The German Girl and the Motorcycle Mechanic

Heinz, standing near several Soviet soldiers, saw the warden furious about his broken-down vehicle. His car needs repair? Heinz thought.
As the soldiers looked helplessly under the hood, Heinz stepped forward, hopeful for an extra piece of bread or ten minutes in the sun. Immediately, one of the Soviets threw Heinz to the ground, gun at his head.
"I fix! I fix!" Heinz called out in German. The soldier drove Heinz's head into the dirt. "I fix! I fix!"
A few tense moments passed before the warden allowed Heinz to stand. Heinz continued to make his case. "I fix. Your car I fix. Vroom, vroom."
Finally, the warden seemed to understand. He ordered Heinz to fiddle with the engine.
When Heinz was finished and the car roared back to life, Heinze closed the hood and turned towards the warden, who gave him a slight smile.

174 pages