The Daughters of Marburg

by Terrance Williamson

  “Is everything alright?” Lilly touched his back gently.

  “Yes, sorry.” He broke away from his trance and smiled at her, yet Lilly could sense that he was troubled. She assumed it was his assassination of the major, but she didn’t want to press the subject and upset him. She felt awful enough for her involvement, and she imagined he was feeling an overwhelming guilt.

  “Would you hold on!” Walter griped as he trailed his wife with his cane in hand.

  “This is called the outside, dear,” Mrs. Baumann spoke sarcastically as she helped him walk.

  “Smells like shit.” Walter played along.

  “No, that’s you, dear.” Mrs. Baumann patted his arm patronizingly and, surprisingly, they both began laughing. Lilly, for her part, couldn’t understand the dynamic between this couple. They seemed to be in a perpetual struggle against each other, yet they also appeared to enjoy it.

  “Don’t delay now,” Walter spoke over his shoulder to Lilly and Wilhelm.

  “Promise me that we’ll never end up like them,” Lilly spoke out of the corner of her mouth.

  “Trust me, they don’t even want to end up like them,” Wilhelm replied.

  “Am I alone in thinking that they enjoy the sparring?” Lilly asked as they walked slowly behind Wilhelm’s grandparents.

  “What are you two whispering about?” Walter turned his head as much as he was able as he offered a wry smile.

  “Don’t bother them!” Mrs. Baumann gave a generous slap against his arm. “Remember how it was with my father?”

  “Why, what happened?” Wilhelm grew intrigued.

  “I shouldn’t have said anything.” Mrs. Baumann waved to dismiss the subject.

  “You have to tell me now!” Wilhelm tugged on his grandmother’s arm.

  “Let’s just say that her father and I didn’t get along very well at the start.” Walter chuckled, and his whole body heaved as he strained. “In the end, I think it worked out alright.”

  “For who?!” Mrs. Baumann huffed and looked at her husband. “I’m fascinated with whatever reply you’ll conjure.”

  “I made you the happiest woman in all of Marburg.” Walter patted her hand, which was still through his arm.

  “Have you mistaken misery for happiness?” Mrs. Baumann replied curtly.

  “Then why didn’t you leave?” Walter stopped just before the door to Lilly’s house and turned, slowly, to his wife.

  “And abandon you to your own devices?!” Mrs. Baumann raised an eyebrow. “It would be a death sentence for you. I couldn’t have that on my conscience.”

  Walter laughed heartily as he opened the door to the Sommers’ residence and walked in, followed by an equally amused Mrs. Baumann who was chuckling at her husband’s expense.

  Entering inside, Lilly found it eerily quiet. She wondered if anyone else was home, but walking into the foyer, she noticed that her father, Edith, and Miss Schultz were all sitting around the dining room table. Mr. Sommer was holding his head in his hands, Edith was sitting back with her arms crossed, and Miss Schultz was staring at the table.

  “What’s wrong?!” Lilly barged in as she was followed by the rest of the Baumanns.

  “You tell her.” Mr. Sommer pointed at Edith as he turned away.

  “Tell me what?!” Lilly studied Edith.

  “There was an assassination attempt on the major, but he survived.” Edith looked up at Lilly but then glanced at Wilhelm with a severe glare.

  “How?!” Wilhelm shook his head as he grew perplexed. “I shot him in the back. He fell down.”

  “Maybe you should’ve shot him more than once?” Edith continued to glare at him.

  “I don’t understand.” Lilly slunk down into one of the chairs. “You don’t seem all that surprised that Wilhelm was involved.”

  “My gun was gone.” Walter huffed and panted after he was finally seated. “When we heard of what happened, and your grandmother couldn’t find you, we put the pieces together.”

  “How do you know that he survived?” Mrs. Baumann asked after she finished helping Walter.

  “Miss Schultz here has a friend who works at the hospital,” Edith explained. “They’re currently treating the major. There’s a good chance they’ll be able to save his life.”

  “I shot him!” Wilhelm threw his hands out in disbelief.

  “Apparently, you missed everything vital,” Mr. Sommer spoke with disappointment.

  “That’s not possible.” Wilhelm ran his hand through his hair.

