"One day, Liesel, you'll be dying to kiss me." Rudy turned to face me. "I told her." For someone who had recently died, he was in remarkably good spirits. I kept my own face impassive, watching the young girl panic over the fallen body of her best friend. Rudy himself was watching with great interest. If he still had any breath, I think his chest would break from excitement.
"How ironic, since you are the one who is dead." I commented finally. A cloud immediately passed over his bright face, and he glared at me as if I was the one to blame for his predicament. I had already carried his family beyond, but for some reason the boy with the lemon colored hair had given me a pause, and I stopped with him in my arms, hoping for some company. Some company.
Ignoring me now, Rudy had walked quietly over to Liesel, who, of course had no idea.
"Liesel." He whispered.
"God, Rudy..." She whispered back, staring down at his dusty and destroyed body. Rudy's fingers hovered over her shoulder, yet he never attempted to try to make contact with her body.
It lasted no more than five minutes. Her, next to his useless body. Him, unseen, a specter, hovering over her. The good spirits that had so recently inhabited Rudy were gone.
"I always wondered what it would be like." The words dropped out of his mouth like melting wax. I stayed silent, always the observer, never interfering. "And it has actually happened, and I'll still never know." As ever, I remained silent. Fourteen year old boys have a funny grasp on what's truly important, even after death.
He had his own fingers pressed against his lips, a strange expression upon his face. The regret poured off of him in waves. All those chances she had to kiss him before, wasted now. If there ever was a time to use the word Saumensch to describe Liesel Meminger, now seemed the perfect opportunity.
"I wonder if she liked it." He murmured, more to himself. "I wonder if I liked it." Rudy turned to look back at me. "Well it's not I can feel it." I nodded, as if to a slow, young child. Liesel, oblivious of course, had torn herself away from the boy. Standing up, dirt clung to her slender body. Streaks of tears cleared portions of the dust that had wrapped itself gently across her face. She moved on, in search for the next body of a loved one.
"Liesel." Rudy called after her uselessly. There a slight pause, and he was off after her. One might expect a recently deceased person to have more respect for their own dead body, but Rudy always had a way of surprising somebody. With a leap, he cleared his own still form, and followed Liesel on her track of heartbreak. "Wait, Liesel. There's something I never told you." Silently, I glided up to his back, and placed my hand on his shoulder. It was time. It was no longer in his place to watch his former best friend. The hazy air dragged in between us, but I was firm.
The lemon colored haired boy's soul was back in my arms.
"Wait." He tried squirming out my grasp, but it was pointless. Death has a stronger grip than German boys. It could almost be seen as sad to look at the conflicting emotions crossing across the boy's face. Confusion, desperation, frustration all melded together, creating one pretty, hectic picture. I remembered the contents of his soul, and my heart ached for him. We both took one last look at the Book Thief. Coughing and sputtering, she was still searching. Searching for a piece of salvation, which would never open its door for her. I squeezed Rudy tight, and we were on our way. Peering over my shoulder, he uttered one last word.
"Goodbye."