ESCAPING TYRANNY by Lia Ashe-Simmer

    It was a cold day, and cloudy. Eva Marie stared up at the sky outside the train station and said a silent goodbye to her country. Recently, however, it hadn’t fell much like her country at all. It was more of a foreign land, and a land she was forced to flee from.
    She felt a little tug on her hand and looked down at her five - year old son Azaria, also known as Aza. "Mama,” he said quietly, "It's cold, so can we go home now?"
    She wasn't sure what to say. How could she explain their situation to such a small child? It seemed impossible. She never got a chance to open her mouth in response, however, because her oldest daughter, Adina, whirled around and hissed savagely. "We can't go home, stupid! Didn't you know that we were leaving?"
    "But where are we going?" came the quiet voice of her other child, Mica, who was squatting down and playing some unknown game.
    Eva Marie knew she owed them all an explanation. On the way to the train station she had tried to explain, but the words wouldn't come.
    "Children," she said, taking a little breath. "Adina is right. We are leaving our home, and our country. We are leaving it simply because we are no longer safe. Do you know who Adolph Hitler is?"
    Her two older children nodded their heads vaguely, but Aza simply blinked.
    "Adolph Hitler is the ruler of this country," she explained to him.
    "Like a king?" Aza suggested.
    "Yes, I suppose, but a very bad king, an awful king. A king who has only hate in his heart. And Hitler, most of all, hates us."
    "Us?" Adina said, looking around accusingly.
    "Well, not just us. He hates all Jewish people, like us, and Grandma and Grandpa. He is forcing all of us to live separately from our friends, and he is also forcing children to go to different schools. That's why you had to change schools last fall. But soon, I think, it will get worse. He will get worse. Already he is making new laws, worse ones. We are no longer safe here. And that is why we must leave."
    "But why?" asked Mica. "Why does he hate us?"
    "I'm not sure," Eva admitted, 'But I think it is because he believes he is better than us."
    "I already knew everything you said," Adina exclaimed proudly. "Everyone always talks about it. All you have to do is listen."
    "I don't want to go,” said Aza. "Papa is still here, and he will be sad if we leave him behind."
    "Papa is dead,” Adina said through gritted teeth. "He’s dead, he's never coming back, he's not anywhere here, and he doesn't feel sad!"
    Ever since Eva’s husband Henry died a few years before from Polio, Aza hadn’t stopped talking about him as if he were still alive. Adina, who had been trying to move on from her father, was absolutely furious whenever he was mentioned.
    “Hush,” Eva said, holding Aza’s hand tightly. “The train will be here soon, and we will be riding down to Jerod’s house, where we will be spending the night. You remember him, don’t you?”
    “Yes, I do,” Mica said. “Will we be staying with him?”
    “No, not this time. Jerod just left for France.”
    “Does he have a passport then?” asked Adina, and then, because this had just occurred to her asked, “Do we have passports?”
    “No. That’s why we must hide in a ship very quietly, without making a sound.”
    “Hide?” said Mica, his eyes widening.
    “Really? Will we get caught?” asked Adina, slightly thrilled by the prospect.
    “Not if we are quiet. And remember, when the ship lands in Denmark, where we are headed, you must wait until I tell you it is alright to move around again.”
    She didn’t say anymore because right then the train rolled into the station. Immediately Mica leaped up, staring in awe at the train. He had seen them enough times before, he had been living in Berlin after all, but it still amazed the seven – year old that he would actually be riding in one.
    “Come on, come on,” Adina urged, pulling him and Aza towards their mother who was purchasing the tickets.
    Soon they had all boarded the train, and it was only after they were all inside that Eva gave one last look back at her country. And it was then that she knew she would never see it again.
    As the train bumped along the worn away track, her thoughts quickly drifted back to the beginning, back when Henry was still alive…
    When Hitler first came into power, she immediately knew he was dangerous. She didn’t, however, believe he would bring complete ruin to her country.
    Within only a few months of his coming to power, he had already started separating Jews, little by little. One of his first new laws was that only a small percentage of Jewish Children could be in a public school. It was unsettling, but Eva and Henry could live with these little acts of segregation. Steadily, however, it got worse. Synagogues were set on fire; books were burnt, and the Nazi’s were gaining control. Soon, the Nazi’s had demolished any other opposing political parties. They had complete control. Eva could have managed, but then Henry died suddenly from Polio. All of a sudden she was in the position of being a poor widow with three children, and worse, she was a Jew. So, in a state of absolute despair, she and her three children moved from Essen, a small area in West Germany, to Berlin, where she found a job working for a Jewish factory – owner, and also found a Jewish school for her children.
    Then in 1935 Hitler created the Nuremberg Laws, which defined the distinct line between a Jew and a non-Jew. Eva’s citizenship was stripped away completely. Nothing was keeping her in the country anymore. She wasn’t stupid, she knew something big and awful would be coming from Hitler, and she should get out while she could. Immediately afterward, she applied for a passport. She was patient at first, and believed the Nazi government officials when they said they would send her a passport as soon as possible. But then it became clear they were giving no Jewish people any passports, except for the ones that had already left the country. Eva grew steadily impatient, and finally decided to follow her friend’s advice to stow away on a ship and escape the nightmare Germany was becoming.
    The factory - owner she worked for, Matthias, was very sympathetic. He was the one that contacted the ship’s captain and organized for them to stow away on the ship. He was also the one that gave Eva 50 Marks “to start a new life.” Eva did not doubt for a second that he wasn’t trustworthy. All of the Jews were in the same ship, and they could all be trusted. All of them struggled to find jobs because they were Jewish. And all of them, even the ones who had never stepped inside a synagogue before, were treated like trash.
    Eva planned to leave this all behind when she reached Denmark. Maybe there she could finally escape the shadow of the Nazi’s, and the even larger shadow of Hitler. Maybe there she could finally move on from her husband’s death. Maybe there she really could start a new life…

