War Torn Love (29 page)

             
Then the announcer announced his opponent’s name, “Burkhard Nast.” My heart skipped a beat once more. Not so much applause for Burkhard Nast - rather there was a whole lot of hecklers as he made his way to the ring. As he walked directly by, looking forward, he had a look of ice-cold stone on his chiseled face. He made his way into the ring. I remember how he danced around the ring; even though he was being heckled by more than two thirds of the audience, he did not care. I think this was just giving him more fervor.

             
The two of them met up face to face, as they were both narrated the rules of the fight by the referee. They looked squarely eye-to-eye at one another, both standing about the same height. It looked to me that it was going to be a pretty
-
good match up

             
Burkhard took his mouthpiece out of his mouth, it was clear he was going to say something, “Hey Jew boy, I shall be taking you down right in front of all these Jews that came here to watch me knock the snout out of you!” He then spat on Abram.

             
Abram just wiped the spit away with his glove. Amazingly, he shown he was not taken back by this, he held his cool, and he was not going to give him the satisfaction. Abram got right up in his face, and removed his own mouthpiece. “I would like to see you try German!” He did not fell remotely threatened. In fact, he began laughing! And boy did that piss the German off.

             
The announcer said, “Ladies and Gentlemen it looks like these two boxers really want to fight, what do you all say we let them, and get this started.”

             
Then the announcer approached the two of them once more, “Now you two head back to your respected corners, when the bells ring, I want you two to both come out of your corners fighting.” They both knotted knocking gloves. Both starting some footwork just before, warming up.

             
I grabbed on to Poppa’s hand, who was sitting to the  right of me, and grabbed onto My Father-in-law’s
hand, who was sitting to my left, it felt good having to such strong men in my life, at my side to comfort me, I think I was going to need the both of them to get through all this.

             
My father turned to me, given me his comforting glance, he knew me so well. “Don’t worry little bear!”

             
Then I gave them both a kiss on the cheek - substitutes for my husband, who I really wanted - to kiss.

             
Then the moment I have been positively dreading had finally arrived, months of preparing for this moment all boiled down to this very instant, I prayed to God he was going to be ok. Because I was not so
sure,
I was going to be – but this was by far his biggest fight of his career.

             
They both came out looking strong; Burkhard managed to take the first punch, landing it squarely in Abram’s chest. Abram continued to dance around, avoiding receiving any real significant blows from the German. Thanks to being around the ring for the last five years, I became skilled at knowing a few things. When it came to the subject o
f boxing, especially my husband’
s boxing style. It was obvious to me, Burkhard was getting over confident by the fact Abram was not able to land any significant punches. Burkhard thought he had the tactical advantage over Abram, maybe thinking this was going to be a
cakewalk
. I knew my husband, he was just playing Burkhard like a fool, and Burkhard was falling right into his trap. Burkhard began landing a few-punches - I knew Abram was setting him up, tiring him out. I just hopped it was it. The first round clearly was going to Burkhard camp.
The bell rang and they both headed back to their respective corners. The crowd had quieted down.

             
I could hear the German officers laughing loud, “This stinking Jew sucks!”

             
After Abram was sitting down in his corner, and drank some water he began searching me out in the crowd. Once he made eye contact with me, he winked at me, and smiled. I knew exactly what that meant, knowing what direction this fight was going to start taking. He and I had a signal for one another that we had worked out, long ago. I now knew I did not have to worry. I leaned over to let Poppa know.

             
When the high-ranking German office suddenly gave me a bizarre glance, seeing Abram communicating with me. I think he had figured out just who I now was. They turn back forward, and then began laughing.

             
The bell rang, and then they both came out strong once more, the German over confident now. I was clear there was going to be quite a show. Now it was Abram’s turn to let loose all his abilities on his challenger, he landed one punch after another; at an alarming speed, each punch only seemed to be getting more powerful than the previous. The German was stunned by this sudden turn of events, by the end of the second round, Abram’s opponent did not physically look so good, in just one round he had the snot beaten out of him, he had barely landed a single decisive punch on Abram. The German’s left eye was now nearly swollen completely shut, and you could tell he just had the life nearly beaten out of him. He had a look of shock,
wondering where that all came from. He appeared to be tired, maybe confused and perhaps…worried. His trainer had to cut his eye in order for him to see, it was not looking so good for him. The referee even came over to ask if he would continue to fight.

