Hands on the Clock

Playing in the dark

"How are you today, Karl?", Otto picked-up his very-bestest-friend.

"'Oh, I'm doing very-well, Otto. What about you?' " Otto sat Karl on the shelf, next to all of his other dolls.

"Mama got another tummy-ache. That's why she got angry, when I was playing with the clock."

"'Oh, poor Mama' ", Ann joined the conversation. Ann was dressed in many frills, of delightful designs, unlike the austere walls of Otto's room. Ann had borrowed the dress from one of Maria's Friends; Sophie.

Maria always had more Friends than Otto. Otto only had at least a few Friends, because they were actually meant to be his sister's. Otto's sister didn't have a name though, because she was never born. Otto's sister was never born, because Mama's tummy got cursed.

"Otto? What are you doing in the dark?" Otto quickly gathered all his dolls and threw them under the bed.

"N-nothing Papa", Papa switched on the light.

"Well, your Papa just got home, so what are you going to do?"

Otto ran hurriedly towards Papa, and hugged him (or rather his legs, because Otto was too short.) "Ha ha, there's my boy." Otto started to get nervous when Papa carried him, and walked over to the bed where Otto had stashed-away his dolls.

"Umm, how was Papa's day?". Otto was desperate to avert Papa's attention from what Otto had hid under the bed.

"Well, the Fuhrer has assigned Papa to work faraway." Papa sat on the bed, and sat Otto on his lap.

"What does that mean?".

"It means, Otto, that Papa will have to leave for a few days. You know; like that time when you and Mama said bye at the train station?" Papa was smoothing-over Otto's hair. Otto refused to say anything. "Now, what's this? Hmm?", Papa slid his arm under the bed.

"Nooo! Don't!" Otto screamed involuntarily. And to Otto's surprise, Papa actually did stop. But then Otto realised why.

Mama had heard Otto's scream, and was now standing in the doorway of his room.

"What have I told you about keeping your voice down, inside?" Papa moved his arm from under the bed, and looked at Otto. Otto looked down, muttering an apology. Even though he was facing his Papa, he knew who he was really saying sorry to - his Mama in the doorway.

Without asking for further explanation, Mama left, just as silently, as she'd come.

Otto was still distracted with watching the empty doorway, when Papa pulled-out Ann. Otto didn't know any good excuses about what Ann was doing under his bed.

"Otto, what is your sister's doll doing in your room?" Otto was only glad Papa hadn't found the other two yet. Maria had given Otto an old doll of hers, so he'd have more Friends. "And where did you get this doll's dress? I don't remember buying this, five years ago." Papa was asking in his dangerously calm voice and Otto knew he had to answer.

"Maria lent it to me". Otto shut his eyes, expecting the stinging slap across his face.

But it didn't happen. Papa looked suddenly tired.

"You know, if your sister was alive, she would now be the same age as Maria."

"So Maria's like my sister, then?".

"Ha, no, Otto, she's not. She's your neighbour. And, forgetting that, what are you doing with your sister's doll again? It won't be in favour of your Mama's health, if she found them in your room". The humour in Papa's voice was gone. Otto tried to explain that Ann would feel very alone in the storage room, with all of the other, pink nursery items. With sweaty palms, and fidgety fingers, Otto looked up, at his papa's face.

"Then you could just give the doll to Maria, couldn't you?".