Berlin blood

The woman walked slowly and firmly to the door as the eldest in the house, Jose and Laura looked at Paul in fear. No matter who is behind the door, good guests do not suddenly come, especially in the evening. Threat and fear hung in the air. Paul wanted to disappear, he felt like trouble was approaching the Garcia family. — Who’s there? — Lianora asked, turning the lock. “Communists,” Hugo stood outside the threshold. He guessed that a woman he knew well had arrived, and therefore realized that they would not be able to do much of what they had planned. — Why did you come so late? “The woman was playing for time so that Laura and Jose could hide Paul at home. She finally opened the door once she realized there was no sign of Paul. — Lianora, you and I once met a long time ago. My last visit to your husband was not very pleasant,” Hugo bent down so that the woman would let him into the house, but she did not even intend to retreat. Memories came flooding back and washed over the woman; she raised her eyebrow in displeasure, noting to herself that Hugo began to look even worse than the last time they met. — Yes, I remember it well, that’s why I’m asking. My husband died many years ago, and through your fault,” the woman stood her ground and never wanted to let someone into her house who once brought trouble. Laura and Jose, who were sitting in the kitchen, heard everything, as did Paul, who was sitting in the kitchen cabinet, who had managed to become covered in sweat. He didn’t feel such fear as he does now even when he went on his first voyage. “That’s why I came,” the woman raised her hand, but Hugo continued: “A few weeks ago, a very important person disappeared in the surrounding waters, whom not only we are looking for.” And if you’ve seen him… — Sorry, but I don’t understand what you’re talking about. The country is full of such people, and our city is so small that if this person was really dangerous and important to you, she would have already been captured, and all the residents would already be talking about her. Besides, there are dangerous people everywhere now, if you’re talking about the Germans. They are everywhere. “You’re right, but everyone in the city knows your kindness,” he grinned impudently. “Are you hiding something if you don’t let me in?” — Hugo stretched out and stood a head taller than the woman. — No, I’m not hiding anything from you, it’s just, you know, people like you don’t come to visit. You brought trouble to my house, why should I greet you joyfully? However, if you insist,” Lianora stepped back, and Hugo saw the passage into the house. “Thank you,” Hugo went inside and saw Jose and Laura at the table. Yes, she and her grandmother had a lot in common: an oval face, a neck and the same burning and fiery gaze. He sat down at an empty chair, but the tension did not subside. Lianora, as before, sat at the head of the table. — So, why did you come? — The question repeated by Lianora brought Hugo out of the reverie in which he had been, indulging in memories. Once upon a time, in 1915, he also sat at this very table, only the atmosphere was different: they were glad to see him. However, after the death of the woman’s husband, the entrance to this house was forever blocked for him. And now, after so many years, he is here again and again opposite him is a woman who will always be unattainable for him. — I came to find out about Paul Bernstein. — About whom? — Jose was the first to speak up to show that he was hearing this name for the first time, in order to ward off suspicion. — This is one of the German submarine officers. — May I know why he is so interesting to you? — Laura couldn’t control her curiosity. — He knows a lot of secret things, according to our information, the British are hunting for him. However, we hope to get ahead of them and take him hostage for an exchange. Lianora laughed, and everyone immediately turned their gaze to her. “This is stupid, Hugo,” Jose raised his voice so as not to cause confusion. — Jose, why do you think this is stupid? — What’s the point? You trade him for one of your colleagues or soldiers, so what? Will the war end here? — Lianora tried to remain calm. — Will people become wiser or will they understand that not everything is in their hands? War is always a loss, even for the winner. After a victory, people are overshadowed by pride and they see nothing but it, and the losers think that they are in a terrible situation, although this is not the case. — From what? — Hugo was surprised at her answer. — The winner, having received victory, stops fighting and achieving anything, because, once at the top, he cannot climb higher — he puts on the crown and gives up, but this is not right. Life is a struggle, and those who go through it every day, no matter how big or small, deserve respect. The loser is looking for ways to rise from the ashes. He struggles with the anger and failures that befell him, draws conclusions and shakes his head, gets to his feet and fights, thereby acquiring strength that no one else has. — What about an example? Is there an example of your words, Lianora? No one else dared to interfere in the conversation: it was their personal duel that began many years ago. — There are many, but the brightest is this war unleashed by Germany. She once lost, but she became strong, like a girl who was rejected, who can become stronger than the one who knows only reciprocal love. “Perhaps you’re right,” Hugo fell silent for half a minute, thinking about what the woman said. “In any case,” he continued, “if you still see any suspicious person in a German uniform, then inform us immediately.” “Of course, you can rest assured,” she, rising from the table, looked down at him, as is customary to look at a loser. Hugo stood up and