Two Hearts

By D. E. Stephenson

It's about the fire bombing of Hamburg in 1943 the loss of my mother and my missing identical mirror Twin the surge for her through out my life its about survival of hunger pain and despair feeling cheated out of a normal childhood .finding my identity to finally migrate to the Australia the land under the southern cross.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Aug 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781984507280

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Copyright © 2021 by D. E. Stephenson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 08/04/2021

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CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Dedicated to my beautiful mother

and my missing twin whom I lost during

the Second World War in 1943

We cry. We hate. We learn too late that the problems of war will sadly remain the problems of the world, tragically leaving behind millions of grieving parents and innocent, orphaned children, children who should not have been given parents if they did not need them.

‘Lest we forget.’

PREFACE

I grew up in the north German city of Hamburg, situated on the river Elbe. Since long before the 1880s, this lively city had traded with neighbouring countries, import and export being its greatest priorities. Hamburg, with all her magnificence and lengthy history, has always been recognised as a proud city of learning, films, stage plays, music, sporting facilities, and libraries and would be forever immortalized in history in sea shanties, with many bridges and canals, her glistening cobblestones, gas lanterns, and narrow streets leading directly to the busy harbour. She is known as the ‘gateway to the world’. She is a city with her own charm, a city never to be forgotten. But much had happened in World War I between 1914 and 1938, bringing Europe yet again to the brink of war!

In August 1914, Britain enjoyed the best of all the world trade, but discontentment and jealousy between the headstrong cousins George V of Britain and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, whose powerful navies competed for supremacy during the ensuing world war, resulted in Germany losing the province of Elsass-Lothringen to France, Prussia, and Posen to Poland, part of Schleswig-Holstein to Denmark, and part of Danzig became a free city.

With the war ending at the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month, 1918 (Armistice Day), the Treaty of Versailles, signed in June 1919, was the peace that officially ended the war. But the terms of Versailles were economically harsh on Germany, virtually crippling her recovery and redevelopment. During the period 1923–1924, inflation became completely uncontrollable. The cost of one pound of bread was 118,000 Reichsmark and an egg 43,000 mark; and soon, the German hausfrau needed a wheelbarrow, instead of a purse, to do her daily shopping, preferably in the morning, because by the afternoon, prices would be even higher.

In 1925, a series of agreements were signed at Locarno between Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and other powers, providing for mutual guarantee against aggression, especially in the Rhineland.

New York 1929 saw the collapse of the Wall Street stock market, the repercussions being felt worldwide. Germany, not having recovered from the war and the rampant inflation, was wearing the deepest of scars. Continuing severe economic depression led to unrest; and the Nationalist Socialist Party, led by Adolf Hitler, was formed. It was not until 1933 that the Nazis came to power, and Hitler was named chancellor.

President Von Hindenburg died the next year, and the office of the president was united with that of the chancellor, in the person of Adolf Hitler, who then chose to be known as the Fuehrer. He immediately confiscated the funds of the Communist Party, to which he was opposed. He expelled Jews from key positions and began a persecution of that race, in an attempt to secure an Aryan population.

But the German people were still suffering hunger and despair. Starving women often gave birth to starved babies, without hair or fingernails. Unemployment numbered approximately six million people. Hitler promised work for everyone and introduced the Reichsarbeitsdienst (compulsory labour for low wages, destroying union opposition). Freeways (autobahns), ships, tanks, and aeroplanes were built; and the firm Volkswagen, people’s car, was founded.

The French, worried about another invasion by Germany, also made a pact with Russia in 1925, which antagonised the Fuehrer. His attitude was damn the Locarno Pact, angrily denouncing it in 1936. The German people were unaware of what a dramatic impact that irresponsible action would have on Germany and the world, causing, as it did, immeasurable tragedy, heartache, and bloodshed.

The same year, the Nazis, in contravention of the Locarno Pact, reoccupied and demilitarised the Rhineland zone. That was Hitler’s first move to gain power. Then in 1937, he also repudiated the Peace Treaty of Versailles, claiming equality with other great powers, especially with regard to the question of armament.

In the same year, Hitler launched a campaign for the restoration of Germany’s colonies; he wanted them back. Hitler deliberately used the opportunity to force a political crisis in Austria, as a pretext to annex that country (the Anschluss); it was extended into the greater Reich.

