Christmas eve 1936, all of the Seide family without a single exception were gathered around their fireplace, and for once, the children had presents waiting for them. Normally, other children in Germany would have gotten their presents on the sixth, thanks to St. Nicolas, but their parents had never enforced the myth of a nice bearded man giving presents to their children, since it felt like a direct insult to how much it meant for them to be able to give their children gifts. So, they would always do it like this instead.
The Seide siblings sat on the cold floor eagerly, waiting for their parents to come out of the kitchen.
Gisela had never got a christmas present before, she was practically trembling. It felt so unreal.
Frieda and Heidi sat on opposite sides of the room but they were both eyeing their present closely, wrapped in old newspaper.
Heidi wondered if she could have painted on them earlier, maybe it would have been more fun to open a colourful present, but then she remembered the slight leaking problem that came with watercolour and thin paper so she was happy she had not done anything.
"Mama!" Gisela called impatiently. She was so eager to rip her package open.
"Ja, Ja," Trudy answered with a chuckle and an eyeroll. "I'm coming!"
"Now aren't you all impatient little children?" Alfred asked with a warm smile as he went into the living room.
All the said little children smiled, it was nice to see Alfred like this, he rarely was his jovial self nowadays.
My favourite red haired and freckled little family was finally all gathered around the fire. Their eyes reflecting it and glowing red just as Heidi's had a few days ago.
The adults all squeezed into their beat up sofa, Walter was practically sitting over Wilma and she pushed him off angrily. He fell onto the floor pretty slowly, grunting in annoyance.
"Hey, calm down!" he exclaimed, Wilma only huffed.
"You're suffocating me Walter." She sighed. They both rolled their eyes away from each other and crossed their arms.
Gisela and Frieda laughed at them together.
"Okay, none of that right now, ja?" Trudy warned them all, her gaze meeting every single one of them, especially the two eldest.
Everyone nodded.
"Can we open the presents now?" Frieda asked politely.
Trudy looked up at her husband and he nodded, smiling like a child.
"You can." She told everyone, and in a heartbeat they were all attacking their present.
Heidi couldn't bring herself to open hers. She was nervous, and she didn't want this strange thrill to end.
Gisela squealed happily once she'd pulled out a little soft and round bunny plushie. Wilma smiled at her. Frieda asked her what she would name it. She said Lulu. Heidi giggled slightly at the name, and Walter turned red, having to turn around so Gisela's feelings wouldn't get hurt. Wilma nudged his shoulder.
"Stop laughing walter!" She whisper-shouted at him.
"I'm trying!" He whispered back before managing to pull himself together again.
Wilma let out an annoyed sigh, and Heidi could have sworn she heard her mutter einzeller under her breath. He was a bit of one sometimes, she had to agree with that.
Gisela looked at everyone with shining eyes, Trudy pulled her into a tight embrace and Alfred joined gently.
"Thank you," the little girl whispered. Her mother only hugged her tighter.
This was one of the many moments during Heidi's life where I wished to smile so widely my cheeks would hurt.
Frieda opened her present more delicately---properly you could say, I believe she didn't leave a single tare on the paper.
She pushed some red curls out of her face and then finally slipped the present out of the wrapping.
"I want to open mine now!" Manfred exclaimed. Alfred shook his head.
"You have to wait until Frieda is done, manfred." He explained calmly, the young boy sat down and pouted for a second, but the glare his mother gave quickly forced a smile onto his face. Trudy's death glare was something else, it seemed to have an effect on any child.
Frieda gasped and then slowly turned to Trudy. In her hands, she held a wonderful necklace. I shimmered and glittered in the light of the fire, but just as she went to give her mum and dad a hug, Trudy shook her head. The little girl was suddenly taken back and confused, until Alfred slowly pointed to Walter.
