The guard motioned towards Gabi.
“Wait here,” she said before scurrying off back down the corridor. Sometime later, she reappeared with a uniformed man, papers in hand.
“You’re Gabriel Richter?” The man looked down at the document in his hand and frowned.
“Yes,” said Gabi.
He glared at the agitated woman with curly red hair. The guard sniggered and was immediately ordered to return to his post.
The officer was Captain Wilhelm Bauer. He was a short, stocky man in his forties. As one of the chief engineering staff, he held a prominent position at the academy. He studied the papers. “You want to be an engineer?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you father is General Max Richter?”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Bauer pondered for a moment, licking his lower lip vigorously. “It’s late—we will deal with this tomorrow.”
Gabi was shown to a room in a dormitory nearby. It was sparsely furnished with just a bed, wash basin and chair.
“The toilet facilities are down the hall on the left,” he said before bidding Gabi goodnight and closing the door behind him.
Gabi sat on the bed and scanned the dull, uninviting room. Perhaps this had not been a good idea after all. Her stomach grumbled; she’d had no appetite all day and had therefore eaten nothing since breakfast, but now she could feel the hollow curvature of her empty belly and was sure this was the source of her disheartened mood.
She opened the side pocket of her knapsack and as expected found a few treats: biscuits, a bag of walnuts, an apple and a small bottle of cider and, after eating all that Chef had thoughtfully packed, she settled herself into a strange bed and sank into a dreamless sleep.
The next morning, Gabi rose early. The sun was also awake and life was stirring outside. She washed, dressed and found her way back into the main building, where she wandered down the corridor to the reception area. The woman who had greeted her so coldly the night before had thawed overnight; her voice was warm and mellow.
“My name is Frau Klop, and I am the head secretary and administrator of the academy.” She placed her elbows on the counter and leaned in closer to Gabi. “How did you sleep, dear?”
“Like a baby, thank you.”
“Captain Bauer would like to see you after breakfast. It’s served down this hall, second door to the right,” she said.
Gabi thanked Frau Klop again and continued down the hall where young cadets walked briskly up and down on missions of their own, and Gabi found herself dodging between them like a fish swimming against a current. She entered the rowdy dining room and a hush fell as every face turned and stared. She walked to the servery, burying her hands deep into her pockets and ignoring the awkward stares and whispers. A wolf whistle broke the tension; Gabi’s lips curled and she blushed. A young man with protruding ears made the first move.
“I’m Josef. Who are you?” he asked.
“Gabi Richter. I’m here to study aeronautical engineering in case you’re wondering.”
“Mmmm. I didn’t think the academy accepted girls.”
“Well, you thought wrong,” she said. She placed a roll, some slices of cured meat and an apple on her tray and walked to one of the long dining tables where she sat and busied herself with her meal.
The young man followed. “Got you a coffee. It’s weak but drinkable,” he said and he slid himself in beside her. “So, you’re really here to be an engineer?”
Feeling her muscles tense, she swallowed and almost choked on the dry bread, quickly slurping her coffee to clear the obstruction. She looked at Josef, who was now standing and saluting at someone.
“Ah, I see you’ve already settled in,” said Captain Bauer.
Gabi remained seated, oblivious to her breach of protocol.
Josef glared down at her. “Get up,” he said through gritted teeth.
She slowly rose from her seat, knowing something was amiss but not entirely sure what.
The captain scoffed aloud. “You should know better. You clearly have much to learn about military life. Come.”
She followed him into the corridor and out of the building where they made their way across a quadrangle to a bungalow. It was a modest structure, barely large enough to accommodate the twenty desks and blackboard that filled the space.
“Sit.”
Gabi sank into one of the desks but even before she had settled in her seat, she felt the full wrath of the captain bearing down.
“How stupid do you think we are? Did you honestly think that you would get away with your little sham?”
“I didn’t…”
“Be quiet. I haven’t finished yet. I’ve already spoken to your father. He was under the impression that we accepted females at this facility. He is disappointed with you.”
Gabi squirmed, her legs jiggling with wayward nerves that would not rest.
“Sit still!” he said. “This is not a holiday camp. We are at war, and this is a military unit. We take our training seriously.” He paused for effect. “Well, what have you to say for yourself?”
Gabi swallowed her humiliation, her ashen face a mask of gravity. “I’m sorry for the deception. I so want to be an engineer and help the Fatherland. But, Captain, would I have been considered if I had been honest about my gender?”
The captain flinched, her directness catching him off-guard.
“Well possibly, but that’s not the point.” He walked over to the window and ran his finger along the pane, gathering dust in a small heap that he sprinkled onto the floor. He turned to Gabi and his shoulders fell. “Look, I’ll have a word with the school board; perhaps we can make an exception. I’m not promising anything, though.”
Gabi flashed a row of teeth at the captain. “Thank you.”
“It’s Captain Bauer to you.”
“Yes sir—I mean, Captain Bauer.”
December 1939
Gabi’s father did not visit her as planned. War was a demanding business and the general spent all of his time in Berlin or out in the field. The board agreed that Gabi could study engineering on a trial basis until January when her performance would be reviewed. Special accommodation in a vacant dormitory was organized, and she was fitted with a uniform and overalls.
Assigned her semester subjects and timetable, Gabi settled into the first lesson of the day—mathematics. She made her way to the lecture theatre, taking a seat at the back of the room, self-conscious eyes fixed on the door as she sat waiting for the rest of the class to arrive. In a moment of panic that she may have misread her timetable, Gabi rummaged through a pile of journals to check her diary but was interrupted by a huddle of students pouring through the door, chatting loudly, oblivious to her presence. Only Josef noticed her in the far corner. He broke away from the pack, taking the quickest route and climbing over the rows of seats to a place beside Gabi. She watched him slip and land heavily on the floor.
“Are you all right?”
Josef pulled himself into the seat, his face and neck dappled red. “I’m good. No broken bones,” he said.
Gabi looked away to hide her face; she could feel the start of a giggle and did not want to embarrass him further.
They sat in awkward silence watching the room fill, wanting to talk but unsure how best to start. Gabi fanned through her tutorial book, reviewing pages arbitrarily and rereading sections as if she cared.
A voice whispered covertly from the side. “Are you any good at mathematics?”
She closed her book and turned to Josef, relieved that they had found something to talk about. “Not bad. Why?”
“I’m hopeless; algebra, calculus, it’s all Greek to me.”
Gabi smirked at this frank, inept young man, relieved that she had found someone that she liked. “How did you pass the entrance exam?”