“Of course, I can understand.”
She settled down on the large blanket, arranged her clothing and placed the picnic-basket between them. Then she relaxed, and they both swept their eyes over the gorgeous landscape. They remained in silence, wondering how to begin.
“Okay,” Andrew said at last. “Let’s have a drink and a sandwich while we’re going to approach the difficult subject.”
“A good idea.” She opened the basket and took out two sandwiches and two cans of lemonade. While they were getting into their picnic Andrew observed his mother and had to admit to himself that, despite what she’d just said, she was still a very youthful and attractive woman. For a split second he asked himself if his father was aware of his good luck. But he quickly dismissed the idea and concentrated on the matter at hand.
“So, have you thought about things?” he asked.
“Well, yes. I think it all boils down to the question of secrecy, doesn’t it?”
“You mean, should we keep it to ourselves what we know about Grandpa?”
“Yes, that’s the big question.”
“And are you ready to tell the family? Don’t you think they’ve got a right to know? Don’t you think we’ve got a duty?”
“No,” she said, heaving a heavy sigh. “I’ve come to the conclusion that it wouldn’t do anyone any good. And just imagine Lisa. She’s so emotional. I don’t think she could cope with such terrible knowledge. She always loved her grandfather, so why destroy this love now that he’s dead? Besides, what could anyone gain from what we know? Wouldn’t it only upset everybody?”
Andrew was silent for a while. He picked out another sandwich before he explained his view of the matter. “I just think we should not only tell everyone in our family but the whole world.”
“What for?”
“Because we should make sure - as much as that’s in our power - to prevent anything like that from happening again. Ever.”
“My dear boy, times have changed. A thing like Nazi terror could never happen again, certainly not in our part of the world. And we have no power whatsoever over what’s going on in other parts of the world.”
“You may be right in degree but not in kind.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I’m trying to make you understand is much more differentiated than a mere black-and-white picture. I agree with you that, except for some very distant countries like North Korea, for the time being, hardly any other country - certainly not in Europe - is in danger of establishing such a cruel and criminal system like the Nazis did in Germany all those years ago.”
“Yes,” Nora made her point. “So, we can bury my father’s life history with all its dark aspects. Put it behind us. Nobody will be any wiser. Case closed.”
“Sorry, Mum, I don’t agree. Let me put it this way. Just imagine - for the sake of the argument - that our country turned into such an inhuman and criminal system. It wouldn’t be called National Socialism, but some other name that would appeal to the majority of our people. Perhaps something like Britain’s Greatness or some other stupid name.”
“But that could never happen. We have such a rich cultural tradition, you know, Shakespeare and Milton and all that, and we’re a deeply Christian nation.”
“Germany had Luther, Kant and Goethe, the Enlightenment, Bach and Beethoven, and they called themselves Christians as much as we can claim to be Christians. That’s not my point. Forget the likelihood of such a development; just imagine it for the sake of the argument, okay?”
“If you wish...”
“Yes. Now imagine the leaders of Britain’s Greatness would set up a system in which you had to decide. You would be either for them or against them. You wouldn’t get any outside views because the Press and all the Media would be censored and streamlined as they’re now in North Korea or even in Russia. If you support the system, you can enjoy lots of privileges; if you oppose it, you risk disappearing. And after all, it all seems to make good sense. If you have the knowledge of the Age of Enlightenment, the Human Rights and the principles of Democracy you could see through the inhuman and unjust system. But the government would provide for you, and you could see that their representation of our place in history and our true greatness were somehow credible and really for everyone’s good. Whatever doubts you may still have, something like Winston Smith in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, you’d best throw them overboard because it would be too dangerous to step out of the system and risk your life.”
“All right, all right. Come to the point.” Nora was getting impatient.
“Now ask yourself the big question. Would you really risk everything, your friends, your family, your job, your home, even your life, by opposing the system? Or wouldn’t you rather choose to go along with the ideas of Britain’s Greatness, to avoid any difficulties and to be able to enjoy the privileges offered by the system? Ask your conscience!”
“Oh, come on, Andrew.”
“No, just tell me. What would be your choice?”
“Nobody can answer such a question because the picture you painted is all science-fiction. We don’t have to make such a choice, thank God.”
“I think we should ask ourselves such a question. And if you ask me, Mum, my answer would be: I don’t know for certain, but I fear I would go along with the criminal system. It would be the easier choice.”
Nora looked at her son with big eyes. She took another sip from her lemonade, then she shook her head.
“If that is your analysis, then we should forgive my father.”
