CHAPTER 3 - THE NIGHT FLIGHT
1248 Words
East Germany, 1980
‘Stop...!!!, Over there, open fire...!’ the soldier shouted. ‘Bang! bang! bang!’
The soldiers mercilessly killed anyone who tried to escaped. Countless people lost their lives in front of the Berlin Wall. This wall was also called the “wailing wall”. Then Germans opted to go on boats to cross the sea. They attempted to escaped in various ways, risking their lives just to escaped. But most of them failed.
However, for fifteen-year-old Klaus and his nine-year old sister didn’t lose hope. After their father, a German General was assassinated, these two kids were thinking of a way to escape together.
Klaus silently stared at his nine year old sister sleeping soundly on her paintings at the table. They where flowers, animals, mountains, children at play, so many paintings.
He smiled while wiping off some saliva on her pouting lips.
‘Atasha, baby… Tasha… wake up…eat this bread, and drink this water.’ He softly woke her sister.
Klaus woke his sister to feed her some food. It’s been 3 days on hiding, little Klaus just received the news that their father was killed in the camp and he immediately pack a few things and ran off with his sister.
Little Atasha slowly opened her eyes. She got confused for a moment, yawned and wiping off some dirt on her eyes. ‘What do we have brother?’ She her turquoise eyes asked innocently.
‘Bread and milk for us to survive for a few days, Tasha’ Klaus knew what her sister was thinking. She knew that Klaus work so hard by getting this food.
‘Don’t worry, big brother will never let my baby go on hunger, okay?’ Klaus comforted her sister as he turned around to avoid letting his sister saw him wiping his tears. He silently vowed to looked for his father’s murderer.
‘Brother, did you hear? Alec’s father got killed while crossing over the wall.’ Atasha said, almost whispering while munching the bread.
Klaus, stared at his sisters’ dirty face.
‘Where did you hear that?… We need to find a way to escaped, Tasha. I promise you.’ His voiced cracked, as he tried to make it sound so convincing.
‘But they said, everyone who tries to escape gets killed or dies, brother. How can we possibly do it?’ Atasha softly answered his brother.
‘If… only we could fly or something…I don’t know...just…’ she chuckled, showing her crooked front teeth. Her eyes shone with excitement.
‘Yes! That’s it, Atasha, you’re brilliant!’ Klaus clapped his hands, and plans of thoughts came flooding to in his head. ‘We could fly over the border. Right. That’s it.!’ He muttered and he’s looking for a stone to scribbled his plans in the wall.
Days, and weeks passed as Klaus tirelessly asking for ideas and help from other older men in their hideout for his plan using a “Hot Air Balloon”. They could all ride in it together. Since it wasn’t noisy, they probably wouldn’t get caught. There was also a low chance of getting spotted by radar.
The problem was avoiding the Soldiers, the Stasi. They were the secret police run by the East Germany’s government. And there were tasked to have their full eyes on all the citizens, may it be old or young. They bugged people’s homes, and made ordinary citizens work for this organization, by keeping an eye on those around them. With little Klaus ideas on hot air balloon, made it in secret with the two older men, Stefan and Hans. They deciding to just do it by themselves, and tried their best to stay out of the Stasi’s sight.
Very soon, they knew that they’d get suspected if they bought materials, so they made lots of different alibi’s every time they. Will purchase the materials needed for the hot air balloon. So, they bought, bit by bit and from various stores. Then they sewed the clothes together in every different time of the day to avoid suspicions. It took them three months to finish the sewing of the clothes for the balloon. In addition, they also put poles on the steel floor and made a gondola by tying a clothesline around it. They even made a burner for the hot air balloon. After eight long months, they finally created a hot air balloon…that was 30m long and 20m wide.
On a windy day in September 1980, young Klaus and Atasha, together with Stefan and Hans’ family, they attempted to escape. They went to a secluded forest in Heinisch…which was 15 km away from the border. They spread out the hot air balloon and turned on the burner. They were so ready to take off. However, the balloon won’t go up! the hot air balloon wouldn’t float. The clothes they used was made of cotton, and all the air seeped out causing the balloon not to inflate. In the end they have no choice but to return home and work on it again.
After nine long months, a new hot air balloon was made of waterproof materials.
‘Brother, look! The balloon is inflating!’ little Atasha was beaming with joy. ‘it’s floating brother, you made it.’ she continued clapping her hands while gazing at the hot air balloon. There was so much happiness in her eyes.
‘We made it. Yes!’ Stefan and Hans hugged and patted each other’s back with excitement.
The hot air balloon rose to the air very quickly. It rose almost 2,000 km above the guard but 30 minutes later, the burner turned off.
‘Hans, reignite them!’ Stefan shouted as they are holding on to the rails to avoid themselves from falling. Children’s mouths were being covered by their mothers’ hand for them not to shout. For they know that if they will make noises soldiers will be alarmed, and that would be the end of them.
‘I think we’re crushing, hold on tight everyone!’ Stefan announced as he kept his voice firm from shaking. The balloon plunged to the ground and they crossed the border of East Germany and they are now on the West Germany. Luckily, none of them were injured.
‘Is everyone okay? anybody hurt?’ young Klaus kept asking when he opened his eyes.
‘Tasha? Atasha, where are you?’ Klaus begin to panicked when he noticed his sister wasn’t on his side. ‘Have anyone seen Atasha?’ his voiced begun to cracked as none of them gave them an answer. They searched the area for several days now, but they couldn’t find the little girl.
‘Atasha, Atasha, where are you?’ Klaus kept on calling her sister’s name.
‘Klaus, hey buddy, I saw these paintings on beside the riverbanks. Good thing it wasn’t wet.’ Hans, handed the piles of paintings in his hands. Tears welled up as he silently folded the papers that he was very familiar with.
‘Father, forgive me, how will I go on without my little sister?’ He silently sobbed, hugging his knees and kissing his little sister’s paintings.
‘Hey Buddy, let’s move on. Come on Klaus, we are not leaving you.’ Stefan helped him in his knees.
‘Atasha, I will find you; baby forgive me. I love you so much. Wait for me my love.’ Klaus uttered his promise at the moonlight, with a heavy heart turned his back on the forest and went on his way.
- Writer
