Orphan Train Disaster

by Rachel Wesson

  “Do I have to go with her?” Liesl whispered, wrapping her arms around Sally’s neck, dampening her skin with tears. “I want to stay with you. I love you.”

  “Oh, you poor darling.” Sally buried the guilt that fought for domination over the warmth the child’s words gave her. “I love you too.”

  She loved Liesl desperately and couldn’t bear to think of the day when they might be separated. Although the chances of the child’s mother reappearing were small, she did have other close family. Her half-brothers Harry and Tom, and there could be cousins, aunts, and uncles too. Who knew what members of the family had survived the Nazis' hatred?

  “Is Harry coming back soon? Now the war is over?” Liesl asked, still holding tightly to Sally.

  “I think Harry might be busy for a while. He has his new job now, do you remember? He is helping the people in Germany. He’s done very well, your brother, hasn’t he?”

  Liesl nodded her head but the worried expression hadn’t left her face. Then the front door banged and they heard eleven-year-old Tom, shouting.

  “Aunt Sally, where are you? Can we go to London? Please say yes, all my friends are going. Oh, what’s wrong with Liesl?” Tom came to a standstill at the entrance to the kitchen.

  “Liesl was upset and asking about your mother.”

  Tom rolled his eyes. “My mother’s dead. She died before the war started.”

  Sally took a breath, now was not the time to scold the boy. “Tom! Liesl’s talking about her mother, your stepmother.”

  “Oh her.” Tom’s cheeks grew red as he refused to look Sally in the face. She knew from previous conversations, Tom had taken a strong dislike to his stepmother, once Trudi had fallen pregnant. He feared she was going to love her own baby more than she did Tom and Harry. This suspicion appeared to have been unfounded according to what Harry remembered. But Tom had only been three-years-old when his father remarried. Liesl’s mother, Trudi, had been little more than a child herself. Nineteen was far too young to become a stepmother to two boys of three and eleven-years-of-age.

  “Tom,” Sally said pointedly, looking at the top of Liesl’s head. For all his dislike of Trudi, Tom idolized his baby sister and would do anything for her. At least he would, except when his friends were around, as then he would be far too grown-up to play with a baby of just seven.

  Tom took the hint, pulling Liesl into his arms and tickling her until she begged for mercy.

  “Liesl, we are going to have a party. A big one with jelly and ice-cream and everything. We are going to have so much to eat, we will all be sick.”

  Liesl giggled, the noise making Sally’s heart sing. Tom, like many growing boys, was always hungry and found rationing difficult. Sally gave Liesl a hug before standing up and patting down her apron.

  “I have baking to do. I promised Mrs. Caldwell I would make some carrot cake for the street party. It’s the best we can do seeing everything is still on ration.”

  “Wait,” Tom said, catching his breath. “Before you start making cakes, can we go to London? Please. Everyone is going. Please say yes, Aunt Sally. It’s a historic day. Mr. Churchill himself is going to speak and we might even see the King and Queen.”

  Sally hid her smile. Tom knew she loved the royal family. Amused to see him using this as a means of getting her to say yes, she clapped her hands, surprising both children.

  “Why not? It’s a special day as you so rightly say. Let me go change my dress. You both should change too, as you look like right, little horrors.”

  Tom glanced down at his clothes; his shorts were muddy but not as bad as his socks and shoes.

  “Aww, do we have to? We’ll miss the train.”

  Sally put her hands on her hips. “Tom Beck, do you want to go, or don’t you?”

  “Yes, Aunt Sally. Come on Liesl. Race you.”

  Tears forgotten; Liesl ran after her brother up the stairs. Sounds of laughter floated downstairs as they raced to get into their Sunday best. Sally glanced around her kitchen, her gaze flickering over the picture of her husband, Derek. If only you were coming back, she thought.

  Shaking those thoughts away, she picked up the dishcloth and quickly dried and put away the dishes. Only when her kitchen was spick and span did she head to her room to change her clothes.

  At the train station, they found many of her friends and neighbors had had the same thought.

