Chapter 13
March 15, 2024 at 12:10 AM
That day Holly was sinking more and more into despair, she was terrified of the basement where she and Arthur had arrived. It was one of the rooms where they could sell-buy goods, exchange money and much more. It was possible to meet a lot of people there and find a lot of things. The dark walls and the barely burning light bulbs instilled terror in her. Cold sweat began to run down her forehead as she stood alone in this hallway. It did not seem so scary before, because Ingrid always supported her. She distracted her with stories and how they were going to relax soon. Wilhelm would have endlessly amused them with jokes, they would eat ice cream. Holly was standing and imagining that Ingrid was somewhere near her at that moment. That those flashing lights were absolutely not scary, they were just small lights. She mentally began to reproduce Ingrid's voice in their last conversation, it sounded in her head. Then gradually Holly found herself on an ordinary street, it was a daytime.
Holly closed her eyes and remembered their meetings as they usually went.
They always walked down the main street, turned down an alleyway into an abandoned factory that had stood there since the late nineteenth century. Then they climbed up to the first floor, all four of them set out a picnic, pulling out wine and sandwiches.
Holly always sat closer to Wilhelm, he always was a pipe dream to her and Ingrid was her best friend. Holly could be lying in her room for hours after a picnic, dreaming that Wilhelm would fall in love with her, they would get married and go to America, she and Ingrid would become the closest relatives. But, unfortunately, the dreams were short-lived. Because as soon as Wilhelm flew off to the continent with Ingrid, Holly had to remember where they worked and that it was unlikely that any of these dreams were possible.
Each of them had their own reason for going to work in such a filthy place, but no one could choose anything else. However, the people who worked here always clung to each other to somehow, even for a minute or two, forget about it. Those were rainbow and warm days.
She remembered Wilhelm as it was at that moment. A handsome statuesque young man, in her dreams he was capable of protecting her from any danger. If it had not been for their meeting under such disgusting circumstances, everything would have been fine. Holly could have left this place because she had come quite recently and had no responsibilities, but her love for Wilhelm kept her from doing so. She wanted them to leave the black market together. But, unlike her, Wilhelm was in over his head.
Holly stayed a few times to help him with reports and shipping, he always called her “Sunny Bunny” for her big eyes and little face. He promised her that the next time he came, he would be sure to take a break and they would take a plane ride together.
The iron door slammed, the girl shuddered, finding herself back in the cool musty air that once again soaked her lungs. Arthur was coming towards her. He was angry and irritated, it was obvious from the look on his face that something bad was about to happen. From his black coat, with threads sticking out and dirty greasy hair, from the smell of cheap smoke. He flew past her with such speed that the girl could not even realise anything. Holly wanted to say something, but Arthur said quietly that they would talk later in the car. They silently packed up and left. Taking each step towards the light, Holly was happy.
The fresh air calmed the girl. After a little breathing time Arthur came to his senses too. The wrinkles on his forehead smoothed out and his lips, which had been tightly pressed together before, relaxed.
“Holly,” Arthur called out to her quietly.
The girl responded immediately, focusing all her attention on her interlocutor.
“We were ordered to go to Germany. We also were given fake passports in case we had to show them.”
“To the continent!”, exclaimed Holly. “But why? We haven't been there since we left.”
“They said the goods had to be delivered on time. I mean the gold, but since Wilhelm hasn't brought anything, especially the money Ingrid was supposed to provide, we'll have to do it. We've arranged with Helmut that he'll come himself if we can't. That will be on Thursday,” Arthur exhaled, starting the car.
“Holly thought about what to say for a long time, her mind was racing with thoughts and memories of what awaited her on the continent.
“Arthur, maybe they've gone. They just spat on everything and left.”
Arthur waved his hand, Holly sank into her most nightmarish thoughts, it had been a long time since she had been to Europe. Besides, if she went there, she and Arthur were unlikely to be unsupervised and watched by the German authorities and government, she had heard how foreigners were being watched there now.
“Wait. Something serious has happened, if we're going there, because we had another man in Germany. Had Henrich contacted him?”, said the girl, hoping to avoid the trip.
“No. That job was left to us, we need to get in touch. If he doesn't give us an answer, we will have to leave for Berlin that evening.”
“How, Arthur? I’ve heard from Ingrid, in Germany they're checking everything now. Wilhelm barely managed to get a plane, that was done only with the help of stolen money. You know that's the only reason he joined the Luftwaffe: to have an aerodrome and documents.
“By ferry. I think they'll get us to the station, later we'll get on one of the grain ferries and we'll be on our way,” Arthur worked out their plan.
His observations were that if they got in closer to evening, it would be a good time. There would be big crowds, but not so much vigilance.
“Arthur, don't you find that a little suspicious?”
“What's that?”, Arthur twitched with irritation in his voice. He was sick of her questions, sick of the whole situation. Why was he the one who had to take the blame for everything? He had never been eager to take responsibility, he had never taken on so much. Why did he need to take the risk of travelling so far?
“The fact that we're kind of out of touch,” the girl persisted. Silence was very scary for her at that moment. Many questions were hanging in the air, demanding immediate answers.
“Holly, I'm used to everything by now,” Arthur said angrily.
The girl did not answer anything, but only turned away and looked at the road going far beyond the horizon.
The man drove the car. Sitting right by him, Holly annoyed him a little. He had a suddenly huge responsibility thrust upon him. Arthur was fond of Holly, they were on good terms with Henrich, he was an old communications man who had worked under the Tsars. He disliked neither Ingrid nor Wilhelm, finding them too arrogant and out of place in their company. Both Henrich and Holly knew that Wilhelm and Ingrid came to work here for the money. Arthur had grown up in orphanages in Germany and had been an unremarkable boy until he was thirteen, when he had been adopted by a family from Britain, which was how he had come here. Holly had joined with Ingrid and Wilhelm.
***
No one was picking up the phone on the other end of the line. Checking the time, Holly was once again convinced that Henrich had to be at his house at that time. Something was clearly going on. The realisation that Holly did not know or understand it made both Arthur and herself angry. All sorts of thoughts crept into her head. What if Wilhelm and Ingrid had been discovered and were now being interrogated in the Gestapo cellars, as the Germans used to do? If any of them had made a mistake, then Holly and the rest of the people on the island had to escape. Of course, the black market network was large and extensive, there were many ways, countries and people involved, but they were all so tightly woven in this cocoon that if you pulled one, they would all fall out. She frantically clutched the receiver and checked that the number she had dialled was correct. Arthur, sitting next to her, would get up and walk across the room, then sit back down and stare at the ceiling, dreaming somewhere.
“So, no answer?” Arthur said in an indifferent voice.
“No, nothing, I asked the girl to connect us about twenty times. It's already the second hour. Arthur, I don't like this. Maybe we've been discovered.”
“I don't think so, Holly. Ingrid’s not that stupid, and Wilhelm’s very careful, but it's a mystery what happened to Henrich. He was a good man, but he was always afraid of being caught. He's been on the Gestapo list for a long time, maybe they found him, we'll have to go and find it out.”
tab>“Henrich? No, he couldn't. He's very reliable. Besides, remember how many times he's bailed us out,” Holly continued to defend Henrich’s dignity.
“Holly, there's a lot you don't know about this life. And you have a terrible character trait for our time, you see only good things in people, even in the crappiest of circumstances,” the man stood up and headed for his outerwear.
Holly would have kept on calling, but instead she put the phone receiver aside and went to get ready herself, there was a plane waiting for them at ten o'clock. They would be arriving late that night.