The young man grinned and Frieda flew into his arms almost immediately. Her eyes widened.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She exclaimed, hugging him so tightly I thought he would suffocate. Walter hugged her back, this was the day Heidi realised they probably had a similar bond as her and Wilma had with each other.
The Seide couple smiled, Alfred took Trudy's hand gently. Wilma offered to put the necklace on Frieda after Walter miserably failed to do so no less than five times.
He shot his sister an annoyed glance when she put it on with ease. Heidi giggled slightly. Manfred ripped his present open like an angry wild cat and suddenly appeared to smile with his entire body as he saw it was a bag filled with clear marbles. He ran around the house for a good while, then flopped onto the floor and spread all the little crystal clear balls out throughout the entire hallway. He then realised he had not thanked his parents. The young fiery haired boy ran into his father's embrace.
Now only Heidi remained with a package in hand and only Wilma nodded at her expectantly, waiting for her to open the present.
My human slowly pulled the newspaper apart, she saw what looked like a coat of a medium beige with countless little details, and then with it a black skirt, very plain and simple. She unfolded the thing and held them in front of her. They didn't look too bad, and out of the coat a beret fell out, its shade matched the skirt.
Wilma's eyes narrowed and she stared at her mother who was just talking to manfred about how he shouldn't be spreading his marbles out everywhere in the future.
The woman noticed her daughter's eyes glaring at her.
"What is it, Wilma-"
"What is this, mama?" Heidi interrupted. Trudy's attention immediately shifted to her, she produced a smile and Wima rolled her eyes at her.
The situation seemed pretty strange.
"It's for the BDM." She explained, Heidi had heard that name before , many of her classmates had joined this group, The Bund Deutscher Mädel was what the abbreviation stood for. The league of German girls.
"Every young girl above the age of ten needs to join." Trudy continues.
Heidi smiled slightly, maybe she would finally make friends, and do something everyone else was doing.
"Thank you, mama," Heidi said with her brightest smile.
Trudy reached her arms out to her and Heidi fell into her hug, she hadn't gotten one from her mother in so long, it was warm and firm, she wished that it would never end, but it did as Trudy found Wilma's gaze again and sighed.
"Wilma-"
"Mutter."
Heidi felt it was time to let go, Trudy got all tense, which ruined the whole warmth of her embrace.
"Don't call me mother wilma." She sighs. "It sounds like you hate me."
"Who says I don't?" She muttered under her breath and that's when Alfred got into the conversation as well.
"What did you say?" He asked an eyebrow raised menacingly. Trudy blocked him with her arm.
"It's all right." She told him. "It's only about the uniforms."
Alfred sighed and leaned back into the sofa. Walter now suddenly seemed interested.
"What's going on?" he asked, turning away from Frieda who he had been talking to.
Wilma nodded toward the clothes Heidi was clutching in her delicate hands and then she stood up, straightening her skirt.
"I'll just go get some air." She said, holding in both furry and disappointment that I could see clear as day through her eyes.
Heidi watched her with wide eyes. What had that been about? Her family members gave her no clues as they all resumed what they had been doing before this tense atmosphere fell upon them all.
Heidi studied the uniform. She couldn't figure out what was so bad about it. She tried for a long time, but she simply couldn't.
I, however, was far more capable of finding out than my human and I just so happened to be very curious as to where Wilma was going now. It turned out to be quite boring. She was taking a walk around the block, I followed her every step of the way, floating above her like a shapeless bird. I thought of going home after a while, back to my dear human being, but then suddenly Wilma sat down on a bench on St.Maria promenade, she seemed to be waiting for something, or someone, checking her watch constantly, shivering so much her teeth collided over and over again once it started snowing. Despite the freezing whether she seemed to have calmed down, she didn't look nearly as tense as she had inside the house. Just as I was wondering why she had gotten so upset over the uniforms, although I had my ideas, a woman with a dark blue coat walked up to her with a hurried step. Wilma stood up and greeted her. I could have recognised the older woman's silhouette from miles away, it was Gertrude. I got closer to them both as my curiosity grew. Why was she meeting her here at this hour?
