War Torn Love (34 page)

             
So for our little surprise visit, we were also going to meet Mr. Cinak and the other man we just hired yesterday, who I had not yet had the satisfaction of meeting. We thought we would bring the three of them a nice freshly made lunch, let them sample some of my fine cooking. They had been working so hard, I was certain they would enjoy it. I remember that I spent the whole morning cooking, and baking up a storm. And I made a lot of food.

             
In
1939,
our crops consisted of corn, wheat, potatoes, and for the first time, we added barely and the house was now taking shape, nearly completed. She was done on the outside. The yard might had to wait until next year which was no big deal, we had cleared so much that
year. The best part, Abram thought we would be able to move in to the house in just a couple more weeks’ time. However, there was not going to be too much furniture we would be moving. We would buy a few pieces, and in the winter, months Abram said he would hand make us a dining room table, some end tables and dresser.
Oh,
how we’d laughed and joyously planned all of this.

             
My husband was now very time constrained. He needed to train more, so he had to devote more of his days now to preparing for his next fight, This one was held in Budapest – and this time, I could not go and watch. Secretly, I thought we were both glad. And I thought I would be a distraction. Luckily, he did not had to go alone. I really wanted someone there to support him. Therefore, his father agreed to go with him. 

             
Beforehand, so he could train, and not worry so much about the farm. I had finally convinced him to hire help for the house another carpenter, and also a young kid from town, to help on the farm, for the more mundane task. With the help of another carpenter, Cinak could more had more free time to work on the house. Let me tell you it was not easy convincing of this, he could be quite stubborn at times. I understood he wanted to do it all himself, but I finally convinced him that that would not be humanly possible.

             
Abiela and I had not yet been up to see the evolution on the house, or seen the rest of the farm for that matter, for a while - perhaps a couple of weeks. But that day was so lovely it would be a crime to stay inside, it was just such a nice day for the two of us to go out, I wanted to
walk, smell the flowers. I thought Abiela could stand to use some fresh air - get some color on her cheeks. Before heading on up to the farm, we stopped by and saw Marym and asked if her and her daughters were interested in joining us.  I walked up to her house, and knocked on the screen door, “Hello, Marym, you in here?”

             
“Ya Sis in the kitchen come on in!”

             
With Abiala in my arms, I strolled on into her kitchen.

             
“So what’s up what are you two doing here?”

             
“If you’re not busy, would you guys like to go on a little adventure, and walk up with us to the farm. We are planning on having a picnic lunch, I made plenty of food to go around - and then maybe since its getting so warm, that maybe afterward I don’t know maybe we could cool off in the pond - it will be quite warm by this afternoon, especially without a breeze.”  Just then, I saw a little girl hiding behind her mother, cute as a button, her little smiling freckly face, sneakily poking around her mother’s dress. “Hey I know a little girl who might like helping her auntie give food to her cows, sheep. And the chickens!” We were both smiling! “Say Sis do you know any little girls that would like to feed animals?”

             
My little niece was jumping up and down by this time! Giving away her location, Tugging away on her Momma’s dress, “Oh Momma please could we, please, please, please?

             
My sister began smiling, “Well how could we refuse such a wonderful offer as that, ok sweetheart we may go, give us a second to get prepared, ok Sis!”

             
“Sure!”

             
The men were all surprised when we showed up, “Well Hi Hana -hi Marym what are you girls all doing here?”

             
“Well we thought perchance you handsome hard working men just might like the lunch I worked all morning on and I made for you! Hey, what do you say you all stop working now, and we all had a picnic under the walnut tree? Out of the sun. Then after lunch, Abram you could show us the house, all right sweetie? I want to see all the hard work you guys had done. Oh and your nieces would like to feed the animals! Do you think we could arrange that?”

             
“Sure hey guys, my wife brought us lunch today, why don’t you come on down. Let’s all eat.”

             
They all smiled hearing this.

             
“Abram why don’t you help me set up under the walnut tree.”

             
The men came over to us - Abram made the introductions, “Hana, Marym I would like to introduce you both to Mr. Landau.”

             
“Nice to meet you Mr. Landau, I am Hana – Abram’s wife. And this is my lovely sister.”

             
“Please just call me Joseph.”

             
“So if you don’t mine me asking, you Joseph where exactly are you from? Your accent sounds like it has some German in it.”

He paused, looking at me, “Well your right, I was born in Dresden, Germany. But trust me when I say, Germany is no longer a place for a Jew to be living these days! Every since the Nazis came into power, things had gone from bad to even worse. That Hitler is pure evil!”

