I'm a Profiteer in Cold War Germany

Chapter 214: Chapter 124: Farewell Kiss

"I understand."

"Last time it was Anna, and you nearly got yourself dragged down with her." Von Brown’s voice turned cold. "This time it’s Eva. I don’t want there to be a next time. You need to remember, you serve the socialist cause, not your mistresses."

"I understand."

"I’m not lecturing you." Von Brown stubbed out his cigarette. "I’m reminding you. The things you’re doing are getting bigger and bigger, and more and more people have their eyes on you. Over on Master’s side, they’re constantly looking for leverage against you. Understand?"

"Understood."

"So this is the last time." Von Brown picked up the stamp on his desk and stamped Eva’s application file. "Send this Eva away, then focus on your work. The next time you come to me to approve an exit application for a woman..."

He looked up, his gaze icy. "I won’t be so accommodating again."

"There won’t be a next time." Werner stood up and took the file. "Thank you, Comrade Von Brown."

"One more thing," Von Brown said suddenly as he turned to leave. "I’ll look at Greta Weber’s file. If she’s not as reliable as you say..."

"She’s reliable," Werner said with conviction.

"She’d better be." Von Brown waved his hand. "Get out."

Walking out of the Stasi Building, the winter wind hit Werner’s face, cutting his skin like a knife. He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, letting the nicotine rush suppress the unease in his heart.

’Von Brown was right—this was the last time.’

***************

On December 23rd, all the paperwork was finally in order. When Werner received the final stamped approval document, he let out a long sigh of relief.

He went to the foreign trade shop to find Eva, but was told she had taken the day off.

Werner went straight to her apartment.

It was already evening when he knocked. The lightbulb in the hallway flickered with a dim, yellow glow. Eva froze for a second when she opened the door.

"Werner? What’s wrong?"

"The papers are ready." Werner held up the manila envelope in his hand. "On December 28th, you can take Hans across the border."

Eva covered her mouth. Her eyes instantly reddened.

"Really... Are they really ready?"

"Yes."

Eva suddenly threw herself into his arms, her shoulders shaking violently. Werner stood in the doorway, a bit stiffly raising his hand to gently pat her back.

"Don’t cry," he said in a low voice. "The neighbors will talk."

Eva looked up, her face covered in tear tracks. "Come in and sit down. It’s too cold outside."

The apartment was small, just one bedroom and a living room. The living room held a worn-out sofa and a small dining table. Taped to the walls were drawings by Hans—childish depictions of trains and houses. The scent of stew wafted from the kitchen.

"Hans is at a friend’s house." Eva wiped her tears and went to the kitchen to pour two glasses of water. "Have a seat."

Werner sat on the sofa and placed the envelope on the coffee table. "This is all the paperwork you’ll need. At nine in the morning on the twenty-eighth, go to the Friedrichstrasse checkpoint. Someone will meet you there."

"Who?"

"Mathias Bauer." Werner lit a cigarette. "He’s the captain of that checkpoint now. He’ll make sure you get through smoothly."

Eva sat down next to him, her hands clasped tightly together. "Werner, these papers... they must have cost a lot of money, right?"

"Not too much."

"Don’t lie to me," Eva said, looking at him. "I know how hard it is to get these papers."

Werner didn’t speak, just smoked his cigarette.

"How can I ever repay you?" Eva’s voice was soft.

"You don’t have to." Werner flicked the ash from his cigarette. "You worked for me at the foreign trade shop for so long. Consider this payment."

"Payment?" Eva gave a bitter smile. "Werner, you might be able to fool others, but you can’t fool me. What you’ve done for me... goes far beyond the scope of a business partnership."

Werner turned his head to look at her. Eva’s eyes shone in the dim light.

"You want to hear the truth?"

"Yes."

"Because you deserve it," Werner said calmly. "You’re a good mother, and Hans is a good kid. You two don’t deserve to be trapped here."

Eva’s tears started falling again. She suddenly grabbed Werner’s hand. "Come with me."

Werner froze.

"Come with me to West Germany." Eva tightened her grip, her nails practically digging into his skin. "Werner, what you’re doing here... sooner or later, it’s going to cause problems. The Stasi, Von Brown, your rivals on the Black Market... you could be arrested at any moment. Why not leave while you still can?"

"I can’t leave."

"Why?"

"Because this is my battlefield." Werner looked into her eyes. "Eva, I’ve built everything here..."

"You’ll die." Eva’s voice was trembling. "Werner, you’re playing with fire. Von Brown isn’t a fool, and Vonke isn’t a fool either. Sooner or later, they’ll find out what you’re doing. And when that happens—"

"I’ll have a way to deal with it when the time comes." Werner pulled his hand back and stubbed out his cigarette. "Eva, I’m no saint. I’m not doing these things for some grand ideal. But I don’t want to run away, either."