My questions were very soon answered as Gertrude pulled out a little present, a small rectangular box wrapped in some sort of colourful paper. Wilma took it, her hands shaking, whether it was from the cold or something else I do not know.
She stood in silence for a while, holding this box that had much more importance than I could have imagined.
"Thank you so much, Frau Meyer-" Was all she said, Gertrude smiled but shushed her before she could say more.
"You can thank me later." She told her with a warm tone. "I only helped a little after all."
Wilma chuckled.
"A little." She repeated sarcastically.
Gertrude's grin widened and she patted Wilma on the shoulder.
"You go now," She said. "Don't keep them waiting."
Wilma nodded with teary eyes. I was profoundly confused as to what the nature of this conversation was. What was in that box? When had these two met?
I kept the question in the back of my mind and as Wilma walked all the way home, I decided to just fly back to Heidi, afraid that the question would eat my conscience if I saw that little box for just a second more.
When I got back home Heidi had just realised Frieda also got a uniform. Neither of them wanted to try it on, saving that for the next day. Trudy's hands were tangled together, sweating slightly. She occasionally checked the door. Afred had to embrace her and assure her that their daughter had not run away and would come back, and just as the poor mother had wiped a tear away from her face the door burst open. Finally Wilma was back, and she looked brighter and happier than ever.
The whole family turned their heads.
"Jesus, Wilma." Walter sighed almost angrily. "Where did you go!"
"I was getting worried, young lady!" Trudy exclaimed just in time for Walter to not get cut off.
Wilma waved them all off.
"It doesn't matter!" She practically yelled, with a clear happiness that got everyone confused. "It doesn't matter at all, nothing of this matters!"
Her eyes fell upon Heidi who was still sitting close to the fireplace.
"Heidi," She practically shuckled, covering her mouth with her hands. "Come here, get up." She said, practically jumping up and down at this point. Heidi looked around with an empty expression for a while but then slowly got up. Wilma was smiling so much her face seemed to be shining. She had caught everyone's attention. Eight pairs of clear eyes stared at the two sisters. Wilma took her by the shoulders gently, making Heidi face her.
"Close your eyes." She said, chuckling.
Heidi frowned but did so, she couldn't refuse much when Wilma asked her to.
The blond young woman looked over at the reso of her family quickly, before unwrapping that mysterious little box.
I gasped as I saw what she now held between her hands, Trudy had no words, Alfred was beyond shocked, Walter looked to both his parents in disbelief and the younger children were slightly confused. Heidi felt her sister placing something on her nose and before she realised what it was Wilma chuckled again.
"Open your eyes." She did as she was told, and she almost fainted.
Wilma was waiting impatiently for her reaction, holding her two hands together at the height of her face.
Heidi gasped. Wilma's crystal blue eyes, her nose, her mouth, they were all clear to her. The lines of her face were sharp and crisp. Heidi could see every single detail of her beloved sister's smile. Her eyes welled with tears, and she looked around, the colours were just as bright, just as clear to her but so was everything else. She couldn't say a word. The house looked just as she remembered it, she had missed this view of it.
Wilma embraced her sister as she noticed she was about to crumble to the floor.
Trudy finally squealed, literally, I could not have described the sound that came out of her mouth any better. Heidi made Wilma let go of her and turned to her other family members. Heidi couldn't believe she was seeing their smiles again. She wouldn't stop staring at her mother's tired looking yet warm eyes, her father's dimples, her brother's eyelashes—she had no idea he even had visible ones—and her little siblings. They were like entirely different people to her, Gisela had grown, she looked a lot like Wilma, but her youth was still untouched and her cheeks were dotted with freckles. It hit Heidi then, that she had only ever imagined what her younger brother looked like.
He was adorable,his face also dotted or practically filled to the brim with freckles, and with round cheeks and a little mark on his chin.
