She even played along a little. “You know what you can do with your thanks.”
At the corner, Frau Diller watched defensively from her shop window and Liesel took Papa’s hand. She held it all the way along Munich Street, to the Bahnhof. The train was already there.
They stood on the platform.
Rosa embraced him first.
No words.
Her head was buried tightly into his chest, then gone.
Then the girl.
“Papa?”
Nothing.
Don’t go, Papa. Just don’t go. Let them come for you if you stay. But don’t go, please don’t go.
“Papa?”
THE TRAIN STATION, 3 P.M.
No hours, no minutes till goodbye:
He holds her. To say something, to say anything,
he speaks over her shoulder. “Could you look after my
accordion, Liesel? I decided not to take it.”
Now he finds something he truly means. “And if
there are more raids, keep reading in the shelter.”
The girl feels the continued sign of her slightly
growing chest. It hurts as it touches the bottom of his ribs.
“Yes, Papa.” A millimeter from her eyes, she
stares at the fabric of his suit. She speaks into
him. “Will you play us something when you come home?”
Hans Hubermann smiled at his daughter then and the train was ready to leave. He reached out and gently held her face in his hand. “I promise,” he said, and he made his way into the carriage.
They watched each other as the train pulled away.
Liesel and Rosa waved.
Hans Hubermann grew smaller and smaller, and his hand held nothing now but empty air.
On the platform, people disappeared around them until no one else was left. There was only the wardrobe-shaped woman and the thirteen-year-old girl.
For the next few weeks, while Hans Hubermann and Alex Steiner were at their various fast-tracked training camps, Himmel Street was swollen. Rudy was not the same—he didn’t talk. Mama was not the same—she didn’t berate. Liesel, too, was feeling the effects. There was no desire to steal a book, no matter how much she tried to convince herself that it would cheer her up.
After twelve days of Alex Steiner’s absence, Rudy decided he’d had enough. He hurried through the gate and knocked on Liesel’s door.