the law of attraction | reus + lewandowski

THREE

May, 1943

—

It was the end of the month, and the commandant's birthday was fast approaching. I'd learned by now that Marco was a rather dynamic person; lover of women, alcohol, parties, delicacies, and power. So, it seemed only fitting that he threw a large party to celebrate his 29th birthday. The only thing was that everyone but him was to plan this party—everyone being Elena, Robert, and I—which put us under extreme pressure.

As a factory owner, Robert had access to many resources that had become valuable during the war—things like chocolate, alcohol, meat, and cheese. With Elena and I doing all of the cooking and organizing, it was essential that we worked with him to organize Marco's celebration to perfection. That, and the fact that Robert knew Marco better than we did.

I had expected Robert to come on this particular Wednesday, the 25th. What I hadn't expected was for him to bring his accountant with him.

The joy on my face was evident as I saw my father. I tried to remain as reserved as possible, but with no one but Elena and Robert around, I ran into his arms; I hugged him and kissed his cheek before speaking. "Papa!"

"Magdalena," he grinned and squeezed my shoulders before kissing my forehead. "How are you?"

"Well, I'm alive. That's enough for me...and what about you?" I grabbed his hand and took him to the dining room, eager to be with him again.

"As long as you and everyone else are doing okay, then so am I." My father sat down on a chair. I smiled at Robert before speaking.

"Well, can I get you guys anything to drink? Something to eat?"

"That'll be alright, Magdalena, but we should hurry. Before the commandant comes back, you know. Why don't we move to the sitting room?"

"Yes, alright." I offered a sheepish smile before going to the sitting room and sitting on a sofa in between Robert and my father. Elena sat across from us, on the loveseat. Robert pulled out a paper list.

"So, here are his favorite dishes. I'll give this to you. Just tell me what I need to get." He handed the list to Elena, who plucked it from his hands and stared at it.

"Right," she mumbled, looking over it. I leaned my head onto my father's shoulder and held his hand, smiling to myself. I hadn't been this happy in forever.

"How are mama and Klara?" I inquired, quietly.

"They're doing okay. Though Klara had an accident with a machine...she almost lost her hand, but got a sprained wrist instead. The officers wanted to shoot her, but Robert stopped it." He whispered even lower, not knowing that Robert spoke Polish. "He's a decent man, you know. Whatever decent can be considered in these times..."

I blushed and glanced at Robert, who smiled at me. He placed his hand on my bare knee. I ran my fingers over it momentarily before he moved his hand away, careful to make sure that no one saw—but it was too late, as Elena stared at me with eyes filled with judgment. "May I speak with you?" She inquired, standing up.

I blushed. "But the list—"

"It's about the list."