  “Wouldn’t be the same to miss it, would it, Sally? After all these years. Especially with your Derek and my Sam giving their lives for freedom. Imagine their faces if they could see us now.”

  Sally forced a smile in greeting. Enid, her school friend, and longtime neighbor, once closer than sisters, although they had fallen out in recent years. Enid was one of the villagers who’d protested at taking in Germans, as she called the children. Enid didn’t care that Harry, Tom, and Liesl were innocent victims of the Nazis, persecuted for being Jewish. All the others heard, it seemed, was the German accent and their German names. That was one of the reasons she’d always made sure to call them by their Anglicized names, especially little Liesl/Liesl. Not that that had seemed to matter to young Tom who’d doggedly stuck to calling his sister, Liesl. Enid had almost crowed when Harry was rounded up and sent to a detention center, saying it was only right and proper and why didn’t they send Liesl and Tom with him? Still, there was no point in going over that ground again, now. Enid was the way she was and unlikely to change. As far as she was concerned, the Germans had killed her Sam and there was no such thing as a good German.

  Susan whispered, “keep smiling any more like that and your face is going to turn funny.”

  “Susan!” Sally burst out laughing at her neighbor’s comment before linking arms with her. “I’m so glad you are coming up too. Pity Maggie didn’t want to come but she says she is too old.”

  “Mark would never have forgiven me if I hadn’t agreed to go. He and Tom said you were going, so I thought it was a good idea.”

  Sally chuckled. “That’s what Tom told me. You were going and could we please go too.”

  They looked at the boys.

  “Aunt Sally, Mrs. Fletcher’s family are heading to Parliament Square. Can we go with them and sit by the Houses of Parliament? That’s the best spot we reckon.”

  Sally and Susan Fletcher rolled their eyes; they were at it again. “Can Ruth stay with you? Us boys want to explore.”

  “Tom, what have I told you before. You and the Bernstein girls arrived here from Germany together. That bond is unbreakable and I won’t have you ignoring Ruth. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Aunt Sally.”

  Sally ignored his fed-up expression.

  Tom and Ruth Bernstein had once been very close due in part to the Kindertransport and also to the fact Sally’s closest friend Maggie had taken Ruth and her sister Rachel into her home. As the children got older, Tom had veered towards the boys. Ruth had some English friends but Maggie said she missed Tom.

  “Aunt Sally, they say Mr. Churchill will speak at 3 pm. We won’t be able to see him but we can hear him, as they will have loudspeakers outside. Just think, he will be a few feet away from us yet people all over the world will be listening to him. Won’t they?”

  “Yes, Tom.”

  “After, we could wander through St James’ Park and round by Trafalgar Square to the Health Ministry. They say Mr. Churchill is going to speak again at five – he must have a lot to say.” Tom squinted his eyes at the thought, making Sally exchange an amused glance with Susan.

  “What about my visit to the Royal Family, Tom?” Sally couldn’t resist teasing the youngster. She loved him almost as much as Liesl although she’d never admit to having a favorite. Both had been with her since the day they arrived at Liverpool Street station. She could still see Tom’s tear-stained face as he told her, via an interpreter, that the Germans had stolen his teddy. Her heart raged at the memory even after all these years and despite the countless atrocities reported in the paper, she simply couldn’t understa
nd how any man could have torn a teddy-bear from a child.

  “Aww, do you have to go and see them? You could see them any day.”

  “But Tom, you said yourself this is a special day and me being English, I have to see my King and Queen.”

  As his face fell, she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “I’m teasing you, sweetheart. I would love to see them, of course, but it might not be possible. The whole country will be looking to be near them. Our brave Royal Family who stayed by our side through thick and thin. No running away for them.”

  Tom rolled his eyes, having heard more than once about the virtues of Dear Queen Elizabeth who refused to take the princesses to live in safety, in Canada. Instead, she had insisted on staying by her husband’s side and facing whatever the Germans wished to throw at them.

