Berlin blood

August exhaled. If it weren’t for this damn party — he was sure of it — everything would be fine. Now all that was left was to wait. He sat down next to him and began to think about the best; he didn’t want to think about the worst. They sat in nervous anticipation for at least an hour before the doctor came out of the room where the father lay. He looked gloomy, Augustus immediately understood what was happening, but faint hope supported him for several moments, until the doctor approached and with a calm look, as if nothing had happened, said: — Sorry, your husband died. I did everything I could. It sounded like a sentence, like lightning that struck their estate. Probably, doctors are the only people who can report death like this, without ceremony. He wished he could learn such composure. They saw the doctor off and sat down at the table where the four of them usually sat. He, his father, his mother and Mia — his older sister, who got married and moved far beyond the borders of Berlin, and maybe even beyond the borders of Germany. August did not love his sister, but now he acutely felt her absence too. Together with his mother at a half-empty table… Loneliness, both his and his mother’s, almost made August cry, but he restrained himself. After sitting for some time in heavy thoughtlessness, Augustus for some reason began to remember his sister. They did not like each other, they differed in every detail, despite the fact that outwardly they were always very similar. Ironic. Mia has always been the love of her parents and their pride; at one time, he was first their second child, and later, when Mia left her parents’ house, the reason for her departure. They loved their eldest daughter so much, although Augustus never understood why. He is the son, he is the heir to the business. Now she will definitely come to the funeral, her mother will persuade her. He didn’t want to see this smug bitch. If he could, he would strangle her with his own hands, he had enough reasons for that. Oh, what a good actress she was. She could twist what August said so that his father whipped him with a belt until he had bloody stripes. Mia got away with everything, no matter what she did. Even as an adult, Augustus did not want to moderate his hatred, to somehow justify his older sister. No, he purposefully cultivated in himself dissatisfaction with his sister, disgust for her, everything that distinguished him from her. “Mother, I think…” he didn’t have time to finish because the phone rang. “Louise, hand me the phone,” the mother called the maid. — Yes, I’m listening. Mia, my dear girl, it’s so good that you called! You know, we have such grief… — It’s starting. “August simply could not listen to these conversations. He got up and headed to another living room, which was on the second floor, further away, so as not to hear it. He sat down in a chair and lit a cigarette. My heart was sad. In order to somehow drown out this sadness, he got up and went to his father’s office. He wanted to feel at least a little more of the atmosphere that was with him. She won’t be there anymore. He opened the office. The place still smelled of cognac and cigars. The papers lay in a neat stack — his father was such a neat guy — and his chair stood exactly the same as it had been early this morning when he last got up from it. He walked up, touched the headboard, the handles, and sat down in it. It used to be so soft, but now it has become lonely and cold. Tears welled up in his eyes, but August, like any man, brought himself to his senses with the thoughts that no one should see him in such upset feelings. There will no longer be a person who taught him everything and directed him in the right direction. Now he was faced, at best, with defending his rights to the family business. At worst, he will be kicked out of the house and he will have to somehow find a job and forget about his old life. The time had passed twelve, and it was necessary to go to bed, despite the lack of fatigue. When the conversations downstairs died down and his mother, judging by the steps, headed to the bathroom, he got up and headed to his room, stopping at the bar on the way and grabbing a bottle of whiskey. Arriving at his place, he lay down on the sofa and simply began to look at the ceiling. He didn’t care. The world began to collapse too quickly, he did not even imagine that everything would be like this. Now everyone will feel sorry for him… Oh, how he hated this feeling! The feeling of being considered weak and helpless. — Mister August, your sister wants to talk to you. Pick up the phone. “But I don’t want to talk to her,” he spoke nervously and without any desire. — August, pick up the phone immediately! He didn’t dare disobey his mother, so he rolled his eyes and took her anyway. “Yes,” he greeted his sister in a cold and rude voice. — Oooh, why are you saying that to your beloved older sister? We haven’t seen each other for so long, I’ll come to my father’s funeral! — she said in a joyful voice, as if she really cared. — Yes, I’m very happy with your plans, but I don’t understand why I need this information? —August wanted to quickly end this endless conversation, as it seemed to him. — After the official ceremony, we will decide on the division of property. — On your initiative? Listen, Mia, you have a rich husband. Do you really need anything else from us? I thought that you would never cross the threshold