hide and seek

by katie bell

Rated: · In & Out · Emotional · #1572598

a story that i made up and have had a lot of time planning

Preface
I watched as the sunset turned into a night sky illuminated by millions of bright stars. Walking, nearly skipping, through the partially cut-down field behind my village in Vienna, Austria my boyfriend picked me up and spun me around, bridle style. Kissing my rosy red cheek he looked into my chestnut eyes, but not all was right.
Actually, almost nothing had been as I wished it to be since Christmas, or was it Hanukkah? It was sometime in December. What I do know is that I wanted it to end as quick as it had begun.
If I think back, this all seemed to start just before the New Year. He took me on a Saturday walk around my finishing school grounds, but wouldn’t touch me. He walked all to respectfully in front of be, occasionally lagging behind. When he left he didn’t say he loved me, he didn’t hold me, he didn’t kiss me. He did say he’d see me next Saturday.
When the next Saturday came he pulled me out of school, asked me to pack and we left. I was quite impressed and wondered how he convinced Miss Nightingale to let one of her top students to leave on such short notice. The only problem is that none of that matters now. What does matter is what happened the day after of moon lit walk.

Chapter One

Wednesday, June 21st, 1939

“It’s the first of summer.” I thought to myself, as I heard a knock at me front door. It was early morning, around nine, and I had just finished dressing in a hazelnut brown gown with an off-white corset.
“Come in.” I said in a singsong voice.
Expecting my boyfriend, Nave, I didn’t even walk close to the door, but instead a semi-familiar voice responded, “Are you sure Miss Bradshaw? I am not who you think and I don’t want to walk in on something in which I don’t belong.”
“No worries, you may enter.”
A man of six foot two with shaggy brown hair and a slender figure, whom I recognized but couldn’t place a name to his face, greeted me, “Top of the morning to you, Miss Bradshaw.”
“Well, good morning to you, um…”
“Esor Appleton, but you may call me Esor.”
“ Thank you Esor. Now, what brings you here on such a fine day?”
Handing me an overstuffed envelope he said, “Nave instructed me to give this to you. It should, in time, explain the last few months.”
It was then that I noticed Nave wasn’t going to greet me that morning. Tears swelled in my eyes as I opened the envelope and noticed the all-to-familiar handwriting.
“Only read the first one, dated December 10th of last year. You may read the others in due time.”
Reading to myself I silently wept. After reading it several times, I read aloud:
“Saturday, December 10th, 1938
Dear Baby,
Today I wouldn’t hold you, I wouldn’t kiss you, I wouldn’t tell you that I loved you, but I didn’t do it against my own will. I wanted to, I truly did, but something happened this morning, something big.
The problem is that I can’t exactly tell you. All I can do is pull you out of school and love you forever, because I will be forced to leave in June, but then that is saying to much, so you will receive this the day I leave.
Don’t think that I will be gone forever. I’ll come back for you, I swear. Don’t worry about me; just let me worry about you. I can’t say that I’ll be safe or that you’ll ever see me again, but if God were in our favor he will reunite us someday, I just don’t know when.
I will have to leave behind most of my belongings. You may pick and choose and take anything you want, but just know that my camera, photo album, and these letters are yours without doubt. The thirteenth floorboard will guide you to where I will first be; from there Esor is your only guide, besides these letters.
Ever more with love,
Nave
I wasn’t sobbing, but I was losing my dignity with every tear that ran down my now, cherry red cheeks. I knew I only had one job, to find whatever was under the thirteenth floorboard. The problem being, I wasn’t exactly sure I could bring up the courage to walk the block to Nave’s empty cottage, knowing he wouldn’t be there. “So, do you –err- want to see –um- what is under that floorboard of his?” Esor asked shyly.
Grabbing my purse I responded more confidently than I actually was, “I might as well.” With that I swiftly walked out of the room, and then out of the house.
As I turned onto Nave’s road I started to dread the fact the Esor was with me. I didn’t want to lose any more of my dignity and I knew that I’d cry more. I didn’t tell him to leave because I knew Nave wanted him there, with me. Then I saw it.