    “Hey! Hey you!” Eva looked up and saw the face of a young man staring down at her in contempt. “This train is crowded, and I need a seat, so get up.”
    Eva could see the swastika pinned to his shirt. She could tell he knew she was Jewish. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he knew all right. “Yes, of course,” she said, gesturing to her children to get up.
    “Was that Hitler?” asked Aza when they had moved to the other side.
    “No, that was someone misled by Hitler,” Eva explained. “Now listen to me, all of you. During this journey we will encounter many people who will say harsh things, many of them things that should never be said. You must never believe anything they say about you. Always stay true to yourself and don’t let these things change you.”
    There was a silence and then Mica said quietly, “We’re never going back, are we?”
    “No.” Said Eva. “We’re never going back.”

    Aza, who got very close to having a tantrum, recovered quickly when he was promised a story.
    “Now tell one about Papa,” he said, pressing the palm of his hand against the train window.
    “Your papa,” said Eva, trying to conjure up a story. “Well, your papa was a good man, a very good man, and a good worker. He would get up at dawn every day and would go off to the factory where he worked for a whole day. But even after a long day at work, he would come home, and pick you up from where you were sleeping and spin you around and around. You laughed so I hard, I thought you might choke.”     Aza smiled, staring out of the train window. “How old was I?” He asked.
    “Oh, three, three and a half, maybe. You don’t remember?”
    Aza’s silence was enough of an answer. Aza didn’t remember much about his father at all, even though it had not been much more than a year ago since he had died.
    “I remember,” said Mica. Then he sighed. “I wish Papa were here right now.”
“Tell more,” Aza demanded.
    Eva hesitated, feeling sad all of a sudden. But she quickly recovered. "Your father, as well as loving you, also loved his dog, a Dalmatian named Duffy. Duffy was a wild one, all right, but he was very loyal. Every day when your father came up the path back from work, Duffy would go crazy. I always made sure the door was closed because if that dog ever got out he could attack your father with the strength of a mountain lion. One day, however, I was cooking something in the kitchen and didn't know the door was open a crack. Your father came wandering up the path, whistling some tune, and before I could shout a warning Duffy had pushed open the door and was barreling down the path. The dog didn't know any better, because he was just so exited to see his master. Anyway, your father tried to get out of the way, but he was too late. Duffy knocked him down on the concrete and started barking hello. I ran outside to see if your father was all right, and he was, although he had sprained his ankle very badly. That Duffy, he was a good dog, and we knew our house would never get robbed as long as he was around."
    "What happened to Duffy?" Asked Mica.
    "He was hit by a car, not long after that incident. Duffy was always known to run away when he was bored with his surroundings, but he would always show up in a few days. We didn't worry when one day he disappeared, but several days later we found his body at the side of the rode near our house. We assumed he was hit by a car."
    “How did Papa die again?” Aza asked.
    “Polio, and you’ve been told that at least one hundred times,” Adina grumbled, leaning her head against the side of the seat.
    “Of course, he isn’t really dead. I talk to him sometimes.”
    No one answered him, because they all knew Aza would believe what he wanted no matter what anybody said. If he wanted to pretend he could talk to his father, there wasn’t anything anybody could do about it.

    Eva pushed open the door, sighing with relief. They had made it to Jerod ‘s house, with only a few interrogations on the way. If things continued going well, they would hopefully make it to Denmark the next day.
    “Yes, we’re finally here,” said Adina, pushing to get inside.
    Mica, who was standing behind her, stared in awe at the spacious house. Eva reminded herself that for most of his life he had been living in nothing more than a shack.
    “Wow!” exclaimed Adina. “Look at all of this space? Where are we going to sleep?”
    “You can decide,” Eva said, following them into the house. No sooner had she said these words that Adina, Mica, and Aza began to loudly claim the bedrooms for their own. Eva decided not to mention that this wasn't really their house, and they were only staying for one night. They were children after all.

