Schatzi

32

"So what's your name? You never told me," Tommy said, looking up at Jens with those big, curious eyes.

A smile tugged at the corner of Jens' mouth and he shook his head. "I couldn't get a word in edgeways. Jens. Jens Trilling."

"Tommy Deeken," Tommy replied, holding out his hand for Jens to shake.

"Yes, you already told me," Jens chuckled but he took the boys hand and shook it anyway.

"Yes but now I'm telling you my last name so that when we get out of this place, people can ask you which amazing and fantastic people you met and you can say 'oh, I met this marvellous boy called Tommy' and they'll say 'Tommy who? Jens Trilling, there are lots of Tommys in the world, that's not helpful at all' and then you can say back to them 'ah but he was Tommy Deeken of course' and then there'll be no confusion as to which Tommy you met here."

Jens smiled again and ruffled the kid's hair.
"Alright Tommy Deeken. I'll keep that in mind."

"So Jens Trilling, how do I get to be like you?"

"What?" Jens said, turning to look at Tommy, brow furrowed in confusion. "Be like me? How so?"

"The kapo. He feeds you. And he doesn't hurt you. Y'know, he kicked me in the back of the legs just a minute ago, and then he laughed when I fell."

Jens' heart sank and he averted his eyes. No. No way. He would not let this innocent child be anything like him.
"Well I'll ask him not to bother you on the way back," he muttered, avoiding Tommy's question.

"No, I want to be able to ask the kapo that myself. Not this kapo, because he's yours, but the one who lives in our barrack. He's different you see, so both of us could be friends with them."

"I don't know if friends is how I would put it, Tommy," Jens said warningly. "Do you know what I actually do for the kapo that means I get special treatment?"

"Yes," Tommy nodded. He paused and Jens saw him blush. "You...er, have sex with him, right?"

Jens stopped suddenly and pulled Tommy off to the side. "If you're too young to not be able to say sex without getting embarrassed, you're too young to be having it, with anyone. Full stop. Let alone with someone just to get some extra food!" He shook his head and crossed his arms. "No, I am not letting you whore yourself out to criminals like them."

"Criminals?" Tommy asked, his eyebrows raising. He seemed to completely ignore what Jens had said.

"Yes. The green triangles mean they're criminals, which is why they trust them to watch over us. I asked Friedrich about it the other day and he finally explained it to me."

"So What did he get done for?" Tommy asked with wide eyes. He seemed much too interested in Jens' words for his own good.

"Rape and murder," Jens said without batting an eyelid, hoping and praying he could scare Tommy off. "And I don't doubt that for a minute."

Tommy's jaw dropped and he stared at Jens in horror. "Did he..."

"Yep. See Tommy, you don't want this. It's not worth it. Besides, your kapo might not even be gay. It's just by chance that Friedrich is. If anyone found out he was, he'd be stripped of his duties and he'd be just like you and me. So don't go and try seduce your kapo or anything, because he probably will just kill you."