Walter awoke in the middle of the night, cold sweat clinging to his back. He breathed deeply a couple of times, and looked around a bit while his eyes were adjusting to the light, or lack thereof. He heard faint noises coming from outside. Restless noises. They made him restless, at least.
Heinrich!
Now, he remembered.
They had taken Heinrich with them!
Hold on, now! That had only been a dream. Hadn't it? As far as Walter knew, it had been a dream. But still…
The noises outside grew stronger, and Walter could make out what seemed to be human voices. Very unfriendly human voices. He looked outside, to see German soldiers knocking on doors, breaking in. people were dragged out of their houses. Walter was fascinated by this. Then he saw two of the soldiers making their way towards his house. Walter saw them knocking on the door.
'AUFMACHEN!'
Walter jumped out of his bed, and straight for his bedroom door. He was just in time to see his father opening it. The soldiers seemed to be a bit stunned to find him there. Odd. They regained their fervour soon enough, however, and looked as the man contempt.
'We know of that Gypsy-whore you have wed, and we are here to make sure she gets what's coming to her!' Walter's father was shocked, but kept it safely hidden within his own head. He looked at the two men with contempt.
'how dare you speak to a man of such high rank as myself? THE NERVE OF SUCH MALAPERT FOOLS!' The soldiers seemed slightly taken aback by this, then the older one of the two spoke.
'We are here to take your wife, high government official or no. Now, you could make it less difficult for us. Even better, to make it less difficult for yourself. That way, you won't have to suffer the indignity when we drag your wife out into the street, with you still clinging to her nightly gown like a whimpering child!'
The last words were spoken in so very condescending a manner, that Walter's father would have surely attacked them, if it hadn't been for the boy that came running down the stairs, screaming obscenities at the two soldiers. Instead, he grabbed Walter, who was still shouting and fighting back tears.
'THOSE FUCKING CUNTS ARE NOT TAKING MOTHER! YOU BUNCH OF FUCKING TARTS!' his father was shocked, and not in the least because he was wondering where the hell the boy had picked this up. He had certainly never used those phrases. Regaining his wits, he slapped his son across the face. Walter stopped immediately and looked at his father with such utter amazement it would've been humorous, if it wasn't for the position they were in.
'… And we shall have to take he boy too! He is his mother's son, and therefore just as unworthy of life as she is!' The older soldier continued.
Now Johan Friedrich Ddollneazz had reached his boiling-point. He was just about to land the first punch, when the clear voice of his wife sounded from behind him.
'Leave the boy alone! He does not have Romany blood in him. He isn't even mine! One of my husband's mistresses gave birth to him, and left him on our doorstep with a note, to "please take care of him, for I am in lack of proper funding". That woman cared not for him, and neither do I. But to say he is one of ours, that would do this bastard too much credit.'
Walter opened his mouth to speak, but his father prevented him from doing so. The boy wept silently as his mother made her way to the door. There, she stood still and looked at the two soldiers with contempt.
'I am Carmelita Francesca De Gapo, and I shall follow you with my head held high! Remember this, soldiers. This is Romany-pride, and you shall not break it, nor my spirit fall.'
The soldiers were baffled, to say the least.
Then they took her away. Walter tried to scream, but his mouth was covered with the hand of his father.
Sometimes, Walter would wake up in the middle of the night, tasting the sweat and smelling the odour that radiated from his fathers hand. The helplessness. The hopelessness of it all. He reached for her, his entire being reached for her. But there was no reply, and the yearning passed.
His father had explained to him at a later hour, that his mother had said those nasty thing about him in order to rescue him. But it took a long time for Walter to forgive her for that.
A very long time, he had thought to himself that she could at least have given him a sign.
But she hadn't.
The risk, you see.