I thought the narration was proving to be an emotional challenge for him. ‘My sister Devorah was five years older than me. Our mother was a noted scientist, as was her brother. Both worked for a medical laboratory, seeking new cures and treatments for diseases and such ailments as cancer. By contrast, my father was a carpenter. More than simply a carpenter – he was a craftsman who made furniture such as that.’ Jäger pointed to the dresser. ‘We were not wealthy, contrary to what people might have assumed, because nobody was allowed wealth under the communist regime, except senior party officials, of course. Despite that, we were reasonably content. When Devorah was eighteen, our mother brought a young Polish student to our house for a meal. It was a public holiday, International Workers Day, to be precise, and she explained that the young man had nowhere to go. He was working part time at the laboratory while studying at the university. Even though I was only thirteen at the time, it was obvious that Devorah liked him, and that he had fallen in love with her at first sight.