“I don’t agree. For one thing, he didn’t just go along, as I put it, he became one of the perpetrators. And secondly, just because it would be so easy to fall into the trap set by such systems, it is our duty to warn ourselves and others. Beware the beginnings of such developments.”
“And how do you propose to do such a thing?”
“I don’t really know. I had lots of discussions with David. His view of the whole problem is rather academic, but in essence he’s right. As an individual, I can’t do anything to prevent such dangerous developments, but maybe I can accept part of the responsibility.”
“What do you mean? Responsibility for what?”
“I can accept part of the huge responsibility that our family has loaded on its shoulders - to speak metaphorically - by harbouring a Nazi criminal within our fold.”
Nora was shocked. “We are not responsible for what he did! How can we be? We were born after the event. How can you think that we can be held responsible for the crimes of our ancestors? If that were so, practically every individual would be responsible for a crime committed by one of their ancestors in the past two thousand years.”
“For one thing, we can’t go back all that far. We all knew Granddad personally, we even loved him, and we were close to him in many ways. So, his crimes can’t leave us cold. Secondly, we aren’t held responsible by anyone, as you put it, but we can accept responsibility, at least in parts. There’s a big difference.”
Nora was dumbfounded. While she was impressed by Andrew’s readiness to accept some responsibility for her father’s misdeeds, she considered the whole idea to be far too exaggerated. Andrew must be mad.
They changed the subject and didn’t mention it again for the time being.
* * *
It was on Christmas Day. The family was assembled at George and Nora’s home for the season’s celebrations. Lisa was there, and Margaret was there with her lady-friend. To complete the party, there were also two neighbouring families that the Whites were very friendly with. After the delicious turkey dinner, the children went upstairs to play, while everybody else sat down in the easy chairs and on the sofa in the living-room. Some had half-empty wine glasses in their hands while Andrew and Margaret were sipping their small cups of coffee. With all the heavy food in their bellie
s, they were all very relaxed and conversation was gradually falling flat. The pauses grew longer, but nobody seemed to mind.
George felt he had to keep the conversation going. He tried to tell a joke he had told several times before but got it wrong and muddled it all up. Then he made another attempt by asking Andrew about his plans for his career. George was a father who never made a big thing about his son’s career. Although there had been a few remarks about Andrew’s lack of ambition when he was younger, the father had accepted his son’s choices in life.
“Any ideas of changing your job?” he blurted out with a heavy tongue.
“What do you mean, Dad?”
“Well, I’m just trying to make some friendly conversation, and so...” his voice trailed off.
Andrew got out of the low armchair in which he’d been sitting. He stretched, looked round at his family gathered in the room and cleared his throat.
“If you are interested,” he raised his voice, “I do indeed have some news about my future, and you may all hear what I’ve got to announce.”
Everybody fell silent. They had never experienced Andrew as a great orator. So, they gave him their full attention.
For a split second before he began with his speech, Andrew saw himself as Mark Antony addressing the citizens of Rome after the murder of Julius Caesar. The present situation had such a theatrical note for him. But he began without hesitation.
“I don’t know if all of you are familiar with our family history. So, I don’t think it would be right to involve you all in the reasons behind my plans. Those of you who know will be satisfied with what they know, while those of you who don’t know or don’t know everything will just have to accept the outcome.”
“Hear hear! Come to the point!” Lisa cried. “We aren’t all of us so interested in history, so we just want to hear what your plans are.” She looked round the assembled family as if to ask for agreement.
“Yes, dear Lisa,” Andrew continued. “I don’t propose to give you a long lecture about history. So, I’ll come straight to the point. I have decided to give up my job at the council offices. My new job will take me abroad. In fact, it will take me very far away from here.”
The room was so silent with expectation that you could have heard a pin drop on the floor.
“What I’m saying is that I’ll be going to work in Africa. I’ll start off in Kenya, but I may transfer to other places in Tansania, Uganda or Somalia, wherever my duties will take me. I have been recruited as an aid-worker by a charity organisation called African Children’s Fund. I will make sure to help children get enough food and an education, among other things. My new life will start in six weeks’ time. I’m going to rent out my flat here because I don’t know how often I’ll be able to come back for a break. My future life will belong to the children of Africa.”
“Well, my boy, that’s quite a surprise,” George muttered.
“But why are you going to risk your life like that?” Lisa entreated.
Andrew thought for a few moments before he gave his answer:
“Let’s just call it an act of atonement and leave it at that.”
The hall clock struck the hour with its deep chime. No-one uttered another word.
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