full gallop as they approached their master. The cheeks of her fair skin glowed, and dark curls bounced with her gait.

  She reached Max and handed him the dog’s leashes. “I don’t know how you do it, Max.” She squatted down and scratched behind the ears of both pups. “They tuckered me right out.”

  Her white-and-gray striped skirt fanned the ground. Josef noted the small of her waist where a pullover sweater outlined her curves.

  Max leaned closer to the red-haired dog and mumbled something. He glanced up at Anna. “Lucy says you are much faster than me.”

  Anna laughed and tossed back her head, more relaxed than Josef had seen her since her arrival. “I think she’s much faster than both of us.”

  As she started to rise, her hem got caught beneath her flat shoe. She lifted the skirt and Josef’s gaze flickered from her smooth calves to her slender thigh. A bruise a few inches past her knee made him pause, think about the one on her arm.

  She rose to full height, dropping the skirt to knee-level and smoothing it at the hips. “Max, let me know if I can help with them again. I enjoyed the exercise.”

  “We will set up a walk schedule then.” Max grunted as he lifted himself off the bench. “How does that sound?”

  Her smile didn’t waver. “Sounds good to me.”

  Though Josef knew Anna had things to do here, she didn’t balk at the idea of being on Max’s schedule. The commitment he’d made last night mocked him. No way could he turn back on his vow. He’d do it and report back to Helga so she would stop calling him self-absorbed.

  “Do you need help getting inside?” She went to Max’s side and took his elbow.

  He waved her away, his chest puffed out, most likely not wanting to take assistance from an attractive young woman. “No, no. I am okay. I’ll just go slow. Come on, Lucy, Ricky. Tell Anna Danke!”

  The dogs only looked up at their owner, wagging their tails. Max smiled and winked at Anna, the gleam in his eyes that of a much younger man.

  Anna watched them walk off, a smile stuck on her face. Kind as an angel, with a natural ability to care for others, she made his decision to be nice to her seem almost greedy. The end goal had been to prove he could do for others altruistically, but his whole motive now looked self-serving. What the hell was wrong with him?

  And yet last night, the plan had seemed so perfect. Going the extra mile for her had felt right.

  She turned to Josef. “Sorry. I lost track of time. Those dogs are adorable. Growing up, my family had a few dogs. Now…” She frowned and met his gaze. “Now I live in a city. So—well, I just don’t have one.”

  She looked away, but he couldn’t miss the sadness in her expression.

  He cleared his throat but was unsure what to say to make her feel better, so he uttered, “How about we get started?”

  “Oh, sure.” She went over to one of the other picnic tables holding a laptop and slid onto the bench seat. She patted the seat to her side. “Sit, so I can show you what I’ve found.”

  He did as she asked. Without looking at him, she navigated to an ancestry website, explaining how learning Gunther’s birthdate opened up her search.

  “I have a long list of possible matches but narrowed it down to the top four most likely to match the man I’m looking for. I’d like to work out a schedule to visit them with you.” She turned, looked him in the eye. “If I get lucky, maybe the first will be the man who knew Isaak. Then you’re done with me.”

  “Well, I do not think of this as a chore. I—”

  A slow smile crossed her lips. “I’m teasing you. But if it isn’t him, I’ll feel better if we have a plan in place. I know you have other things to do besides driving me around.”

  “It seems I have given you the wrong impression. I have not been myself lately. Well, maybe I have, but perhaps I have offended you, or made you think I do not want to drive you to these places.”

  She smiled, genuine but brief. “Not at all, Josef. Really.”

  Of course he sounded awkward. Idiot. He felt awkward, like he was trying too hard. “What I mean is, I find myself interested in this story.” Yes, much better.

  “Oh. I see. Well, that’s great.”

  “Yes. And it is hard to talk when driving. But since we are not in the car, maybe now we can talk. I realized I did not even ask you your neighbor’s story, why he needed help from Gunther. I would be interested. That is, if you want to share.”

  She glanced down at the computer keys for a long moment. Finally, she looked up and into his eyes. “Yes. I’d be happy to. Gunther and Isaak were neighbors in Frankfort, as you know.”

  He nodded.

  “Isaak’s life changed on Kristallnacht.” She pressed her lips tight and appeared to be gathering her thoughts. Her voice quieted. “That evening, my neighbor’s family’s home in Frankfurt was destroyed.” She shared the details, the pain on her face palpable. Once finished, she drew a deep breath. “Gunther helped the boys hide for a while in town. But things were getting worse in Germany, so he finally got them out of the country to Belgium. I’m not sure how he got to the US.”

  Josef sat quietly, stunned by the story, his heart bleeding for the family he didn’t know. “I am so sorry. For your neighbor. For not asking.”

  “It’s okay. Really.” A tear slipped from the corner of her eye, and she swiped it aside with a brush of her fingertips. “Sorry. It’s such a sad story. Every time I think of it, I… It’s unimaginable.”

