Page 33 of A Song in the Dark

chapter Twelve

The concert hall smelled ... clean.

Melanie described the hall, with its pillars and rectangular windows, to Chaisley.

The ornate architecture on the outside. The marble floors and statues.

The lavish chandeliers draped in crystals hanging from the ceiling and the seats covered in velvet.

Ordinarily, she would have loved every detail.

But it seemed empty and without life. Like all of Berlin. The weight of something dark and oppressive seemed heavier with every breath.

As they’d navigated the space where she would play, and she’d done an early practice this morning, something within Chaisley balked at doing a concert here.

In the realm of the Nazis.

But she desperately wanted to see Mary Beth and her mother. There had been tickets provided them for tonight. Would they show up?

She made her way down the twenty-nine steps out the front entrance with Rick and Melanie at her side. “Let’s go. But please drive us around for several minutes, Rick, before we reach our final destination.”

“I have it all planned out.” Rick chuckled. “If someone follows us they will simply think I’m describing the city and points of interest to you.”

“Perfect.” That would make it easier for them to visit the blind school Melanie had found.

Thirty minutes later, she exited the car. Taking a deep breath before entering the door, she put a hand to her stomach and did her best to quell the unease brewing inside.

She’d read the newspapers, heralding the so-called excellent work of the Gestapo in executing “Operation Work Shy.” They had arrested almost ten thousand criminals, vagrants, and “anti-social” people. Whatever that meant.

But a letter from one of Dr. Grafton’s contacts informed her that among those arrested had been almost eleven hundred Jews.

All of whom were sent to concentration camps.

The nausea hadn’t left since she’d read the letter. The enormity of evil was almost impossible to comprehend. She pressed her shaking hand to her stomach again. She needed to calm down. Getting emotional would make her sloppy.

So many lives depended on her. On Melanie and Rick, Dr. G and Grandmother, and the plan they’d developed to rescue these precious people. “I’m right beside you.” Mel’s calm voice from the right soothed her frayed nerves.

“Me too,” Rick chimed in from her left.

It was time. She gave a nod, and she heard the doors open.

The plan was simple. Get in. Find a room to camp out in.

Let the head of the school know they were present and ask to speak to the students.

If they did it all as quickly as possible, perhaps the SS and Gestapo would never know they’d been there.

“Rick, it appears there’s an empty classroom to your left. Take Chaisley in there and stay with her. I’m going to find whoever is in charge.” Melanie’s firm order was quiet.

A tug at her left elbow, and Rick’s deep voice cocooned her. “I’ll walk with you. Only about six paces to the door.”

“Thank you.” As they entered the room, she smiled. “You were correct. Six on the nose.”

“There’s a chair over here behind a desk. Wait just a moment.” His footsteps sounded all over the room. A door opened and closed. More steps. “Okay, I had to check it out first. Twelve steps over to the desk.” He was at her elbow again, letting her step with confidence.

She found the desk and chair and took a seat. “Thank you, again.”

His steps went back and forth in front of her.

“Are you nervous? Is that why you’re pacing?”

“There’s so much we don’t know about this place. Do you have some sort of plan?”

She laced her fingers together, willing her heart to stop pounding in her ears. “Actually, I wanted to encourage the students first.”

“And then?”

“I don’t know. But they might need to know what’s really coming so they can be prepared. And know that there are people willing to help.”

He sucked in a breath. Loud and long. “They’re just kids.”

Yes, they were. But someone had to prepare them. “Keep your tone quiet, please, Mr. Zimmerman.”

“Might I also remind you that we are in Berlin.” Rick’s words were whisper soft but held a sharp edge.

“I know very well where we are.” Footsteps—a great many of them—sounded in the hallway. She understood Rick’s hesitation. Her own nerves seemed tighter than a piano string. But he would see. God was at work.

“Miss Frappier, I’ve brought you the students.”

Chaisley restrained a frown. Why was Melanie’s chipper voice so forced?

Chaisley stood. Was her friend trying too hard to be positive or was it because she was speaking in German? What had she seen? “Wonderful. Welcome.” She clapped her hands together and prayed that if Melanie needed to warn her about something, she would do it soon.

Steps and shuffling were accompanied by soft commands from a couple of older-sounding people. Teachers?

