Chapter 7

I hurried home to tell Will and Simon the news. I had no idea how they would respond to it but I had nothing else to do. My parents were becoming more and more suspicious of me as each day passes by. And the fact that I had not yet gotten a job really upset them. I managed to squeeze in a lie to them saying that I had been too busy with all my school work to get a job. Somehow they believed me but still didn't trust me.

As I crawled under my dirt coated porch, I noticed a strange sound coming from deep within my porch. It sounded like someone or something was gasping for air. I crawled on my knees further and further until I had reached the source of the horrible sound.

"He needs medical treatment Gabi. He won't make it through the night" Will whispered to me. He was crouched over Simon, dabbing a wet towel over his head and whispering something to him in a language I didn't know.

"Will, tonight I have a different place for you and Simon to hide. It is no longer safe here anymore because my parents know I'm up to something." I saw the horror in Will's face grow as I continued to tell him my plan. "Her name is Catyia Danvers and I have known her since I was born. I know I can trust her with keeping you and Simon safe."

"Are you sure Gabi?" Will's voice was hoarse from such long periods of not being able to talk.

"She seemed very interested in the idea and I know her. She… thinks the same way as I do. She always has."

"What about Simon? He can't walk and I will not leave him here alone." He stroked Simon's head and continued to whisper encouraging words to him.

I shook my head in agreement. "Tonight at twelve o'clock, you and I will carry Simon to Mrs. Danvers home."

As soon as I said this, Will had an emotional break down. He began crawling out from under the porch yelling and screaming. I chased him out into my yard and into the forest that surrounded my neighborhood. He ran at full speed towards nowhere. I tried to catch him and calm him down but he was just too crazy. Finally he stopped and turned towards me.

"Gabi, I can't do this anymore! I WISH I WAS DEAD RIGHT NOW! AT LEAST THEN I WOULD BE WITH THE REST OF MY FAMILY! I can't live this way any more! This isn't living Gabriele!" Will kicked a large oak tree furiously with his foot.

I tried my hardest not to say anything to him. He needed to let out all the pain that had built up inside of him.

"Why did this happen Gabi?" Will fell to his knees hard. He buried his head in his hands and kept asking why all of this had to happen. I felt terrible. How do I explain the reason for all the hatred he has felt towards him.

"Will" I whispered into his ear. "I'm sorry that all this has happened to you, I really am. But I refuse to hear you say that you want to die, when I am risking my life everyday and trying to keep you alive." I lifted Will's chin up with my hand and threw my arms around him. "Your mother" tears fell down my face, "Your mother gave up her own life to save yours. So how could you say that. It would have all been for nothing." I dug my face into his neck. I could feel his arms tighten around my waist. "And what about us?"

Later that night, Will had finally calmed down and the two of us began packing for our trip to Mrs. Danvers. There wasn't much to pack, but somehow all our hands were carrying something. Around my shoulder, I helped Simon crawl out from underneath my porch and into the night time air. I saw him close his eyes and whisper something into the air.

"When all this is over, I'm going to live outside so I can breath in this air all the time" Simon whispered to Will and I. His eyes winced and sparkled just as bright as the stars above us. "When all this is over, Gabi."

It was only a short distance from our house to Mrs. Danver's house. But with Simon clinging to us, it seemed miles away. We managed to cross the first street towards the giant field towards Mrs. Danver's house. The corn field was the only thing blocking our way. That and other people's eyes.

"It's just across this field" I said to Will. He turned his head to me and nodded. I noticed a hint of depression in his eyes.

I could feel the sweat dripping down my face. Simon still couldn't walk so it was up to Will and I to practically carry him. Simon's grip around my neck was loosening and he was loosing consciousness quickly. I used up every ounce of my energy to keep him from falling.

We were crossing the field when I heard a voice coming from behind us. It sounded like a women's. I began to panic. If I was caught by someone with Will and Simon, I would probably be shot.

"Get down!" Will told me. We laid Simon down and then crouched down on our knees under the tall corn stalks. The voices began to get closer and closer as time passed by. I held my hand over my mouth to muffle my heavy breathing. Will crawled over to me and put his hands around my waist. He rested his chin on my head and tried to stop me from shaking. I had never been so scared before in my life until that moment. When I hid Simon and Will at my house, it was different because the only people that were around their hiding place was mama and papa. And deep down inside, despite how much they have changed, they would have never turned me in.

"Gabi!" I heard my name and immediately knew who it was. I popped my head out from under the corn stalks.

"Mrs. Danver's? Is that you?" I squinted my eyes to see in the dark if it was really her.

""Yes, yes! Come this way! The Nazis are patrolling this entire area!"

As soon as she said that, Simon was back around our shoulder's and we were walking towards her. She smiled as soon as she saw us. This gave me great satisfaction.