  The train arrived at Waterloo and everywhere you looked were people dressed in all sorts of gay colors. Women wore flowery dresses with garlands of red, white and blue around their necks, or in their hair. Even the men had buttonholes. She gave Tom a couple of coins to buy some flags and was touched when he came back with a hair ornament for Liesl and a matching one for Sally.

  “You aren’t going to wear it, are you?” Enid said, her face all pinched into a sour expression.

  “Of course, I am. Why would I disappoint the child? Anyway, it’s a special day and we are going to have some fun. Come on Enid, the war is over. Loosen up and live a little bit, will you?”

  “I want one too,” Susan said before Enid could argue. “Lead the way, Sally. Let’s make this a day to remember. Children if you get lost, ask a policeman to direct you to the main gate at the Houses of Parliament. We will find you there.”

  “Buy one for Maggie too. She’d like a reminder of the occasion, since she couldn’t make it.”

  “Yes Mrs. Fletcher, Yes Ma,” the children chorused and then they were off, surrounded by people smiling and clapping. Sally knew everyone was happy the war, at least in Europe, was finally over. But what would the next few weeks, months, and years bring? She gripped Liesl’s hand tighter, telling herself she didn’t want the child getting lost in the crowd but the reality was, she never wanted to let her go. Of course, she hoped Trudi, her mother, had survived the war but she really didn’t want her to claim her daughter. Sally loved Liesl like her own and had done since that first day she’d picked up the eighteen-month-old in her arms and cuddled her close. She’d promised Harry she’d protect the child with her life and love her like her own. And it was a promise she still intended to keep.

  Chapter 1

  Berlin, November 1938

  Heinz Beck walked to the train stop, eyes and ears on full alert, just in case they were waiting for him. The attacks were increasing. What had once been an occasional beating, or stones being thrown, had turned into an almost weekly event. He wasn’t about to show his fear. His heart raced painfully, his stomach clenching, not just from hunger. A combination of fear and frustration that he couldn’t fight back. Not as he’d like to, anyway. If he inflicted any injuries on a Gentile, his family would be made to pay the price. The hair on the back of his neck rose. Was he being followed? He turned quickly, almost hitting his younger brother.

  “Tomas, what are you doing here, you should be at home.”

  Tomas blanched at his brother’s tone. “I want to go to school with you. Papa says I’m smart. I’m too old to stay home with Liesl and her.”

  Heinz took his brother’s hand and considered what he should do. He couldn’t blame the child for not wanting to stay home with their stepmother. He did everything to stay away from the house too. But, if he turned up at school with his soon to be five-year-old brother, the master might not be happy. As it was the school was overcrowded. Now that all the Jewish children had to go to the same school, there was very little space for extras.

  “Please Heinz. Brown-Bear will be as quiet as a mouse, I promise.”

  Who could resist a request like that? Sighing loudly, Heinz took his brother’s hand and led him to the elevated train station. They lived about thirty minutes away from his new school. He chatted to Tomas, in an effort to hide his discomfort. What if the Hitler Youth got on the train or worse the SA? Those men, in their brown uniforms, took delight in tormenting Jewish men, women, and children. Usually, Heinz escaped their attention, as he didn’t resemble pictures of a typical Jewish male. Although he had dark hair, his eyes were blue, not brown. Still, a quick glance at his papers and the red J for Juden would surely get him into trouble.

  He smiled acknowledgment at Rachel Bernstein, one of their neighbors who was also waiting for the train. His heart beat faster and he could feel his cheeks flushing. Always the same reaction, which was silly as she was just a friend. She was in love with Joshua Stern. Now, Stern, he looked like a poster boy for the Jewish congregation. Heinz had lost count of the number of times Stern had been picked on at their last school. Teachers and pupils alike.

  “Morning Tomas, are you coming to school too?” Rachel asked.

  “Yes, and I’m so excited. I can’t wait to show the teacher how good I am at math. Papa’s been helping me and I can count all the way to a hundred. Want to see?”

  Heinz groaned, as Rachel nodded her head. In his element, Tomas proudly recited the numbers. He then showed off his English abilities – their stepmother had taught them a couple of words. Heinz’s mouth curled. Trudi was insistent they had to leave Germany. She had been trying to get Papa to agree to send them to England ever since the Nazis marched into Austria. Or maybe even before then. She just wanted to get rid of him and Tomas, so she could have Papa all to herself.

