A/N – I couldn't think of a name for the Swiss man they have encountered, so would appreciate any suggestions. I would also appreciate any reviews. Encouragement goes a long way, and constructive criticism would also be appreciated.
Down in the valley, Georg approached the house, which he could now see consisted of a house and a barn. It seemed very small and he couldn't imagine that it would be possible for nine people to find a place to sleep there. Still, at least they might be able to get some food. First he walked up to the barn, saw the door was open and cautiously looked inside. It was empty for the moment, but animals obviously lived in it. There was also a top level that looked like it was full of hay.
Georg looked around the property a little more. He didn't see anyone outside, so he went to the house and knocked on the door. After several minutes a man answered the door. Georg estimated that he was around 60 years old, used to hard outdoor work and unused to visitors. The man didn't say anything he just raised his eyebrows which Georg took as an invitation to speak.
"Excuse me for interrupting you," Georg began. "I've been out in the mountains and lost my way a while ago. I was wondering if I could borrow your telephone." "I can pay," he added quickly."
The man looked contemptuously at Georg. Though dressed in warm traveling clothes and clearly exhausted, this was obviously a wealthy man. 'He's probably never worked a hard day in his life,' the Swiss man thought to himself 'and assumes everyone has a telephone.'
"What would I be doing with a telephone?" he responded. "I can't help you." He started to close the door in this wealthy stranger's face when he saw the stranger subtly relax. That aroused his curiosity and so he kept the door open. Maybe there was more to this man than met the eye. By his accent, this stranger was not from around here and could well be Austrian, and he had obviously been reassured to hear that there was no telephone.
In spite of himself, the Swiss man realized that he was a little intrigued by this wealthy man, alone in the mountains, hungry, exhausted and yet wanting to be certain that there was no telephone before any other concerns. "What is it that you really need?" he asked the stranger.
Georg relaxed a little more. This seemed like a decent, hardworking man. Isolated, but not unkind. And probably not political as Maria had said. At least there was no telephone for him to alert anyone even if he were political. "I need food," he said honestly "and a place to rest. I've been walking for … for a long time."
The Swiss man studied this stranger for a long minute. He was not used to taking strangers into his home, but he could see the truth in this man's face - he was exhausted. He still felt strongly that this stranger was a wealthy man, unused to the kind of hard work that consumed his every day. Yet there must have been a reason that this wealthy foreign man had been out in the mountains for so long, without the material comforts he was surely used to, and without knowing anything else, the Swiss man found a small, grudging measure of respect for this wealthy, out of place man.
"I can pay," Georg added. "I don't have Swiss francs but I have gold you can sell. Or, if you'd prefer, I can sell it myself once I am able to get to a bank and come back with the money."
"How much do you need?" the Swiss man asked. "I don't have anything fancy."
Georg looked at the ground for a moment. This was the tricky part. "I have a family," he finally explained. "A large family. They are with me. I need food and a place to rest for my wife and children. Whatever you have – we'll be grateful."
'Children?' the Swiss man thought in surprise 'those children must have been out walking for days.' A mild sense of horror began to creep over him at the thought. He knew children who could spend a day or so out in the mountains with a herd, but they didn't spend the entire time walking. Several children of an obviously wealthy man? Something serious must have happened to send this man to the mountains with his family. He wondered what it was but then realized he didn't care. Whatever it was this man must have felt that he had no other choice, and there were obviously children close by who were hungry and exhausted.
"How many?" he asked. "Seven," the wealthy man replied. "Seven children." The Swiss man winced as he thought of how much food seven children could probably consume. "Go get them," he told the stranger. "You can eat and rest here until they can go on."
Georg felt a huge rush of gratitude. He knew that this man was honest when he said he didn't have much, but the thought that he would be willing to share what he did have touched Georg's heart. All of his training, all of his instincts, told Georg this was a good man and a man that he could trust. "Thank you," he replied. "We'll be back soon."
As Georg walked briskly away and up towards his family his heart felt lighter than it had in days. He realized that it wasn't just the thought that his family would have more food soon that was so reassuring, but the fact that this man was willing to share it with them. The Nazi regime and the Austrian acquiescence to it had made him doubt his faith in humanity. The fact that this simple Swiss mountain man was willing to share what little he had with nine people he didn't even know seemed like proof that there were still good people in the world.
He thought again of the Reverend Mother and her saying. This seemed like one more open window. Maybe the Lord was still with them, and they'd find even more open windows in Switzerland.