Kindertransport

by Diane Samuels

  EVELYN. And say no?

  FAITH. Yes.

  EVELYN. How absurd.

  FAITH. I’m sorry.

  EVELYN. Are you intending to change your mind again?

  FAITH. I don’t understand why you have to go on about selling the house if I leave . . .

  EVELYN. Will you or will you not change your mind?

  FAITH. No.

  EVELYN. Song and dance finally over?

  FAITH. Yes.

  EVELYN puts back the glass and closes the box.

  EVELYN. I expect you to keep to your word.

  She picks up the chipped glass.

  FAITH. Why are you taking that?

  EVELYN. A chipped glass is ruined forever.

  EVELYN exits. FAITH retreats back into the attic.

  HELGA. Try to meet other Jews in England.

  EVA. I will.

  HELGA. They don’t mind Jews there. It’s like it was here when I was younger. It’ll be good.

  EVA. When you come, will Vati get his proper job back like he used to have?

  HELGA. I’m sure he will.

  EVA (finishes sewing). Finished.

  HELGA. Now let me check the case.

  HELGA picks up a case hidden amongst the boxes and opens and checks through it. EVA watches her.

  FAITH finds a trunk. She is tempted to look inside. She hesitates. She takes courage and tentatively opens it.

  (Pulling out a dress.) This suits you so well.

  EVA. I’ll only wear it for best. Promise.

  HELGA (re-folding the dress). Someone will have to press out the creases when you get there.

  FAITH (pulling out a toy train). Runaway train?

  HELGA. The case is too full.

  FAITH makes the sound of a train whistle as she pulls pieces of train track out of the box. She starts to lay them out on the floor.

  FAITH. Runaway train went down the track

  And she blew, she blew

  Runaway train went down the track

  And she blew, she blew

  Runaway train went down the track

  And blah de blah, she won’t come back

  And she blew, blew, blew, blew, Blew!

  FAITH continues to lay the track.

  HELGA pulls a mouth organ out of the case.

  HELGA. What’s this doing in here?

  EVA. That’s my mouth organ.

  HELGA. You’re not allowed to take anything other than clothes.

  EVA. But it was my last birthday present and I’m just beginning to get the tunes right.

  HELGA. The border guards will send you back to us if they find you with this. Then where will you be?

  EVA. I’m sorry.

  HELGA gives the mouth organ to EVA and sets to reorganising the case contents.

  FAITH looks into another box. She turns it upside down. A load of dolls fall on to the floor. None of them have any clothes on. FAITH picks up a doll.

  FAITH. Lucy?

  She gently sits Lucy by the train set.

  FAITH picks out another doll.

  Gloria.

  She gently sits Gloria next to Lucy and then does the same with each of the other dolls.

  HELGA. There’s no room for anything else. Where are your shoes?

  EVA reaches over to right by FAITH’s feet and gets a pair of shoes.

  FAITH (laying out another doll). Barbara.

  FAITH continues to lay out the dolls.

  EVA. Here.

  HELGA. Put the heel of the right shoe to your ear.

  EVA. Why?

  HELGA. Do it.

  EVA puts the heel to her ear.

  What can you hear?

  EVA. It sounds like . . .

  HELGA. Yes?

  EVA. Ticking.

  HELGA. My gold watch is in there.

  EVA. How?

  HELGA. The cobbler did it.

  EVA. I’ll look after it for you.

  HELGA. And in the other heel are two rings, a chain with a Star of David and a charm bracelet for you. All made of gold.

  EVA. For me?

  HELGA. From my jewellery box. A travelling gift.

  EVA. Thank you.

  HELGA. My grandfather used to wear a black hat and coat. ‘You are my children. You are my jewels.’ He told me. ‘We old ones invest our future in you.’

  EVA hugs HELGA.

  LIL enters.

  LIL. You two have the quietest arguments.

  FAITH. Sorry, Gran.

  LIL. What for?

  FAITH. Spoiling the start of your visit.

  LIL. I’ve seen worse.

  FAITH. Where is she now?

  LIL. Cleaning the windows. She’s begun in the sitting room.

  FAITH. The cleaner came yesterday.

  LIL. She’s even got the step ladder out.

  FAITH. What about the blue overall?