of this house again. He can’t provide for your life? — No, that’s not the point. I was getting ready to divorce him and was thinking of living with you again, but then my father’s death turned up so nicely. He always worried too much about everything, so he got it. I will be the heiress, and the entire business will go to me. Or did you think that I wouldn’t claim it? Do you hear? Don’t even think about claiming it! You’re still no use. You have always been, are and will be second! Understood?! — at the end she broke into a scream. “I didn’t think it would be any different.” However, my dear sister, I am no longer a little boy, so choke on your business, it will all rot anyway! After my father’s death, I would rather leave here than live with you and your mother under the same roof! — With these words, August hung up. No, he is the son of the Scholz family. And he definitely will not tolerate inappropriate treatment. He couldn’t allow himself to be bullied. You can’t expect anything good from this house anymore. It was rotten through and through and it became cold inside. Seeing from the window how a car was approaching to take away his father’s body, he stepped back so as not to see this again. His mother also wanted him dead, he knew that. He knew that there was no love between her and her father, and their marriage was built only on benefits. The mother was from a noble family, but after his death at an early age, the grandfather left them and their grandmother nothing but a pile of debts and a big name. She and her grandmother used it. They used the father, who was head over heels in love with the mother, and used him until his death. With these thoughts, he went to bed on the sofa in what he was wearing. The next morning, August woke up to the sound of the door slamming. — Are you sleeping again?! Your sister will arrive soon, you must meet her. And please, there is no need to show her your character. — Oh, whoever showed it to her reminded her that I was also in this house. Although with the arrival of my sister, I will probably become an empty place for you again. As usual and as always. — August, don’t you dare say that! You were my father’s wish, but not mine. Therefore, I don’t care at all what will happen to you when Mia seizes all your property. — Well, I… — Although, this is absolutely not important. I don’t care. At least live on the street, as long as you live away from us. “Then why did you come here?” I don’t want to see her. The only person who kept me here and was kind to me died. Now both of you will kick me out. I don’t want to see you or her. None of you. Right now, no. “We’ll meet in court,” at this Augustus unceremoniously took her outside his room and slammed the door. He felt bad. He lost the person who truly loved him. And now he is forced to sit and watch as these vampires drink his blood. Well, I do not. August took off his clothes and went to bed, he needed to get out of this reality at least for a while. December 1932 About six months had passed since his father’s death, and during this time he had frayed a lot of nerves. Following his father, in October thirty-two, his mother also died. Her death became some kind of relief for Augustus, if you can call it that. After going through the courts for a short time and realizing that he would lose everything, he retreated. Mia, who until then had only done nothing but hide behind her mother, was now left completely alone. She was nothing of herself. And realizing that there was nothing more to do in their home, he left there on a cold November evening. He didn’t say anything. He did not fight anymore, because he realized that it was useless. He had nothing else to do in this house. If she really wants him so much, then let her take him. He stayed with a friend of his, with whom he had become friends recently. He, like Jens, joined the SS, and Rudolf — that was his friend’s name — kept bragging in the evenings that they would soon win, and Germany would belong to them. August, listening to all this, was even glad that he no longer had anything to do with the wealth of his family. He understood that Mia would still have to give the house to the Third Reich — this is how many of its inhabitants now began to call Germany. However, for Augustus it was still the same country as ten years ago. — August, would you like to join the SS? — I? — he was surprised. August never thought about it. He had no connection with this party or racial ideology, never read My Struggle, and led a relatively peaceful life. — No, I never thought. Why did you suddenly ask? — Yes, so… I just thought, you never know, you would like to build a career. You have nothing now anyway. You’ve been doing odd jobs for a month now. I understand that you are sad about your father’s death, but you need to move on. And here is such a chance. Besides, you fit all the parameters. — Rudolf, I never thought about it. I don’t even know how I’m going to live further. I am depressed and desperate. My whole world collapsed. And I don’t know what to do next. And here you are with your SS. The whole country is destroyed and inflation is rampant. This saddens me even more. — Okay, I understand you. I won’t insist, but remember, such a chance doesn’t come around often. Augustus dismissed the idea. He had no time for that now. A telephone rang in the apartment. Rudolf picked up the phone and called Augustus, saying that it was his sister. He took