Page 64 of The Watchmaker of Dachau

‘You will leave? But I thought we were friends?’

‘We are.’ Isaac knelt down and took Friedrich’s hands in his. ‘We are friends. And one day, when you are old enough, you will come to my workshop and I will show you how to mend watches, just like me, and we will walk in the fields together and look at the wildflowers, and sit in my garden in the evening.’

‘And we can listen to music – but different music to Father’s,’ Friedrich added.

‘I would have to get myself a gramophone, but yes, we could listen to music.’

Friedrich watched as Isaac stood slowly, holding his thigh as he did, his face a picture of pain. Isaac sat on the bucket, stretching his leg in front of him.

‘It’s nothing,’ Isaac told him. ‘Just my age.’

‘Does it hurt all the time?’

‘Most of the time, yes.’

‘It’s just that, I was thinking… I was thinking about the music and when I was at school, sometimes there was a song on the radio and Otto and I would dance around the room, and it was really fun. I thought you may want to dance to music too?’

‘I cannot dance.’ Isaac shook his head.

‘Because of your leg?’

‘Because I’ve never really tried.’

‘Not even with a lady?’

‘Only once, at my wedding. And I was no good.’

Friedrich thought for a moment, a seed of an idea forming in his brain.

‘Do you think Anna can dance?’ Friedrich asked.

‘I have no idea. I would imagine so – you should ask her,’ Isaac said.

‘She is your friend, isn’t she?’

‘She is.’

‘So do you think she will be mine too? Then when you teach me about watches maybe Anna can come too?’

Isaac looked at his hands and did not speak.

‘Is that not a good idea?’ Friedrich asked.

Isaac looked at him. ‘It is the best idea I have heard for a very long time.’

Friedrich stood. ‘I have something important to do,’ he said. ‘I’ll come back soon.’

‘Where are you going?’ Isaac called after him, as he ran back towards the house.

Friedrich turned and smiled and waved, his plan in motion.

Friedrich knew his father and mother would be out that evening – it was just a matter of dealing with Schmidt. He had done it before and would do it again.

Friedrich found Anna in the kitchen that afternoon, interrupting her as she chopped vegetables for dinner whilst Greta stirred at something on the stove. ‘Anna, can you dance?’

‘Should you be in here?’ Greta warned, looking behind him as if his parents were there.

‘Oh, Greta, Father said can you please go and see him in the study – he has something to say to you about this evening.’