The Forgiving Heart (The Heart of Minnesota Book 1) (4 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

It was three days before Karlijna met Julius G
oldbloom. He did not explain his long absence to his family, nor did they seem to expect it.

“He sometimes goes out on boats,” Regina whispered as the two followed Regina’s boys to the fish market, “but not to fish.”

“Boats like we came in on?” Karlijna wondered why his family wouldn’t discuss that.

“Not exactly,” she shook her head and began to say more, but they were interrupted.

“Well, now,” Captain Anderson greeted them, “you’re looking better, Miss. I thought you looked as though you might slip from this life to the next with any breath.”

Karlijna smiled at him, “I’m made of str
onger stuff than that, Captain. I just needed some good food and a place to sleep.”

He clapped a weathered hand on her shoulder, “I see you’re right.”

He turned to Regina, “I hadn’t realized you were the Goldbloom’s family. They had someone here at the dock almost every day for the past two months, worrying for you.”

Regina nodded, “Rachel told me.
It took us longer to get out than we thought.”

The captain’s face became serious, “It takes most peopl
e longer than they anticipate. Too bad more people didn’t get out when Maurice did. Some of them. . .”

He didn’t finish, but the women knew he was thinking about how many people didn’t make it out at all.

Regina and Karlijna did not return immediately to the house. Rachel had told them of a small field where some neighbor children played. The older woman thought it would be a good place for Moshe and Henry to work off some energy.

The women sat and watched the boys stretch their legs.

“Karlijna, why did you leave Poland?”

Karl
ijna looked at her new friend. She had no desire to alienate this woman or her family, but she was not ready to speak of her experiences. 

Hoping a simple explanation would suffice, she began, “I came from B
elgium, not Poland. I have no family in Poland, so a woman I met suggested I come here, where it is safer. Where there is no war.”

Regina thought on this a moment, her brow furrowed in thought, “But why was it unsafe for you?  For us, it was unsafe becau
se we are Jewish. Erich is only half-Jew, but it does not matter to the Nazis.”

Karlijna ran her hand over her face, “My father was arre
sted for defying Nazi orders. We were all taken: my mother, my brother, my little sister and I.”

Regina shook her he
ad, “I’m sorry. I knew they arrested Gentiles, but I didn’t know they took whole families.”

K
arlijna didn’t add that the Nazis would have left them alone if they could be assured that the remaining Bergstrom family wouldn’t continue the father’s work. She hoped the discussion was over.

To her relief, Regina changed the subject to her own experience.

“Erich had a job in the government so he was protected for a while. We never felt secure, but we didn’t believe things were going to get as bad as people said. My brother moved here in 1940. He warned us to get out too, but we said we didn’t want to uproot the boys.”

Regina stopped and wiped a tear from her eye, “I am thankful we did not wait any longer because it is sure to get worse before it gets better.”

Karlijna didn’t wish to pry, but she was curious, “What made you change your mind?”

Regina didn’t seem to mind the
question, “Erich was arrested. He was accused of something he didn’t do. While he was sitting in the cell, he heard two officers talking about where they were going to send him and that they would come and take us the next day. 

“Erich was terrified.  How could he warn us to run, to hide as some of
our friends had already done. To his surprise, they let him go, but as he was leaving one guard said, ‘See you soon.’

“Erich tried to look confused,
so they wouldn’t know he knew. Then he hurried home, got us and everything we could pull together quickly and got us out of the city. We sent news to Maurice that we were coming as soon as we could. While we waited, we hid in the country with some friends.”

Karlijna didn’t have to ask why they didn’t stay
longer with the friends. Hiding Jews was a dangerous undertaking.

“We found out about the boat to come here and were getti
ng ready to leave when the Nazis came to the house where we were staying. Our friends, Rose and Alex, sent us down to the cellar. The soldiers didn’t search the house. They just wanted food, but it was enough to scare us all. We didn’t even bother with our things. We told Rose and Alex to burn everything or sell it, just to get rid of the evidence.”

“I’m sorry you had to leave everything,” Karlijna’s voice was sympathetic.

Regina shook her head, “Not everything,” she nodded toward the two little cherubs in the field, “Everything I value is here with me – safe.”

The ladies let the children play for more than an hour.

“We should get back soon,” Regina looked at the sky. “Today is Friday, and Maurice observes the Sabbath very strictly.”

Karlijna had known Jews in Belgium who did this, but had never been a part of the ritual.

For some reason, she had thought it would be a
somber
affair, somber and tedious. It was not.  Reflecting on it Saturday night, Karlijna realized it was similar to their Sunday gatherings. The family ate together and visited quietly. There was a reading from a book; Karlijna wondered what it was, but hadn’t the courage to ask.

Regina woke her the next morning while it was still dark, “Karlijna, there is a Gentile service today,” her voice was a mere whisper. “Would you like to go?”

Karlijna was touched by Regina’s thoughtfulness, “Would it be offensive to your husband or brother?”

The lady laughed, “No.
They know you are not Jewish. They don’t expect to convert you this soon.”

She ro
se, “I have something for you. Wait here.”

Karlijna stood to her feet and straightened the blanket on her mat.  She was reaching for her scarf when Regina reentered the room.

“Rachel and I found – ” she stopped short, “Oh, Karlijna,” the woman reached out and touched the girl’s closely cropped hair.

Karlijna quickly pulled her scarf over her head.

Regina put the garment she was carrying over her arm and reached out to touch Karlijna’s head at the edge of the scarf.