  LIL. Oh yes.

  FAITH. Oh God.

  LIL. Lock jaw’s set in.

  FAITH. Don’t you just love it?

  LIL. Coming down?

  FAITH (looking at the toys). I found some of my old things. I’d no idea she’d kept them.

  LIL. You’ve made a mess, haven’t you?

  FAITH. Only laying them out.

  LIL. You’ll make your mum even worse.

  FAITH. Gran, there’s no harm meant.

  LIL. There’s harm caused all the same.

  FAITH. Story of my life.

  LIL. Just get this lot boxed and neaten up the room. I’ll do tea.

  LIL exits.

  FAITH reluctantly starts to put the dolls back into the box.

  HELGA and EVA break their embrace.

  EVA. Listen.

  HELGA. What?

  EVA. I’ve nearly got it right.

  EVA starts to play a tune on the mouth organ. She plays well.

  EVA finishes playing. HELGA applauds.

  FAITH pulls out a small box. She opens it and looks inside.

  HELGA. Now it’s time for bed.

  EVA. Not yet. Let me stay up. It’s my last night.

  HELGA. We will carry on as we always do. Bedtime is bedtime.

  EVA (moaning). Mutti.

  HELGA. Which story do you want?

  EVA. The Ratcatcher.

  FAITH pulls out a hard-backed children’s story book identical to the one HELGA is holding.

  Pipe music.

  FAITH. Der Rattenfänger.

  HELGA. Not that one, Eva.

  EVA. You said I could choose.

  HELGA. Choose something else.

  EVA. I don’t want anything else.

  HELGA turns and picks up EVA’s Rattenfänger book.

  EVA quickly sneaks her mouth organ into the case and closes it.

  FAITH. The Ratcatcher?

  EVA. What did you say an abyss was, Mutti?

  HELGA. I hope you won’t ask questions like this when you’re in England.

  EVA. Why not?

  HELGA. Listen.

  HELGA opens the book and turns its pages.

  FAITH opens the book and flicks through it. She finds an inscription in the front of the book.

  EVA sits close to HELGA.

  Beware little children. Take heed and learn the lesson of Hamlyn where one bad soul brought tragedy upon the whole town.

  FAITH. Hamburg. 1939.

  HELGA. Happy Hamlyn after the rats had been led away . . .

  FAITH carefully looks at the first page.

  . . . A town teeming with life. Full to overflowing. And every day, the good people counted their blessings. Every single one . . . Eva?

  EVA. I’m listening.

  FAITH (looking at a picture). Counting their blessings for being so lucky . . .

  HELGA. They all knew how fortunate they were. All except for one very wicked soul who was ungrateful and did not count.

  FAITH (looking at another picture). Mr Ingratitude. Jesus.

  HELGA. ‘We are forgotten. We are lost. We are destroyed’ cried out all the uncounted blessings.

&n
bsp; FAITH. The cloud . . .

  HELGA. Then a cloud appeared in the clear, blue sky casting a shadow down below.

  RATCATCHER. Who is not counting?

  HELGA. Whispered the shadow.

  RATCATCHER. Who has forgotten their blessings?

  HELGA. It hissed.

  RATCATCHER. I will find you.

  HELGA. It spat.

  RATCATCHER. I will search you out whoever wherever you are.

  FAITH (turning onto another page). My God, and the shadow growing legs . . .

  HELGA. ‘ . . . and strong arms and spiky nails . . . ’

  EVA. And eyes sharp as razors.

  FAITH. The Ratcatcher.

  The shadow of the RATCATCHER hovers.

  A train whistle blows. Sounds of a busy railway station.

  HELGA remains stuck in bedtime story mode. EVA puts on her coat and hat and label with her number on it – 3362.

  HELGA. The Ratcatcher searched for the ungrateful one. He searched and searched but all in vain.

  RATCATCHER. Who will make up for the lost blessings?

  HELGA. He raged.

  RATCATCHER. If not the one guilty soul, then all.

  HELGA. And he raised an enchanted pipe to his snarling lip, making a cruel promise to all the people of Hamlyn.

  RATCATCHER. I will take the heart of your happiness away.

  The RATCATCHER plays his music.

  The sounds of the railway station become louder and louder.

  Another train whistle.