Tears wouldn't stop flowing, she couldn't help it.
Trudy hugged her as tight as she could and then stretched her arms out for everyone, for Wilma, for Walter, for her husband and the two youngest.
They all eventually joined.
"Thank you Wilma," Heidi whispered over and over again.
I could only watch with all my love
it was a wonderful sight.
***
Heidi had fallen asleep with wet eyes and cheeks, and woke up the next day with a smile, but before she left the house she almost forgot her glasses and their protective box.
"Heidi!" her mother called after her, waving the green velvet box at her.
"Oh! Sorry!" She apologised with a chuckle, grabbing it and shoving it in her pocket.
"Aren't you going to put them on?" Trudy asked, an eyebrow raised.
Heidi shook her head. "Not yet."
Trudy rolled her eyes, she had stopped trying to understand all of her children's actions a long time ago.
Heidi only gave her a quick smile before running down to the Fischer house. Alexander was waiting for her with their bike, they had now gotten used to taking it to school and weren't afraid of anyone recognising it anymore.
"What are you smiling about, mädchen?" Her friend asked, noticing the wide grin that spread across her face. She shrugged.
"Nothing much," She answered, feeling the box in her pocket. She wanted to put her glasses on once both Tilda and Alexander could be seen. She wanted to properly see them at the same time, as they were equally important to her.
"All right," Alexander said, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
Heidi slowly nodded and got onto the bike, wrapping her arms around Alexander as always.
She impatiently looked around every time they took a turn, she knew the way by heart and she couldn't wait to get to school.
After what seemed like an eternity, the front facade of their quite ugly school presented itself in front of the two children. Alexander stopped the bike and Heidi got off, looking around for Tilda, to Alexander's dismay the mayor's daughter had started waiting for them before school, he still didn't quite like her.
"Heidi!" She exclaimed. Heidi beamed and as Tilda gave her a warm hug she turned red.
Alexander audibly sighed and slowly walked over to them both.
"Hi," Was the only greeting he gave the young blond girl and she nodded to him. Heidi figured this was the right time to reveal her wonderful glasses.
She slowly took the velvet box out of her dress pocket, catching both her friend's attention.
"What is that?" her golden haired friend asked.
Heidi didn't answer, Tilda knew exactly what it was, but she feared it could possibly by a little chance be something else, so she said nothing either.
Heidi opened the little box and pulled her big round silver glasses out.
Alexander gasped and Tilda made a happy little skip before covering her mouth.
"You have glasses!" Alexander exclaimed wide-eyed.
Heidi nodded with an almost equally disbelieving chuckle.
"Well, go one then! Put them on!" Tilda urged and Heidi did so, she wondered if it would ever stop feeling this overwhelming. Every shape, every colour suddenly had even more definition and importance, a whole new dimension was added to the painting that was Heidi's life. However her school looked just as grey as before which came as sort of a disappointment but not an entirely unexpected one. She looked around at the street and houses for a minute, grey it was, but not only in a bad way. Her dimples showed, her cheeks burned, perhaps they would implode with all this smiling. Heidi slowly faced Alexander. He had a birthmark she had never seen, his curls twisted and turned wonderfully, in a way, it was like they had not existed until now. His teeth were crooked, which she hadn't really noticed before. His eyes were filled with so little dots and shapes.
"Hello," She said. Alexander smiled, seeing her pupils narrow and widen more than they ever had before. The two humans chuckled and then she turned to Tilda. Heidi's world froze, and I am not exaggerating. Her breath was taken away. Heidi's imagination could never have conjured someone so beautiful. Her round and slightly rosy cheeks, and those eyes. Dark, deep wooden brown but yet so detailed, shimmering in the sun.
I watched as my human's cheeks turned red, and as she found herself all flustered by a sudden strange and unfamiliar but yet wonderful feeling,
and let me tell you
It was a sight for sore eyes.