him. The sound filled the silence on ship’s deck like the wail of a dying animal.
Helpless, Anna sat beside Alex as he wept.
“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to put all of this on you.” He stood to leave.
“Don’t go, Alex. Please stay.” She stood, looking up into his eyes.
“I’m sorry, but I must.” With his head bowed, he left the deck, leaving Anna alone.
Chapter 6
Anna walked to the railing and stood gazing up at the sky. Why had the Nazis done this? What had caused such hatred of her people? While Alex had been beside her, she had forgotten her own pain, but now it returned. Could Manny be right? Would her parents ever be able to escape? Would she see them again? As a child, she could never have imagined a life without her family. The future seemed so simple then. She would grow up, marry, have children, and live within the same community she’d grown up in. She would shop at the same markets and have her parents over at her house for Sabbath dinners. Her Mama and Papa would never be far away. She would have children and bring them to visit their grandparents. That had been the plan. Now, everything had changed. She traveled to an unknown place, to meet distant relatives she’d never seen, who would take her to a country she’d only heard about. She knew she would think about the safety of her parents constantly, and her life would always feel incomplete. Anna felt tears sting the back of her eyes. Alex’s loss broke her heart, but she, too, had been forced to give up so much.
The clicking of high heel shoes against the hard wood floor of the deck startled her, and she turned to see a young glamorous blonde.
“So, another one with insomnia?” the blonde laughed. “I couldn’t get to sleep.”
Anna returned the smile, impressed by the well-dressed stranger in the dark burgundy cotton dress with the black belt and matching shoes.
“Hello, my name is Elke, and you are?”
“Anna.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“So, this is an exciting trip, no?”
“Not really, not for me,” Anna said.”I would much rather be at home.”
“Oh, come now, we’re going to Cuba… It’s beautiful, I hear.”
“I had to leave my family behind.”
“Yes, I had to leave my mother, but I can tell you this. I won’t miss her.”
Anna turned to look at her companion.
Elke laughed. “I’m sorry to laugh, but you look so shocked. My mother and I have been at odds for years. She was kind enough to use me to get special favors from the Germans. I have the blonde hair and blue eyes that they like so much. And when I turned thirteen I developed into a woman… I guess I was the perfect bait.”
“Use you? How?”
Elke avoided the question. “You are young and naïve, my friend. Well, no matter. It all served me well in the end. Her Gestapo friend took pity on me and sent me here to this ship. I guess in their way they liked me. So, I am off to a new and exciting place.” She laughed again. “You look so stunned.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, perhaps as we become better friends I will explain it to you.” Elke winked at Anna.
The two girls sat in silence for a few moments. Then Anna asked, almost in a whisper. “What do you think Cuba will be like?”
“A sultry haven, far away from Germany and my mother.”
It was nearly dawn before Anna went to her stateroom. As she dressed for breakfast, an overwhelming sadness came upon her like an outbreak of influenza. Her head and body ached. Even though she’d tried to convince herself that somehow, some way, she would see her family again, in her heart she felt she would not. Never before had she been so fatalistic, and here, blessed with an opportunity to leave Nazi Germany, a dream that most Jews would have given anything to be a part of, she could not shake her depression. You should be ashamed of yourself, Anna. Stop this self-pity. You must believe that your parents will find a way out. There will be another
Helpless, Anna sat beside Alex as he wept.
“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to put all of this on you.” He stood to leave.
“Don’t go, Alex. Please stay.” She stood, looking up into his eyes.
“I’m sorry, but I must.” With his head bowed, he left the deck, leaving Anna alone.
Chapter 6
Anna walked to the railing and stood gazing up at the sky. Why had the Nazis done this? What had caused such hatred of her people? While Alex had been beside her, she had forgotten her own pain, but now it returned. Could Manny be right? Would her parents ever be able to escape? Would she see them again? As a child, she could never have imagined a life without her family. The future seemed so simple then. She would grow up, marry, have children, and live within the same community she’d grown up in. She would shop at the same markets and have her parents over at her house for Sabbath dinners. Her Mama and Papa would never be far away. She would have children and bring them to visit their grandparents. That had been the plan. Now, everything had changed. She traveled to an unknown place, to meet distant relatives she’d never seen, who would take her to a country she’d only heard about. She knew she would think about the safety of her parents constantly, and her life would always feel incomplete. Anna felt tears sting the back of her eyes. Alex’s loss broke her heart, but she, too, had been forced to give up so much.
The clicking of high heel shoes against the hard wood floor of the deck startled her, and she turned to see a young glamorous blonde.
“So, another one with insomnia?” the blonde laughed. “I couldn’t get to sleep.”
Anna returned the smile, impressed by the well-dressed stranger in the dark burgundy cotton dress with the black belt and matching shoes.
“Hello, my name is Elke, and you are?”
“Anna.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“So, this is an exciting trip, no?”
“Not really, not for me,” Anna said.”I would much rather be at home.”
“Oh, come now, we’re going to Cuba… It’s beautiful, I hear.”
“I had to leave my family behind.”
“Yes, I had to leave my mother, but I can tell you this. I won’t miss her.”
Anna turned to look at her companion.
Elke laughed. “I’m sorry to laugh, but you look so shocked. My mother and I have been at odds for years. She was kind enough to use me to get special favors from the Germans. I have the blonde hair and blue eyes that they like so much. And when I turned thirteen I developed into a woman… I guess I was the perfect bait.”
“Use you? How?”
Elke avoided the question. “You are young and naïve, my friend. Well, no matter. It all served me well in the end. Her Gestapo friend took pity on me and sent me here to this ship. I guess in their way they liked me. So, I am off to a new and exciting place.” She laughed again. “You look so stunned.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, perhaps as we become better friends I will explain it to you.” Elke winked at Anna.
The two girls sat in silence for a few moments. Then Anna asked, almost in a whisper. “What do you think Cuba will be like?”
“A sultry haven, far away from Germany and my mother.”
It was nearly dawn before Anna went to her stateroom. As she dressed for breakfast, an overwhelming sadness came upon her like an outbreak of influenza. Her head and body ached. Even though she’d tried to convince herself that somehow, some way, she would see her family again, in her heart she felt she would not. Never before had she been so fatalistic, and here, blessed with an opportunity to leave Nazi Germany, a dream that most Jews would have given anything to be a part of, she could not shake her depression. You should be ashamed of yourself, Anna. Stop this self-pity. You must believe that your parents will find a way out. There will be another
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