  EVA. Mutti! Vati! Hello! Hello! See. I did get into the carriage. I said I would. See, I’m not crying. I said I wouldn’t. I can’t open the window! It’s sealed tight! Why’ve you taken your gloves off? You’re knocking too hard. Your knuckles are going red! What? I can’t hear you!

  Sound of long, shrill train whistle.

  Louder! Louder! What! I can’t hear! I can’t . . . I love you too . . . See you in England.

  Sounds of train starting to move. EVA sits.

  I mustn’t stare at that cross-eyed boy.

  Train whistle blows.

  What if he talks to me?

  The train moves faster.

  I’ll have to pretend I can’t hear him.

  The train is well on its way.

  There’s no point in crying.

  The RATCATCHER music weaves around the train’s chugging.

  We’ll see our Muttis and Vatis soon enough.

  The music seems to take on the melody of a familiar playtune. EVA tunes in to it and sings.

  Hoppe, hoppe Reiter

  Wenn er fällt dann schreit er

  Fällt er in den Graben

  Fressen ihn die Raben

  Fällt er in den Sumpf

  Macht der Reiter plumps.

  (Hop hop hop hop rider / Do not fall beside her / If into the ditch you fall / The Ratman gets you all / And don’t have the desire / To fall into the mire.)

  We’re all going to England, to England, to England . . .

  The train slows down and stops.

  In England all the men have pipes and look like Sherlock Holmes and everybody has a dog.

  Enter a Nazi BORDER OFFICIAL. He approaches EVA.

  FAITH watches.

  OFFICER. No councillor in here?

  EVA. She’s in the next carriage.

  OFFICER (picking up EVA’s case). Whose case is this?

  EVA. Mine.

  OFFICER. Stand up straight.

  EVA stands.

  OFFICER. Turn your label round then. It’s gone the wrong way. Can’t see your number.

  EVA (turning the label round. Quietly). Sorry.

  OFFICER. Speak up.

  EVA. Sorry.

  OFFICER. Sir! Sorry, Sir.

  EVA. Sorry, Sir.

  OFFICER. No one will know what to do with you if they can’t see your number.

  Silence.

  Will they?

  EVA. No, Sir.

  OFFICER. Might have to remove you from the train.

  Silence.

  Mightn’t we?

  EVA. Yes, Sir.

  OFFICER. D’you know it at least?

  EVA. Pardon, Sir?

  OFFICER. Know your number. If you don’t know it you might forget who you are.

  EVA. 3362, Sir.

  OFFICER (taking out a pen). Don’t want you to forget who you are now, do we?

  EVA. No, Sir.

  OFFICER. Let me remind you.

  He draws a huge star of David on the label.

  There. That should tell ’em wherever it is you’re going. Best to keep them informed, eh?

  EVA (terrified). Yes, Sir.

  OFFICER opens and searches the case, throwing everything onto the floor. He finds the mouth organ.

  OFFICER. You can’t take valuables out of the country. Can’t take anything for gain.

  EVA. I wouldn’t sell it, Sir.

  OFFICER. What’s it for then?

  EVA. For music, Sir. I play it, Sir.

  OFFICER. You any good?

  EVA. I suppose so . . .

  OFFICER. Go on then. Prove it’s not just to make money.

  EVA takes it and plays nervously, badly.

  You need more practice. Better keep it.

  OFFICER bodysearches EVA.

  What money have you got?

  OFFICER digs into EVA’s pockets and takes out a few coins which he takes and pockets.

  Better clear up the mess.

  EVA starts to clear up.

  OFFICER feels in a pocket and produces a toffee. He gives the toffee to EVA.

  Here kiddie. A sweetie for you.

  OFFICER ruffles EVA’s hair and exits.

  EVA grips the toffee tightly and tidies up the clothes into the case.

  The train starts up again and moves faster and faster.

  EVA. The border! It’s the border! Yes! We’re out! Out! Stuff your stupid Hitler. Stuff your stupid toffees! (She throws down the toffee). Keep them! Hope your eyes fall out and you die the worst death on earth! Hope no one buries you! Hope the rats come and eat up all your remains until there’s nothing left!

  Sounds of the train stopping again. The music becomes lighter. EVA eats and drinks greedily.