  Her sadness filled him with a sense of urgency to find this man. To make sure Gunther understood how valued his actions were. Children losing parents, losing their home, their country. Having to hide instead of attending school or play outside like normal kids. How had such madness owned the followers of the Nazi party? Finding Gunther meant doing something good. Josef needed to be part of doing something good, to step away from his own problems.

  Quietly, he asked, “So, what is our first stop?”

  She showed him her list. “The man I found in Marburg seems the most perfect match on paper. Is it far?”

  “An hour and a half drive.” His nerves teased him again. Damnit. He could drive that far. He would drive that far. Because the man who’d saved those boys deserved to get his thanks. And while it might help Josef on his path to self-redemption, his issues were no longer his primary goal.

  “Tomorrow morning around nine we will leave,” he said. “We will spend the day on this, do whatever you need.”

  And he smiled, as though he wanted nothing more than to do this for her. Because, in a way, he really did.

  Chapter 11

  Anna watched Josef pat the pockets of his blazer and frown.

  Now what? He’d picked her up a few minutes ago, thirty minutes late and acting a bit, well, edgy. At least compared to how he’d been yesterday afternoon, when a gentler version of him had arrived at the guesthouse.

  He stopped at a traffic light, shifted in the seat, and checked each back pocket. “Damn it,” he mumbled.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I forgot my wallet. We have stop at my place.”

  She nodded. So they’d get to Marburg a few minutes later. “It’s okay. We�
��re not on a time schedule.”

  He nodded and flipped the radio to a pop music station, seeming content with their silence. When they reached the parking lot of an apartment complex, he pulled into a space and turned off the car.

  After opening his door, he said, “I will be back.”

  She almost teased him about sounding as gruff and direct as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in Terminator with his “vill” and “baach.” But given his somber mood, and other more pressing matters, specifically against her bladder, she said, “May I use your bathroom?”

  He glanced back over his shoulder at her, stared for a beat. “Sure. Follow me.” He got out, shut his door, and started to walk rather fast for a man using a cane.

  She hurried to catch up with him while looking around the homey complex of garden-styled apartments with a nice central green housing a few benches and flower beds.

  They stopped at a ground-level apartment with a dying potted plant on the step, and he pushed his key into door. Someone yelled his name.

  He glanced back over his shoulder. “Ja, Mrs. Freudenberger?”

  She spoke to him and he listened carefully, nodding, his face softening with concern as she spoke. He replied to her and looked at Anna. “Go on in. The bathroom is down the hall, first door on the right. I will be a few minutes.”

  She watched him walk off, slipping on a genuine smile as he took the older woman by the elbow and listened to what she had to say.

  Whatever drove today’s mood shift, he still managed a smile for his elderly neighbor. She wondered if anything had happened, or if he just was quiet today for no particular reason. Yesterday’s conversation had left her feeling like they’d started to have a friendship, but part of being a friend was understanding an “off” day.

  She entered his apartment. Nice hardwood floors and contemporary furniture. Modern and comfortable, with knickknacks speaking to his passion for travel, like some beautifully painted prints of Tuscany on one wall, a small, wood-carved replica of a Viking ship on an end table, and a photograph of the bull run in Spain.

  Passing by a marble-topped peninsula, she put down her purse. On her way down the hallway, she studied simple framed photographs of Josef in action: climbing a wall, standing with his fists raised on top of a glacier. After finishing in the bathroom, she headed back into the living room.

  “Josef?”

  When he didn’t answer, she turned to get her purse. Newspaper clippings scattered on top of an open folder caught her eye. Midi Libre. Sounded French. One showed a photograph of a gruesome car accident.

  She slipped her purse strap over her shoulder but couldn’t tear her gaze from the destroyed car. Beneath it were photos of two people. Her gaze drifted to the man. Josef. Hair a bit longer, no beard or mustache, and the same piercing eyes. The other photo was a woman. Was this the accident Ruth had mentioned?

  She tilted the topmost article to get a better look at the headline. L’accident sur A8 prend la vie de la femme de Montpellier.

  An accident in Montpellier? Had the article contributed to his silence this morning?

  The front door clicked open and she jerked her gaze up. Josef entered looking first at her, then the counter, then back to her again. “Did you find what you needed?”

  “I did. Everything okay out there?”

  Anna’s heart raced. She wasn’t the type to snoop and couldn’t imagine why she’d done so just now. But lately, nothing she’d done was in character.

  He frowned. “Yes. My neighbor is getting forgetful. I don’t think her family realizes how bad the situation has become. I got her settled, but I will call her son on our way to Marburg.”

  “She’s lucky to have a neighbor who’s looking out for her.”

  He shrugged as he walked past her. “Let me get my wallet.”

  She stepped over to the window, far from where she’d been snooping. But she wondered about the woman in the article. She glanced back to the counter, wishing she could’ve read a little bit more about what had happened. Not that she could read French. But if the woman had been hurt or even killed in the accident, it explained his behavior. Coupled with his limp, he probably felt crappy both inside and out. Maybe he needed to have a reason to smile. Take his mind off his troubles.

  He came back out, stuffing his wallet in his back pocket. On his way past the peninsula, he stopped and tucked the articles into the folder and pushed it against the wall.

