Berlin Wall

         A war that lasted far too long, that set the Berlin wall between us. I had fled to the west under Abelardâs orders, and he had stayed in the east. His brother is taking care of me as best he can, but a broken heart canât be healed by a few lost words.
         Every day I sit outside the wall, waiting for the day it comes down. Names and pictures are scattered on its surface in memory of loved ones. Grass doesnât grow until at least a foot away from the wall as if the ground it stand on were poison.
         But I walk right up to it, at least when the guards with guns arenât looking. I take a rock from the ground and pound on a loose brick. My delicate nails chip and break, my fingers bleed and my shoulders ache. But I have to see him, the urge is too great.
         Suddenly the brick comes loose and I try to push it through. But it only wiggles in its place. My shoulders slump in defeat and tears stain my cheeks as my heart aches in dull throbs. Almost as if in the distance I hear a thud.
         âDonât cry fraulien.â My head snaps up and eyes stare back at me. A smile graces my lips and I cry harder. I shove my arms through the hole created. Soft skin brushes against my fingertips and I know Abelard has kissed them. I ghost my hands over his face, feeling all of his features. Memorizing his face into my closed eyelids. I pull my arms back as I hear the shouting of the guards.
         âIch liebe dich Abelard. Wait for me when this wall falls.â I open my eyes to see his. He nods as I feel hands on my shoulders. They squeeze tightly, causing me to cry out in pain.
         âFrau!â Abelardâs voice echoes through the emptiness in my heart. The hands guide me away from the wall before throwing me to the ground and then walking away.
         The guards are forced to guard the wall and they take their job seriously, but that doesnât mean they enjoy hurting their people. I get up from my spot once the guards are gone. Looking once at the wall I turn away and walk back home.

â¦

         The next day I come back and pick up the rock covered in my blood from the day before. No longer do I care if the guards see me. I hold the rock over my head and bring it down next to the hole previously made. Over and over again. Halfway through the day I feel a presence on the other side of the wall.
         âYou need to stop fraulien. I can smell the blood on your fingers.â A sigh escapes my lips by the memories his voice creates. Still I continue to hack at the wall. Though after another minute or two I just canât continue. The rock has bitten farther into my skin than it ever has before. I sink to my knees with my back against the wall, breathing heavily.
         âLet me see your hands.â I turn and fit my arms through the wall. Ruff fingers, calloused from years of war and holding guns, rub against my hands. I hear a tearing and then soft fabric is being twisted around my hands. When heâs done he kisses all of my finger lovingly.
         âThere you go libeling.â I pull my arms back through the hole and examine my fingers. I watch as blood blotches the cloth, staining it red. But I pick the rock back up.
         âThe wall will come down on its own. Why are you doing this?â
         âI want to feel like I already tore it down, or a small piece of it at least.â Abelard chuckles and a few moments later I feel a pounding on the wall. The brick soon falls from its place. A smiling Abelard tugs on my sleeve.
         âMeet me here tonight libeling, weâll work on it then. Go home fraulien.â I grab his fingers for a moment or two before letting go and walking a few feet away.
         âIch liebe dich.â My voice rings out hopefully. I wait for his reply, and a smile reaches my lips as he finally does.
         âIch liebe dich auch.â

â¦

         I creep through the night as quickly as possible. A basket with sausages and beer swings at my side. Abelard has always loved sausage, especially homemade. I go up to the wall and look around. No soldiers are in sight and there probably wonât be any for a few hours.
         âFraulien, what do you have with you?â Smiling I see Abelard eyeing the basket through one of the openings in the wall. Opening the basket I hand the sausages to him.
         âOh libeling, youâre an engel!â laughing slightly I pull out the beer.
         âYouâre a goddess! Iâll worship at your feet!â I hand him the beer and then pick up the rock from earlier today. I bang on a brick until it comes loose. Now that thereâs more room and things arenât as tightly packed bricks are falling left and right. After a while Abelard joins in.

â¦

         I lay on the ground next to a giant hole in the wall. A foot lands next to my head and I look up to see Abelard. Tears sting my eyes as he plops down next to me and pulls me to his chest. Wrapping my arms around his middle I sob into him. I donât try to speak for I know no real words will come out.
         âShh libeling. Est is okay, ich bin jetzt heir.â He rubs my back and and pets my hair.
         âI missed you Abelard.â He just nods and continues whispering in our language.
         Once the sun starts to rise we both stand up.
         âTime to go home fraulien.â That night we both went home. And only a few years later, the wall fell for good.