Summary

“The German Boy” by Ron Butlin opens with an unnamed narrator watching a woman standing outside in the rain. The woman reminds the narrator of a German boy named Klaus because of her desolate expression, and he pities her. He sees the woman on his way to work and tries to watch her without arousing suspicion.

The narrator is unproductive at the office, ignoring urgent letters and watching the woman instead. She is in her forties, well-dressed, and appears to be crying.

The narrator remembers a time when he was a child, when Klaus joined his school. The other boys thought Klaus was different from them. On Klaus’ first day, the headmaster pointed out Germany on a map and asked the children if any of them spoke German. One of the boys mocked Klaus, imitating him.

Klaus sat next to the narrator, and they started speaking in Latin, their only shared language...