Page 146 of The German Mother

Clara nodded.

Leila dialled Minki’s number. ‘Minki, darling. I have some news. I’m in Hadamar, and I need you to sit down.’

‘Why are you in Hadamar? What news? What are you talking about?’

‘Darling, you don’t understand – it’s good news, the best news you can imagine. Clara is alive, and she’s all right. She’s standing next to me now. I’ll put her on.’

Leila handed Clara the phone. ‘Say something, Clara.’

Clara, still disoriented and frightened, seemed unable to speak. She merely listened to her mother weeping. Finally she spoke – softly, almost in a whisper. ‘Mutti, it’s me, I’m here….’ But could say no more.

Leila gently retrieved the phone. ‘Minki, I’ll drive Clara home tomorrow morning. We’re in a hotel for the night. I’ll try and get as much out of her as I can tonight, and then put her to bed.’

Leila sat with Clara and gradually the girl began to open up a little.

‘Soon after I arrived, I had a fit, and the nurse came and sat with me. Afterwards we talked, and she was nice to me. She said it was wrong what they were doing and that she would look after me. When I next had a fit, she hid me from the other staff. And she gave me extra food. After a while, my fits stopped…I don’t know why.’

‘People grow out of them sometimes,’ said Leila sympathetically.

‘That’s what the nurse said. One day, she told me that she had arranged for me to work in the laundry, but I should call myself Irma, not Clara. I was to say I was an orphan. She said if I worked hard they might let me stay. So I worked really hard. I didn’t mind it in the laundry…it was warm in the winter. I did the washing and put things through the wringer. I caught my fingers sometimes.’ She held out her hand to Leila. A couple of her fingers were badly bruised. ‘Then I had to dry everything on big airers up in the ceiling. After that, I had to iron, and fold and store. Storing was the best bit.’

‘Why?’

‘Because I was allowed to leave the laundry for a while and walk round the hospital with a trolley while I put the sheets away.’

Leila squeezed Clara’s hand. Her description of life in the hospital was heartbreaking. Suddenly, the child yawned and rubbed her eyes.

‘You must be tired,’ Leila said kindly. ‘Let’s get you to bed – we’ve got a long drive home tomorrow.’

The following morning Leila found a clothes shop and used her dollars to buy Clara a new dress, coat and shoes. The girl joined Leila in the back of the jeep, in a smart navy dress and coat, with Joe’s army coat over her knees, holding tightly onto Leila’s hand.

Late in the afternoon, they arrived at the outskirts of Augsburg. To Leila’s surprise, Clara began to weep.

‘What is it, darling?’

‘I’m just happy,’ replied Clara. ‘I remember this place. I came here when I was little to see Grandpa.’

‘That’s right, darling…that’s where we’re going. Mutti lives with Grandpa now.’

As the jeep roared up the drive, Minki rushed out of the house, followed by her sons and father. She ran towards it, screaming: ‘Clara, Clara…’

‘She’s here, Minki. She’s alive!’ Leila shouted, jumping down onto the drive.

Minki stood by the jeep gazing at her child sitting quietly on the back seat, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Clara, who seemed equally confused, tentatively climbed out and stood for a second, staring at her mother. But as soon as Minki opened her arms to her daughter, Clara fell into them. Soon Gunther and the boys gathered round.

‘Mutti, can we cuddle her?’ the two boys chorused. They covered her with kisses and hugged her tightly.

‘Don’t squeeze her too hard,’ said Minki, ‘you’ll frighten her.’

Gunther took control, wrapped an arm round Clara’s shoulder, and steered her into the house.

‘Don’t get too excited, boys,’ he said as the family gathered in the sitting room. ‘Let her get her bearings and relax a little. She’s had a long journey.’

As Clara sat down on the sofa, Willie and Felix knelt on either side of her, kissing her hands and stroking her face – just as they had done as little children when she had a fit.

Minki stood watching her three children, clinging tightly to Leila’s arm.

‘I can’t believe it, Leila – am I dreaming?’