  We can really have as many cakes as we want. That Dutch lady said. And sweets. And lemonade. I’m going to stuff my pockets for later. Who says it’s naughty? They all want us to be happy, don’t they? That’s exactly what I’m doing. Making myself very, very happy.

  Sound of a ship’s horn and the lapping of waves.

  If you lick your lips you’ll taste the salt. Sea salt.

  She starts to cough as if holding down the goodies she has just guzzled. She recovers her composure.

  I don’t know why they call it the Hook of Holland. It’s nothing like one. Look at it. How’s that a hook? (Coughing.) . . . it won’t come . . . nothing will come out of me.

  EVA coughs and coughs. Sound of a ship’s horn.

  (Weakened by the journey and the coughing.) Is this actually England? Is it?

  EVA readies herself and tentatively steps forward.

  How can you just go through like that? Don’t they search you?

  EVA stops and bends down suddenly.

  (Picking up one penny.) A penny? They have such big money here. It must be a sign of good luck.

  EVA pockets the penny. RATCATCHER’s music.

  HELGA. In the piper’s wake they skipped. All the children up the mountain, on and on till . . . crash. With a roar the rock opened, the music stopped, and the children disappeared into the abyss.

  FAITH (reading). ‘Strasse ohne Trommeln’. (‘Drumless street.’)

  HELGA. And the weeping people renamed the street where the children had last been seen, ‘Drumless street’. A hollow highway where music was forbidden. Then they chiselled into the walls of Hamlyn the tragic tale of the lost kinder who left in the summer of 1284 and were never seen thereafter.

  FAITH starts to play a discordant tune on the mouth organ.

  Bl
ackout.

  Scene Two

  HELGA has gone.

  FAITH has settled down to read a letter from the box.

  EVA has taken her coat off. Her case is by her feet. She has a tin mug of tea in one hand and a piece of bread in the other.

  Railway station sounds. A train announcement in English.

  EVA (trying to put on a brave face). I am very lucky. I appreciate all of this, really I do, Mutti.

  She takes a bite out of the bread.

  FAITH (reading). ‘March 6th, 1941.’

  EVA. I’m glad to be eating the bread of freedom even if it does taste like sponge buttered with greasy salt.

  She sips the tea.

  FAITH. ‘Dearest Eva, little Eva who must now be so big.’

  EVA. How good it is to sip the tea of England even if it does taste like dishwater. I am so fortunate not to be at home with you and Vati. How good it is to have escaped.

  FAITH. ‘See, I write you in English for sure am I that it now is your best language.’

  EVA. If I could, if it wasn’t ungrateful, I’d wish that they hadn’t made this ‘stuff’ for me so I had to drink and eat it; wish that the houses I saw on the way here weren’t all the same, red-brick squares so I could look forward to living somewhere like our house, elegant; wish they all spoke German.

  EVA sighs and takes another sip.

  FAITH. ‘Tantchen Marianne send her love. She is not too well at present as her chest is very bad. It does not help that we have poor heating here in the small flat that Vati and me now share with her.’

  EVA. Mind you, Mutti, it was wonderful going on the red bus. We went right through London. I sat on the top. I could see everything. Upstairs on a bus. It’s unbelievable!

  FAITH. ‘Are you keeping up your good studies at school and working as hard and well as always you did? Also we hope that you be a good girl for the Mr and Mrs Miller. Vati wants me to tell you that he is well and his spirits are up. Life is not so bad. We are happy enough.’

  An English ORGANISER enters.

  EVA (standing up and bowing. Very carefully pronouncing). Good bye to you.

  ORGANISER. What you on about?

  EVA. About?

  ORGANISER. Never mind. Is your name Eva (Pauses to work out the pronunciation.) Schlesinger?

  EVA looks uncertain.

  How d’you say it? EEvaa Shshlezzinnjerr?

  EVA (different pronunciation). Eva Schlesinger?

  ORGANISER. Yes. (Points at her.) You?

  EVA. Schlesinger Eva.

  ORGANISER. You are she?

  EVA. Ich? (Me?)

  ORGANISER. Eva?

  EVA. Jawohl, mein Herr. (Yes, sir.)

  ORGANISER. It appears that your English family have been delayed.

  EVA. Ich verstehe nicht, mein Herr. (I don’t understand, sir.)