    The next day was spent in relaxation. The children played, Eva read a book, and no one worried.
    But then darkness came, and it was time to go to the docks to board the cargo ship. “Here, take this bread,” she told her children as they were leaving. “You can eat it on the way there.”
    She could tell from their expression they still weren't sure where 'there' was, but she didn't have time to explain it again. The captain of the cargo ship wouldn't wait for long.
    “I can't walk this fast,” Aza whined when they started walking at a fast pace. Without another word, Eva picked him up and continued walking as fast as she could.
    Soon the dock came into view. The cargo ship was small, but could still hold a few passengers. Standing next to it was the captain, and he looked very grim. But these days grimness was like breathing.
    The captain's expression worsened when they were closer. “Four, four,” he mumbled, running his fingers through his gray hair. “I thought there were only three.”
    Eva realized he was speaking about them. “Excuse me?” she said, “My name is Eva Marie. I believe you told Matthias, my boss, you were able to take us to Denmark?”
    The captain all of a sudden looked very guilty, and Eva knew something was wrong.
    The captain shuffled his feet, sighed, and looked up at her. “I'm afraid I've made a mistake,” he said. “I didn't realize there were four of you. I could take the three smallest ones, I think, but I don't have enough room for all of you on this trip. There's a big lode aboard this time, you see...”
    His explanation ran short, simply because it didn't matter. For a brief few seconds Eva felt an anger like no other, but she quickly regained her composure, and said, coldly, “I see.”
    She knew what had to be done. She would send Adina, Mica, and Aza across on their own, and follow them as quickly as she could. She knew they could last on their own for a day, maybe a bit more.
    She set Aza down, and quickly gestured to Adina and Mica, who both were standing and staring out at the open water.
    Eva tried to explain the situation as best she could. “You must all get on that ship and go to Denmark,” she said, after she explained the problem. “I'll follow you as soon as I can. When you get to shore, the captain will help you get off safely.” (She looked at the captain to confirm this, and he nodded his head.) “When you get on land, stay where you are. Don't tell anybody what your names are, or where you come from.”
    “Where will we sleep?” Mica asked in a very small voice.
    “Will we get caught?” Aza demanded to know.
    “Will everything be alright?” Adina questioned, with a look of absolute fear.
    Eva did not have an answer to any of these question, no matter how hard she searched for one.

    “It's time to go now,” the captain said gravely. Aza stared up at the captain as if he were the devil and refused to let go of his mother.
    “What happens if we miss each other on the other side?” Mica asked for the fifth time.
    “That won't happen as long as you stay put,” Eva answered confidently. And to Aza she said softly, “Aza, let go now. I'll see you tomorrow, I promise.” Saying this was a risky promise, but Eva wasn't sure what else to do. “Remember to be very quiet,” she said to all of them, as she let go of Aza' hand.
    “We will,” Adina said, this time confidently. “I bet Aza will be the quietest of all.”
    “Really?” Aza said between tears. This trick worked every time. Now, Aza was forced to prove Adina's word's so he really could be the quietest of them all.

    The captain led the three very frightened children onto the ship. Adina was in front, tightly holding her younger brothers hand. Behind her was Mica, who kept on looking back at his mother with a desperate look.
    Soon, Eva could not see them anymore. For a second she wondered if she really was doing the right thing. What if something happened to her children during the journey? She would never forgive herself. She quickly shook away these thoughts, trying to be confident that everything would be fine, but she was no better at proving this to herself than she had been at proving this to her children.
    Then, all of a sudden the ship was gone, out into open water and Eva Marie was left all alone, staring out into the darkness of the sea.

    For the first time in her life, Adina knew what responsibility felt like. Ever since the captain led them to the back of the ship, she felt the responsibility weigh down on her.
    “I think we're leaving now,” Aza said into the darkness, after they had been waiting in the hold for a few minutes.
    “Goodbye Germany,” whispered Mica.
    They didn't talk after that, partly because they remembered what their mother had said and partly because they were saying goodbye to their home.
    This is definitely a small ship, Adina thought, as she pushed against something hard. They were all crouched behind a wall of boxes, so high that Adina was afraid it might topple over.
    Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps climbing aboard the ship, and Adina realized they hadn't left the dock after all.
    “We need to check this vessel for stow-aways” said a loud voice. All of a sudden, Adina realized who this voice belonged too – a Nazi. The others realized this too, and tensed.
    The footsteps came closer to their hiding place. Adina squeezed her eyes tight, as if this could somehow make her disappear. A few steps more, a few moved boxes, and then...
    The Nazi switched directions, heading to the shadows on the other side. He shone his flashlight briefly, and finding nothing there, circled the light to the other side of the ship. He kicked a few boxes aside, but found nothing behind them. Turning to go, he shone the flashlight one last time, right over Aza's head. Thankfully, he didn't see them.
    The Nazi grunted approval, and left the ship.
    Relief flooded through Adina. They were safe, safe from the Nazis, safe from Hitler, safe from everything that had brought them harm. Finally, they were safe.