Chapter 1

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M Y SURPRISING ENTRANCE into this restless world was replicated within half an hour of my birth – I was born as a twin! Suddenly there were two of us, born in March 1937, as identical mirror twins, one month premature. The scales registered a tiny one and a half kilos for each baby. Our father took one look at us and nicknamed us the Mice. It was early spring, so the weather provided us with the occasional snowstorm and blizzard; the immediate problem was to keep us warm in an even temperature at all times. None of our clothes would fit us. The doctor suggested that we be wrapped simply in a nappy and put into a box lined with lamb’s wool. Instantly, our needs became a twenty-four-hour labour of love, with my mother and father taking turns. During the next critical weeks, my beautiful mother suffered greatly from anxiety and exhaustion. Finally, after a few weeks of tender loving care, we passed our ‘physical’ with flying colours. Both babies were still very small but coping well.

Springtime was truly on the way, plum blossoms exploding into flowers all around us, fresh young grass popping out from under our feet, many colourful flowers warm, soft, breeze and all kinds of trees covered in lush green leaves. It was a feast for the eyes after a hard cold northern winter. It was a great time to show us off to the world that was rapidly changing. Our first very important visit, it would be to be christened in the local church where our parents were married. We were known as Eli and Evi.

Our father, of good Polish stock with strong convictions and traditions, was born in a small village in Breslau, Poland. Our mother was born on the French-German border and grew up in Strassburg-Elsass-Lothringen. She was extremely beautiful with blue eyes and a creamy complexion, her exquisite black curly hair giving her an exotic touch. Father lovingly called her ‘Liebling’. In the next months, we grew into little girls with minds of our own. To be an identical mirror twin is rare. It made us feel special to be the product of one single egg, to develop into two human beings with looks and physical appearance exactly alike with opposite body control; one of us would be left-handed, the other right-handed. If a birthmark is present, one would have it on the left, the other on the right side of the body, and so on. Personality is also opposite, with one introverted and shy and the other extroverted and outgoing. Almost impossible to tell apart; but Mother, of course, somehow always knew. Call it instinct maybe? The bond between mirror twins is mysterious to science and inexplicable to others. To twins, it is the most normal way of life. We became a fascinating subject in the neighbourhood and playgroup. To our delight, everyone played guessing games with us. We were the centre of attention for a moment, and as these games never lasted very long, we were then left to play by ourselves; nobody wanted to put up with the confusion, especially when it came to the ever-popular game of hide-and-seek! We enjoyed our own company, growing up with each other, creating a world of our own, as twins often do. With our second birthday around the corner, our party preparations were interrupted by bad news for Father. The news overshadowed any thoughts of merriment as it told us of the threat of war. Father, not surprised at the news, had seen it coming for some time.

Germany had marched into Austria in October 1938. Large areas of Czechoslovakia, including all German-speaking areas, were secured; war now seemed inevitable and imminent. New boundaries were being settled, without an election, by international committees of ambassadors. Hitler started bombing Poland on the first of September; three days later, on the third, at eleven o’clock on Sunday morning, Britain declared war on Germany. From that moment on, the cruel circumstances of Fate would touch my soul and change my entire life.

Our father was abruptly torn away from his small family and was conscripted a few days later. There was no getting away from this. Our farewell to him was painfully emotional, to say the least. Mother, not knowing when or if she would ever see her husband again, broke down in bitter tears. She told us gently he had gone away for a while but not to worry, he would be back soon. Mother suffered from deep depression at first. She had to be so brave, as her small children, in need of support and guidance, were dependent upon her in every way. She adjusted quickly – she had to – and became stronger than she thought possible.

Mother’s professional occupation was dressmaking. She made most of our clothes. These became critical times; everything was being rationed – food, textiles, shoes, the list was endless. Thrifty was the name of the game from now on! Mother had saved bundles of materials to make certain we would be dressed warmly and attractively. She created the most beautiful dresses for us and herself in her spare time. She pedalled away on her Singer sewing machine, spending hours to enable her to complete the garments for Sunday morning. The result was breathtaking! With three girls in white material with tiny red polka dots, complete with fancy stitching, puffed sleeves, and generous gathering on the bodice, a ribbon in our hair, the crowning glory, we were let loose to impress the neighbourhood! But only on Sundays! Mother wanted us to look good at least once a week.

At this point in our lives, it was high time to become fully ‘house trained’. Mother had had enough of wet panties and accidents on the new carpet, so on to the ‘loo’ every half hour we went! We had a hard time relating to this unfamiliar procedure and took our time, but Mother persisted and finally succeeded. My goodness, what a fuss! Finally, the penny dropped.