the phone in complete shock, not understanding what else she needed. — What else do you need from me? I left you the estate. I don’t have any money. “That’s not the point, August…” she said through tears. — My husband… He was killed. — For what? — Now August became interested. If his memory serves him right, they were about to get divorced. But why and who killed him? — I don’t know. I arrived at our house near Berlin and found him dead. — Did you call the police. — Yes, I called. They said they would come. Do you think this has anything to do with our family’s debts? — Our family had debts?! — this news definitely took Augustus by surprise. “I found out about this while clearing out my father’s office. Listen, can you come? I would show you everything on the spot. - Fine. Meet me at the estate. At this point the telephone conversation was over, and August stood motionless for another ten minutes. More and more details were revealed that he had not even suspected. Arriving at the estate and opening the door, he found Mia in the main living room on the first floor. She sat with a bunch of papers and a pistol next to her. He, not understanding what was happening, came up and sat on the sofa. They sat like that for about ten minutes, maybe fifteen, until Mia spoke first. “When I started raking through my father’s documents and my mother’s office, I discovered that my father had been living at a loss all this time,” she handed him the documents with the accounts. August looked and was stunned. Indeed, during his childhood, his father owed two million marks, and it was unclear to whom. — Wait, where did he put the money that came from the business? “He either spent it on expensive trips or on trips for his family.” — As I understand it, your training in Austria and my training at the military academy too. “Yes… I don’t know what to do now,” she looked helpless and pathetic. — And your husband? He should have left you something after he died. “He wasn’t rich, we barely made ends meet.” Everything he had belonged to his parents, not to him. — Clear. In any case, you are the heiress of all this, and you must call the shots. I won’t help you. I didn’t give it up so that now my more or less calm life would turn into this. I don’t want to go to prison with you. - But you will, you are Scholz too. Only if you don’t join the army. “Perhaps I will do so.” “I have time to think, and more than you,” with these words he left the estate and went to Rudolf for advice. August was angry. He did not want to participate in the war or be in any way involved in this chaos. But, apparently, he will have to, to save his own skin. When Augustus came to Rudolf, he was all on edge. Yes, Mia was right, he is also an heir, and he will not be saved by the fact that according to the documents he abandoned him. They will be trampled, both will be trampled. — Rudolf! — he literally flew into the apartment. — Why are you yelling like that? “Rudolph looked with blank eyes. — Tell me, how can I join the SS? — What? You said you didn’t want to. — Circumstances have changed. — You need to pass a medical examination, selection by race, pass a physical test, write a dictation and be selected — that’s all. — When can this be done? — Yes, even tomorrow. — Great. Jens will help me with this. When is the next election? — The thirtieth of January. And what? — There is nothing. Just asked. Thank you very much,” their conversation ended, and August went to call Jens. — Jens… Jens, can you hear me? — August? Why are you calling so late? Just a little more and I would have fallen asleep. “Can you take me tomorrow to the place where they recruit for the SS?” — Yes, I can… Wait! Why do you want it? You weren’t going to connect your life with this, were you? — Circumstances have changed. I’ll tell you tomorrow when we meet. That’s it, see you later. He was going to end the conversation here, but the voice from the telephone receiver: “I’ll come now, and you’ll tell me everything” — beat him to it. Rudolf, who was watching all this, closed the door. “Either you tell everything now, or I won’t let you out of here.” — Let’s wait for Jens, and I’ll tell you both everything. August exhaled. He really didn’t want to talk about it, it was too hard for him. But I had to tell them both everything, without lies or inventions. Jens entered the apartment and, sitting on the sofa, began to listen carefully to August’s story. — So you want to save your skin because you might go to jail? — Yes, this is my only chance. Until everything is revealed, I am not going to save my sister. — But you do understand that if this is revealed, they will simply kick you out of there? — Yes, I know, but only if they find out. “The probability is low, and besides, sooner or later he would still have to enter there.” — And why is that? — Rudolf raised an eyebrow and looked at Jens. — Today I was at a meeting, after Hitler’s victory, all the barons, knights and other high society will be sent to concentration camps to work. Yes, I didn’t think, August, that you would end up next to us like this,” Jens summed up sadly. “I didn’t think so either.” However, tomorrow I will become a different person. I need to realize my new life and identity, so I ask you to give me the rest of the time today to rest. “Yes, of course,” they said in unison. Everyone understood how difficult it was for him. They left him alone. August looked at the dawn, the dawn of his new life.