Chapter 2
I looked at his rundown cottage and just stood there, not moving, not saying a word, not knowing if I could take another step without bursting into tears. Esor respectively stood a few steps behind me, not coming closer until I weakly whispered, “I’m ready, and lets get this over with.”
As I walked up to the door I didn’t even bother to find the keys. The door was left wide open, somebody had been there. Thoughts rushed through my mind, but only one kept coming back.
It was the day he pulled me out of finishing school. We had just arrived at his cottage when he looked me in the eyes and said he had to show me something. We walked back to his extra room, the room I wished of being mine, and he said, “Do you see the thirteenth floorboard?” He continued when I nodded, “It’s yours. It holds my most prized possession, besides your love. If something ever happens to me, come and get it. Don’t ever forget that, someone may be looking for it.” With that he changed the subject and never did we talk about it again. 
Quickly, I walked to the back room and over to the thirteenth floorboard, all the while Esor followed, “Do you want me to get it, milady.”
“Sorry Esor, it may be a gentleman’s job but this is for me, unless you do it without looking.”
“Thanks for understanding. Could you get the hammer?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Within a minute’s time he was back, hammer in his hand. Taking the wedged side, I jammed it under the wood flooring. Trying not to step on my gown I shifted my weight, in hopes of the floorboard coming up. Failing, I tried again. This was certainly not a lady’s job, so I reluctantly handed over the hammer to Esor.
With one swift pull the floorboard was up, “Done, milady.”
“Thanks, now what’s under there?”
“Why don’t you came look, this is yours, not mine.” Esor politely told me.
Walking back over to the floorboard I picked up a silver ring band, the one I had bought him on our trip to London, England two years before. My diamond that matched it no longer fit, but sat in my jewelry box at home. Then I noticed a note sitting about six inches from where I had picked up the band.
“Dear Baby,
IF I ever leave you, which by the time you have found this I have, know that I love you. By the time you are reading this I am in or near the heart of England, where you found this rind and gave it to me, our promise ring.
I can no longer keep this, for I don’t know if I can keep our promise. Take the camera, the photo album, this band, and go back to school. I have already told Mrs. Nightingale to expect you back around this time, so you better get going.
One last thing, whatever you do don’t follow me. It’s too dangerous for a lady of only seventeen. You could get caught in some mighty trouble, as this is going to be war. I love you!
Ever more with love,
Nave”
“Now, what are you going to do? You have two, no three, options. One, you go to school as Nave instructed you to do. Two, you go after him and find him. Three, you go back home and pretend this never happened.”
I glanced over at Esor, wondering how he was staying so calm, so straight-faced. I couldn’t take it anymore. Boy was I wrong, I could take much more.

Chapter 3
Thursday, June 22nd, 1939
On a train headed for London, England
4:30 pm

I just sat there, mute and motionless, as the train moved along the tracks. Esor’s pocket watch ticked away the time. I wondered how long I could it. I was normally a talkative person who hated not doing something at any and every given moment.
Two hours went by and I burst. I turned to Esor and asked the very same question I’d been asking since we left Austria that morning, “Why did Nave have to leave?”
Turning to me, he handed me the next letter from the over-stuffed envelope, “Here, the time had come. You have finally asked twenty-two times.”
‘Twenty-two, Nave’s favorite number.’ I thought to myself while reading softly,
“Sunday, December 25th, 1938
Merry Christmas Baby,
Today I noticed how much you truly love me, and I you. I can’t bare the thought that in June I’ll be training to fight. Yes, Baby. Hitler’s going to make this war. I have said it time and time again, but this time I know its true. My papa called from London on the tenth and demanded that I enter the army the there, in London. I argued, but you know how my pa is. He doesn’t quite give up, sort of like you.
Again, you will not get this until after I’m gone, but know that I love you. I always will, never forget that.

Ever more with love,

Nave”
Looking down at the letter I had only one thought in my mind, he’s going to get killed and I’m never going to see him again. Suddenly I looked to Esor, “Did you already know all this?”
Esor hesitantly responded, “I cannot lie to such an honest lady. I know what is in all of them, all but the last.”
“Then tell me. I cannot bare to even look at the handwriting once more, especially since I know that there is no way that he is going to live through this.”
“You know this how?” Esor quizzically asked.
“He once told me, ‘I’d rather go to prison for a lifetime than go to war.’”

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