  He turned around. “Ready?”

  She straightened like a soldier and saluted him, keeping her face stiff and formal. “Roger that.”

  His lips flicked, as if he wanted to crack a smile but couldn’t. “Ladies first.”

  She marched out with her shoulders stiff and chin out while tossing a final salute and a wink. Outside, she glanced over her shoulder and she caught him watching her, certain she saw curiosity in his eyes and the desire to smile. Enough to give her confidence to keep trying with him.

  * * * *

  Anna leaned toward the windshield to look out the window. From the corner of his eye, Josef took note of her baggy khaki pants and long-sleeved striped shirt. Toss on a beret and she’d look like a colorful mime.

  He shifted his gaze back to the highway. Best he stayed focused. He’d overslept because of the painkiller he’d taken, and his leg ached from the second he got out of bed. Though he’d been late picking Anna up, she hadn’t complained. But the painkiller had left him tired and in no mood for conversation. A day when shuffling papers might have been better. Yet Anna chatted away with him, seemingly unaware of his short answers.

  His hasty plan of being kind to Anna had fallen apart before it could even start. Damn this pain. It mangled his mood. In a better frame of mind, he might have laughed at her cute little salute as they’d left his apartment. Is it not enough I’m helping her find this man?

  Of course it wasn’t.

  “Whoa. What the heck is that place?”

  He took in the view of the cityscape and tried to soften the harshness he felt inside. “That is Marburg.”

  “You mean, the place we’re headed?”

  This time he glanced over and raised a brow. “That is where you told me to drive to, ja?”

  She laughed. “Ja. I did.”

  The twinkle of merriment in her eyes made his cranky interior crack. He smiled. His shoulders miraculously relaxed just a little as he sped along the highway headed for the city skyline wrapped around a hillside.

  Anna watched out the front window, eyes wide, as if this place were something remarkable. Not another old German city. “Is that a castle?”

  “Yes.” Okay, he had to admit, this city was an impressive sight. Rising in layers along the hillside, the new city served as the base, topped by the old part of town. Everything culminated at the hilltop, with the University Cathedral and the castle topping off the peak. Like the cherry on a sundae.

  “It is Landgrave Castle.”

  “I’d love to see it.”

  “The castle is in the upper town. Our destination is on the outskirts of town.”

  “Oh.” Her shoulders slumped and she leaned back in her seat.

  Her disappointment made him feel bad. Maybe he would take an extra dose of the non-sleepy pain meds and see how his leg felt once they finished with their visit and how they were doing on time.

  They drove in silence for about a minute or two. She glanced at his cane, resting between the bucket seats. “Your cane is so unusual. Do you mind if I look more closely?”

  “Not at all.”

  She reached for it. As she ran her delicate hand along the rich ebony wood to the smooth brass handle, he noticed she no longer wore her wedding band.

  His mind whirled with possible reasons she’d removed it: her fingers were swollen or she’d simply forgotten to wear it. She never mentioned her husband in their conversations, od
dly.

  He was about to ask what her husband did for a living when she said, “The tiger head on the handle is so detailed.”

  “A man in northern Italy made it. Belonged to my father.” Josef remembered when his father had brought it home after being hurt on an assignment. “My father said he picked that one because tigers are fearless, like him.”

  “What did he do?”

  “A reporter for the BBC. He often went to the Middle East. Iraq. The injury that caused him to buy that cane was caused by a roadside bomb.”

  “He was lucky he only got hurt.”

  “Yes.” A decades-old force clutched his heart, not enough for tears but enough to remember the sadness. “Later, he wasn’t so lucky.”

  “You mean he got killed there?”

  He nodded, but the resentment he had for his father’s choice to put work above all else always hit Josef like a smack to the center of his chest.

  “I’m so sorry. He must’ve been very committed to his job.”

  “Ja.” What drove his father down such a path? True fearlessness or running from something, like family responsibilities or deeper issues?

  The dichotomy in Josef’s own life again rose to the surface. How badly he wanted to be like his father, but resented his father at the same time. How had he spent most of his life oblivious to the intricacies of their relationship, and now he thought about it too much? Bah! Why did this have to hit him now?

  As he focused on the road, Anna carefully rested the cane back where she’d found it. He glanced over, his attention briefly settling on her empty ring finger.

  Their eyes met, and she stared at him for a split second before turning and looking out the window. They continued toward Marburg in silence, but the air carried the weight of a hundred questions between them.

  * * * *

  Anna glanced at the GPS, the knots in her stomach twisting tight. “Just a few more minutes until we get there. I feel a bit anxious.”

  “Anxious?” Josef briefly looked her way then back out the windshield. “Why?”

  “What if this isn’t him?” Yesterday’s revelations about her missing roots possessed her all night. She’d ended up back on her computer at midnight, reading stories of Americans like her who’d learned about long-lost relatives from Europe who left behind not only their family and friends, but faith, too. One article she’d found told of a woman who’d searched out the roots of her once-Jewish family by taking a trip to the town where they’d lived in Poland.