“
They did this to you?  The Nazis?”

Karlijna gave a little smile, “Plea
se don’t think about it Regina. I’m sorry you had to see it.”

Regina made an attempt to do as she was told, “Rachel and I found an old dress of hers.  We cut it down a little so it might fit you.”

Karlijna was delighted at the thought. It had been more than a week since Mrs. Polaski had washed her clothes, “A dress?  For me?”

“Yes,” she held it up to Karlijna, “We weren’t sure about the size, but we wanted to surprise you so we guessed.”

Karlijna took the fabric in her hands and realized, with some dismay, it had short sleeves.

She didn’t realize she had spoken until Regina responded, “Is that a problem?  July is warm even in Sweden.”

Karlijna didn’t know how to respond.  She was very grateful for the dress, more than she could say. Rachel came in the doorway.

She took Karlijna’s hand and gently pulled back the long sleeve.

The sight of the numbers on the young girl’s arm was too much for Regina. She covered her face and ran from the room.

“I’m sorry about the sleeves,” Rachel took the dress, “I should have thought.  There are others who come – who have also been to the camps.”

Karlijna was still watching where Regina had exited, “I didn’t mean to upset her.  It’s a beautiful dress.  I just didn’t want people to see. . .”

“How about a sweater?”

Karlijna turned back to Rachel, confusion marring her features.

“I’ll be back in a moment.
You can change into the dress.”

Karlijna changed clothes as commanded, but held onto the old dress, using it to cover the o
ffending marks on her forearm. Rachel returned promptly with a lightweight sweater over her arm.

“These marks,” Rachel spoke as she eased Karlijna into the garment, “are n
ot your shame.  They  disgrace those who put them there. They are a symbol of a survivor.”

Karlijna nodded, “I know I have nothing to feel guilty for, but I do not wish to make others uncomfortable.”

“That is understandable,” Rachel walked her to the door, “but hiding from the truth will not help Regina or anyone else. Sometimes it is better they see it clearly, so they are forced to face it.”

Karlijna thought of Rachel’s word
s as she walked to the church. She was glad she had good directions because she was not certain she would have met anyone on the way who spoke German, and she spoke no Swedish.

The service was in Swedish, so Kar
lijna got very little from it. Still, knowing she was among a body of believers who could worship freely, gave her hope and comfort. The ending hymn was familiar to her and, aware that she sang the words in a different tongue, Karlijna softly joined in.

As she exited the church, the middl
e-aged pastor stood to shake hands.  He greeted her in Swedish, but, using the phrase Rachel had taught her, she replied that she couldn’t understand him.  He said something else, she thought this was in Polish. She repeated herself.

“German, then?” he finally spoke so she could understand.

“Yes, I understand German,” Karlijna was relieved he understood her.

“That’s good,” the man said, because my Polis
h is limited to asking you if you speak it, and I was running out of languages.

Karlijna laughed at this.

“You must be the girl who is living with the Goldblooms.”

“I am.
My name is Karlijna Bergstrom.”

“How did this come a
bout?”

“I met them through Mr. Goldbloom’s sister and her husband, Erich and Regina Stein.”

“We are very happy to have you here, Miss Bergstrom.  I hope you will come again.”

“Thank you.  If my hosts do not mind, I believe I will.”

Karlijna arrived home to find that Rachel had washed and dried her old dress.

“I was just about to mend some small tears in it,” Rachel patted the seat next to her, “Sit down
, and you can keep me company while I work.”

Karlijna did as she was told.

“The fabric is very sturdy.  Did you make this dress yourself?”

Karlijna shook her head and laughed a little, “No, I did not.”

“Your mother?”

“No.  I don’t know who made the dress.  It was not my dre
ss until just a few weeks ago. It only became mine because the one I had been wearing was missing when I went to get dressed, and this was all that was left that was suitable for me.”

Ra
chel looked at her very oddly before resuming her mending, “I suppose it is a good thing it is so near your size, then.”

Karli
jna didn’t even look at the garment, “It is much nearer my size than the one I gave up. That one came above my knees.”

Rachel put down her work and took Karlijna’s hands in her own.

“Is is really as we are being told? Are they killing Jews?”

Karlijna held pity in her heart for this woman who likely had friends and family still in Poland.

“Yes, it is true.”

“And,” she leaned closer to the girl, “they have killed hundreds, shooting them, beating them, starving them?”

Karlijna knew the numbers were higher than hundreds. Thousands had been on those trains heading east. Each car was packed until the passengers could not stand. For days they travelled. On occasion, the train would stop, but the doors didn’t open. The women had no way to relieve themselves except within the confines of the train. There was no place to put the dead who could not wait for their destination to slip from life. The smell was overpowering; it flooded the senses, gripped the minds, and hardened every heart.

Upon arriving at the camp, the women were greeted by smoky skies. At first, Karlijna had thought it was snowing. She learned the next day it was ashes. It took her a few more weeks to discover the source of those ashes.

If every inch of those trains was packed with humanity, why were the barracks at the camp not more crowded? Where had those people gone? Everyone knew Auschwitz was the end of the line.

Karlijna felt tears coming on
, but she could not stop them. She nodded, “Yes, Rachel, hundreds of people die in those camps.”

Rachel wiped tears from her own eyes, “And you have lost your family.”

“Yes,” Karlijna shook her head to stop the images from creeping in.

“Why?” Rachel knotted her fists together, “You are not a Jew.”