The rainbow never sets

"Oh, you don't know yet!? Yes, I had the okay yesterday, but there was no way to let you know. I'm pleased to see you. I thought you might have gone back to the factory last night."

"I was too tired. I don't want to go there, ever." "Poor chap. But I must say, you have courage. What if I had not been able to secure your release?"

"Couldn't bear the thought. They threatened us with Siberia." "Really!" His mind seemed to wander, as he walked slowly to the window. "Siberia," he repeated, as if in a trance.

I stood up and left quietly. This encounter with raw Russian power did not enhance my feelings towards them. I resolved there and then to resist this power, wherever I would come across it and if at all possible.

I did not think that an opportunity to follow my resolve would knock at my door so soon. One afternoon, when I had just come back from school, Vater was standing in the yard near the horse stables. A car pulled up. As we hardly ever saw cars, I was curious and looked out of the window to see who could have come to visit us in a car. I saw two Russians soldiers arguing with Vater, and trying to get him to come into the car with them.

Like a wind I flew down the stairs and opened the front door, just as one soldier was pulling Vater at the sleeve towards their car. I grabbed Vater's free arm and pulled him the two meters towards our front door. He was able to shake himself free from the Russian's grip, as my sudden appearance must have surprised him. Once inside, I shut and bolted the front door, still puffing and panting, and waited to see what they would do. We could hear them swearing outside, but after what seemed to us a long time, we heard the motor of their car starting. They left.

"What on earth did they want from you?" "I have no idea. All I know is that they wanted me in their car, and I didn't want to go with them. Thanks for rescuing me."

"I was terrified. Once in their hands, there would be no bounds where they could have taken you. Your life was in real danger."

I had another encounter with a Russian soldier. I walked to Quenstedt, to catch my usual train. At the station I was told that all trains had been cancelled for the day. If I wanted to go to school, I would have to walk the 7 km to Halberstadt. I felt that I could not afford to miss school, so I set out on my own. Not long after I had left the station, I heard a bicycle coming from behind. A Russian soldier was trying hard to stay on top of the bike as he was pedalling. On first sight I thought he was drunk, but then I realised that he couldn't ride a bike properly. He probably had never even seen a bike before in his life. He was wobbling from one side of the road to the other, falling off several times in the process. When he reached me he stopped and called out: "Uri, Uri!"

At first I didn't know what he meant, and I looked blank. Then he

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