فصل 13

emilia

I thought of the carts outside the barn. They towered with the belongings of refugees. Trunks, suitcases, and furniture. There was even a sewing machine like Mama’s.

“Why aren’t you making any dresses?” I remembered asking Mama from my sunny perch in our kitchen.

Mama turned to me from her sewing machine. “Can you keep a secret?”

I nodded eagerly and moved toward her.

She put her hands on her wide belly and smiled. “I think it’s a boy. I just know it’s a boy.” She hugged me close, her warm lips against my forehead. “And you know what? You’re going to be the best big sister, Emilia.”

And now I sat in a freezing barn, alone, so far from home. These people had time to pack. I wasn’t able to pack, had left my entire life chewed to pieces. Who was using Mama’s sewing machine now?

The knight hadn’t wanted to come inside. What was his name? Who was he running from? I had examined the carts and belongings, evaluating the items and their potential owners to determine if it was safe to enter. But we had no choice. Sleeping outside meant certain death.

I sat in a corner and stuffed straw into my coat for warmth. Once I stopped moving, the pain subsided. I buried my face in my hands.

A hand touched my shoulder. “Are you all right?”

I looked up to see a young woman above me. She spoke in German, but with an accent. Her brown hair was pulled behind her ears. Her face was kind.

“Are you injured?” she asked.

I tried to control it.

I fought it.

And then a single tear rolled down my cheek.

She moved in close. “Where does it hurt?” she whispered. “I have medical training.”

I pulled my coat tight around me and shook my head. “No. Danke.”

The girl cocked her head slightly. My accent had given me away.

“Deutsche?” she whispered.

I said nothing. The others stared at me. If I gave them my food perhaps they’d leave me alone? I pulled a potato from my coat pocket and handed it to her.

A potato for silence.