The Promised Land (All My Love, Detrick Series) (All My Love Detrick Book 3)

by Roberta Kagan

  “Were you in a Camp?” Zofia asked.

  “Me?” Noa replied. “No, I am a Sephardic Jew. I was born here in Palestine, before we became Israel. But, I know what happened in Europe. I have heard so many stories from the survivors. Terrible stories.”

  “They are all true,” Isaac said.

  She nodded. “I know. But we must not dwell on the past. Instead, let’s embrace the future; the future of our country, the future of our people. Now come, follow me. Let me show you our little piece of paradise.”

  They followed her.

  “Who owns this place?” Isaac asked.

  “Nobody does, and we all do. By that, I mean that it belongs to each and every one of us. It is our home. That is why we don’t mind working hard to keep it.”

  They continued walking.

  “Katja, don’t go too far. Come back here. Shana, bring the girls and Mendel over here, or can you keep an eye on them?” Zofia called.

  “I’ll watch them,” Shana called back.

  “No need to worry. The children are safe here. Every adult is a parent to every child. That is how it is on a kibbutz. Everything we have belongs to all of us.” Noa smiled.

  Isaac beamed. Zofia could tell by the look on his face that he loved the concept of the kibbutz.

  “As a married couple the two of you will have your own room. There is a communal bathroom and kitchen, as well as a general living area. The children have their own house. I know from the outside the main house looks like nothing more than a stone building, however it’s ours, it is home. I have a feeling you will find it quite comfortable here.”

  “May I ask you what kind of trees those are? They are so beautiful. The leaves sparkle like silver in the sun. I have never seen any like them,” Zofia said.

  “They are olive trees. We make olive oil here. We also grow fruit and vegetables; what we can anyway. Come, let me show you.”

  They walked for what seemed like miles, through orange groves and wheat fields; fig trees and persimmon trees. Against a fence, Zofia saw trees heavy with golden ripe bananas.

  “What are these?” Zofia bent to look at tiny pods growing on the ground. “Beans?”

  “Yes, sort of. They are wonderful white peas. We mash them into a sauce mixed with garlic and lemon. It’s called hummus. Then we spread it on the bread we bake. You’ll like it,” Noa smiled.

  “You have everything here.”

  “Yes, we do. On the other side, we have chickens that we use for eggs and three cows for milk. We also grow cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes. The neighboring kibbutz grows lemons. They trade us for our oranges, and sometimes for tomatoes. The land is very dry. It requires a lot of water, but we have scientists who are working on irrigating it.”

  “It seems as if you are putting everything that you have here to good use.”

  “We have many scientists and agriculturists that came out of the camps; they are very knowledgeable. Their knowledge has helped us to develop at a rapid pace.”

  “Where do you find fabric for clothing?”

  “We trade with another kibbutz, just a few miles down the road, that grows cotton. Inside the main building we have weaving looms where we make our own fabric.”

  “This is a miraculous place,” Zofia said.

  “This is Israel.” Noa said, spreading her arms wide to encompass the land. The warmth of the sun caressed them. “Welcome home.”

  Zofia nodded. “Thank you . . .” she breathed, her eyes wet with tears.

  Chapter 45

  Rachel found an open bunkbed that she and Katja could share.

  “How’s this one?” Rachel asked.

  “It’s fine. But I’m sort of afraid of sleeping on top; I might fall when I’m asleep,” Katja said.

  “I’ll take the top. I don’t mind,” Rachel said. “It makes me feel like I’m flying. One day, I’m gonna fly planes.”

  “I know. I’ll be there when you take off to cheer you on,” Katja said.

  “What do you want to do with your life?” Rachel said, sitting down on the lower bunk.

  Katja, now ten, sat beside her. “I don’t know, be a wife and mother, I guess. Work in the kitchen? Maybe teach?”

  “I don’t. I wanna do something big with my life. Something that people will remember,” Rachel said, running her hand over the wool blanket. It was surprisingly soft.