             
“Yes it’s a real disgrace - so Joseph how long had you been in our lovely town?”

             
“Well I think it’s going about three months. I am boarding a small room, picking up odd jobs here and there. I had to say that I really love it here I find the people here had a far cry friendlier than I was having to endure from any one that was a non-Jew in Dresden. The people here had been showing me so much kindness, making me feel so welcome. And you had a much larger concentration of Jews then where I use to live.”

             
I politely smiled back, and asked Joseph. “Are you married?

             
“No, I was engaged once but she took ill! Sadly, she passed away about a year ago.”

             
“I am sorry for prying - and I am very sorry to hear that” As I was saying this, I wondered whom I could possibly set him up with, at the same time trying to change the subject. I had not expected his sad answer; I could see
the pain in his face as he had answered me. “So Joseph, You had mentioned the amount of Jews here. Many of them you know migrated here from Russia, after the 1917 Russian revolution. My own parents came here from Russia they had both lived just out of Smolensk were my family is originally from. My own parents were married there.”

             
My husband’s powerful hands he reached out for his young daughter, after she heard his voice from her stroller. “Let me see my little girl!” soon as she heard her Daddy voice, she began cooing. She was definitely a Daddy’s little girl. I swear he spoils that girl with attention, and she seemed to gobble it up. I was happy to know my own daughter was going to had the similar opportunity as me what I mean to say, we will both had fathers that adore their little girls. I had the best father myself; I just want her to experience the same.

             
After lunch, Abram led us up to the house. He was so excited to be giving us the grand tour. The shell of the house was now finished. Before entering, I just stood there a minute in silence, taking it all in, taking a mental picture. I had to say, the house was even prettier than I had imagined it would be. I just could not believe that this was my house. He had been doing a fantastic job. I am picking out all the colors. That is one area my husband is horrible at. We painted the house in a tan color, and I loved how the covered porch had turned out. He had even built me a lovely swing bench, built for two, and maybe room for a small girl.

             
All that was left to still do on the inside of the house was all the trim work, cabinets, fixtures, and flooring. Mr.
Cinak and Joseph are both working diligently on the interior.

             
After touring the house, I took my nieces over to the barn to feed the animals, the girls absolutely loved it - I took them inside the pens to let them actually pet the animals, and showed them how to pet the animals, and how to feed them. Marym and I ran in to an unforeseen problem when we ran into a crisis with my oldest niece - see she seemed quickly to choose one, and wanted to keep one of the farm animals in particular. “Mommy could I take him home with me, he is so funny,
he could
be my pet,
he could
sleep in my bed with me!” Of course, she was talking about a calf - you could see the problem with this.

             
My sister and I had to fight back the laughter. I was biting my lip trying to stop myself, because she was being serious, but Marym thinking on her feet, bent down to look at her. At her eye-level she said
seriously
, “No my child, if we were to take this very friendly, and yes funny calf - oh my he likes licking - home with us today, then I think he would probably end up missing his own mommy. His mommy would be so miserable. But hey! I had a wonderful idea, I bet Auntie Hana would let you come and feed him, and visit with him anytime, what do you say to that? Should we let him stay with his mommy?”

             
She was so precious, if was fun watching a six year old trying to reason through it, it took her a second to understand in a way her little mind could comprehend. Then she smiled. “Mommy look he is licking my hand, he is so funny.” Then with the attention span of a six year old, she turned to her mommy once more, “Ok, mommy, could
we go swimming now?” And like that a huge predicament, was over and done become ancient history like in the time span of a shooting stars.

             
“Sure sweeties why not, what do you say Hana!”

             
I just looked at my sister, in awe! For a second I would have sworn I had just witnessed our own Momma. I realized how excellent of a mother she was; I just hoped that I
could
– be as good! I could not believe what I was witnessed - she really thought convincingly on her feet, enough so that a six year old bought it hook line and sinker.

             
While Abram and I were in bed that night, I approached Abram on my idea, “Sweetie I had thought of this afternoon, after visiting the farm it had come to me. “That story Joseph, and Mr. Cinak told us, and then all the others we had heard of late. It got me thinking,”

             
He put his hand over his eyes, “Oh boy should I ask - I know how you get when you get an idea Hana?”

             
“Hey buster, just hear me out! Here we are doing so much, and we had a lot to be grateful for would not you say?”