  “That was our one chance.” Mr. Sommer stood and put his hands in his pockets as he began to pace.

  “He fell down the second I pulled the trigger!” Wilhelm delved further into his disbelief and slunk down to the floor.

  “There was so much blood!” Lilly recalled.

  “You were there, too?!” Mr. Sommer looked at Lilly with the greatest incredulity, but when she didn’t answer out of fear, he turned to Wilhelm. “You put my daughter in danger?!”

  “It was her plan, actually,” Wilhelm muttered as he was lost to his depression.

  “You spineless swine!” Mr. Sommer rushed over to Wilhelm and grabbed him by his Hitler Youth shirt.

  Even in Mr. Sommer’s battered condition, he was able to drag Wilhelm to his feet and, pushing him against the wall, gritted his teeth as he shouted, “If you ever put my daughter in harm’s way again, I will kill you myself!”

  “Please, Papa!” Lilly latched onto Mr. Sommer’s arm, trying to break him free.

  “I’m watching you!” Mr. Sommer relented, but pointed a finger at Wilhelm, who didn’t bother to even respond in his depressed state.

  “What’s the plan now?” Mrs. Baumann asked calmly, trying to deescalate the tension.

  “We need to move, and we need to move now.” Mr. Sommer tugged generously on his shirt to straighten it out.

  “We can get one person out tomorrow,” Mrs. Baumann spoke and glanced around the table, “but the question is who?”

  “It’s not a question.” Mr. Sommer leaned on the table. “It has to be Miss Schultz. She’s the highest priority.”

  At this, Miss Schultz looked shocked, and Lilly thought that she was possibly even a little embarrassed.

  “Agreed.” Mrs. Baumann nodded. “And for the rest of us?”

  “We’ll need a new plan,” Mr. Sommer returned to pacing, “and I’m clueless as to how to proceed.”

  “Why can’t we just leave?” Lilly frowned.

  “They don’t know who shot the major yet. If they did, we’d all be in prison by now,” Edith chimed in. “If we flee together, right after the attempted assassination, then it will be obvious. Besides, someone has to stay behind to ensure that Mrs. Baumann’s attic residents are seen to safety. So far, our current plan is the most secure way of sneaking Jews out of the country. Without Aryan certificates, they would be stopped and questioned at the border.”

  “So, we’re stuck here until either the major finds out it was us, or we get Lilly’s family off to safety? After Miss Schultz, of course.” Lilly rubbed her eyes.

  “That seems to be the gist of it, yes,” Edith spoke with little emotion, and Lilly could sense that she was exhausted.

  “We had one chance!” Mr. Sommer let a bitter, pathetic chuckle escape at the realization of the terrible situation they were in.

  “I failed.” Wilhelm shook his head as he was lost to misery.

  “I’m the one who failed.” Mr. Sommer tapped his chest. “I should’ve been the one to pull the trigger. It was my job to begin with. I was waiting for cover of nightfall, but you, in your arrogance, grew impatient.”

  “You’re injured!” Mrs. Baumann defended. “Wilhelm decided to move quickly.”

  “The boy showed his mettle,” Walter spoke up, and his soft demeanor brought a much-needed comfort to the conversation. “He didn’t have to complete the task, but he knew what was at stake, and he did what was necessary.”

  “That’s the problem,” Edith scoffed. “He didn’t
do what was necessary. I’d say that he put us in greater danger.”

  “He bought us time while the major recovers,” Walter replied. “We’ll get Miss Schultz out tomorrow, and then work on Lilly’s family. Then, maybe, we can take our chance as well.”

  “Either way, I’m staying.” Mr. Sommer threw his hands onto his hips as he braced for their responses.

  “What do you mean?” Lilly wondered if she had heard him correctly.

  “Yeah, I don’t understand, either.” Edith glanced at Lilly with concern.

  “There is still so much to be done.” Mr. Sommer closed his eyes as he sighed. “There are still so many innocent people being hunted down. It would be cowardice if I took the easy route and fled.”

  “But if you’re a target, then so is anyone who comes through this property,” Walter again spoke softly, trying to add reason where he could.

  “Then I’ll have to find another way.” Mr. Sommer stared at the ceiling as his mind began racing with plots and schemes.

