The Watcher by Joan Hiatt Harlow Page B

lap. “See? Watcher is reminding you he is still your friend.”
    Barret patted my dog’s head and ears. “Watcher, you still have that floppy ear,” he said, managing a grin.
    Herr Strohkirch sat down with us. “Time is becoming more and more urgent, Wendy. I am old and do not have much time left in this world. The way things are, I will not be sorry to leave. I have helped Jews and others leave this country, so who knows when my own questionable acts will be found out by the police. Now I must fulfill my promise to your father. But first I am sure you have questions.”
    â€œYes, I do have many questions.”
    â€œI must again stress that Adrie must never know about our meeting or that I have divulged the information I’m about to give you.”
    â€œI don’t understand why it’s such a secret or why she hasn’t told me herself.”
    â€œOne of her missions in life is to protect you.”
    â€œWhy do I need protection?”
    Herr Strohkirch looked uncomfortable. “Because of who you are.”
    I pulled the photograph from my pocket with my free hand and handed it to Herr Strohkirch. “Who is this man?”
    He took a pair of glasses from his jacket pocket and put them on. He smiled as he examined the photograph and then looked up at me. “This is David Dressner, your father.”
    I sat between Barret and his grandfather. I stared at the photograph of my father while I listened at last to the story of my heritage.
    â€œYour mother was very young when she met David. She was extremely bright and had learned several languages at the University of Munich. At that time she met a brilliant young geology professor and they fell in love.” Herr Strohkirch cleared his throat and then added, “But then, as now, it was a complicated and dangerous thing for a young German woman to fall in love—with a Jewish man.”
    â€œJewish?” I pointed to the photo. “Was this man . . . my father . . . a Jew?”
    Herr Strohkirch nodded. “ Ja. Your father, David Dressner, was indeed a Jew.”
    My father was a Jew and that made me Jewish, too. Jews were hated in Germany. Johanna had whispered to me that terrible things were happening to the Jews.
    I was a Jewish girl living in Nazi Germany. Fear crept over me like the pitiless spider weaving its evil web.

24
The Whole Truth
    F or fifteen years, I was Wendy Taylor, then I was Wendy Dekker, and now I discover I am really Wendy Dressner and the daughter of a Jew. I was beginning to understand why Adrie did not want me to know. It was dangerous to be Jewish here in Germany.
    Barret’s grandfather continued. “At first it didn’t matter to Adrie that David was Jewish, but it did matter to Adrie’s family. Throughout history, people in many nations have persecuted Jews. Whenever a predicament arose, be it a crime or a plague, an official government crisis, or some small issue, it was usually Jews who were accused. That hatred was handed down from generation to generation. Then along came Adrie and David—and none of it mattered. They were in love. Still, they were aware of the controversies this would cause for their families so they kept their relationship and marriage a secret.”
    Barret’s grandfather paused to take out his pipe and stuff it with tobacco. Then, after lighting it, he continued with the story—my story.
    â€œSo despite everything, they did get married?” I asked.
    â€œLet me see.” He counted on his fingers. “About seven years before you were born—back in 1920, Hitler announced to the Nazi party that no Jews should be considered citizens. David predicted what would soon happen to Jews and he was right, because in 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were passed, and Jews lost their rights as German citizens. Shortly after that, marriage between Jews and non-Jews was forbidden. Before long, Jews were removed from all