Berlin blood

The German spring was characterized by extraordinary sunsets and beautiful views that Berliners loved so much. Joanna went with her husband to their country house, which was not far from the city. Alfred bought it for the family as soon as they got married. Alfred was a calm man a little older than Joanna, he was not very interested in politics and war, but he joined the SS in order, as he liked to say, to show his father that he was also a man. Alfred was calm and a little secretive. He loved nature and quiet evenings by the fireplace. Sit with a pipe and tea, like an English lord, and read a book. In the first months of their acquaintance, Joanna could not understand why Alfred was so boring. She was eager to go to restaurants and cinema, she wanted to go to theaters or just for a walk. However, he spent his weekends buried in a newspaper or a book. This is how their honeymoon passed. Joanna did not marry him because she loved him very much. More likely because she had no choice, and she didn’t really want to choose. Joanna could have remained under the care of her mother, who was grief-stricken after the death of her father. She cried all the time and went to work. But she preferred to get married and get at least some freedom. She never understood her mother, and did not remember her father well. But in her memories he was a cruel man. Joanna did not understand why her mother did not leave him earlier. A little more than six months had passed since their wedding with Alfred, and they understood each other and feigned love. Joanna would not say that Alfred loved her. But he liked her, so they got together. Joanna got a job as Heinrich Himmler’s secretary and was glad. The job is prestigious, and my husband was against it. Alfred himself worked as an architect. However, she was not interested in how his everyday life went, just as he was not interested in her. These were two souls that came together and warmed each other. Arriving at the house, the first thing Joanna did was arrange the garden furniture to bask in the sun. She loved to sunbathe, even though her husband was against it. Once in her teens, Ioana wanted to become an athlete, but her career ended before it even began because her father unluckily let her go one day while Ioanna was riding a bicycle. She suffered a concussion and the doctor banned all sports. — Darling, do you know where my book might be? — Alfred was unpacking his suitcase. — No I dont know. Perhaps you put it in the bag we took with us to the salon. — Oh yes, exactly. Alfred left, and she, watching him rummage through his bag and mutter something under his breath, went to put on the raspberry pie. They were supposed to be joined today by her friend Marlene, whom Joanna met at work. Marlene was also on Himmler’s staff, but she worked in a warehouse, sorted letters and spent time with his wife in their home. And his friends from the service and new friends, or “youngsters,” as he called them, were supposed to come to Alfred. Joanna, having reached the telephone, which stood on the first floor in the corridor, dialed Charlotte. They had been friends for a long time, and she simply could not help but call her. Hearing her voice, Joanna began to beg her friend to come. Charlotte struggled for a long time: after all, it had been a hard week, but she agreed, saying that she would come for a short time. Joanna said that she would be very glad and went to the restroom to get ready. I needed to take a shower and put on makeup. Today she had a terrible headache, but she chalked it up to fatigue. With Hitler’s rise to power, their work only increased, and she sometimes had to stay until twelve, and sometimes until half past one. Although she was not the main secretary, all this exhausted her, but the country was gradually emerging from the crisis and devastation, and this made her happy. *** Charlotte stood up. I didn’t want to do anything, and the memories of August and his manner of communication couldn’t help but make me smile. August was a pleasant young man, her type; she might have had an affair with him if it had not been for Walter. Oh, how much he bothered her! And all because of an incident that happened to her immediately after she ran away from her parents’ house. That evening, Charlotte did not know where to go, and went to her brother, who rented an apartment near the center of Berlin. And, oddly enough, he wasn’t even drunk. Although he usually got completely drunk in the evenings. Standing on the threshold of the apartment, they looked at each other for a long time. — What, he kicked you out too? — I left myself. — Why? “I don’t want him to control me, and now I want to try to work in the SS.” — Okay, I’ll ask, what can I do, pour you some tea? “Yes, of course,” she walked into the small living room where the young man was sitting. Blond with blue eyes, he was well dressed. And his manners fascinated the girl. — Charlotte, meet me: this is my friend, Walter. We rent an apartment together. — Walter, meet me: this is my younger sister, Charlotte. “Very nice,” he extended his hand. “Mutually,” they shook hands and sat down at the table. Charlotte understood later why she was so uncomfortable sitting alone with him. Walter literally devoured her with his eyes. One word from him, and the girl already has a chill down her spine. Later she will attribute this to his concern. They sat and drank tea in the living room. It would seem, what’s wrong with that? But Franz, noticing Walter’s glance towards his sister, immediately understood everything and, under the pretext of a walk, left the room. Charlotte felt uneasy. She felt no obvious signs of a threat, but her intuition told her that she should run, but she did not want to run. She was never popular with men. On the contrary, her personal life is full of mistakes and disappointments. Charlotte fell in love six or seven times, but all unrequitedly. In the end, she decided that it was all a lie and there was no love. The clock in the living room continued to tick and it became more and more difficult to breathe. — Charlotte, tell me, did you have a boyfriend before? — this question took her by surprise. — No, it was not. — She continued to drink tea as if nothing had happened. Charlotte was a good actress. She once wanted to enter the acting department, but it didn’t come true. She studied at a boarding school for girls — sewing, cooking and diligence. Charlotte never did her homework and sometimes skipped classes, but she received a good certificate. — Do you have it now? “Walter still didn’t lag behind with questions. — No, and now he’s gone. Why are