Watch Over My Child: Book Three in the Michal's Destiny Series

by Roberta Kagan

  Gilde smiled. “I know it’s none of my business, but how does your father do it? He hardly earns much money in the shop anymore.”

  “He has a lot of inventory that’s been handed down through his family. You know, jewelry and things of value. He trades it for food, sometimes to pay the rent, and for other things we need,” Sharon said. “Because of this we’re probably doing better than most people.”

  “Gilde, would you like to take a walk with me?”

  “It’s cold outside, Wil,” Sharon said.

  “I’ll keep her warm.”

  “I’d love to,” Gilde said.

  When they were leaving the house and William reached up to kiss the mezuzah something stirred inside of Gilde. William had a link, an artery that connected to the blood of her ancestors. He, like her, was a Jew. And that connection made her want to bond with him.

  They walked for a few minutes then William put his arm around Gilde. She turned to give him a harsh look. “I only did that to keep you from being cold.”

  “Is that the reason?” she said, trying to sound stern, but she couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I can’t lie. I did it because I like you. By the way, I never took you for being Jewish when we first met. You had a German accent and your blond hair is so light that I didn’t think you were a Jew. In fact I heard your German accent and I was afraid you were a Nazi. Forgive me?”

  “I already have forgiven you. I understand that my accent confuses people. They don’t know what to make of me. I hate the Nazis. That’s why I am working with Sharon every day to get rid of this German accent.”

  “So, tell me a little about you. Things I don’t know, like what do you enjoy doing? What do you like to eat? Anything at all, as long as it’s not sad. As long as it’s not about the past and your home and family. Because when you talk about them, it burns me up inside. I want to make it right for you and I can’t. It’s not in my power.”

  “I know.” She smiled then she looked at him and said, “Well, I love apple and raisin strudel.”

  “Kraut food,” he said. Then they both laughed.

  “I also love shepherd’s pie.”

  “Better. English, of course.”

  “Yes, and I love cholent, and mondel bread, and challah, and chopped liver, and anything Jewish. I love Yiddish. I can’t speak it anymore. My parents used to speak it mixed with German. But I’ve been away from them for such a long time that it seems I’ve forgotten so much. I understand a few words and when I hear them, they make me feel warm inside. I love to hear the prayers at Hanukkah.”

  “It’s true, Yiddish is a lot like German. Can you still speak German?”

  “Yes, but not fluently, a lot of it is fading away. Do you know the prayers?”

  “Of course, what good Jewish boy who was bar mitzva’d at the tender age of thirteen doesn’t know the prayers?”

  “Will you say them for me?”

  “I’ll do one better. I’ll sing them, like a cantor.”

  Gilde held her breath while William sang in a beautiful baritone voice.

  When he was finished Gilde wiped a tear from her cheek. “That was beautiful.”

  He shrugged. She could tell that the compliment embarrassed him. “You have a wonderful voice.”

  “You think so, huh? Do you sing?”

  “Not the prayers. I don’t know them.”

  “But you sing?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Sing something for me.”

  She sang an old Yiddish song that her mother had sung to her when she was a child.

  “Oh Gilde, you’re the one with the lovely voice, not me. And, by the way, I didn’t understand all of the words but I liked the sound of the Yiddish too.”

  CHAPTER 28

  In the morning Gilde heard the clang of the milkman’s truck. She opened the door and took the container of milk and a small container of orange juice inside. Then she left the ration cards for the next day under the empty container. Mr. Lawrence had prepaid the milkman for the month.

  She put the milk up on the windowsill where it would stay cold. As soon as William awakened, Mrs. Lawrence began preparing a quick breakfast of toast with just a drop of real butter. She gave William two pieces of the challah while the rest of the family would eat the black bread. Next she skimmed the cream off the top of the milk for William.

  “I feel like King David,” William said to his mother, smiling. “You should give some of this to Papa, and to the girls and to yourself.”

  “No, Willie, it’s for you,” Sam Lawrence said. “We want you to have the best. Don’t we, girls?”

  “Yes, of course,” Mrs. Lawrence said. “Yes,” both Sharon and Gilde said in unison.

  Sharon took the margarine down from the windowsill and with her back to William so he wouldn’t see, she made up the regular rationed black bread toast for herself, Gilde, and her parents. She knew that her parents and Gilde would agree with her that they wanted to save the precious butter for William. After all, he was only going to be there for a few days then he would be serving their country.

  The next day the family walked to the synagogue. The men and women were seated on opposite sides of the aisle. As the rabbi and cantor were saying the prayers, Gilde glanced over and saw William watching her. She blushed and he smiled. Sharon noticed and she nudged Gilde with her elbow then whispered, “I think my brother likes you.”

  The rabbi gave a sermon on Abraham and how God told him to kill his son Isaac to prove that he loved God above all else. Then as Abraham was about to kill his beloved child, God spoke to him and told him to stop before he took Isaac’s life. Gilde had heard this story before and it always frightened her. Even now as the rabbi told it again to the congregation she found it unsettling. After the service was over a small spread of refreshments was served at the temple. Gilde met the other congregants who were friends of the Lawrence family. Sharon introduced Gilde to her girlfriends, who all made a big fuss of William, and then the family left to walk back to the house where they would rest until sundown, when the Sabbath ended. William walked slowly beside Gilde. “So what did you think of the sermon.”

