by F. M. Worden
I replied, “It was a terrible Sunday; worst I ever had.”
“Frank,” he said, “I want you to move from that place. Your safety is my concern. This kind of trouble is just the beginning.”
“Sir, I don’t know where I can find another room in such short order.”
“I have already procured you a room if you want it.”
“Yes, sir, I would like to have a room closer to the university.”
“Fine, a friend has a home very near here. He said he would be proud to have you live in his house.”
“Sir, I can’t thank you enough for your kindness.”
“The man’s name is Doctor Max Wolfe.”
“I know his house; it is very near the Golden house.” I was surprised to hear I could live close to Jennifer’s old house.
The professor told me that Doctor Wolfe would be at home waiting to meet me this afternoon. I couldn’t be more pleased. I rode my bike and parked at the curb. At three thirty, I was at the doctor’s home ringing the doorbell. This was the most beautiful red brick house. It was a three story structure, with a steep roof and many cupolas. A young lady answered my ring.
“I would like to see Doctor Wolfe,” I told her.
“What about?” she asked.
“It’s personal,”
She looked me over pretty good, then said, “Come on in, I’ll see if he’s in.”
I followed her down a hall into a huge living room. On the way, I got a good look at this girl. She was a blonde with a gorgeous suntanned face and sky blue eyes. She had a magnificent body that showed even in the full dress she had on. As she walked, her hips swung from side to side. A real pleasure for a man to look at. When she stopped and turned around, I could tell she had enjoyed my looking her over.
She knocked on a door. A man’s voice invited us in. This very distinguish looking elderly man got up from a desk and welcomed me with an extended hand. “You’re Frank, I presume?”
“Yes, sir, Doctor Wolfe?”
“Frank, I have wanted to meet you for some time. Professor Hoffmann speaks very highly of you. Did he tell you why I wanted to see you?” He had taken off his glasses and was rubbing his face with his left hand.
“Yes, sir; he did. Professor Hoffmann was kind to say that. I like him a lot.”
“Well, Frank, would you like to live in our house?”
“Yes, sir, I would be most happy to live here.”
The young girl spoke up and said, “Father, when have we started taking strangers into our home? Especially foreigners.”
“Helga, this young man is in need. We can fill that need. So hush yourself and go get your mother. I want her to meet Frank.”
“Doctor Wolfe, I can pay for my room and board.”
“Frank; that will be between you and my Mrs. I like having young people around.”
The young girl did as her father requested and left the room.
“My daughter Helga is a spoiled young woman and a problem, it’s my fault, I have never corrected or punished her in her lifetime. I have three children, Helga and two sons.”
A very neatly dressed woman came into the room. She looked younger than the Doctor. She had graying blonde hair, blue eyes and a beautiful smile. All in all, a tall, slim, very good-looking woman. She put out her hand, “You must be Frank, the American boy we’ve heard so much about.”
“Yes, ma’am, I am. I hope you’ve heard good things of me?”
“Yes, nothing but,” she said with a smile. “My husband has the highest regard for Americans.”
“Yes, I do, Frank. I was in the war and captured by your Army. They treated me very well.” He was very gracious as he spoke.
The daughter was entering the room and had overheard her father. “Father; that can’t be true. The enemy is always the enemy.”
“Helga, you’ve been listening to the Nazis too much. I was treated well as anyone could be.”
Frau Wolfe asked if I would like to see my room. “Yes, I would. I can pay for my room and board just let me know how much.”
“Don’t worry about that. We have a housekeeper and a cook. You can pay anything you want. Now come with me, I’ll show you your room.”
We went thru the living room into the entrance hall. A large staircase on the right took us to the second floor. A smaller staircase led to the next floor. She opened a door that led to a nice comfortable bedroom. It had a large four poster double bed, a night stand, a desk and a rocking chair, it is well lighted with lamps, a very nice room. It was on the front of the house and had a large window overlooking the front of the house and the street. I asked Frau Wolfe if I could pay for my room and board.
“Please call me Bette; I want to be your friend. Do you like the room?”
“Yes, ma’am, it’s a wonderful room.”
“No one stays on this floor. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. Will you move in today?”
“Yes, ma’am, I can go get my things now.” I wanted to make the move as soon as possible.
Downstairs, I told the Doctor I found his home as nice as I had ever seen someone’s home. “I’ll go for my things and be back shortly.” I was really impressed with the doctor and his family.
Chapter 8
Rose – Helga
On my way to the bakery and my rooms, I stopped to see Rose. Her father answered my knock. “Is Rose home?” I asked.
“No, Frank, she has gone to Berlin to go to school.”
“When did she decide to do that?” I was very frustrated and puzzled. Why would she do that, I asked myself.
“She had been trying to make her mind up for some time. She had applied to the Sisters of St. Francis to become a Nun. She had applied when she finished high school. They accepted her yesterday.”
“Holy cow, she never mentioned that to me.” I was completely taken aback.
Her father said, “I think you helped to make her mind up. She left a letter for you, I’ll go get it.” When he returned, he handed me the letter. He apologized for Rose not telling me her plans.