  “What’s wrong with you? Bad breakfast?” Rachel asked. It took a couple of seconds for him to realize she was talking to him.

  “What? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking.”

  “Do the world a favor and don’t. The expression on your face would turn milk sour.”

  He didn’t smile, even though he knew she was teasing. Trudi was winning, he knew she was wearing Papa down. Only last night, he’d said he would consider it but only if the three children left together. That had put a stop to Trudi’s plans. She wouldn’t let her darling Liesl go to live with strangers in another country. Who wanted to live in Britain anyway?

  “Have your parents been talking about the Kindertransport again?” Rachel whispered, having looked around her first to check nobody could hear her.

  Heinz nodded.

  “Mine too. They say it’s the only way we can leave but I want us to go together. So does Mama. She says we still have a chance with the Americans. Papa’s brother emigrated there when the Nazis first came to power. He can sponsor us. He’s rich.”

  Heinz thought Rachel was rich. Certainly, the Bernsteins had more money than their family did. Papa and Mother used to live in a large apartment and he remembered having servants. But that changed when Mother died and Papa wasn’t allowed to work anymore. The current regime had no time for Jewish doctors.

  “Are you far down on the list?” he asked and immediately regretted it, as her face fell. She nodded but didn’t elaborate. Everyone, even the children, knew where they stood on the emigration list. Every day conversations spun around theories of how fast the Americans would work through the quotas, what tricks could be used to improve your chances, the stories of how so-and-so had got out, etc. It made him wonder what everyone had talked about in the days before Hitler. He caught the fear in Rachel’s eyes. He tried to reassure her.

  “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. They said some South American countries will allow us to go and live there.”

  “Heinz, Papa was talking to your father. He wants us to go on the same Kindertransport. He says you could look after us.”

  Heinz sat straighter. Mr. Bernstein had really said that. Her next words made his chest fall.

  “I told him off straight away. I don’t need looking after and certainly not by you. You are never out of trouble. If anyone, Papa should have asked Joshua.” At the mention of his n
ame, Rachel's eyes took on a funny expression. It made Heinz’s stomach crunch. He wasn’t going to put up with being adversely compared to Joshua.

  “I can protect you better than he can. The Nazis know he’s a Jew just by looking at him. Sitting with him would put you in danger, not protect you. “

  He immediately knew he had said the wrong thing.

  “Sitting on a Kindertransport train would tell them I was Jewish, regardless of who I sit beside. At least Joshua wouldn’t start a fight. He only tries to protect himself. You, Heinz Beck would find someone to fight with, even if you were on your own, inside a paper bag.”

  With that, Rachel moved seats, going to sit nearer a group of girls. Ruth, her sister, whom Heinz hadn’t even noticed, gave him a reproachful look before going to join her sister. Tomas just stared at him but remained silent.

  Heinz stared out of the window, his palms in fists. It wasn’t his fault trouble seemed to find him. He couldn’t stay quiet and watch as old people were beaten up or made to scrub the street. He had to intervene when younger kids were being picked on. But you don’t have to make your feelings against the regime so clear, do you? Rachel’s right. He was always angry and he knew whose fault it was. Not the Nazis, although they were bad enough. It was hers. His stepmother’s. She had stolen his mother’s husband, her home, and now she wanted to send them away so she could have Papa all to herself. But he would never consider that woman his mother. Never.

  That day passed without incident. The master accepted Tomas’ presence and his brother had a great day. Ruth Bernstein had introduced him to some of her friends and the whole way home, the two of them had chatted non-stop. Rachel had even smiled at him when she caught him looking at the younger children. Maybe life wasn’t too bad after all. Trudi said you should always look for silver linings. He missed his old school and some of his Gentile friends but having to attend school with Rachel was definitely a silver lining, if ever there was one. Once she got to know him better, she would see he was perfect for her. Then she’d forget all about Joshua Stern.