Late summer, when we were aged four and a half, Mother promised if we behaved ourselves, she would take us to the paddle pool in the park. We were so amazed, seeing so much water all in one place; not being able to resist, we jumped in straightaway, clothes and all! Things happened so quickly with three little girls; she sure had her hands full. The very next day when we came home from play, Mother gave us a quick lunch. Whilst sitting in our chairs, we noticed the dripping tap. We remembered the day by the pool, and water became an endless fascination; but that was yesterday. Now it was time for a nap. Mother put us to bed, hoping for a little peace. She closed the door to our room and went right to her sewing machine, intending to finish a dress for her sister’s pending wedding. Meanwhile, in our room hearing that dripping tap in the kitchen, the temptation to play with that cool water became so strong we couldn’t ignore it anymore we decided to sneak out on ‘tippy’ toes very slowly down the hall to the kitchen. On the floor, we noticed a bucket next to the sink, picked it up, and put it in the sink. Somehow, we managed to reach to turn on the tap, playing with our hands, feeling the water, with the bucket gradually filling, and from there the water running freely into the sink, filling it up to the brim. To our amusement, there was water everywhere! Recognising the big flood and not knowing how to turn the tap off, we looked at each other and panicked, deciding to run for safety. We hurriedly climbed on the kitchen chairs then up onto the tabletop. Mother could hear all this commotion. She came running and threw her hands in the air. She looked at us in disbelief and wondered if she had created two monsters. We just stood there dripping from head to toe with the bottom lip drooping and looking extremely guilty, resembling a pair of drowned rats! The new carpet was water-logged; the apartment below was a lot worse for wear, to say the least, and the neighbours were already on our doorstep complaining of water damage. Mother was bumbling and apologising, promising to repair the paintwork free of charge. Our neighbours, however, needed a little more time to forgive us. Soon it would be Christmas; we figured it to be the perfect time to grant forgiveness all round!

The air outside smelled crisply fresh, waiting patiently for the first snowfall. The frost was already painting beautiful ice flowers on the windows. The next Sunday four weeks before Christmas would be the ‘first Advent’, an exciting time for children everywhere, with secret dreams and wishes being sent to Santa. Mother created a fresh green pine branch decorated with a pretty red bow and four red candles representing the four seasons. The first one being lit for us on the first of Advent followed every week by the other three candles until Christmas Eve. December also being the darkest month of the year, the first candle is lit as a symbol of hope and promise that there will be light. It is customary for children to teach us our prayers, to be presented to our parents on Christmas Eve as a gift of love and respect. We could hardly wait. All we could wish for was a doll’s pram each. Would our dreams come true? Impossible? It had to be, for this was a horrific time, a time of war. Wartime!

Articles of any and every kind like food, clothes, shoes, wool, etc., were extremely hard to get. Each and every family was rationed. Most highly regarded were our food stamps. They were special stamps, the key to every family’s survival; without them, how could we manage? The only other ways to acquire goods were, for instance, selling a piece of jewellery, swapping, or buying. Children did not know how utterly impossible it was, creating a Christmas out of nothing.

Mother disappeared one afternoon. Where she went, we had no idea at all. A sixteen-year-old babysitter was put in charge. We were looking out of the window, waiting for Mother to return, when it started to snow. Lightly at first, then big fat snowflakes fell, cascading from the sky like beautiful, soft pure white miniature angels. We wanted to touch them, to be part of them. All of us quickly dressed and ran down the stairs excitedly to greet the very first snow of the season. Mother, deep in thought on her way home, reached the front door at the same time that we did. The result a collision! Mother, obviously startled, dropped everything! She quickly pulled herself together, picked up her parcels, and proceeded upstairs. We were hot on her trail, noticing two packages wrapped in brown paper. Upon closer examination, we recognised four tiny wooden wheels and happily concluded that this could only mean one thing! Two doll’s prams! From that moment, we performed dreadfully; Mother, patiently ignoring us, briskly walked on. Now we knew! Santa had granted our biggest wish! We would have to wait like everybody else, but our anticipation grew by the minute; so did Mother’s having received a telegram from Father. He was on his way home on leave, due to arrive at any time today. She was overcome with happiness at the thought of seeing the man she loved again. Why he was granted leave was unknown to us at this stage. Finally, the doorbell rang, and all of us ran to open the door. There he stood, our father, tired and happy with a big smile, with tears in his eyes, his loving arms opened to us for an embrace. What a wonderful moment, feeling warm and secure, our hearts filled with joy.

Christmas Eve finally arrived, with us being locked out of the living room and Mother and Father whispering all afternoon. It was time for Christmas dinner. The table was dressed with white and red napkins, the candlelight creating the most perfect atmosphere. However, we three girls were not very hungry, our minds focussed behind those locked doors. After dinner, Father lit the candles on the tree while we helped Mother clear the table. Then the sweet sound of ‘Silent Night’ and the ringing of the bell, the moment we had been waiting for. The door opened, and there it was, a magical splendour, our Christmas tree; it was