I thanked him, said goodbye and rode my bike over to the bakery. I had that old empty feeling again. Why every time I found a girl I really liked she left me? I must be jinxed when it came to the fair sex.
I went in and told Alfred I had a new room near the university. He said that was fine. “I’ll help with your trunk when you’re ready.”
I went up to my room and sat on the bed. I started to open Rose’s letter but decided to wait. I guess I was afraid of what she would tell me. I packed my trunk and suitcase. Put my letter from Rose inside my shirt and called for Alfred to come and help. We loaded the trunk and suitcase into the side car. I told Alfred how much I appreciated his help, I said goodbye and told him that I would see him soon.
He reminded me, “If you ever need me, I’ll be here.” What a great guy.
At Doctor Wolfe’s, I parked in the rear of the house by the garage. The Doctor came out of the back porch with a young man. He introduced him as his son Marius. He said Marius would help me take my trunk up to my room. Marius looked like he really didn’t care to do that and said so.
“Come on Marius,” his father said, “It won’t hurt to be helpful.”
We set my trunk on the porch and as I went to get the suitcase it started to rain. The Doctor opened the garage and helped push my bike inside. He told me to keep the bike in the garage. There was plenty of room. There were two nearly new autos there. One looked like a Ford that was made in my country. The Doctor told me that the Ford Company had a factory in Germany.
“This is great to be able to park my bike in your garage. I can walk to school from here.”
Marius helped take my trunk to my room. He said nothing as we did the task. I thanked him for the help. He said not a word in return. He was a strange boy to say the least. I took my suitcase up and returned to the living room.
Bette called for everyone to come in the dining room for supper. I was introduced to the youngest son Fritz. They said
he had just turned ten years old. He wasn’t friendly at all. He never said a word or smiled. He just looked blank. The Doctor made a point to tell me the others kids ages. Marius was seventeen and Helga nineteen. The doctor said a short prayer; I noticed none of the children bowed their heads. All three looked bored.
After supper, we retired to a solarium on the back of the house. It was raining hard outside. Bette served coffee to all but Fritz. Strong black coffee. The two house women came in and said they were leaving. Bette introduced me to them as their new student boarder from America. “Gera is our good cook and Anne is the best housekeeper in all of Germany.” The two women looked to be fifty or a little older.
I told them I was happy to meet them and I would try not to make any more work for them. Both seemed pleased to hear that. They said good night. I saw them leave by the back porch. Both had umbrellas. I asked Bette where they lived.
“Across the river in the south part of town. They travel by trolley. Both ladies have sons in the army.”
Helga spoke up and said, “One of the sons went to high school with me and now he’s in the Waffen SS. He looks marvelous in his uniform, he’s very handsome.”
Marius interjected, “I’ll join the SS when I get out of high school. I’m a leader in the Hitler youth.”
I said nothing to their remarks. The Doctor and Bette looked dejected; neither said anything to discourage the children.
We sat talking until after ten p.m. They all asked about my home in America and why I had come to Germany to study. My answers about my studies seemed to satisfy all the children. Fritz really got friendly when I told them I was raised on a cattle ranch and had been a cowboy. I could tell Fritz had seen our Hollywood movies about cowboys. I sure didn’t want to break his fantasy about cowboys. He asked if we all carried guns.
I told him, “Only during the roundups.” His face really lit up at that talk.
I said goodnight and how happy I was to be in their beautiful home. In my room, I unpacked, I sat down to read Rose’s letter.
Oct. 1938
Dear Frank,
When you read this letter, I will try to make you understand why I couldn’t see you again. You see, Frank, I have wanted to be a Nun all my life. When I met you, I started changing my mind. When I found out I was accepted to the Sisters of St Francis, I just had to go.
Frank, I was afraid if I stayed in Munich my heart would belong to you. You are so handsome, kind… a wonderful person. I did enjoy your company.
Please forgive me.
Your friend, Rose.
I want-a tell ya, it was all I could do to keep from crying. I did shed some tears. Damn. I liked that girl. I said a prayer and asked God to take care of her. I went down and took a hot bath and I did shed some more tears just thinking about her. The jinx remained.
The next morning, I had breakfast with Helga and her mother. I found she and I were classmates. In my social studies hour, she said she had seen me before. I had never seen her there. That’s one class I couldn’t stay awake in if I wanted to. It’s all about how great Germany has become since the Great War and under the Nazis. It’s all propaganda. It was a dead class for me. She said she had seen me there. “All my girl friends would like to meet you.”
Hmm, maybe things would get better. I felt a little better already. There were many pretty girls in this Munich University. I liked pretty girls, as anyone could tell.
That morning, Helga and I walked together to school. I found this girl was a lot of fun to be with as she joked about everything we talked about. She was tall and pretty darn good looking. She even told a joke about the Nazis. The way she had talked the night before I kind of figured she was impressed about the Nazi party. Anyway, she introduced me to a half dozen of her girlfriends and a couple of boys she called good friends. All these young people were good looking and were friendly.
The school day flew by. I skipped lunch and spent the time in study hall. When I came out of the building, there sat Helga on the steps. I passed her by. She jumped up, grabbed my arm and said she was waiting for me.
