Лиз Тренау

The Last Telegram


Скачать книгу

tried to approximate the dance we’d learned on New Year’s Eve. Kurt and Walter watched for a moment and then came to join us, doing their own wild version, waving arms and legs around without any regard for the rhythm.

      From the piano, Stefan shouted, ‘Swingjugend, swing. Swing heil!’ Kurt and Walter raised their arms in mock-Nazi salutes and repeated ‘Swing heil! Swing heil!

      Mother’s eyebrows raised in alarm.

      ‘What that all about?’ I shouted to Kurt.

      ‘American jazz. Banned by the Nazis,’ Kurt shouted back.

      ‘Why is it banned?’

      He shrugged. ‘Stefan plays it for – what do you say?’

      Stefan stopped playing and swivelled round. In the sudden stillness his voice was firm and clear, ‘We play it because it is not allowed.’

      ‘Who’s we, Stefan?’ John asked.

      ‘Swingjugend.’

      ‘Until they were arrested,’ Kurt said, almost under his breath.

      ‘“Arrested”?’ I repeated, failing for a moment to understand the full import of the word.

      Stefan glowered at him. ‘They just gave us a beating. As a warning.’

      It was such a shocking image none of us knew what to say next. My mind whirled, trying to understand. How could the police – or was it soldiers? – be so violent against young boys, just for playing music? The sense of menace seemed to seep into the room like a poison.

      Mother spoke carefully, ‘Are you saying that the police beat you and put you in prison, Stefan?’

      Stefan nodded. ‘The SS,’ he said. ‘But we were not in prison for long. It was just a warning.’ He paused and then went on, ‘That is why I had to leave Germany.’

      ‘You poor boy,’ she murmured. ‘No wonder …’

      ‘Were you all members … of this group?’ I stuttered.

      ‘Only Stefan,’ Kurt said. ‘We do not know about it till he tell us.’

      ‘There is no Jugend where we live,’ Walter added.

      ‘Perhaps we make our own group, here in Westbury?’ Kurt smiled, and the tension in the room started to settle. ‘Can he play some more?’

      Stefan looked at Father, who nodded.

      This time we listened quietly. It didn’t seem right to dance. Trying to make sense of what the boys had told us, I began to understand why this music was so important for Stefan. The baby grand had never known such spirited, emphatic playing. It was an act of protest and defiance, seeming to drive the menace out of the room.