  “I think that being a wife and mother is something big,” Katja said.

  “You’ll probably marry Mendel.” Rachel said.

  “I will not! I’m going to marry a handsome man who looks like a movie star. NOT Mendel!”

  “Yes, I think you will marry Mendel,” Rachel teased.

  “Stop it,” Katja said.

  Rachel got up and started to run. “Can’t catch me . . .” she called out.

  Katja began to run after her friend.

  The two girls ran through the hallway, out the front door and into the sunshine. The cloudless sky was as blue as sapphire.

  In the distance, Rachel laughed. “Come on, Katja. You’re going to have to run faster than that, especially if you have children. They’ll out-run you and get away with murder.” Katja ran faster. Rachel slowed down and the two fell together, laughing, under an olive tree.

  “I think I’m going to love living here,” Rachel said.

  “Me, too.”

  “I think that finally we are home.”

  “Rach, Katja, come on. Let’s get some food. Everyone is having lunch,” Mendel called from across the grass.

  The two girls jumped up from the ground and ran towards Mendel.

  “Did you get a bunk?” Katja asked as the three headed toward the main eating area.

  “I finally found one. Did you two get one?”

  “Yes, we did, and we even got one together. Katja’s got the bottom, I’m on top.”

  “I met some of the other boys who live here; fellows around my own age. They seem nice. Lots of them are children of survivors. A couple of them are orphans like me.”

  “Like I was saying to Katja a few minutes ago, I think we’re going to be happy here. I think we finally have a home.” Rachel smiled, linking her arms in the arms of her two friends.

  Chapter 46

  Shana joined the teachers, spending her days working with the children. There were large classrooms set up where the children were taught to read and write. They learned arithmetic and, later, more advanced mathematics. Some of the teachers had once been professors, and they taught the older students physics and philosophy. There were classes in Hebrew and in English.

  Isaac felt he would be most useful working on the land. His back was strong and he had endurance, qualities many of the survivors lacked because they had been weakened by lack of food and disease for so many years. Zofia worked with the children. In her spare time, she helped in the kitchen, and occasionally she worked with the seamstresses. As she was growing older, she found that sewing was harder on her eyes and so she could not work at it full time. She learned to use a loom and make fabric. No money ever exchanged hands, but life was comfortable. There was enough to eat, and at night there was singing and rejoicing. THIS was the Promised Land.

  Chapter 47

  Zofia watched from the kitchen window as the children ran outside to play. They had a half hour recess before lunch each day. As she cut the cucumber and diced the tomatoes, she saw Mendel, Rachel, and Katja in the corner playing with a ball. Although they had made new friends since they’d arrived, their union remained tight. The three were always together.

  Over the last year, Zofia had put on weight. Her once slender frame was now rounded and full. Where once her breasts had been small they’d now grown ample and her thighs and hips had filled out as well. Isaac was thicker, too, but his body had developed more muscle where Zofia felt she’d gotten fat. This was not uncommon amongst the survivors, those who had known starvation had a tendency to eat more than necessary now that food had become plentiful. Isaac didn’t care that Zofia no longer had the
shape of a young girl. He loved her just as she was, and she knew it, knew it every minute of every day. Zofia had no cause ever to doubt her husband. At night she sat beside him while the younger people danced; her head on his shoulder, both of them content.

  On one such night, Shana was dancing with Rachel as a tall, slender Sephardic man, who lived on the kibbutz with his parents, walked over and introduced himself as Avi. He loved children and offered to teach Rachel some traditional Sephardic dances. In his quiet and gentle way, Avi charmed Shana and Rachel until he and Shana became friends. Zofia noticed that in the evenings Avi and Shana went for long walks. They sat together at the bonfires, sometimes holding hands. Often, when the rest of the group went to bed, Shana and Avi remained awake, sitting under the tree and talking well into the night. In the morning, Zofia noticed that Shana would be tired in the classroom and so Zofia offered to help with the children. Therefore, it came as no surprise when Shana told Zofia that she and Avi planned to marry.