“Why?” I asked.
She said, “I want to protect you. I heard some of our boys say they were going to see what an American was made of.”
“They want to fight?” I asked her.
“Aren’t there bullies in your country?”
“Sure, there will always be bullies anywhere you go,” I told her. “I’m not going to fight, but if they think I’m afraid, they’ll be surprised.”
“Some of these fellows think they’re tough, at least they talk tough,” she said. “Come on, let’s hurry, maybe we will miss them.”
I asked her to let me carry her books. She did.
We had walked for several blocks when four brown uniformed young guys blocked our way. “Why are you with this American, Helga?” the one who acted as the leader asked.
“It’s none of your business. Go away and leave us alone. Frank’s not bothering you.”
I was real brave. I guess because Helga was there. I said, “If one of you brave guys want a fight, step forward and I’ll do my best to accommodate you.” I showed a doubled up right fist and a set jaw. I didn’t get any takers. These guys were all bluff, I said to myself. “Now get out of our way and let a lady pass.” I was mad and figured I would hit the leader in the nose first, but they all backed away and let us by.
Helga put her arm thru mine and as we walked away she said, “Do you know you’re a very handsome young man?” She smiled and rubbed her cheek on my shoulder.
“Go on, Helga. You’re just saying that because it’s true.” She got a big kick out of my saying that, she was laughing hard. “You’re not too bad to look at either,” I told her. Now she was really making up to me.
She asked if I would take her for a ride on my bike. I told her I would if her folks said it was okay. “Can we go this weekend?”
“I’ll look forward to it,” I told her. She rubbed her cheek again on my shoulder and was smiling all the time. She was a very attractive girl and not a bit shy. I liked that in a girl. She reminded me a lot of Gloria, my first love.
At the house, Bette said, “A Jewish man shot a high ranking Nazi official in Paris, France. It was on all the news. Your father is really upset. He’s afraid the shooting might start a war like it did in 1914.”
“When will father be home?” Helga asked.
“He called and said that Professor Hoffmann and Father Green are coming to dine with us this evening. He asked that Frank should be offered an invitation to be with us. Will you, Frank?” Bette asked me.
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll be pleased to have dinner with you and your guests.”
That evening, we had a delicious meal of stuffed turkey, mashed potatoes, brown gravy and green beans.
The three men and I retired to the Doctor’s study. A room filled with a large bookcase, a big desk and pictures on the wall of famous German writers, mostly men and one woman. There we men had coffee and an apple strudel for dessert.
After eating, the three lit up a cigar or a pipe and began to talk of the shooting in Paris. I was most interested in what these learned men had to say.
The Doctor asked, “Do you think this shooting will start a war with France?”
Father Green said, “No, Hitler wants something bigger than a Jew killing a Nazi.”
Professor Hoffmann agreed. “I think he’s looking to the east. He wants more land for his new Germany. He implies this in all his latest speeches.”
The Doctor talked directly to me and said, “Frank, what you hear here, let go no farther. We have known men to disappear for having talks like this. Please keep our talk to yourself.” I promised I would.
The men started to discuss the good things that Herr Hitler had done for Germany. I was very interested in what they had to say and asked, “If Germany is in such a state of depression, where does the money come from to make all the improvements he’s making?”
The professor said, “The Treaty of Versa
illes is not being adhered to. Germany and the Nazis have refused to give any more reparations and France, England and your country are not going to challenge them. The Fuhrer is using that money for social reform and to build up the military.”
Bette came in with more coffee. German coffee is much stronger than ours at home.
Father Green said that the Fuhrer was doing wondrous things for the country. “If he died soon, he would go down in history as the greatest German leader of all time.” This talk really puzzled me and I asked why this was? Father Green elaborated, “The Fuhrer has started old age benefits. In your country it’s called Social Security. It’s been well received here. The old folks are happy to have it. His economic policies have awakened our whole economic system.”
“Yes,” the Doctor said. “I like what he has done with the autobahns. When it’s all finished, it will unite all the nation in a way never before.”
The professor agreed. “He’s making life a lot better for the most of us. Too bad he dislikes the Jews so much.”
Father Green said, “I think he blames the loss of the war on the Jews, and I understand he says the Jewish doctor who treated his mother contributed to her death. He was in love with her so much it almost killed him when she died.”
The Doctor said, “I think that’s the most irresponsible notion I’ve ever heard. Why would anyone even suggest a doctor would kill a person on purpose? I just don’t understand his feelings?”
The men kept talking about the Fuhrer. I could tell they had a lot of pent up anxiety about the Nazi party and its leader. “Herr Hitler is doing his best to put all the people into an auto with this new people’s car. He calls it the Volkswagen. I understand it is cheap to build and anyone can buy one, even the average German. It’s small and will get many meters to a gallon.”
Father Green seemed impressed with the new car. Professor Hoffman said he had seen one in Berlin on his last trip. “It’s small, but four people can ride in it and it’s air cooled; it won’t freeze in the winter. That’s a plus for a country doctor. Don’t you agree Max?”