      After a few minutes he stopped, and we all applauded and cheered. As Stefan straightened up from a mock-formal bow, I saw for the first time his face fully illuminated with happiness.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QOHaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBNTTpPcmlnaW5hbERvY3VtZW50SUQ9 InhtcC5kaWQ6OWU3MDNmOTctOGI5Yy00YTE0LTkzYjktNTE2ZjJiNTllM2ZlIiB4bXBNTTpEb2N1 bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOjU4MjFEQ0I2NDVBRDExRUFBMUE1RTQwRjExMjZCQTc3IiB4bXBNTTpJ bnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjU4MjFEQ0I1NDVBRDExRUFBMUE1RTQwRjExMjZCQTc3IiB4bXA6 Q3JlYXRvclRvb2w9IkFkb2JlIFBob3Rvc2hvcCBDUzUuMSBNYWNpbnRvc2giPiA8eG1wTU06RGVy aXZlZEZyb20gc3RSZWY6aW5zdGFuY2VJRD0ieG1wLmlpZDpGRDY5OTAxMEFCMjA2ODExODBGMUYx RDZBMzhFMzRFQSIgc3RSZWY6ZG9jdW1lbnRJRD0iYWRvYmU6ZG9jaWQ6cGhvdG9zaG9wOjhhZGYx ZGIwLWE0NTUtNmQ0YS1iZTRmLWQxNWM4MWE0ZjVkMyIvPiA8L3JkZjpEZXNjcmlwdGlvbj4gPC9y ZGY6UkRGPiA8L3g6eG1wbWV0YT4gPD94cGFja2V0IGVuZD0iciI/Pv/iDFhJQ0NfUFJPRklMRQAB AQAADEhMaW5vAhAAAG1udHJSR0IgWFlaIAfOAAIACQAGADEAAGFjc3BNU0ZUAAAAAElFQyBzUkdC AAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAD21gABAAAAANMtSFAgIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEWNwcnQAAAFQAAAAM2Rlc2MAAAGEAAAAbHd0cHQAAAHwAAAAFGJr cHQAAAIEAAAAFHJYWVoAAAIYAAAAFGdYWVoAAAIsAAAAFGJYWVoAAAJAAAAAFGRtbmQAAAJUAAAA cGRtZGQAAALEAAAAiHZ1ZWQAAANMAAAAhnZpZXcAAAPUAAAAJGx1bWkAAAP4AAAAFG1lYXMAAAQM AAAAJHRlY2gAAAQwAAAADHJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGdUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDHRleHQA AAAAQ29weXJpZ2h0IChjKSAxOTk4IEhld2xldHQtUGFja2FyZCBDb21wYW55AABkZXNjAAAAAAAA ABJzUkdCIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABYWVogAAAAAAAA81EAAQAA AAEWzFhZWiAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWFlaIAAAAAAAAG+iAAA49QAAA5BYWVogAAAAAAAAYpkA ALeFAAAY2lhZWiAAAAAAAAAkoAAAD4QAALbPZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVj LmNoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVs dCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVs dCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABkZXNjAAAAAAAA ACxSZWZlcmVuY2UgVmlld2luZyBDb25kaXRpb24gaW4gSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAs UmVmZXJlbmNlIFZpZXdpbmcgQ29uZGl0aW9uIGluIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAdmlldwAAAAAAE6T+ABRfLgAQzxQAA+3MAAQTCwADXJ4AAAABWFlaIAAAAAAA TAlWAFAAAABXH+dtZWFzAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACjwAAAAJzaWcgAAAAAENS VCBjdXJ2AAAAAAAABAAAAAAFAAoADwAUABkAHgAjACgALQAyADcAOwBAAEUASgBPAFQAWQBeAGMA aABtAHIAdwB8AIEAhgCLAJAAlQCaAJ8ApACpAK4AsgC3ALwAwQDGAMsA0ADVANsA4ADlAOsA8AD2 APsBAQEHAQ0BEwEZAR8BJQErATIBOAE+AUUBTAFSAVkBYAFnAW4BdQF8AYMBiwGSAZoBoQGpAbEB uQHBAckB0QHZAeEB6QHyAfoCAwIMAhQCHQImAi8COAJBAksCVAJdAmcCcQJ6AoQCjgKYAqICrAK2 AsECywLVAuAC6wL1AwADCwMWAyEDLQM4A0MDTwNaA2YDcgN+A4oDlgOiA64DugPHA9MD4APsA/kE BgQTBCAELQQ7BEgEVQRjBHEEfgSMBJoEqAS2BMQE0wThBPAE/gUNBRwFKwU6BUkFWAVnBXcFhgWW BaYFtQXFBdUF5QX2BgYGFgYnBjcGSAZZBmoGewaMBp0GrwbABtEG4wb1BwcHGQcrBz0HTwdhB3QH hgeZB6wHvwfSB+UH+AgLCB8IMghGCFoIbgiCCJYIqgi+CNII5wj7CRAJJQk6CU8JZAl5CY8JpAm6 Cc8J5Qn7ChEKJwo9ClQKagqBCpgKrgrFCtwK8wsLCyILOQtRC2kLgAuYC7ALyAvhC/kMEgwqDEMM XAx1DI4MpwzADNkM8w0NDSYNQA1aDXQNjg2pDcMN3g34DhMOLg5JDmQOfw6bDrYO0g7uDwkPJQ9B D14Peg+WD7MPzw/sEAkQJhBDEGEQfhCbELkQ1xD1ERMRMRFPEW0RjBGqEckR6BIHEiYSRRJkEoQS oxLDEuMTAxMjE0MTYxODE6QTxRP