  “Regardless,” Mrs. Baumann began, “I think we should lie low for a while. After tonight, that is.” She patted Miss Schultz on the leg who, Lilly found curious, still didn’t react. “The girls will go the Society, Mr. Sommer will return to work, and we’ll live as normally as possible. Once things settle a little, we can resume.”

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Baumann, but you’re reacting out of fear,” Mr. Sommer spoke kindly despite the sentiment of his condemnation. “You know as well as I do that things won’t calm down. And, while we save our skins, many others will be killed. That I can’t allow.”

  “You go too far.” Walter placed his hand gently on the table as he looked at Mr. Sommer and Lilly watched as Mrs. Baumann’s face flushed red with outrage. “We need to remain civil.”

  “I agree with Mr. Baumann,” Edith chimed in. “Besides, this is a balancing act. If we tip the scales too heavily in our conscience’s favor, then we’ll all falter. Who will help others escape if we’re not here? We need to be thinking less provincial, Papa.”

  “You want me to widen my scopes, is that it?” Mr. Sommer scoffed. “Fine, I’ll paint the picture for you: genocide.”

  “That’s a stretch.” Edith rolled her eyes.

  “How can you possibly believe that?!” Mr. Sommer frowned at his daughter. “Why do you think that they’re hunting down Jews or rounding up political opponents?”

  “I don’t know what I believe anymore.” Edith covered her face with her hands, and Lilly understood that she was struggling to come to terms with her involvement in treason.

  “To date, in the last little while that we’ve been here, I have managed to help one person escape. One!” He held a finger in the air, and Lilly didn’t understand how he could possibly feel disappointed. “There are still many, in this city alone, who need our assistance. Instead, we’re discussing balancing our conscience so that we, too, survive. Wake up! None of us are walking away with our lives. So, let’s cease this silliness of pretending we’re anything else but already condemned.”

  The room went silent as each took Mr. Sommer’s harsh statement to heart. He was right, Lilly recognized that much at least, but still, she couldn’t bring herself to accept such a pitiless fate. She was convinced they would be alright. Enough people would revolt against the Nazis, and she would live a fulfilled, happy life with Wilhelm.

  “What would Mother say?” Edith spoke after a moment.

  “Your mother’s not here,” Mr. Sommer replied bitterly but, the moment the words left his tongue, Lilly noticed his regret. “God knows that I wish she were.”

  “I think you’re blocking her out.” Lilly looked at her father as she watched his bitterness continue to manifest.

  “Blocking her out?” Mr. Sommer frowned.

  “I remember you telling her that she was your conscience.” Lilly smiled as she recalled. “Ever since we were little, you would tell her how lost you would be without her guidance. I know she’s still with us, Papa, and I know that you listen to her. You told us about the pamphlet and the feeling in your spirit. Maybe you’re hindering her now because this is more to do with your pride than in helping others.”

  “What does it matter if it’s my pride?” Mr. Sommer glared back at Lilly. “If I’m helping save lives, then who cares?”

  “Your life is important, too.” Walter leaned his elbows on the table. “I understand that you have taken up this task as a sort of answer to the moral code which resonates so powerfully inside of you. You must realize that this same moral code also applies to your family, and to your neighbors. You saved one life, yes, but if you become reckless, then you’ll throw away all chance at saving others, and you’ll be condemning us, as well. You’re hurting, and you’re angry, and you want to prove yourself. No one understands that better than I do. But don’t focus on the hundreds, focus on the one. Focus on Miss Schultz here, and don’t let your mind wander to everything else that needs to be accomplished or all those poor souls who need to be saved. Instead, put your energy into how we can firstly save Miss Schultz. Then, we will focus on the next task of getting Lilly and her father to safety.”

  Mr. Sommer sat silently for a moment as he looked around the table at everyone, gauging their reactions and measuring his ambitions in the light of Walter’s statement.

  “You’re right.” Mr. Sommer swallowed his pride. “I suppose I’m more upset with myself than anything. I put my family in danger, and I don’t know how to cope with that reality.”

  “You’re not to blame,” Walter spoke softly.

