“Markus, two months seems a long time, but when you come back, I will be so pleased.” She looked away a moment. She told herself she would not lose her composure, but it was very difficult.
She had never in her twenty-three years met a man like Markus. She had other suitors and even a kiss or two but never experienced the feelings she felt for this soldier now leaving for his homeland, thousands of miles away. She knew she loved him. She felt he loved her, too. But she knew there was something holding him back, something in his past, possibly, that he did not, would not, reveal to her.
Does he have a girl back home? she wondered. I’ll probably never know.
Helena had made a pledge to herself, not to push him, not to give herself to him as she longed to do. She would wait for him to come back to her. She would pray to a merciful God to give him to her. She asked God to do this one thing, as she had never asked for anything before. Now they stood on a windy, cold dock, she holding his two hands in her two hands close to her chest. She looked down at them, then up at him, expectantly, as the ship’s horn bellowed across the harbor.
“I will miss you, Helena. I will—”
“Just say you’ll be back, Markus. That’s all I need … Say you will be back.”
“Of course I’ll be back, of course.” They were close together, their heads almost touching. He moved his hand up and touched her chin. Their lips came together gently, then with a passion emerging from a sense of loss and separation. He brushed a long streaking tear from her cheek as the ship’s officer shouted, “Last call! All ashore that’s going ashore.”
He approached the young couple. “Gang plank’s coming down in two minutes, sir.”
“Thank you.” Markus pulled away, then pulled her close and kissed her again.
“I—” He touched her lips with his finger, interrupting her. She whispered the rest to herself. She released him.
He turned to go, then turned back and said, “Yes, I know.” Just as he turned to leave, she saw a tear at the corner of his eye. It gave her, for a moment, a sense of misgiving.
Wolfgang ran up just as Markus stepped onto the gangplank. He slapped Markus on the back, wished him safe voyage, then pulled him close in and said, “She’ll be waiting for you, Markus. We’ll all be waiting for you!” With that, he gave a hearty laugh and released his sister’s one true love.
CHAPTER 6
Advice from Home
Look at you, dear Markus, so tanned and fit!” Katherina gushed as Markus’s mother and sister, Anji, welcomed him home at the Munich train station. Levi held back just long enough for Frau Mathias to have a moment with her son. Then he too hugged his dear friend in an embrace that lasted several moments as the two exchanged greetings.
“And you have an increase in rank, I see, Captain! What have you been up to down there?” Everyone laughed. “What? No new medals? Ha!”
“No, they don’t give medals for just doing your job.” He looked at them. “It’s a long way home … and so good to see you all again. Oh, and this must be little Rebecca. How you have grown in one year!”
“Yes, it has been a full year since you left, but now you’re home with us again. What fun we’ll have, just like old times!” Katherina exclaimed.
Everyone crowded around the new arrival as his mother pronounced, “We’re all going home to a nice dinner, to a welcome home dinner for my son!”
Levi had his own shiny, black Benz automobile, and they crowded in, bundled to stay warm on the short but blustery drive to Frau Mathias’s apartment in Munich.
“So few suitcases?” his sister Anji commented. “When you came home from China, you had so much, so many crates. Did you bring us a present, Markus dear?”
Markus’s mother, Fanny, spoke up, but with a smile, “That’s not polite, Anji—even if it is your brother.”
“No, no, Mama, it’s all right … and yes, Anji, I have something very special for you, but you must wait. Several trunks will be delivered from the station tomorrow.”
It was a short drive from the train station to the Mathias apartment near the Englischer Garten through the bustling city of Munich.
“There seem to be so many more automobiles on the streets than last year when I left. They outnumber carriages and wagons.”
“Yes, and I want to learn to drive an automobile, too!” Anji exclaimed, peering out at the busy streets.
“You? Drive a Benz like this?” Levi said in a slightly mocking tone.
“Well, no, not one of these big ones. More like one of those little ones—like that one!” She pointed at a much smaller, red vehicle zipping by on the snow-covered boulevard.
“Oh, that’s an electrical auto. You could handle one of those!” Levi conceded. Everyone laughed.
Through the long, happy, homecoming meal, Markus sidestepped questions about his future plans with vague comments about his profession. Levi and Katherina were the only ones to pick up on his evasiveness, but they didn’t say anything at the time.
For the next week, Markus was busy reporting to headquarters on the progress and technical problems in constructing one of the most advanced wireless communication systems possible in the German South West Africa colony. Visiting friends and army buddies from the China campaign and spending wonderful moments with his mother and Anji consumed most of his free time. He was simply enjoying being home.