  “Will you and Isaac stand in for my parents at the wedding? You two have become like parents to Rachel and me.”

  “Of course. We would be honored,” Zofia said, knowing that Isaac would agree.

  As was the custom, the entire population of the kibbutz attended the wedding. Shana glowed like a star in the night sky, and Avi stood beside her, tall, proud, and handsome.

  Zofia could not help but shed a tear as she watched the young couple stand beneath the canopy as she and Isaac once had stood. Shana and Avi’s life together was just beginning. Isaac shot Zofia a glance; his eyes were glassy with tears.

  “I love you with all my heart.” Isaac mouthed the words to Zofia without speaking, as the newlyweds took their vows.

  “I love you, too,” she answered in a whisper.

  The American, Lucky, who Shana had once believed was the only man she would ever care for, was now long forgotten.

  Chapter 48

  When the children were in school, Zofia spent her time helping to prepare the enormous meals for the entire kibbutz. After school, Shana often came to help in the kitchen or work in the laundry. No amount of work was too much. Everyone on the kibbutz contributed everything that they could to keep their community going. In the afternoon, between lunch and dinner, Zofia went to the children’s house to help. She played games, helped with homework, and read to them. Often Isaac joined her when he returned from the fields; hot, sweaty, but joyful. Isaac would come into the children’s house and all of the youngsters would come running to him. He made them laugh, did simple magic tricks, and told them stories. The little ones loved to watch this massive man; their eyes wide, as he told of Noah and his ark, or of Jonah and the whale.

  Katja was proud of Isaac and bragged to the other children that he was the strongest and smartest father anyone could ever have. Often Zofia and Isaac stayed at the children’s house late into the night until Katja drifted off to sleep. It was obvious to Zofia that her daughter was thriving; she had friends and a safe place to call home.

  While she worked in the kitchen, Zofia looked out the window where she could see Katja play catch or tag with Rachel and Mendel. Zofia sang softly to herself in Yiddish while she heard the children’s laughter in the background. Life was good in Israel.

  Two years passed in what seemed like months. Katja had just turned twelve and was growing up quickly. Zofia and Isaac were constantly busy working. The work was hard and often the land demanded more water than the people of the kibbutz could supply. It was worrisome because there was often a loss of crops. Finally a group of Jewish scientists came to discuss a possible solution.

  Isaac was in the field working on the land when he saw them approach. Everyone had been expecting the scientists, so Isaac knew immediately who they were. There were five of them. He watched them get out of an open truck, their dust-covered button-down shirts blowing in the breeze. As they came closer, Isaac recognized Shlomie.

  “Is that you, Isaac?”

  “Shlomie?”

  “It’s me. You are here? You made it to Israel?” Shlomie said, embracing Isaac in spite of the sweat that covered Isaac’s body.

  “Yes, I am here. Zofia is here, too. We live on this kibbutz. And you, Shlomie? You are working as a scientist?”

  “Yes, I have re-found my calling.” He smiled. “I missed it terribly.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “I am living and working in Tel Aviv.”

  “What good news. Will you stay for lunch? Zofia will be so excited to see you.”

  “I will. I would love to see her.”

  “Good then. I’ll see you when you have finished your work,” Isaac said.

  After Shlomie finished surveying the kibbutz with the other scientists he went back to find Isaac.

  “I’m all done here for today. We have some plans we are working on to help with the water shortage. It is a new invention called drip irrigation. It will enable you to use far less water in order to grow your crops. It is very efficient. And since water is so scarce, it is important for us to utilize every drop.”

  “I always knew you were a genius,” Isaac laughed.

  “I’m not a genius,” Shlomie said. “There are several of us working on this project. We saw a need, and we acted on it. It’s as simple as that.”

  “Come; let’s go to the main house. I want to wash up quickly, then we’ll go and eat. Zofia should be working in the kitchen today. She’ll be happy to see you.”

