Page 343 - The Book Thief

CHAMPAGNE AND ACCORDIONS

In the summer of 1942, the town of Molching was preparing for the inevitable.
There were still people who refused to believe that this small town on Munichs
outskirts could be a target, but the majority of the population was well aware that
it was not a question of if, but when. Shelters were more clearly marked,
windows were in the process of being blackened for the nights, and everyone
knew where the closest basement or cellar was.

For Hans Hubermann, this uneasy development was actually a slight reprieve. At
an unfortunate time, good luck had somehow found its way into his painting

business. People with blinds were desperate enough to enlist his services to paint
them. His problem was that black paint was normally used more as a mixer, to
darken other colors, and it was soon depleted and hard to find. What he did have
was the knack of being a good tradesman, and a good tradesman has many
tricks. He took coal dust and stirred it through, and he worked cheap. There were
many houses in all parts of Molching in which he confiscated the window light
from enemy eyes.

On some of his workdays, Liesel went with him.

They carted his paint through town, smelling the hunger on some of the streets
and shaking their heads at the wealth on others. Many times, on the way home,

women with nothing but kids and poverty would come running out and plead
with him to paint their blinds.

Frau Hallah, Im sorry, I have no black paint left, he would say, but a little farther
down the road, he would always break. There was tall man and long street.
Tomorrow, hed promise, first thing, and when the next morning dawned, there
he was, painting those blinds for nothing, or for a cookie or a warm cup of tea.
The previous evening, hed have found another way to turn blue or green or beige
to black. Never did he tell them to cover their windows with spare blankets, for
he knew theyd need them when winter came. He was even known to paint
peoples blinds for half a cigarette, sitting on the front step of a house, sharing a
smoke with the occupant. Laughter and smoke rose out of the conversation
before they moved on to the next job.