One

A friendship forged over sisters

1944

“I've doubted your loyalty since the day I met you.” The sneer showed every bit of hate in Stein's heart as he scowled at Franz. Hate he had never been good at keeping hidden.

“Just shot me and get it over with,” Japhet whispered, his voice cracking. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had water, but there was no longer any moisture in his mouth. “You've taken everything else from me, why not my life?”

“You have no authority to shot him!” Franz exclaimed, interrupting and glaring at both Japhet and Stein. “You weren't given the orders to do so!”

“He's a Jew, I don't need orders!” Stein spat. “You think anyone is going to quibble over the life of one Jew? And besides, who said anything about me shooting him?”

He turned his head and gave Franz a look as cold as ice, before motioning to the pistol holstered at Franz's side.

“Like I said before. I've had questions about which side your loyalty really lies on. I want these questions put to rest. Which will it be, Franz Kappel? Kill your childhood friend, or join him?”

____

1931

They hadn't always been best friends. They hadn't even known each other until they were eight and seven. But when they met, it was one of those instant bonds which their families – at least – knew was going to last a life time.

It happened at church. The Buchanans were Jewish, but also born-again Christians. They didn't go to the local Synagogue every week, but instead attended a nearby church fairly often. That was how they first met the Kappels.

The Kappels had one of those long, boring family histories that Japhet Buchanan had never cared about. Everyone in Germany seemed to have one, his own family included, and after hearing ten such stories he just stopped listening. But, apparently, the Kappel family had been living in Germany for over a hundred years and the recent Kappels had been living outside of Berlin for fifty years, keeping a little shoe shop going.

Japhet didn't care about shoes, and he didn't really care about any of the kids his age who attended the little church every Sunday. That was until his mother went out of her way one Sunday after service to talk to Mrs. Kappel. After that the two women talked after church for a month, then Mrs. Kappel came to tea and Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Kappel began to talk. After that, it was only a matter of time before the two mothers forced their sons into an introductory meeting.

It happened during one of the tea sessions. Mrs. Kappel brought her son over and Mrs. Buchanan told Japhet he should take him out into the backyard to play. Japhet thought the whole thing was stupid. Mothers couldn't just arrange friendships, and he knew Franz Kappel was older than him, so he didn't know why he had to play host. But Japhet wasn't one for arguing with the woman who could send him to his room without supper. He'd obeyed.

Franz wasn't overly impressed with the friendship attempt either and for a while the two boys sat on the woodpile and said nothing. That was until Japhet's older sister thrust her brown head out of her bedroom window and demanded that Japhet return her brush.

“It's your brush,” Japhet retorted back. “Why would I have it?”

She'd yelled at him until she saw Franz, then she had glared and yanked her head back inside. Once she was gone from sight, Franz grinned almost wickedly at Japhet.

“Did you take it?” he'd asked.

There was something in that grin. Some kind of comradely Japhet had never seen before. Unwilling, he had returned the grin.

“Yes.”

The evil grin widened.

“I did that to one of my sisters last week.”

One of. That stuck in Japhet's mind faster than eggs stuck to a hot pan.

“You have more then one sister?” he'd asked.

Franz laughed scornfully.

“I have five older sisters,” he'd muttered.

Japhet felt instant sympathy.

“I am sorry. I have only three older sisters.”

And that was the start of it. Because boys know something mothers might not ever understand. Nothing creates a friendship faster than finding a fellow sufferer in a household of all girls and no boys.

____

1933

School would be starting in a week. It wasn't fair. Franz felt like summer had been a complete failure. He hadn't even figured out how to properly balance a bucket atop a door so that it would fall and drench his sisters. Now, as school loomed closer and closer with each passing second, Franz was doing nothing but laying out in a field with Japhet, watching clouds pass overhead.

“Do you ever feel like you are failing at life?” Franz asked when the silence became too much and grated on his nerves.

Japhet turned his head and squinted, the look he always got when he was thinking too hard.

“No, not really. Why do you ask?”

Franz shrugged, not the easiest thing to do considering his sprawled out position.