  “That Bible story has always frightened me,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “Because I have never heard God speak and I’ve always thought that if a person was crazy they might think they heard God tell them to murder their son. And then they might do it.”

  “No, Gilde, Abraham was not crazy. He was the father of our people.”

  “But what if a madman thought he heard God.”

  “I don’t know. I think the story is more symbolic. I think it means that we should love God even more than we love our families,” William said. “And if you remember, God didn’t allow Abraham to kill Isaac. The whole thing was a test.”

  “I don’t like tests like that,” Gilde said.

  “I understand.”

  Gilde shrugged. “Do you really believe it ever happened? I mean, do you think God ever talks to us?”

  “Who knows? I can’t say. But I will I tell you that I believe that there is a God because I have seen miracles in my lifetime. I don’t want to brag, but I graduated from school early. I’ve been attending classes at the university where I’ve been training to go to medical school, and I’ve seen people who should have died but didn’t and were healed completely by prayer. It made me a man of God and a man of science at the same time.”

  She nodded.

  “I have a surprise for you. Would you like to come with me after dinner, later tonight?”

  “Where?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “Yes, I’d love to.”

  “But we can’t tell my parents. They wouldn’t like us to be alone together. They would think it was wrong.”

  “So, how will we get out?”

  “When Sharon falls asleep you’ll sneak out and meet me in the back yard.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, William,” Gilde said. “I don’t want to get into t
rouble.”

  “Do you trust me?”

  She glanced up at him and nodded

  “Good, then I’ll wait for you.”

  “I don’t know how long it will take for Sharon to fall asleep and it’s freezing outside.”

  “I don’t care. I’ll wait all night in the cold if I have to. Besides, I have to go and set up the surprise before I take you there.”

  “What? William, what do you have up your sleeve?”

  “Shhh, I don’t want the parents to hear,” he said. “You’ll see. I think you’ll like it.”

  CHAPTER 29

  When Sharon fell asleep Gilde got dressed quietly and slipped her coat on. Then she went out the door and into the yard. As he promised, William was waiting.

  “Come on, it’s not very far,” he said, leading her.

  Gilde was a little nervous. She’d never done anything so bold and she knew that if they found out, the Lawrences would forbid it.

  “It’s alright,” William said. He was carrying a cloth bag in his hand.

  They walked for several blocks. Gilde began to regret agreeing to this. She was cold and her nose and eyelashes felt like they were frozen.

  William led her up the walk of an old brick house.

  “Who lives here?” Gilde asked. “The house looks haunted.”

  He laughed. “It does look haunted. But I think you’ll like it once we’re inside.” He said, “I used to come here with my friends when we were kids.”

  “Are you sure nobody is here?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. The house is closed down in the winter, but I’ve seen people living here in the summer. I think it’s a summer home.”

  “It’s pretty big and set so far back from the street that it’s like something out of an Edgar Allen Poe novel. Kind of scary. Are you sure that nobody is here?”

  “Yes, I checked earlier. That’s why I told you I had to set things up before we came.”

  They went inside and William put the bag down. There was a small pile of firewood in the fireplace. Carefully he lit a fire. But he kept it burning low so as not to send up too much smoke. “I set up the fireplace with wood. I guess you could say I did a little shopping on the black market before I put this together.”

  Once the fire blazed and the warmth filled the room, the house wasn’t frightening anymore. In fact it gave Gilde a homey feeling and a sense of well-being. It calmed her nerves and made her feel lazy and for the time being, safe.

  “Now,” William said, taking a thin wool blanket out of the brown bag and spreading it on the floor next to the fire. “We are going to have a picnic.”

  “A what? It’s the middle of winter.”

  “Yes, we are going to have a picnic right here by the fire. I got some special delicacies I hope you will enjoy.” He began taking things out of the bag. “I even got some chocolate. Now how long has it been since you’ve tasted a piece of luscious chocolate?” He laughed.

  She laughed. “This is really sweet of you. You went to a lot of trouble. And it probably cost you a fortune.”

  “I have friends.” He smiled and winked.

  “Well, I can see that this took an effort.”

  “Of course it did. But you’re worth it.” His eyes were glistening in the fire light.

  They ate, they laughed, and they talked. The hours passed like minutes. William fed the fire two more logs, and then there were no more. And it was just before sunrise that the fire began to burn out.

  “As much as I hate to leave, I know we should get back. My sister will get up and see you’re gone and then we’ll be in trouble,” William said as he put out the rest of the fire, making sure not to leave even a single burning ember.

  He took Gilde’s hand and helped her up. “Thanks so much for spending this evening with me. When I am out on the ocean it will be this memory that I’ll carry with me.”

  As they walked back William reached over and took Gilde’s hand. She didn’t pull away.

  “I had fun tonight,” she said. “I’m glad I went with you.”

  “Me too,” he said.

  When they got back to the house he watched her as she went up to her room.

