1942

Berlin, Germany

Leo

  The bombings continued till dusk. I observed everyone inside the shelter.

A young blonde girl clinging to her disconcerted mother.

An old couple speaking in hushed voices.

A middle-aged man with his jack Russel.

I looked at Matteo. He was wincing.

"Are you alright?"

"Are you alright?" My concern voiced itself, seeking solace in his response.

"Yeah," Matteo's fib was swift, "Just a sprained ankle on our way here."

The young girl's eyes widened with alarm.

"Je Suis desolée!I hope it isn't that bad," She exclaimed, crouching next to Matteo to examine the injury.

There was a  strange feeling inside me.

I felt…

Jealous?

nein, it could not be.

  A while later she sat facing me.

"May I ask why is  monsieur with a Juif  in Berlin?"She inquired, her tone surprisingly not harsh, but filled with curiosity.

"He's a friend," I replied with a tone that evoked a teasing glint in her eyes, hinting at disbelief.

"Un ami, you say?"

"The directness of your questions, Fraülein—"

"Renada, Renada De Gouges," She interjected, extending a hand for a handshake. "You must be Leo Dietrich."

Bewilderment furrowed my brow.

"How?"

"I met your parents, quite unexpectedly. Our paths intertwined when we were all aboard a ship bound for Britain. Your parents held you in the highest regard."

She recollected them saying:

"Isn't he a marvel?" Monsieur Dietrich beamed, brandishing a locket with a cherubic boy's countenance.

He, no older than ni