  “Here’s the plan.” Mr. Sommer ran his finger on the table as he visualized his strategy. “We’ll assist Miss Schultz to the boat first thing tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I will devise a scheme to get Lilly and her father out. After that, if we’re still here, we can focus on the next steps to be taken.”

  “That is a sound proposal.” Walter nodded firmly. “I accept.”

  “I do, as well.” Edith drew a deep breath.

  “I suppose there’s nothing else to discuss then, hey?” Walter asked rhetorically as he began to stand.

  “Actually”—Lilly cleared her throat and glanced at Wilhelm with an embarrassed smile— “maybe some good news could help lift our spirits?”

  “What good news?” Edith asked dryly.

  “Wilhelm proposed.” Lilly looked around the table with a smile, but her cheer faded when no one returned the sentiment. They all appeared more confused than anything.

  “Proposed what?” Edith shook her head.

  “To me,” Lilly replied, but still, no one seemed to grasp what she was saying. “To be married.”

  At once, the room erupted into cheerful applause and joyful shouting. Mrs. Baumann ran over to her grandson and held him tightly as she laughed and cried. Edith squealed with delight while taking Lilly’s hands in hers. Walter sat in his chair with happy tears and clapping his congratulations.

  It was a moment of bliss for all, except Mr. Sommer. With a scowl of disapproval, Mr. Sommer glared at Wilhelm as though he had spit in his face.

  “Papa?” Lilly asked. “Aren’t you happy?”

  “What did you do?” Mr. Sommer looked between the two of them.

  “Pardon?” Wilhelm looked back at him with wide eyes.

  “I said”—Mr. Sommer walked briskly over to Wilhelm and stood a mere foot away— “what did you do?”

  “If you’re suggesting something indecent, then I can reassure you nothing has occurred,” Wilhelm defended honorably and, Lilly knew better than anyone, truthfully.

  “How long have you known?” Mr. Sommer turned his wrath onto Lilly.

  “Known what?” Lilly shook her head.

  “About the baby!” He pointed at her belly.

  “I’m not pregnant!” Lilly looked at him with incredulity. “What an awful thing to assume! We’ve only been here for a short time anyways. If I had partaken in any indecency, we wouldn’t know for a while. You should be thankful that I’m engaged to a man of
honor who, only a few short hours ago, refused my advances!”

  “Lilly!” Wilhelm squeezed his eyes shut in horror at her admission.

  “You what?!” Mr. Sommer’s wrath delved into a near eruption.

  “Papa!” Lilly grew enraged. “This is supposed to be a happy moment. There is no chance of pregnancy, I can assure you. Again, it’s only been just over a week since we arrived.”

  “That’s also the problem.” Mr. Sommer paced between Lilly and Wilhelm.

  “What is?” Edith came to her sister’s defense.

  “It’s only been a short time. How do you know if you really love each other?” Mr. Sommer studied them sincerely.

  “Because the bond we have is the bond brought on by mutual suffering,” Lilly replied passionately and, thankfully, noticed that this seemed to quell her father’s rage—to a degree, that is. “We’re both in this struggle together. We know each other better than most people understand one another in a lifetime.”

  Mr. Sommer took a deep breath as he crossed his arms and stared thoughtfully at the floor.

  “You’re still my little girl,” he spoke after a moment as his eyes welled. “I was teaching you how to walk not too long ago.”

  “You’re not losing me!” Lilly let go of Wilhelm as she ran over to her father and embraced him.

  “Don’t be naïve,” Mr. Sommer scoffed. “You’ll forget about your papa soon enough.”

  “Nonsense!” Lilly broke off her embrace and scowled back at him. “Like I said, you’re not losing me, but rather, you’re gaining a son.”

  Looking guardedly at Wilhelm, Mr. Sommer extended his hand to the young man. “Life is fleeting. I won’t stand in the way of your happiness.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Sommer.” Wilhelm shook his hand. “I’m sorry that I didn’t ask you beforehand. The moment was right.”

  “That’s not—”

  “Before you get mad”—Lilly held up a hand to calm Mr. Sommer— “remember what you said about you proposing to Mama?”

  “I knew that was going to come back and bite me,” Mr. Sommer grumbled. “Mr. Baumann,” he spoke to Wilhelm with his head held high, “welcome to the family.”