  CHAPTER 30

  On Sunday Mrs. Lawrence made fried matzo for breakfast.

  “I don’t mean to be rude,” Gilde said. “But I’ve never had this before. What is it?”

  “We usually only have it for Passover. But it’s William’s favorite and so we wanted to make it for him. Sam, God bless him, got some flour and I made the matzo yesterday with a little water.”

  “Well, I certainly appreciate your going to all this trouble, Ma. It’s delicious. We sure don’t get anything like this in the service. You probably had to use all of your egg rations to prepare it.”

  “You never mind about that. You just enjoy it, Willie,” his mother said. Then she walked over and hugged him tightly. Her eyes were glassy with tears.

  Sharon, Gilde, and Mrs. Lawrence took very small portions, leaving most of what was left of the rare treat for Sam.

  “This is delicious. How is it prepared?” Gilde asked.

  “Well, first I made the matzo yesterday. That was easy, just a little flour and water, roll it out into a cracker and bake. Then today I soaked the matzo in water, added egg and a bit of onion. I’m glad you like it.”

  “I do. It’s wonderful,” Gilde said.

  Gilde was tired because she had hardly slept. But no one seemed to suspect anything about her and William being out all night. All day, no matter what Gilde was doing, she would glance up and catch William stealing glimpses of her.

  “I called Lewis and Jake and told them that you were home. They are both coming by to see you today,” Mrs. Lawrence said.

  “Good,” William said, but behind his mother’s back he made a funny frowning face at Gilde and she had to look away to stifle a laugh.

  As soon as they had a moment alone Gilde whispered to William, “Why did you make that face when your mother said your friends were going to drop by? Your face was so funny I almost burst out laughing.”

  He laughed. “You want to know the truth?”

  “Of course I wouldn’t want you to ever lie to me…” Gilde said, with a teasing expression on her face.

  “I didn’t want to share my girl with them. I didn’t want them to steal you away from me,” William said, then sheepishly he said, “I mean, I know you’re not my girl … but …. What the heck am I saying. I sure am making a damn fool of myself.”

  “No you’re not. I think you’re very sweet.”

  William’s friends arrived and both of them were flirtatious with Gilde and with Sharon, but in a very respectful manner. Gilde was having fun. This had been a wonderful weekend with William and she was really starting to like him. She remembered what he said before and decided that if he asked her to be his girl she would say yes. His family had already won her heart and she could easily see herself as a part of all of this, maybe even as William’s wife.

  That night when Gilde and Sharon went to bed, Gilde fell into a deep sleep. She’d hardly slept the night before and she was very tired. Most nights she had dreams of her family or nightmares of the bombings and finding the bodies of the Kendalls. But that night she was too tired to dream. She slept so deeply that when she felt a hand on her arm she awoke startled. At first, she was disoriented in the dark. But then she made out the face and the form of the man who was standing over her.

  “William, what are you doing here?”

  “I want to show you something.”

  “Seriously. It’s the middle of the night.”

  “I know. Be quiet. We don’t want to wake Sharon. Come with me.”

  Gilde got up and put on her robe. They walked downstairs. The house was quiet. Everyone was asleep.

  Before he’d awakened her, William had laid Gilde’s shoes and coat by the door. He gave her the shoes. “Put them on.”

  She shook her head and smiled but she did as he asked. Then William helped Gilde with her
coat.

  He put on his own coat and opened the door for her. She followed him outside to the back yard.

  “I wanted to show you the North Star. Do you see how bright it is tonight?”

  She nodded.

  “It’s beautiful like you. When I am gone and you are feeling sad or alone come out here and look at the North Star. When you see it, you’ll know that wherever I am I can see it too. And, I am thinking of you.”

  He gently touched her face. “I don’t ever want you to feel alone and lonely again.”

  He kissed her and she felt safe in his arms. And even though it was terribly cold, the warmth of his heart melted her entire body into his. “You remember what I said this afternoon when I was acting like a complete idiot?”

  “No? When were you acting like an idiot? I must have missed it.”

  ‘You know….” He hesitated and then his voice got soft and gravelly. “When I called you my girl.”

  “Oh yes, I do remember something like that.”

  “Gilde?” He cleared his throat. “Would you? I mean, be my girl?”

  “Yes, William. Yes.”

  “Oh, I’m so happy I can’t even feel the cold,” he said.

  She giggled. “Me too.”

  “I have an idea. What do you think about this? You know I only have a day left to spend with you. Would you be willing to skip school and spend the afternoon with me?”

  “What would I tell Sharon?”

  “You don’t have to tell her at all. Just walk to school with her and then once she’s in class, you leave and meet me at the park. You know the one, it’s two streets north of the school?”

  “Yes, I know where it is.”

  “Nu? So will you?”

  She looked into his eyes. They sparkled like deep blue crystals in the starlight. “Yes. You’ll be there waiting for me?”

  “Of course.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Gilde walked as fast as she could to the park. It was another frigid day and a blanket of snow had fallen the night before. But the sun was shining and her heart was light. In fact she was filled with joy and she couldn’t wait to see William.