Paris Blues

Paris

Paris, 1941

I walked down the usually lively street that was now dead silent. There usually would be vendors selling second-hand designer clothes, children would be playing on the roads. Their innocent laughs would fill my ears and jazz musicians would be entertaining crowds on the side of the road. But now it was all gone. No vendors, no children and no musicians just silence. It was the Nazis, that hateful man Hitler had ruined everything. I had left the United States because I wanted to be accepted in society and for a while I was.

The French's forward-thinking allowed me opportunities I would never dream of back home. I even found love, my Henry was the perfect gentleman. He came from a prominent French family, I never knew coloreds could attain that much success but in France it was possible. But they took that from me when the war broke out he had to be deployed in Africa. He often wrote me letters telling me about how beautiful Algeria was but I knew he was not enjoying himself, the war was taking a toll on me and I was not even on the battlefield like he was. I finally reached the tiny book store. When the Nazis took over the education system was changed entirely, everything had to be pro-German and Aryan, I was not Aryan. I went from teaching at a private school earning a good salary to teaching in a room with no windows or doors.

Herr Himler had decided that n***o children didn't need any education as he deemed them inferior. My friends and I took it upon ourselves to teach them if the Nazis weren't going too. They didn't have a problem with it as long as we were not teaching anti-German or pro-French sentiments.

I walked into the small store and immediately went to browse the English Literature section. We were low on supplies and I often had to use my own money. The parents tried paying fees to help out but times were tough and everyone was scraping by. Though I still earned a small salary from tutoring children from wealthy families. I finally found the book Shakespeare's Hamlet I was not sure if we allowed to teach Shakespeare but it was on the bookshelf so I figured so. I took it out and went to the counter where a middle-aged man stood.

"Hello, sir". I said in English, I could speak French but the Nazis had forbidden it. They deployed soldiers everywhere and they wanted them to understand what we were saying just to make sure we were not planning anything.

"Hello, Miss". He said in his thick Parisian accent. I put the book on the counter.

"Thirty cents". He said and I took out the money and paid.

"Would you like a bag". He asked taking out a paper bag.

"No thank you. Have a good day sir". I said turning around to walk away.

"Good day miss". I heard him say. I walked out of the store feeling the February breeze hit my face. I slipped the book into my coat and walked down the sidewalk. The snow was starting to pick up and I looked down to protect myself. I could not see in front of me and I collided into something or someone. I fell on my behind and the book fell from my coat. My gaze went up to see what or whom I collided with. My breath halted when I saw the person. He was dressed in the Nazi uniform, his body posture was straight and his blue eyes had an intense gaze on me.

"Miss". He said in a strong German accent.

"Oh, I'm so so sorry". I said scrambling up to my feet my heart felt like it was going rip out of my chest. I had bumped into a Nazi soldier. They already didn't like my kind, he could use this as an excuse to get rid of me permanently. People were already disappearing and whispers on the street claimed the Nazis were responsible.

"I'm sorry sir. I didn't see you standing there. I'm such an i***t I apologize, are you hurt". I said reaching out to touch him before I had second thoughts. He could strangle me in the middle of the road and no one would care.

"I'm okay". He said and I nodded.

"Well good day sir". I said and he nodded I turned around and began walking away.

"Miss". His deep voice stopped me. I froze in fear, maybe he had changed his mind, maybe he was going to kill me there. I turned around and faced him.

"Your book". He said thrusting his hand out to offer me the book and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you". I said reaching out to take the book.

"Good day sir". I said.

"Good day Miss". He tipped his army hat at me and I turned around walking back to my apartment. A Nazi should not be that nice to a n***o. I thought to myself as I crossed the road heading to my small lonely apartment.