The Levis invited him out to Kalvarianhof several times for lunch or dinner, with walks in the snowy woods and lanes. The elder Levis, happy to welcome him back, told him their daughter Ilsa was expected home from Berlin in a few days. Hearing this heightened his expectations of seeing his former, secret love.
How will I—we—react? he thought.
Levi and Katherina gave Markus time to come around to what his plans really were.
“We sensed your hesitation to talk about the future, Markus,” Levi said, as they strolled through the crunchy November woods surrounding Kalvarianhof.
“Ja, I’m a bit undecided about my future. You know they gave me rank and a raise and this two-month furlough, so you know I have to do something for that … which was to extend my duties for another year at the wireless station.”
“Yes, I thought it was something like that. Remember Günther and Heiner? They did the same after China. Of course, they didn’t go to university and become officers. You must really like the army life and Africa and your electrical engineering project down there.”
“Ja, of course I—” Markus’s arm went up almost in front of Levi’s eyes as he pointed. A deer with six prongs stood forty feet away. It spotted them and bounded off.
“Oh, my father and I still hunt these woods,” Levi replied. “Not so much anymore, but we do get out some.”
They continued their walk on the wooded road as the late-afternoon, golden rays streamed through breaks in the tall pines.
“Well, there’s a complication,” Markus began. “There always is, right? It’s not really a complication exactly. You see, I’ve met this girl … charming, beautiful, a wonderful woman, truly. We’ve become very close. But I’m not sure what to do.”
There was momentary silence between them.
“Let’s head back the long way, around behind the barns,” Levi suggested, helping to break the silence.
“You know, Levi, since Ilsa—and before that Li Ling—I’m not so sure of myself when it comes to women.” He bent over and picked up a thin branch and began casually breaking off short pieces and throwing them away.
“Do you love her?”
“Yes, yes, I think so.”
“Did you … you know, sleep with her?”
“No, no. She’s very religious. I mean, that’s not the reason. I maybe could have, but you see, I want to go slowly this time. I mean, she’s really … I just couldn’t do that to her if it wasn’t … you understand, a real commitment. And I was, well, am still not sure I want that level of commitment.”
“Ja, I see what you mean … and she is in Africa!”
; “Yes, Africa. It does complicate things. So what do you think I should do? Any advice?”
“Of course that’s got to be your decision, but I would say, since we talked earlier about Ilsa and you having totally different lives now, if you love her, this Helena you said her name is, I mean really loved her…” Levi didn’t finish the sentence. It didn’t need saying.
“Yes, you’re right. Thanks. Good advice—just like old times.” They both smiled as Levi rested his hand on Markus shoulder. They passed out of the woods and crossed the meadow to the house as darkness closed in.
That evening, Katherina asked, as they curled up under the big feather bed with little Rebecca between them, “Do you think he’s going to marry her? And Africa … would he stay down there? It just seems strange to think of him so far away forever. Remember when we walked the dunes and looked at the stars; it really was beautiful.” She was smiling. Their baby gurgled, and Katherina gave her the nipple.
“You won’t be doing this for very much longer, my little one,” she whispered as she adjusted herself and the baby.
“How much longer will you be nursing her, my love?”
“Another month or two. Did you know, Husband, that I can’t get pregnant while I’m nursing? Did you know that?” There was a mischievous smile on her face.
“Really?” he said in mock surprise. “Well, now.”
“Wait, wait … She isn’t quite done.”
The weeks slipped by quickly for Markus and his friends, but the five of them—Anji, Markus, Katherina, Levi, and Ilsa—managed outings frequently. Ilsa and Markus had a guarded first encounter when she arrived home, but after a long conversation covering each other’s past year, they seemed detached emotionally. All seemed well.
Late November found four of the five spending a wintry day in Munich as the Christmas Market opened. Ilsa was home baking her favorite stollen, stuffed with walnuts, raisins, and dried fruit. The four saw big snowflakes falling as they sat in a warm Biergarten, chatting and munching Nuremberger brats and beer and reading the latest news.
“Snow seems light this year. You’ll just miss skiing, Markus,” his sister commented.
“Yes, and no skiing in the colonies … well, except on Kilimanjaro in East Africa. That is, if you can hike that far up with your skis strapped to your back!” he responded.
“It truly must be beautiful, Africa, with all those wild animals and primitive people,” Anji mused.
Markus turned to his sister and admonished lightly, “I’ve found most of the blacks are gentle and, in their way, intelligent … It’s a different world than what we know here. You’ll have to visit Africa to really understand.”
“Yes, of course, Brother.” She looked at her three companions. “The three of you have been to Africa. How unusual, don’t you think? I mean three in our little group.” Anji gazed out the window of the café at people bundled against the cold, scurrying by “It will be Christmas soon. Why do you have to go back to Africa, Markus? Mama and I want you home. You could get a job here. I’m sure of it.”