left, finally crossing his eyes with Lianora again in complete devastation. This woman knew how to bring him to his knees even after so many years. *** — Grandma… What was that? — Laura sat down next to Lianora with eyes expressing complete curiosity. — Yes, I remembered the old things. I wanted, as in previous times, to put him in his place. Yes, and he hasn’t changed, not at all, rather, on the contrary, he has become even more blind than he was,” the woman smiled warmly at her granddaughter in response. “Judging by the conversation you had, he is not just the past, he is the very past,” the man recalled the last words spoken to the woman. “Yes, Jose, you’re right, it’s a long story…” Lianora thought about something, and then suddenly interrupted her thoughts: “Paul!” You can go out. The man finally crawled out of the cramped closet and stretched his stiff shoulders. — Will you tell me? — Laura demanded this story. — Well, it started before the First World War, when I came to Germany and met your grandfather there. This was in 1910, we were young and cheerful, and later, when we came to my parents here in Italy, the whole city was hostile to my love for him. I wanted to marry a man not from our town or even from our country — people perceived this as a tragedy, and for a very long time I did not go out at all. He was always there, helping me, and after the start of the war he was sent to the front, where he died,” she sighed heavily. “At this time, Hugo, the man who was the first to go against my family, began to pursue me, saying that I had broken the long-standing tradition of not marrying strangers and enemies. When the news came about Friedrich’s death, I completely quarreled with him and lived with your mother on the outskirts of the city, in this very house. He tried many times to make peace with me, but I refused and did not let him into the house. Later I found out that he helped get Friedrich killed. Didn’t they tell you how your mother died? — No… “She died because of a shot when you were still very little, and this shot was because of your grandfather, or rather, because of his nationality. “And after that?..” Laura asked in confusion, fearfully learning more and more about the history of her family. — After that, I went to Spain to visit my sister and her children, and returned now… now. I wanted to see you grown up. “Yes…” Jose responded quietly. “We didn’t want to tell you this, but now that he has appeared in our house,” Jose pointed to Paul, who was sitting with his head down, “we can tell you everything that we kept secret before.” After quite a long silence, Lianora finally spoke again: “Today I was forced to remember this story and the past that I didn’t want to remember for so long. Hugo… He came for a reason: he knows the history of our family, so he will kill us first. — What do we do? — Laura looked worriedly at her grandmother, then at her father. — Paul and Laura need to escape, Jose… — Where? Are you crazy? Where will they run?! “The man was completely shocked by such an unexpected, although quite logical, statement. “It’s better to go to Spain, it seems to be neutral,” Lianora answered, trying to remain calm. “I won’t go anywhere without him, period!” — Laura grabbed Paul’s hand. She was afraid of loneliness, and besides, if you take such a serious step, then only with a person who cares about you. She felt not only fear creeping up on her, but along with it also enormous fussiness and a desire for everything to be resolved as soon as possible. She felt that she was stepping on a slippery road and she had to walk along it slowly and very carefully, no matter how much she wanted to run across it faster, she couldn’t — she would fall. “Of course he will follow you, and you will follow him,” the conversation was over, and the final point was put. *** Paul, Jose and Lianora remained at the table, while Laura, still confused after the emotional conversation, went to bed. Tensions grew, but everyone was bound by love for someone who was part of this family. — Paul, I want to tell you where you and Laura should go tomorrow. “I think it would be better to move by land, because the sea is constantly being shelled, it’s restless there… You know that yourself,” Paul spoke very seriously: he was responsible for the one with whom he wanted to live his life. — Whatever you think will be best, go ahead. My sister will meet you in Tawascan and shelter you. I don’t know how long you can stay there, but I’m sure it will be safer there than in our area. — Fine… After this conversation, Paul also went to bed. Passing Laura’s room, he opened the door. She wasn’t sleeping, just looking at the lamp next to her bed. — Are you awake? “I can’t sleep,” she got up and walked over to him. “Tell me it’s not a dream, promise that you’ll protect me.” “Even at the cost of my own life, I promise,” he answered as sincerely as he could. “I’m afraid myself, but trying to be fearless now would be strange.” I know that perhaps this is stupid, but… Since fate brought us together with you, there are probably reasons for that? “He carefully took Laura’s hand. — Let’s escape from here, right tomorrow! I know, I feel that both you and I want this… — By the end of the sentence he switched to a whisper. Laura hugged Paul instead of answering. He, inhaling the smell of her hair, also hugged her. They had to overcome many difficulties, but next to her he was not afraid of anything. They stood there until midnight, and then decided to go to bed. But Paul couldn’t sleep—he kept looking at the girl who had become so close to him in such a short time, and stroked her hair. He tried not to think about the things they would have to endure, but to breathe in the last hours of their serene life before it ended and became dangerous and unpredictable.