             
The bell rang, and Abram was quickly up to his feet, he looked good, excited to finish the German off. Burkhard appeared to be a little hesitant to start the third round, after what had happened to him in the last round. Abram was not holding anything back any longer, he had  Burkhard pinned in a corner, Burkhard was barely able to hold him back, fighting to stay on his feet. He was doing his best to block the many punches coming in at him, and was not doing such a good job. Focusing his punches on Burkhards right side, after he had noticed he was now favoring it. If I had to venture to guess, Abram broke one or more of Burkhards ribs. Then with one very powerful uppercut, to the German’s jaw. Burkhard flew back falling out coldly before even hitting the mat. The referee quickly ran over, got down on one knee. And began counting, slamming his palm down on the mat with each number he called out.

             
I crossed my fingers, and then nervously
awaited
it out.  I found I could barely stay in my seat. The count of ten seemed like a lifetime. I had my fingers crossed. Then my ears began ringing, when I heard the referee count nine, then finally - oh joyfully - ten! The bell rang. The crowd erupted loudly in cheers. Burkhard was still out cold. They had to revive him with smelling salts.

             
Then to make it official, the announcer said, “Ladies and gentlemen in a third round knockout the Polish darling 22 and 0 t.k.o’s is the winner by a knockout, as he grabbed onto my husband’s right hand, and then held it up high. Abram jumped up and down. He looked so happy!

             
The German Officers immediately stood up from out of their seats, and then came over to me, “Pardon me Fraulein if you do not mind me asking, is that your husband, the boxer that just won the fight?’

             
I smiled proudly, because I was so excited, “Yes that he is!”

             
“Well in that case, I would like to be the first to congratulate you on his win tonight, he is one hell of a fighter, I will give him that much! One of the best I have ever seen. I shall not forget him. I have a feeling our paths shall cross once more, until then, good evening Mrs
.
Balsam.”

             
“Thank you! I said, I was taken back, but it was the way that he said it that gave me a strange feeling, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

Chapter Eleven

                
     
“Our dreams coming true”

             
“Abram, sweetie could you please wake up, hey! Good you are up - could you please go get me a glass of water? My mouth is awful dry; I am so thirsty” You have to understand I was not trying to be cruel; waking you, it is just that I was getting quite big now.” Then my emotions kicked in, and I began to bawl. “It is becoming quite an endeavor just to do the simplest of things in life these days. The things that I normally would take for granted, like getting out of bed, even going the bathroom, and washing up, but the worst thing was trying to get up out of a chair or bed on my own accord.

             
My zombie like husband ignoring my crying, since I was doing it all the time these days, my emotional state was like a yo-yo. He was becoming oblivious, he slowly and grudgingly attempted to wake himself up from a deep slumber, but not complaining, the sweetheart, he knew better, he knew I would have let loose on him if he did, as I have on occasion over these many months of pregnancy. I guess I tend to be a bit insensitively harsh on him, since I had became pregnant.

             
“Alright, I’ll be right back in a minute!”

             
Now half-asleep, he got up out of bed - sort of machine like, automatic, he sleepily ran into the bedroom door, smashing his face, I heard him say ow! As he went to retrieve my water in the hall bathroom. A minute later I then heard, “Here you go, I am back with your water! I am going back to sleep now if that is it?”

             
“Sure I am good - Oh thank you sweet heart!

             
Then to my dismay, after laying back in bed, pulling the covers back and was comfortable once more, the baby decided to sit directly on my bladder. I felt the urge, I knew he was not going to like it; I had a dilemma either wake him to help me up to go the bathroom, or let’s see let him sleep, and pee my pants. Of course, I decided to wake him, and take my chances. “Oh, jeez, sweetie now I have to go pee, Sweetie I hate to bother you once more, but could you be a gem, and help me up, would you.” I of course had asked him, only after he had gotten comfortable back in bed, and was nearly fallen back asleep once more. I could not help myself I was now eight months pregnant, and had to really go pee.

             
“Sure honey!” I could hear him complaining under his breath, I decided not to push it. I knew him well enough to know that.

             
About all I could manage to do these days is to be somewhat helpful, is help out in the kitchen. Let me give you a little update on what has happened to Abram and I since the big fight. Abram came home to a hero’s welcome - the whole town had come out to honor him with a parade. It took a while for things to die back down, and life to
return back to a more normal state. We also suffered a very cold winter. Our little home was chock full of people. We took in the young Jewish family - the Cihak’s - a very nice family, they were really
good people. Not to mention I was a now a whole lot more pregnant. I was shocked how many changes my body had been
going through
during this pregnancy.