Maria and Liesl sat quietly for a few moments. Both minds were filled with questions, but neither knew where to begin.
Maria placed her hand on Liesl's and decided to break the silence. "Thank God you're safe," she whispered to her daughter. Her voice caught as she spoke and her eyes clouded with tears.
Liesl nodded softly, locking eyes with Maria.
"I'm so sorry, Liesl. I don't know why this had to happen," Maria continued solemnly, never moving her gaze from her daughter. She paused a moment before leaning forward to stroke Liesl's cheek. "Talk to me, darling."
Liesl nodded with relief. "It was awful, Mother. I was so afraid," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes at the memory.
Maria's heart ached and she instinctively leaned over to embrace the young girl who had grown up too quickly over the course of a few days.
"Oh darling," Maria muttered, a terrible pain consuming her heart. "Tell me everything."
Liesl leaned away and Maria wiped the tears from the girl's eyes before they fell. "I don't even know where to begin," she sighed while staring off into the distance and silently reliving the nightmare in her mind.
"Did they hurt you, sweetheart?" Maria barely whispered, touching Liesl's chin and urging her to look at her. Gently, she stroked the abrasions on Liesl's face with her palm. Maria felt an ache in her heart upon seeing her daughter's pained look. The sorrow she felt for Liesl was overwhelming, but at the same time she felt an uncontrollable fury.
"They tied cloths around my wrists and mouth," Liesl said, pulling up her sleeves and pointing to the bruises on her wrists, which were now a light shade of purple.
"Dear God," Maria murmured. She placed her fingers lightly upon Liesl's wrists and looked Heavenward for a moment.
Moving her gaze again to Liesl, she looked at her with sympathy. Maria took her daughter's hands firmly in her grasp; she knew that her own hands were shaking with anger as she spoke. "Did they go near you?"
Liesl shook her head. "One of them tried to, but I fought so hard to keep him away. He slapped me, but I know it could have been much worse. He was so strong, Mother. I was terrified."
Maria could see the utter fright in the young girl's eyes and yearned to be able to take all of Liesl's burden onto her own shoulders. She sighed with despair and embraced Liesl in her arms, hoping to at least comfort her temporarily if she could not fully ease her pain.
"I've never been so scared before. I kept hearing that they were not supposed to hurt me, but I just didn't believe it. And then when one of them was alone with me and was touching my cheek and saying things to me, I just felt so—" Liesl trailed, her shoulders shaking at the memory and her voice unsteady.
Maria felt her stomach tighten at the implication and she instinctively hugged Liesl tighter and rubbed her back gently. She glanced Heavenward for a moment, grateful that the worst had not happened. "Shh….you're safe now." She continued to hold Liesl for a few minutes until she seemed more settled.
Moving back from her mother's embrace, Liesl locked eyes with her mother. "Two things kept me going. I knew you and Father would come for me and I was relieved that they had taken me instead of one of the others. I can't imagine what they could have done if it had been one of the little ones instead. Marta or Gretl…" she trailed, her voice faltering slightly at the thought.
Maria grasped Liesl's hand in her own and squeezed it tight. "You're so brave, Liesl. Your father and I have never been more proud of you."
"I don't feel brave."
Maria loosened her embrace and moved her head back to look at Liesl. She could see that the girl's eyes were still glazed over with sorrow and it was obvious that she had not revealed everything that was troubling her. Maria placed her hand to Liesl's cheek, and the young girl met her gaze.
"What else?" Maria questioned with a slight frown.
"He's one of them now, Mother," Liesl whispered.
"Who?" Maria asked, her frown turning into a puzzled look.
"Rolf."
"Oh, I see," Maria said sympathetically, knowing the anguish that this must have brought to Liesl's heart; the final blow in a situation that already was unbearable.
"I can't stop thinking about it. He was ordered to guard me and at times I would look at him and he was the same boy I knew. Only I knew that he wasn't. He just seems so confused there."
"I think a lot of people are confused now, Liesl, because they don't really know what is going on in the world," Maria stated wistfully.
"He asked how the family was, Mother," Liesl said with a sigh. "And the strange thing is that I believed that he really cared. He tried to act like one of them in front of the others but when we were alone it seemed like he didn't want to be there. That he was trapped."
"It probably hurt him to see you there as much as it hurt you to see him in that uniform. The difference is that you know what danger he is in already, and he is only just suspecting it now."
Liesl nodded her head with comprehension. "I just don't understand how he could change so much overnight, Mother. I thought he loved me," she said with woe, looking downward toward her lap.
"He did and probably still does. Boys of his age are just so impressionable. With so many men joining the Nazis, it probably seemed the logical thing to do."
"I suppose you're right," Liesl sighed. "It just hurts so much though."
