Page 104 of The German Mother

It was early morning when the family emerged from the basement. While Ida dressed the children, Max and Minki retreated to their room to prepare for the day.

‘I’m getting really worried about these raids, Max,’ said Minki, as she lay in the bath.

‘It’s war, darling,’ replied Max, scraping his chin with a razor. ‘But we’ve been all right so far, haven’t we?’ He turned and looked down at her. ‘My God, you are beautiful,’ he said wistfully.

‘Still, I do wonder sometimes if we’d be better off outside of the city.’

Max wiped his face with a towel. ‘We’re fine as we are, Minki. Now, I’d better get going – got a busy day.’ He leaned over and gave her a brief kiss.

After he’d gone, Minki sat at her dressing table, brooding on their conversation. Max seemed oblivious to the danger they were all in. She sometimes wondered if his closeness to Goebbels had infected him with the regime’s arrogant sense of invincibility. If so, he was a fool.

Her father had written a few days before and mentioned that raids over southern Germany were almost unknown – the city of Augsburg being beyond the range of RAF bombers. It suddenly occurred to her that his house would be an ideal sanctuary for herself and the children.

She suspected that Max would hate the idea, and if she was going to persuade him to let her leave Berlin she would need facts. She turned on the radio in her bedroom. The national news service led on the bombing of Berlin. In hyperbolic terms, they raged against the RAF, complaining that the British were targeting innocent women and children. She sensed the heavy hand of the propagandist, and decided to try tuning in to the BBC.

It was illegal to listen to foreign news broadcasts, so Minki first locked the bedroom door, and turned down the volume of radio to prevent the maids from overhearing.

She placed her ear close to the speaker and fiddled with the wavelength control knob until she found the BBC frequency. Out of the ether came a familiar voice. Within an Instant, Minki knew who it was. ‘My God, it’s Leila,’ she whispered to herself. Her eyes filled with tears, as she listened to her friend’s strong, clear intonation. After all these years apart, hearing her voice was like a miracle.

The BBC bulletin also led on the bombing of Berlin; but it was the second story about the Bishop of Munster that grabbed her attention. Hitler’s proposal to end the lives of the ‘undesirables’ with genetic handicaps made her blood run cold. Even children were to be targeted. Minki instantly thought of Clara, now playing innocently in the nursery, and how easy it would be for the authorities to classify her epilepsy as a disability. For a German bishop to be so outspoken was both brave and remarkable.

It crystallised Minki’s decision to leave Berlin. It would surely be safer for Clara to be hidden away deep in the countryside than to live in the capital, under the noses of the Nazi authorities. She hurried downstairs to the hall and put a call through to her father’s number.

‘Papa?’

‘Yes…Minki. How nice to hear from you. There was bombing last night in Berlin, I hear. Are you all right?’

‘Yes, the raid flew overhead, but dropped its bombs nearer the city centre. Papa, I have a favour to ask…I’m worried about the children and their safety. I wondered if we might come and stay with you.’

‘Of course.’

‘Are you sure? It would mean some disruption. Three children would be quite noisy, and I would have to organise schools for the boys, and so on.’

‘Minki my dear, I would be delighted.’

‘I’m so grateful – thank you. I’ll make the arrangements at my end and let you know when we’re coming.’

That evening, after the children were in bed, Minki poured Max a drink and calmly set out her arguments for leaving the capital city.

Max’s reaction was predictable. ‘It’s madness to move to Augsburg…it’s too far away.’

‘That’s the point, Max. The further away, the safer for the children.’

‘But for how long? It won’t be long before the RAF can reach those cities in the south. They’ve already hit Stuttgart.’

‘Well, if Augsburg did become a target they would aim for the factories, not houses like my father’s which are way out in the country.’

‘What about the boys’ education?’

‘I can find them a school down there.’

‘And Clara?’

‘Well, I’ll continue to educate her as I do here.’

Max suddenly flushed with anger. ‘Oh I see,’ he shouted. ‘So you intend to move down there as well, do you? And leave me here all alone? No, Minki, I won’t allow it.’

‘You won’t allow it? Well, I’m sorry, Max, but my first priority must be the children. I’m moving to Augsburg, whether you’ll allow it or not. As soon as I find a school for the boys, I’ll be leaving.’