The rainbow never sets

"Go with Klärchen, Dieter, she will put you to bed," said Vater, "you are far too tired. Too many late nights are no good for you. Or have you been eating too many sweets?"

I knew subconsciously then, that I could not cope with this 'special' treatment on my birthday, for I usually came 'second', after Günter, and I was not used to being first. But then I was just far too tired, so I just cried and cried, until I was tucked in by Klärchen. She seemed to understand me.

The Christmas tree stayed well into the New Year. Our new toys, together with our most favourite old ones, were able to stay in the 'Christmas room'. Vater, too, was able to spend more time with us.

*

The thought of Vater brought me back from my dreaming. I stopped the rocking horse and went downstairs. During the weeks after Christmas, Vater read to us from one of the books we had received. It's title was: "Soll und Haben" (Debtors and Creditors). It dealt with a family, not unlike our own, which had land property and other businesses. The head of the family got into financial difficulties, some of his own making, others were beyond his control. There was a lot of intrigue and wheeling and dealing, of mortgages and failures. It was a fascinating book, and as Vater read it to us we could always ask when we didn't quite understand. I've learnt from it a great deal of business terminology and concepts, and it probably influenced my thinking about business practices more than I knew then. The fear of ever going broke and loosing our home and property as a result of mismanagement stayed always with me. As we were able to discuss these things, Vater taught me his business attitudes and ethics, which I adopted unconsciously.

Only too soon, our lovely Christmas holidays were over. On Monday, 6 January 1941 we had to be back in Posen. But there was one special event, which Günter and I could look forward to: The Hunt on the Friday of that week. Vater had written a letter to our school principal, asking to give us the day off. When that was granted, we went home early on Thursday afternoon.

Günter was up early on Friday morning. The hunt was to start at 9 am. We both had a shot gun, and this year we were allowed to go as hunters for the first time. After breakfast, Günter went outside, with his coat on, but no gloves.

"Why are you standing there and getting cold?" I wanted to know. He pointed to his head and said: "I'm not stupid, you know. Once my fingers are all cold, I'll go inside and get them warm again. After that, I can use them for shooting, and they won't get cold again."

"I thought of putting these gloves on, but maybe you are right, it's not

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