"I know it does, but believe me, time will only make it better. It always does," Maria replied with a knowing smile. She leaned her head against Liesl's and placed an arm around her shoulder.
"Really?" Liesl asked, sceptical, yet hopeful at the same time. "Do you really think so?"
Maria turned toward Liesl and met her gaze with a serious look. "I know so. God's plan for your life will not disappoint you, Liesl. I'm sure of it."
"You always know just the right thing to say to make me feel better," she replied with a grateful smile.
"That's what a friend is for," Maria assured her.
Liesl turned her face toward Maria and smiled. "That's what a mother's for," she confided.
Maria grinned broadly and placed her arm around Liesl's shoulder. Liesl leaned her head against it and closed her eyes, content to be safe again with her family.
For a few minutes they sat in silence, reflecting on their conversation. Suddenly Liesl lifted her head from Maria's shoulder and spoke softly.
"Mother?"
"Hmm?"
"I've been thinking. One good thing about this is that I don't feel like a child anymore," Liesl shared, the dimples on her cheeks and her sparkling eyes revealing her happiness at the idea.
Maria grinned to herself. "Just don't tell your father that, Liesl. He's in denial that any of you children will ever grow past the age of five. Especially his daughters," she said with a smile.
"It's awful isn't it?" Liesl chuckled with a shake of her head. "You would think that with seven children he would want us to grow up and move out, but not Father."
Maria smiled at Liesl's observation, thinking of past conversations she had had with Georg. "I suppose no parents ever really want to see their children grow up."
Liesl gave Maria a mischievous smile and giggled softly. "Maybe his opinion will change now that he has you to distract him."
Maria chuckled. "Well, I vow I will try my best, for your sake Liesl."
They both giggled.
"Oh Liesl, in all seriousness, don't wish away your childhood. You'll grow up as God intends for you to, and once you are fully grown, you'll wonder where all of that time went."
Liesl nodded her head in reluctant agreement, a sullen look upon her face. "I guess you're right. I always used to wish I could just be a child again, after my mother died."
Maria nodded sympathetically, knowing that Liesl had been the "mother" for her younger siblings for several years. "But at your age, you can still be a child when you choose but you're also starting to be treated as an adult. I suspect even your father might soon realize this," she said with a smile.
Liesl's eyes sparkled with delight. "Really? Then maybe Father will let me start going out with boys," she stated, excitement and wonder filling her tone.
"I wouldn't count on it, young lady," said a masculine voice, amusement laced deep in its tone.
Maria and Liesl turned around and beheld Georg, standing behind them with his arms crossed and a tight smile on his face. His eyes twinkled with enjoyment.
"Father!" Liesl exclaimed with a giggle.
Georg shook his head with mock disbelief. "I should have known it wouldn't be safe to leave the two of you alone. Somehow I had the distinct feeling that I would be the topic of conversation and that I would not be here to defend myself. I see my instinct was correct."
Maria smiled and tilted her head upwards as Georg brushed her lips with his. "Darling, Liesl and I were just having a little chat, that's all," Maria told him, casting him a reassuring glance that let him know they had had a much-needed conversation.
"Your name hardly came up," Liesl said quite unconvincingly with a smile.
"Oh really?" Georg chuckled, his eyes twinkling with delight, smiling with gratitude at Maria.
Maria returned his gesture and took hold of Georg's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Did you get the money exchanged?"
Georg nodded his head. "And I asked the teller at the bank for this," he said while holding out a slip of paper with an address and telephone number on it for Maria and Liesl to see.
"What's it for?" Liesl asked, a perplexed look upon her face. She moved her gaze upwards to her father.
Maria also looked at Georg, awaiting his answer.
"It's the address and telephone number for the Office of Immigration. Everyone legally entering Italy must fill out a form indicating how long they will be in the country and—"
"—And where they will be staying," Maria completed for him, suddenly realizing his logic.
"Yes," Georg replied, smiling at his wife. "After we eat, I'd like to try calling the office to see if they have Emil's card on file. They legally entered the country, so I would suspect that he completed a card onboard. If I can't reach them on the phone, we'll walk there."
"It's certainly worth a try," Maria said. She met Georg's gaze and gave him an earnest look of encouragement.
Liesl nodded in agreement.
"Well that settles it. I'll go and get us something to eat," Georg answered with a smile, his mood lighter now that they at least had some starting point in their search.
He began to walk away, but stopped suddenly and turned once more to them. "On second thought, maybe I shouldn't leave you two alone again. I'm not sure if I can handle any more mockery," he quipped.
Maria waved him off with a smile, urging him to continue on his way. Liesl chuckled and rolled her eyes in a sarcastic manner. They both smiled at him and he met their gestures with an amused grin.
Georg walked toward the food stands, hoping that the Immigration Office would be able to finally bring his entire family back together, but instinctively feeling that their prayer might not be answered so quickly.