How Could You
A Boy in the Striped Pajamas Fanfiction
Summary: Gretel walks in on her mother and Lieutenant Kotler kissing. How will she deal with the aftermath? Mild sensuality, language, and violence.
Disclaimer: We own nothing!
Warnings /!\: Mild sensuality, language, and violence.
Chapter Two
Gretel was still asleep when Maria cracked the door and popped her head inside.
"Hurry, Gretel. You must get ready for your lessons."
The girl lifted leaden eyelids. "Alright. I'll be up," she mumbled, but snuggled deeper into her blanket.
"And soon, because your lessons commence in fifteen minutes."
Gretel huffed. "Yes, Maria."
Maria shut the door, leaving her mistress with her thoughts for unwelcome company. I love my parents. Father may have been consumed by his job, and Mother with entrenching herself in society's upper echelons, but they loved and cared for her, Bruno, and each other. Telling Father betrayed her mother, but keeping mum deprived him of the truth he was entitled to.
She lost either way.
Dragging herself out of bed and into the bathroom, Gretel splashed tepid water onto her face, plaited her hair and dressed, hauling a satchel chock-full of books into the dining room where Herr Schneider and Bruno sat in deep study.
The tutor looked up as she set her book on the table. His balding pate shone through the brown wisps combed over it - a futile preservation of youth. "Ah, Gretel, there you are. Perhaps we'll start with maths and pick up where we left off? The Pythagorean theorem?" His eyebrows - thick as the hair on his head was sparse - scrunched under Gretel's vacuous gaze.
Pythaga-what? She blinked, then, vaguely recalling last week's lesson, smiled. "Yes...of course."
She drifted through the day in a daze, wanting to snap out of it, but unable to. She Father's promotion and The Move stained their parent's marriage, and Mother's dalliance with Lieutenant Kotler wasn't helping. I cannot condone this any longer. I need to confront her.
Her schoolwork completed for the day, she joined Mother at the grand piano dominating the parlor. If she wasn't married to an inveterate chauvinist who maintained women were homemakers and men breadwinners, she would have pursued her dream as a music teacher. Mother peeked at her sheet music, muttering as her fingers stumbled over ivory keys before crashing into a cacophony of notes. Blowing errant strands out her face with an exasperated huff, she reset her fingers as Gretel sat beside her.
"Hello, Gretel." Eyes narrowing in scrutiny, Mother leaned forward and floundered through another run of the scales. She groaned and threw her head back. Another botched attempt.
"Mother...We need to talk."
She looked at her. "About what?" "What?" she said, when Gretel hadn't replied. Don't be shy! Spit it out."
Trepidation trickled down her spine. "I saw you..." Regret came instant. Too late; she had crossed the point of no return.
"Saw me?" Mother squinted at her. "Saw me doing what?"
"I saw you with…" Again, her voice failed her.
Mother stood, eyes widening. "What in heaven's name are you talking about?"
Gretel blurted the words: "I saw you kissing Lieutenant Kotler!"
"Shh!" Her concern was unwarranted - Father, as usual, was at work; the Lieutenant was off duty; and Bruno had gone exploring while Maria and Pavel pared vegetables in the kitchen, worlds away.
"I'm sorry you had to see that."
Gretel deflated, hopes dashed. "How could you betray Father?" How could you betray me? How long had the affair had been going on? Was the tryst she witnessed the first, or one of many? She doubted the former.
Mother heaved a sigh, drained by the question. "Gretel, it's complicated...you're too young to understand."
"Then make me understand! I want to know why. Why did you kiss him? How long has this been going on?"
Mother did not speak for an eternity. Finally: "Kurt and I have been seeing each other for the past two months." Then, as an afterthought: "He was there when your father wasn't - although that doesn't justify our actions. I did not intend for our relationship to turn into what it is now. I tried to stop it, but couldn't."
Gretel shook her head, scowling. It wasn't a case of couldn't, but wouldn't.
The next day...
The car pulled into the drive, and Lieutenant Kotler emerged from behind the wheel, opening the back door with a bow and flourish - a rare break in solemnity. Out came Mother, brown tresses lustrous in the sunshine, arms laden with groceries. Kurt spread his, offering to carry the bags, but Mother shook her head and wrenched out of reach, skirt flaring as he lunged toward her. The Lieutenant, undeterred, hooked an arm around her waist and clasped her to him. Mother burst into laughter as he nuzzled her hair until she surrendered.
Gretel frowned. After the confession, she expected change, but it had yet to come.
She abandoned her perch at the windowsill to open the door.
"Thank you, Gretel." Mother beamed in appreciation, Kurt acknowledging her daughter with a brusque nod before entering the kitchen.
Gretel scrutinized Mother as she slipped out of her heels. After placing them to the side, she straightened, smile faltering as her eyes fell upon her daughter once more. Gretel scowled before stomping upstairs and into her room, not speaking until the close of the door assured privacy.
She glowered at her mother's reflection in the window, arms crossed. "I thought we discussed this."
Mother smoothed her skirt and cleared her throat with an imperious lift of her chin. "We did." Gretel's expression hardened as she turned. "Oh, don't look at me like that!" Mother's voice dripped venom as she stalked toward her, a snake coiled and poised to strike. "You're just a thirteen year old girl. You cannot possibly understand what my relationship with Lieutenant Kotler is like. If you did, you would realize you cannot help who you fall in love with…"
"That does not matter! You should not be with him! It's wrong, you...you...you harlot!"
Smack!
Gretel stumbled into the bed, rubbing her cheek.
"Gretel!" Mother, lurching forward, yanked the girl's hand away to inspect the pink splotch stark against alabaster skin.
"Get away from me!" Mother quailed at the outburst. She wrung her wrists and reeled into the wall, startling as if oblivious to its presence. The girl descended upon her until they stood nose-to-nose.
"You've got to listen to me now, or I will make Father aware of your little secret, yes?"
Terror flickered across her eyes. "Gretel -"
"You will never lay a hand on me again, understand? You've got to do as I say; otherwise it will be the end of your marriage and your reputation."
Mother gaped at her. Preposterous as it sounded, she couldn't risk either. "Yes, Gretel. Anything you want, you can have. Please, I will do anything. Just don't tell your father!"
"Anything?"
Mother swallowed with an emphatic nod. "Yes. Anything."
Gretel cocked her head, tapping her chin. "Hmm…"
Later that day...
"Children, come here!"
Gretel and Bruno arrived at their mother's side the instant she called. Either someone was in trouble, or they were due to receive their weekly allowance - this time, the latter.
"Hey!" Bruno objected as Mother handed Gretel a few more German marks than usual - one stipulation the woman had no choice but concede to. "That isn't fair. When did Mother raise your allowance?"
"Not until recently. However…" Mother watched the cogwheels in Gretel's head turn. "Since you haven't annoyed me as much these past few days, you deserve to be rewarded. Don't you agree, Mother?"
Smile strained and voice tight, she concurred, "Of course, my darling Gretel," and begrudgingly parted with more German marks, peering into the gaping maw of her wallet after depositing them in Bruno's palm. His fingers curled around them.
"If this is what I get for being nice to you, I'll never bother you again!" He pranced down the hall.
A/N: Thanks for reading! The third - and final - chapter will be here next week.