you asking this? “Charlotte was starting to get angry. She was about to get up and follow her brother. But Walter stopped her by grabbing her wrist. — Charlotte, I like you. Your brother talked a lot about you. — With that, he kissed her hand, looking at her tenderly. Charlotte didn’t expect this from him. And, carefully releasing her hand, she said: “I think you shouldn’t tarnish your reputation with me.” I think you will find a girl better than me and much, much more attractive. Who will be head over heels in love with you. I’m not the one that suits you, and besides, I don’t believe in love and sympathy. — You think? I have always believed that girls nowadays need to have a husband, or lover, in uniform. This is great and attractive — anyone would like to be in your place,” Walter stood behind her and came close, scorching her neck with his breath. — Let me go! “Charlotte walked away from him. — I’m afraid you won’t escape. — He went to the door and locked it, there was nowhere to run. — Tell me, why do you need me? You are not that person. You won’t have sex with me just because I’m beautiful and you like me! — Yes, you are right, I want to possess you. And I want you to become mine. — Who gave you the right to control my life? — Nobody, I just want it that way. Charlotte, you are a woman, which means you have few rights and freedoms. The only thing you can do is be under the wing of your husband, who will provide for you. Even if your brother, which I doubt, gets you a job, what happens next? — It does not concern you. I don’t live in the future, I live in the present! And you can be imprisoned for coercion. — And who will believe you? — He looked at her, and a spark of excitement and passion played in his eyes, Walter wanted her here and now. Charlotte did not move, knowing that Walter would not let her escape. She hoped to hold out for time until her brother arrived, but it seemed they had reached an agreement with him. And he won’t come soon. “Please, let’s leave peacefully,” Charlotte felt fear for the first time in her life. No, it wasn’t like fear of the teacher, or fear of the dark. It was an animal fear, it rose from somewhere below and reached the very throat, it made me sick. Charlotte exhaled slowly, deciding that this would help her. “Well, if you don’t want to meet me halfway, then I’ll go and do whatever I want,” Walter walked straight towards her. He roughly grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, kissing her. Charlotte pushed him away as best she could, but nothing worked. Walter roughly grabbed her by the neck and tore the beads that her sister had given her. Charlotte resisted and screamed, but he shut her mouth and, tearing her dress in the chest area, began to paw obscenely wherever he could. She struggled and twitched, but it was all useless. Having torn Charlotte from the wall and thrown it onto the table, Walter completely tore her dress and entered her. Charlotte screamed. How painful and insulting it was for her that she had fallen so low. Although, perhaps this is all a coincidence. He slammed her body into the kitchen table, without thinking at all about how she felt. She just lay there and whined, her arms were twisted. Walter held her hair and pressed his hand so that Charlotte could not do anything. After he satisfied himself, Walter took a kitchen towel and left the apartment. Charlotte, sliding under the table, began to cry. She didn’t know why she was crying — either from pain, or from her own insignificance. When the brother entered the apartment and found her, the first thing he did was take off his jacket and give it to her so that she could get dressed. “Now you wash yourself, get dressed, and I’ll listen to you,” Franz told her, hugging her and calming her down. All she could do was nod in agreement. *** A month had passed since that evening, but Charlotte was still afraid to be alone in a room with a man. No one except Franz knew this terrible story, and Charlotte would never want to relive it again. Now she, with lipstick on her lips, was driving to her friend in a rented car. Charlotte knew that she might have to face Walter again, but she would not stoop so low again. Their last meeting ended very quickly. All because he caught some kind of disease and lay in bed. Having arrived at her friend’s house and going through the gate, she immediately saw her. Joanna was not the only girl here, but she did not see Augustus among the men either. — Charlotte, hello, my dear! — Joanna, as always, hugged her friend tightly. — Hello, I didn’t think there would be so many people. “It’s not much, except that I dissuaded Alfred from inviting his friends.” They must leave soon. By the way, meet me: this is Marlene, my friend. — She pointed to a girl with dark eyes and brown hair standing in the corner of the garden. - Where did you become friends with her? — At work. She is also one of Himmler’s assistants. — It’s clear. They approached Marlene and, shaking hands, began setting the table together. When all the guests were seated and the wine was poured, Charlotte found herself next to Marlene. And, looking at how she devoured the pie with enormous appetite, she also decided that she needed to eat more. She didn’t want to seem rude. — Charlotte, tell me, where are you from? — I’m from the operational headquarters, an accountant-communicator. — I am Heinrich Himmler’s secretary. — Very nice. — Joanna, tell me, do you know about the new project that Himmler and our Fuhrer are preparing? — No. — And you? — She turned to Charlotte. — No, I have no idea either. — So, what kind of project is this? — Joanna was known for her curiosity, and this time it got the better of her. “I heard his chief secretary talking on the phone, they were talking about a new project that involves building concentration camps for political and war criminals, or people with an unusual orientation. — With an unusual orientation? — Charlotte joined in. — Yes, gays and lesbians. — Oh my God, then what do we need prisons for? — Well, prisons are for ordinary criminals, and these special places are for special ones. “The whole country will probably be outraged.” — So it will be, ladies. “Albert came up behind me and, leaning over, added. — The Fuhrer wants us to have an ideal country. — He will never do it. The more a person strives for the ideal, the greater the abyss into which he will fall later becomes,” Joanna stood up at these words and, having collected the plates, went to wash them. Everyone thought about it. Her words actually had meaning, and a very deep one. However, everyone hoped that it would not come to fanaticism.