“Summer will be over in a week and I haven't really done anything to make my sisters' lives miserable. Nothing they will remember for the rest of their lives. And they have done plenty to me. Kirsten keeps bringing her boyfriend over-”

Wrinkling his nose, Japhet cast Franz the look of pity he was hoping for.

“She's still with him? The one who smells like he uses a whole bottle of cologne?”

“Yes.” Franz nodded, grass poking him in the head. “The house smells like him now, even when he hasn't been there for a day.”

“Do you want to come over for a sleepover? I'd let you move in, but Hadi isn't much better in her choice of boyfriends and I don't think it would be a big improvement.”

Franz couldn't argue. Hadi, who's full name was Hadassah, was Japhet's middle sister. She had been courting a blond haired young man for the past year – a young man who had a horrible habit of biting his nails and pacing the floor for no reason. After being around him for five minutes, Franz always felt like he as going to have a nervous breakdown.

“I'll take you up on the sleepover – we can do it the last day of summer, then we can go to school together. But you're right, moving in wouldn't solve my problems.”

Japhet sat up. Dried grass stuck in his black hair and clung to the collar of his shirt.

“What would solve them then?” he asked, excitement shimmering in his dark brown eyes.

“Something-” Franz let his voice trail off as he tried to think of the perfect something.

“Something to make sure your sisters don't forget this summer?” Japhet finished for him.

Franz nodded, sitting up as well and leaning back on his hands.

“Well, what are we going to do to them?”

A smile touched Franz's lips. We. Just like that. Japhet had no idea what was going on, but he was already involved. Times like this Franz found it hard to believe he had only know Japhet for two years. It felt like his friend had always been there, at his side, the little brother he should have had if he hadn't been “blessed” with nothing but sisters.

“Something horrible.”

Japhet rolled his eyes. “I assumed that. We wouldn't be plotting if it was something nice.”

Running his hands through his blond hair, Franz suddenly sat up straighter as inspiration hit.

“Your parents' anniversary!”

“What?” Japhet looked satisfyingly baffled.

“In three days, or did you forget?”

“Of course I didn't forget!” Japhet tried to look indignant. “Your parents are taking them out to dinner to celebrate. All of our sisters are having a – make over.” Japhet wrinkled his nose and Franz grinned.

“Make over, exactly. You saw what they looked like the last time that happened.”

“They put mud on their faces. And-” Japhet actually shuddered. “Cucumbers on their eyes. They looked like something from outer-space.”

“Exactly.” Franz rubbed his hands together.

“I still don't get it,” Japhet muttered.

 Franz sighed in exasperation. “All of the girls will be over at my house, Japhet. Have you forgotten already? Our parents said they could have my house to themselves and you and I could spend the evening at your house.”

“I told you, I didn't forget. I am just waiting for you to tell me what you are planning.” Japhet glared at him and Franz returned it, then explained his plan.

“They might get lonely, all alone in my big house. You know how it creaks, especially at night.”

“You told me there was a ghost living in the attic the first time I slept over. I didn't sleep the whole night.”

Franz grinned and went on as if Japhet hadn't interrupted him. “I think, as their brothers, it wouldn't be right for us to leave them there – alone – unprotected.”

Japhet was getting impatient. He yanked grass out of the ground and pulled it apart. Franz knew from experience that if he didn't hurry and tell his plan Japhet would tackle him and try and shove him down the hill. (He wouldn't be able to succeed, he was much smaller than Franz, but he would attempt it. And Franz would likely get grass stains on his pants again and his mom would make him wash his own clothes. Again.)

“We need to call Hardy and Ross, to see if they will stop by and make sure our sisters are all right.”

Finally, the plan was sinking into Japhet's mind. Franz smiled in satisfaction as his friend's eyes lit up.

Hardy and Ross were Kirsten and Hadi's boyfriends. And if either thought their girlfriends were in trouble nothing would stop them from saving them. They would rush over to the Kappel house at night without hesitation – never knowing they would be greeted by their girls wearing mud on their faces, dressed in oversized slippers and wearing robes. Likely caught in the middle of planning weddings or talking about the newest dress styles – or whatever else girls did when left alone in a big house.

“How will we get Ross and Hardy to go over?” Japhet asked.

“Easy. We tell them about the ghost in the attic.”