'12th August, 1961 - Lena and Arno forevermore. It's perfect.'
'Are you sure we won't get arrested for defacing a building?'
'Oh, calm down, Lena, it's only a small bit of writing, and anyway, no one will be looking that low down on the wall,' Arno was always far more rebellious than me.
'Arno?' I looked up at him.
'Yes?'
'If we ever lose each other, we come back to this point, yes? The point where we met?'
'Of course, Liebling, this will forever be our spot, no matter what happens. I still remember that night, by the way - do you?'
'Yes,' I replied with a slight giggle, 'you with your stupid head torch, bumping into everything-'
'You with your bad temper, telling me off for knocking you over,' he replied.
'I'll never forgive you for ripping my favourite skirt!' I said, but I wasn't really angry at him, I could never be angry at him. My boyfriend for two years - who would have thought that I'd still be with someone I met when I was 16?
Arno and I have always been best friends ever since that night. I could tell him anything, be myself around him, and always had more fun with him than I had ever had before. He always made me laugh with his stupid jokes - they weren't even that funny, but he always used to laugh at them and when he smiles his crooked smile and can't keep his eyes open because he's laughing too much, he looks so happy that it makes me happy.
'I love you, Lena,' he said as he dropped me at my doorstep, 'never forget that. You make me the happiest man alive.' There's that crooked smile again. It makes me smile.
'I love you too, goodnight, see you tomorrow' and with a quick kiss goodnight, we parted ways.
The next morning I woke up startled. I could hear people shouting in the streets down below. I climbed out of bed to look out the window and suddenly became scared. Men were running around the streets in their pyjamas, neighbours and friends were running out of their houses and hugging each other, a woman was standing in the middle of the road trying to calm her crying baby. I ran downstairs just as Dad walked in the front door, forgetting to close it behind him. He was holding a newspaper.
'What? What's happened? What's going on?' I asked, trying to stay calm.
Dad didn't reply. He was still reading.
'Hey! Tell me what's going on! Why are people shouting? Why are they running around? What's happened?!' I found I was also shouting now. 'Let me have a look,' I grabbed the newspaper from Dad's hands, who didn't react. On the front page read the headline: 'BERLIN DIVIDED. WALL APPEARS OVERNIGHT.'
'Dad?!'
'They've built a wall. It's just appeared overnight. I heard they were planning to have East and West Berlin as separate places but I didn't think they'd actually go through with it. I can't go to work. Work is on the other side of the wall. What are we going to do?' Dad sat down and put his head in his hands. I froze for a moment while my brain tried to process everything I had just been told. Then suddenly, I realised something. Arno lived in the building next to my dad's workplace.
I ran as fast as I could, ignoring everyone around me. I was aiming for the place where we had written our names the previous night, but when I got there, a wall had been built through the building. I screamed Arno's name, hoping he had the same thought as I had.
'Lena?!' It was him! He was there! On the other side of the wall!
'Arno! Arno it's me! Are you okay? What's happening?'
'Lena I have to go - they're dragging me away - but I love you!'
'No, wait, Arno, who's taking you where?! What's happening?!' This question was answered soon after as I saw people around me being pulled away from the wall by guards. Everyone was panic-stricken, people were screaming for friends and loved ones who were also on the other side of the wall. I was pulled away by a guard and was then greeted by the sight of my dad running after me. But I didn't want to go, I wanted to stay, I wanted to see Arno.
Two weeks passed and I hadn't been back to the wall. Anyone who tried to cross it was arrested, so Dad banned me from even going near it. I was sat eating my breakfast on the morning of August 27th when there was a knock at the door. I walked over and opened the door to a tall man of about 20 years, wearing a smart uniform and holding up his bicycle.
'Are you Lena Engel?' He asked.
'Yes, who are you?' I replied.
'I am Rolf. I have a telegram for you. Can I come inside? I'm not supposed to be here.'
I let him in as my dad wasn't home, but I was slightly suspicious and made sure I located the nearest heavy object in case I needed a defence weapon. I took the telegram and read it. It was from Arno! It read:
'Dearest Lena. I am okay. I miss you. Please write back. I love you'
'What-' I was lost for words. 'How did you-'
Rolf interrupted my jumbled thoughts. 'Listen, you can't tell anyone I came to see you. One of my best mates is a guard at the wall. He can let me through when no one else is around, he works night shifts. I met Arno the day after the wall was built and we became friends. Soon after, he told me about you. He didn't shut up about you, in fact. I noticed that while he was talking about you, his eyes lit up, like there was new life inside him. But then the light died every time he realised he may never see you again. I realised he was so in love with you, so I agreed to deliver this message to you. I agreed to be messenger between the two of you. But this has got to be kept absolutely secret, okay? I'll be arrested, possibly even worse, if anyone finds out.'
I was speechless, but after a minute or so I expressed my extreme gratitude to Rolf and wrote a message back to Arno. Rolf left the house and I waited nervously for the day to come when I would receive my reply from Arno.
