At the age of seven, they played by the large oak tree, and ate biscuits coated with jam and cream. One day, as they frolicked in the warm summer sun, they found a large hole dug in the ground by the Stiefels’ home. Moritz grinned and tugged at Martha’s hand.
“Come on, Mar. Let’s pretend it’s a door to another world, and we’ll have a grand adventure!”
Martha fidgeted nervously, tugging at the hem of her dress.
“Do you remember the creatures that jabbed at Alice when she entered the other world?” she asked, her eyes wide. “What if we’re so large we don’t fit, or so small we can’t find our way out?” she asked earnestly.
“I’ll just go in for a bit,” Moritz replied, grinning. “Maybe I’ll have tea with a Duchess! Or play croquet!” he laughed as he leapt into the hole.
As he was sent hurtling towards the bottom of the deep pit, he cried out for fear of the darkness and depth.
“Moritz?” Martha cried as she peered down the hole. She could no longer see him – she was thoroughly terrified. With tears streaming down her face, she bolted towards the house, shrieking, “Fraulein Stiefel! Fraulein Stiefel!”
Moritz was tugged out of the hole. His mother pressed a clean, white handkerchief to his scraped knee; she wiped away the tears and mud which stained his cheeks. She pressed a gentle kiss to Moritz’s forehead and smoothed his hair back gently.
“I’ll get both of you some iced lemonade,” she said, smiling.
As she walked away, Martha turned on Moritz, sniffling slightly.
“Moritz, you must promise me you’ll never do anything so stupid again.”
“I promise, Martha,” he replied solemnly, taking her hand in his.
//
She bowed her head as she dropped a white lily into the open grave. Was he in heaven now? Was he an angel, looking down upon all of them? The boys and girls walked in a single file, allowing the gentle breeze to lift the white flowers as they tumbled gently onto the marble coffin. She sighed; she shook her head as she lifted her eyes to the unresponsive, still body of Herr Stiefel. Oh, Moritz, she thought, did he really hate you so? Why didn’t you seek out those who loved you? Her hands fell to her sides as she watched the steady fall of dirt into the gaping hole in the ground. A tear trickled down her cheek; she wiped it away harshly, angrily. She recalled the oak tree, the biscuits with cream and jam –
Why, Moritz, why? You promised me, she thought, you promised me.
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