"Then what do you want?"

Werner was silent for a long time.

"I want... control," he finally said. "Control over my own destiny, control over the rules of this game. In East Germany, in West Germany, anywhere. I want to be the one who makes the rules, not a pawn moved by them."

Eva looked at him, her gaze filled with sadness, but also a complex understanding.

"You won’t change your mind?"

"No."

Eva nodded, stood up, and walked to the window. Outside was a gray, hazy night scene, with the distant television tower flashing its red lights.

"Then... come for dinner tomorrow night," she said, her back to Werner. "Hans has been wanting to see you. He wants to thank you in person."

"Alright."

*****************

On the evening of December 24th, Werner appeared at the door of Eva’s apartment right on time. He brought a box of West German chocolates and a toy train.

"Uncle Werner!" Hans jumped up excitedly when he opened the door. "Mom said you’re going to send us to West Germany!"

"That’s right." Werner handed him the toy. "Do you like trains?"

"I love them!" Hans took the toy, his eyes lighting up. "Thank you, Uncle!"

"Go wash your hands. It’s time for dinner," Eva said, poking her head out of the kitchen with a smile on her face.

Dinner was simple—boiled potatoes, sauerkraut with stewed pork, and a small plate of dark bread. But Eva had clearly put her heart into it; the potatoes were cooked just right, and the meat was stewed until it was tender.

"Mom says there’s lots of yummy food in West Germany," Hans said as he ate. "There’s chocolate, and bananas, and Coca-Cola!"

"Yes." Werner cut into his potato. "Once you’re over there, you can eat whatever you want."

"Then why aren’t you going?" Hans asked, tilting his head.

Werner paused for a moment, glancing at Eva. Eva kept her head down, focused on cutting the meat on her plate.

"Because I still have a lot of work to do," Werner said. "When I get a chance in the future, I’ll come to West Germany to visit you."

"Really?"

"Really."

After dinner, Eva had Hans go to his room to play with his toys. She and Werner sat in the living room with two cups of coffee on the table.

"Tomorrow is Christmas," Eva said, looking out the window. "It must be very lively over in West Germany, right?"

"I suppose so." Werner took a sip of his coffee. "Christmas markets, colored lights, music... they have all the things you’d expect."

"The last time I really celebrated Christmas was when Hans’s father was still around." Eva’s voice was very soft. "We were still living on Karl Marx Street back then. He brought a small pine tree home from the factory, and we cut decorations out of newspaper..."

She paused, then smiled. "Thinking about it now, we were poor back then, but we were truly happy."

Werner didn’t say anything, just listened quietly.

"Werner," Eva said, suddenly turning to look at him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Why... are you so good to me?"

Werner held his coffee cup, staring at the dark brown liquid inside. He had asked himself this question many times but had never found a satisfactory answer.

"Maybe because..." he said slowly, "you remind me of something."

"Of what?"

"A possibility," Werner said, putting down his cup. "A different kind of life. One without living in constant fear, without dealing with the Stasi, without dancing on a knife’s edge."

Eva looked at him, an unreadable emotion in her eyes.

"But you chose to keep dancing."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because there’s no turning back for me now." Werner lit a cigarette. "Eva, the things I’m doing... I can’t just stop whenever I want. Too many people rely on my channels, and too many people have something on me."

"So you have to stay."

"So I must stay." Werner exhaled a puff of smoke. "And to be honest... I haven’t had my fill of the game yet."

Eva smiled, but there was a sadness in it. "You really are a madman."

"Maybe."

The two of them were silent for a moment. The sound of Hans playing with his toy train came from his room, his imitations of the train whistle mixing with his laughter.

"Werner," Eva said, suddenly standing up and walking over to him. "I want you to know..."

She paused and took a deep breath.

"I love you."

Werner stiffened.

"I can’t say exactly when it started." Eva’s eyes reddened again. "Maybe it was the first time you helped me out of a bind, or when you took me to try on a wedding dress, or when you saved me at the Berlin Wall, or maybe... it’s the indescribable tenderness in your eyes every time you look at Hans."

"Eva—"

"Let me finish," Eva interrupted. "I know you don’t love me. Or rather, you don’t allow yourself to love anyone. Because love is a weakness, one that would make you lose this game. But... I want you to know that I love you."

When she finished, she lowered her head and wiped away her tears.

Werner sat on the sofa, looking at the woman before him.

Her hair was a little messy, her face pale from long-term malnutrition.

But in that moment, she was so beautiful he couldn’t look away.

He stood up and walked over to her.

"Eva."

She looked up.

Werner reached out and gently wiped the tear tracks from her face.

Then he leaned down and kissed her.

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