The News Run

This day was going to be no ordinary day because it was World War Two and nothing was normal when there is a war happening all around you. The sound of gunfire echoed in the distance, bodies wrapped in newspaper and debris lined the streets, the smell of smoke filled the air and antisemitism had become mainstream.

My name is Ezra Schultz. I was only eighteen at the time and I was Jewish. I was orphaned when I was sixteen. My parents died of two different illnesses. My father died of a lung infection and my mother died just three days later of a broken heart, and yes, that is a real thing, not just in the movies or in literature.

I sold newspapers on the street corner outside the local corner store, Schultz & Schwartz. My dad had owned the store with his best childhood friend, Isaac Schwartz. I started selling newspapers to pay for the house I once shared with my parents.

This day had started out as any normal day. When I had finished working for the day, I came home only to find I no longer had a home. My house had gone up in flames. I had not seen anything like this since 1938, on the night of broken glass. My house had survived that night, the store had sustained several broken windows, but we were able to replace them within a few months. I felt the tears well up in my eyes. I ran as fast as I could back to the store.

“Hello, Ezra. Back so soon? ”, Isaac said

“I came to tell you I’m homeless. My house has been burned to the ground”, I told Isaac.

“Oh, my. I had no idea. I’m so sorry, Ezra”, Isaac said, apologetically.

“It’s fine, Isaac. You didn’t know”, I said.

“You’re staying here with me tonight”, Isaac said.

“Thank you”, I said.

“You’re welcome”, Isaac said.

The next morning, Isaac and I worked just as normal. During our lunch break, we started plotting our escape.

“Judging by what happened to you last night, Ezra, I think we should leave Berlin”, Isaac said.

“I agree”, I said.

“I know it would be costly and illegal, but I think it’s necessary”, Isaac said.

“How would we afford it?” I asked.

“We could sneak onto a steamship and head for Canada or the United States of America, these countries are involved in the war. However, there are no battles or bombings happening there, on a daily basis. ”, said Isaac. "The ship will head up the Danube and hit the Atlantic Ocean, eventually."

“That’s genius”, I shouted.

“Great. We’ll leave tonight”, Isaac said.

Approximately two hours later, we met at the ship docks. Hundreds of people carrying large suitcases were lined up at steel gates to board the ship, these gates were attended by men wearing shipmates' uniforms. These uniforms were blue with white stipped accents. These men were asking for travellers' tickets and boarding passes.

We sat on a bench near the gates, waiting for the gates to close, as we did not have tickets or boarding passes, we could not get on the ship in the normal way. Once the ship started to move we would hop the fence and run to the dock and then finally, jump onto the ship and hide in storage closets and occasionally sneak into the dining car, for food.

Approximately three hours after boarding began, the ship started to move. The whistle sounded and smoke billowed out of several large smokestacks. We made a run for it. I climbed the fence first and then helped Isaac over. We nearly slipped on the rain-soaked, wooden boat dock. I then picked up Isaac, who was only five foot one and barely 100 pounds soaking wet and jumped onto the closest deck to us, one of the lower decks.

Once aboard the ship, we found a storage closet and decided to call it home. There was nothing in this closet, so no one would probably think to look in this closet for anything. We laid down on the cold, tile floor and fell asleep.

The next morning, we expected to wake up to the smell of sea air coming through open doors and vents. However, that was not the case. We awoke to the sights and sounds of a train car.

"Isaac, how did we get here?", I asked.

"I do not know. I was going to you the same thing.", Isaac replied.

Someone dressed as a conductor walked up the aisle and asked us if we needed anything.

We said no, but asked him how we got here, as the last thing we remember was falling asleep in a storage closet, on a steamship.

"I was on the same ship you were on last night, I was in the same storage closet you were. I just did not say a word," he said. "I noticed we all have the same star of David symbol on our arms."

"How did you get us here?", I asked.

"I picked you up and carried you. My, my, you two are very sound sleepers," he said.

"I was going to flea on the ship just as you were. I cannot take any more of this war. I worked for the train company, before the war and our services have not been needed very much since the war broke out last year. My colleagues and I have organized transport to Switzerland", he said. Switzerland is neutral, there is no war and they refused to get involved in any conflict. You will be safe there.", he said.

"Thank you so much, how much do we owe you for transport?", Isaac and I asked.

"Nothing, we are doing this for free", he said.

"Thank you again, I did not catch your name. I'm Ezra and this is Isaac."

"Oh, sorry, my name is Oskar, Oskar Schmitt."

"How much further to Switzerland?" We will arrive in Zermatt in two to three hours," he said.

The view outside the train was full of mountains, rivers and sheep. We then arrived at a ski lodge in Zermatt. Zermatt is known as a ski resort today and it was like this back then as well.

We entered a large log structure where Oskar informed us that we would be staying until the war was over and then, if we so chose to, we could return to Berlin.

We worked in the vineyards, producing grapes to make wine. We made many types of white, reds and some roses too.

I never did return to Berlin. I still live in Zermatt, in the same lodge. I still run the lodge and average 20,oo0 visitors in a single year.

Oskar got cancer five years ago and died last year. Isaac died the year after we arrived in Zermatt, of natural causes.