"I was so afraid they would have caught you, Gabi." She put both of her hands on my cheeks and smiled at me again warmly.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Danver's." Hot, salty tears ran down my face.

"Quickly this way." She lead us to her home that was no more than fifty feet away. It was hiding between many trees and bushes which was good. She opened the door for us and helped us in. Her house was just as I remembered it. The feeling when you entered it was almost as good as the one Will's house had. A warm fire sparked in the corner of the living room.

"Lay him down over there Gabi" Mrs. Danver's said. "I'll go get you guys some food and clothing." Mrs. Danver's hurried off into another room. He pace was quick and sharp.

"Does anyone else live with her?" Will said while wiping his face with his dirty, old shirt.

"No. Her husband died last year and she never had any children or family. She's lived by herself for some time now. I know she'll take care of you guys very well. And I will come back here as much as I can to see you." I flashed him a gentle smile and put my arms around his neck. "Nothing bad will happen to you here. I promise you Will."

"Here you go." Mrs. Danver's stood behind us and held out some clothes for Will and Simon. "They were my husbands, but I will let you wear them." My heart almost broke in half. Her head hung low and tears welled in her eyes. Will stood up and walked towards her. He looked at her and smiled.

"Thank you Mrs. Danver's" was all he said. He hugged her tightly. It looked like he would crush her because he was so much bigger than her. Mrs. Danvers had always been relatively small compared to anyone.

"Oh, that reminds me. Don't call me by my real name. I think it would be safer if you called me Leah. That was my mother's name and I have always liked it better than Catyia." She smiled to herself and then looked up at me. "And I will not call you Gabriele either. What name would you like me to call you?" Her forehead creased in a thinking position.

"Yvetta." I looked over at Will. Yvetta had been his mother's name.

"That's a beautiful name. I will call you Yvetta now, alright?" She laid down the clothes she had brought and left the room.

"Gabi, I have something to ask you." Will walked over to me and sat down next to me on Leah's couch. He had a giant smile over his face as he took my hands in his. The room was silent except for the crackling of the fire in front of us. "I love you. And I will always love you. Do you love me too?" His beautiful face studied mine.

"Of course I do, Will." He stroked my hands gently with his.

"Then… will you marry me, Gabriele?" I blinked my eyes and grew stiff on the old, green colored couch. I thought about all Will and I had been through and how much I loved being with him. Simon lifted himself up and hobbled over to us.

"Yes" I whispered to him. I fell into his arms and started laughing. I had never been so happy before. Even though we were only eighteen, I knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with each other.

I felt Will kiss the top of my head and join in with me laughing. I turned to Simon.

"Well, I guess I'm your new sister-in-law!" He smiled at me and kissed both my cheeks.

"Mazal Tov to you both. I knew you two were meant for each other." He hugged his brother, patted him on the back and returned to his spot by the fire. When I turned back over to Will, he was holding a silver ring to me. I was speechless. Where did he get a real silver ring from?

"I wanted to ask you at just the perfect time. And I think that time is now, my love." I held out my shaky hand as Will slipped the ring on my finger. It was a perfect fit. "It was my grandmother's ring, Gabi. I told my mama and papa the night before they were killed that I wanted to marry you, and they gave their blessings and this ring to me. My mama handed it to me and told me that I couldn't have picked a better person to marry." From the look in his eyes, I could tell that he was thinking about his mama and papa.

"I want you to have this one, Will. This is the ring that my parents bought me when I was born." My gold ring was my most favored treasure I had and I always wore it. But now Will was my most favored treasure in my life and I wanted him to have it as a wedding ring. I slipped it on his soft finger. I had always worn it on a necklace because of the fact that it was too big. But it fit just as perfectly as mine on him.

"Who will marry us, Will?" All the rabbi's in the area were gone as well as all the synagogues and no Christian priests would marry us.

"As long as we love each other and vow to be husband and wife for the rest of our lives… that's all we need." Will held my hand and smiled at me. "And after the wedding, we will have a big party!" Both our eyes grew wide with excitement.

"Simon, will you be our witness?" All of us laughed.

"I guess if I'm they only other person" he said. "I witness that you two are officially husband and wife." All of my happiness came to a sudden halt. I had just married a Jewish man, meaning that it was tradition to become the same faith as the husband. I had to make a decision.

"My name will now be Gabriele Kaiser. Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser. I will become a loyal Jewish woman."

"Gabi, you don't have to do that. You can remain Christian and I Jewish. This can be one exception to the rules." He sounded worried. We both knew that if the Nazis found out that I had married a Jewish man, changed my last name to a Jewish one, and actually become Jewish, I would be known as a traitor and be sent away with the rest of the Jews.

"I want to carry on the faith Will. If Judaism is lost because of this war, then I want to be the one to help restore it." No words could describe what I was feeling. Something on the lines of happiness, and worry.

"Alright. You will become Gabriele Kaiser. You will be my wife and I will be your husband."