Almost a week later, Gebele sent his last letter to Sabine. I don’t know if there had been other letters in between or if she replied to his last one. But apparently they had managed to meet up.
Meine liebe kleine Sabine! Kleiner Sonnenschein!
A parting for both of us and certainly hard enough for me, but, at least I am at peace somewhat by knowing something of your complaint against me. Seelchen, I have told you the facts personally and on this basis I have no bad conscience. I have no mercy for schemers like Lisa and tricksters of that kind. If you choose to believe her comments rather than the solemn promises I have made to you, then I can only be saddened to the depths of my soul...
I give you my sacred word of honor—I don’t think I overuse this term—when I reiterate by the lives of my mother and my dead child that I have never had anything to do with this female intriguer, not least and most especially because she is only seventeen. Is my word not enough for you? [...]
I have never been a villain or a cheat at any stage of my life. In this present case I regret only my good nature, which doesn’t amount to much more than carelessness. But I take some comfort from my clear conscience and from what I must deduce from your behavior, namely that you really love me. That after all is worth more than the whole world to me and I am grateful to you, Seelchen, for it from the bottom of my heart. You will be rewarded for it constantly in the future and this I promise you on the death of my child and my mother.
I love you, Seelchen, and no other, more deeply than you can ever guess. Rest assured you can and may trust your big dear boy, who knows that trust is to be valued and respected. You may safely believe me that this situation renews the seal on my sacred pledge to you to visit you in your homeland as soon as we are free. For the moment I wish you on the occasion of your journey a speedy reunion with one thousand passionate kisses and with my best and heartfelt wishes.
Your big dear boy, Franz
Something had obviously happened to give Sabine a chance to create some distance between them.
A certain Lisa had been telling her things about Gebele that didn’t tally with his own story. Perhaps she had had a relationship with Gebele or he had offered her food in return for sex, or perhaps even forced her to have sex with him. Whatever it was, Sabine no longer trusted Gebele. She would probably have had her suspicions regarding his good intentions and the tall stories he told about himself from the beginning. No doubt he saved not only Sabine’s life, but also that of Dr. Steijns and perhaps Hetty’s and possibly others, but it is doubtful if he really was the Good Samaritan he made himself out to be in his letters to her.
Luckily, this upset did not affect her chances of an evacuation. This would be her last week in Mauthausen.