Someone touched her elbow. The scent of Mel’s hand cream gave her away. “There are only twenty-one students left.” She’d switched to English. “The headmistress is gone, and there are two teachers.”

“What happened to the headmistress and the rest of the students?” There should have been twice that many.

“The woman in charge was taken as a political prisoner last week for helping a Jewish family leave. At least, that’s the rumor.”

“If I may, Fr?ulein.” A young voice that sounded as lyrical as Mozart’s sonata in C Major spoke up.

“Many of the families are finding a way to leave.” Her voice was so beautiful and uplifting, even when conveying the words that weren’t pleasant.

“Especially after the older students were taken away to hospitals for forced sterilization.”

Chaisley gasped. The blunt statement sounded so harsh coming from one so young. Like a slap in the face. What had they had to endure here?

“We have tried to be honest with our students here and their families,” another voice chimed in. “My name is Freida, and I am one of the teachers.”

“Where are the others?” Her voice sounded so strained. Be calm.

“We aren’t certain. Some told us of their plans and left of their own accord. The others simply disappeared.”

A warm hand covered hers. Rick. Chaisley held on for dear life. She needed all the strength she could muster to keep a positive outlook for these kids.

The teacher continued in German. “But the students have been thrilled to hear about your tour and are excited to meet you today.”

The change in subject was forced but for the best. Chaisley listened to every sound in the room. The precious breaths of people surviving during uncertain times. Arms and legs shifting. The rustle of clothing. A tap here and there of a shoe on the tile floor.

She straightened in her chair, and a strength that was not her own filled her.

“I’m so glad to meet each one of you today.

I hope to learn your names and ages in a moment.

But first, let me introduce myself. My name is Chaisley Frappier.

I am a concert pianist.” She said it with confidence.

“And yes, I am completely blind. I have been since my tenth birthday.” With a swallow, she surged on.

“I don’t know what you’ve been told by people, but you are not less of a person because you cannot see.

You are just as worthy of life as anyone else on the planet.

God made you just the way you are, and He has given you gifts to use. ”

Did she sound too preachy? She shook her head. No. What she said was the truth. Someone needed to tell these kids how wonderful they were. How valuable they were.

Several clicking noises sounded around the room.

“I can tell some of our students have questions. They are instructed to click their tongues and raise their hand. Would you mind, Miss Frappier?” The teacher who’d spoken before was on her right now.

“I’d love to hear them. Oh, and please, tell me your name and age when you ask a question.”

After hearing from each student, ranging in age from seven to eighteen, and answering every question from her favorite color to why she loved the piano so much, she folded her hands in her lap. “I can feel a tension in the room. A sadness. What is it that you’re not telling me?”

Several sighs reached her ears.

“It’s our last day.” Lydia—the young woman with the lyrical voice—answered. “They are shutting down the school tomorrow.”

Chaisley leaned forward in her seat. “What will you do?”

“Most of our families are seeking refuge elsewhere. Some are even leaving tomorrow if they can.” Lydia’s voice moved closer to her.

“But those of us who are on our own will have to figure something out. There’s a man who has hired people like us before.

He owns a brush factory. His name is Mr. Weidt.

I’m hoping to find employment with him.”

“Me too. My name is Anne, and I’m sixteen,” a sweet voice piped up.

“And what about your teachers?” Chaisley aimed the question to her right, where both teachers had come to stand.

“We aren’t sure what we will do, but we want to make sure all the students are safe first.” The emotion behind the words gave Chaisley the idea that both women were crying.

There had to be something she could do to help. For the long term. But what? “I have an idea. What if you all could come to my concert this evening? There’s plenty of space backstage for you to sit and listen.”

“That’s not possible, Fr?ulein Frappier,” one of the teachers said, “but thank you for the invitation.”

“Why not?” Melanie conveyed the same question Chaisley wanted to voice.

“The streets aren’t safe for the students after about four o’clock.”

“Why is that?” Rick’s commanding presence filled the space next to her. His protective streak was out in full force.

“We aren’t allowed to speak of it.” The quieter of the two teachers answered. “Now ... we do have a piano in the basement. It’s probably out of tune, but I’m sure the students would love to hear you.”