  Shlomie smiled, his mind wandering back to the past at the sound of Zofia’s name. His mind drifted back to those days in the forest with Zofia, after Isaac was captured. Then his mind traveled to the years he’d spent with Zofia in the DP camp. Zofia. Once he had loved her beyond life. He thought about the past and his heart skipped a beat, but only for a moment and only due to the memories. He was happy with his beautiful Jewish wife from Morocco. That young girl with the dancing eyes who had brought joy back into his lonely life. He’d met her in the Camp in Cyprus. She had taught him how to laugh again, in spite of all he’d endured. She’d been the first woman he’d ever made love to, and it had been an experience beyond any other in his life.

  Shlomie had not told anyone yet, but he knew that his wife was with child and it brought him such comfort to know that his offspring would be born in Israel . . . the Promised Land. Yes, Shlomie had suffered, like Job; God had tested him with the Nazis. He’d lost his family, his friends, his opportunity for education In anger, he had turned his back on God for a long time. But God had not forgotten him. It took time, but now he knew that, and God had given him so much to live for. Shlomie, the man of science, the man of logic, had become a believer.

  Coming back to the present, he patted Isaac’s sweat-covered back. “I’d love to see Zofia again,” he said.

  “She’ll be happy to see that you are healthy and doing well.”

  “I would love to tell you both about my wife.” Shlomie said. “She is a wonderful girl.”

  “You are married?” Isaac said, smiling. Long ago Isaac had had beautiful teeth, but Shlomie noticed that one of Isaac’s front teeth had been broken and it was now a chip. Isaac was still handsome, but not as handsome as he had once been. Life had taken its toll. Shlomie took a deep breath. They had all surely suffered. But even so, they were the lucky ones. At least they had survived.

  “I am married, yes, and very happy.”

  “Mazel Tov!” Isaac said. “Life is good then?”

  “Yes, life is good,” Shlomie said, and he meant it.

  Shlomie never thought that this day would come; this day when he no longer coveted his friend’s wife. For so long, he’d been jealous of Isaac for having Zofia’s love. Shlomie had always loved both Isaac and Zofia, but he’d always had that secret envy gnawing at him. Shlomie smiled. All of those feelings had disappeared. It was as if a heavy block of stone had been lifted from his back. Now, finally, Shlomie could sincerely wish his friends happiness in their lives together.

  Chapter 49

 
Saturday was intended to be a day of rest. According to the Jewish religion, Saturday was reserved for prayer and giving thanks to God, but often while the adults rested, Rachel, Katja, and Mendel spent the day exploring. They left the kibbutz after lunch and wandered down to the seashore. Sometimes they searched for shells, treasures that they kept or traded. Other times they sat looking out across the water while Mendel would invent stories of pirate ships sailing the high seas. Mendel loved to read, and sometimes he would tell the girls the tales from the books he read. They would sit together fascinated as the sun warmed their skin. As long as they returned in time for dinner, nobody knew that they had left.

  One afternoon while the three friends gazed at an azure sky inventing stories about the shapes of the clouds, they heard a noise. Rachel got up first, and then Mendel. Katja stayed behind and watched. She was afraid.

  “Come out, you coward,” Rachel said. “Come out and show your face. If you’re an Arab, I’ll kill you myself.”

  “Rachel, shhh,” Mendel said. “Who is there? Who are you? No one is going to hurt you. Come out.”

  “What if it’s a Nazi who escaped and came to Israel to kill more Jews?” Rachel said.

  “Don’t be silly. No Nazi would dare come here,” Mendel said again.

  Katja saw movement in the bushes. She got up and quietly, without saying a word went over toward the sound.

  “Be careful,” Rachel said. She ran to her friend’s side.

  “It’s all right,” Katja said. She picked up a tiny black and white kitten. “Look. Isn’t she sweet?”

  “It’s a cat . . .” Rachel said, laughing. “I thought we were being watched.”

  “Oh, what a lovely little thing,” Mendel said. “Can I hold her?”