Her brother looked up from his paper, and across to his sister. He said gently, “Of course I could, Anji, but I’m in the army, doing some very important work. It’s only one more year. Then I’ll be home.” He was trying to be sympathetic to her. He knew how emotionally dependent she was on him since Papa died. He knew she truly missed him, what with only Mama at home.
“You said that last time. You said, ‘I’ll only be gone a year.’ Now it’s two years! Are you ever really going to come home?”
Katherina looked across at Levi after that comment. Levi looked up at her, too.
“What? I saw you two looking at each other … with that kind of look, that stare,” Anji sat up stiffly in her chair. “You know something. What is it?” She looked at her brother. He was hiding behind his newspaper. She abruptly reached over and pulled the paper down. “Markus, I know something’s up. What is it?” There was a long silence. She could read her brother like a book.
“What?” Markus shook the paper free and raised it again.
“I know! You’ve got a lady friend in Africa. Correct? Am I right?” There was a long pause. “Is she black?” Another pause. “She’s black, isn’t she … and you don’t want to bring her home because Mama would have a heart attack!”
Levi and Katherina burst out in convulsions of laughter. Even Markus couldn’t hold back. He too exploded with a roar, crumpling the paper in his lap. Between gulps of air and gasps, with tears in his eyes, he said, “Well, Sister, you’re half right!” And with that, the three of them burst again into hilarity. People at other tables looked over with grins on their faces, wondering what was so funny.
“You have a girlfriend! So that’s it! Why didn’t you tell me? That’s wonderful!” She looked around, caught the humor of it all, and joined in laughing. With Markus’s “secret” out in the open, they all had many questions about the mysterious woman: her looks, her family, her personality, and so on. And the big question was, of course, how serious is he about her and will she come to Germany or will he stay in German South West Africa?
“I’m not sure … I’m not sure about anything.” With more beers all around, the rest of the lazy afternoon was spent in warm, intimate coziness, listening to all the details.
After a French lithograph of the Colonial Empires, 1898: England, Germany, Russia, France, and Japan (Missing Spain, Portugal, and the Ottoman Empire)
CHAPTER 7
Storm Warnings
The crumpled newspaper that slid to the floor in that charming café that day, in December 1911, also presented a warm rosy picture of life in Munich and in Germany as 1912 approached. Good news, at least on the paper’s front pages, distracted readers from the back pages, where news stories and articles of a different kind could be found. Over the last several years, events in seemingly obscure locations and backwater countries caused growing unease among more astute readers.
The world’s empires—Germany, France, Austro-Hungary, Russia, Great Britain, Japan, and the Ottoman Empire—with their vast colonies, were all aggressively jockeying for advantage in securing foreign lands to add to their various colonies. Most disputes, while settled peacefully, caused social and political tensions.
Many of these events appeared in the headlines for a day or two and were though of by the general public, if thought of at all, as isolated aberrations from a generally peaceful Europe. Over the past half dozen years, headlines read:
1905:
“Russian Revolution Crushed by Czar’s Loyal Troops”
1905:
“Russian Battleship Potemkin Mutiny; All Officers Killed by Sailors”
1905:
“Jews Massacred in Odessa, Russia”
1906:
”World’s Largest Battleship, the British Dreadnought, Launched”
1906:
“Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy Form Triple Alliance”
1906:
“German Navy Launches First U-Boat Submarine”
1907:
“Bulgarian Prince Ferdinand Crushes 10,000-Peasant Revolt”
1907:
“Kaiser Buys Count Zeppelin’s Dirigible for German Army”
1908:
“King Carlos of Portugal and Crown Prince Assassinated”
1908:
“Serbia Threatens War over Austrian Annexation of Bosnia”
1908:
“Germany Pledges Support of Austria’s Actions in Balkans”
1909:
“Austria Considering War with Serbia”
1909:
“Russia Invades Persia”
1909:
“Lord Northeliffe: Germany Preparing for War with Britain”
1909:
“France Creates Colonial Armies in Case of European Conflict”
1910:
“France: Mandatory Military Training”
1910:
“Imperial Russia Annexes Finnish Duchy”
1910:
“Imperial Japan Invades, Annexes Korea”
1910:
“Kaiser and Czar Agree: Germany Gets Baghdad Railroad Deal”
1910:
“Czar Gets Free Hand in Persia”
1910:
“Palestine Arab Uprising Crushed by Ottoman Troops”
1911:
“German Reichstag Increases Army by 500,000 Troops”
1911:
“Britain Declares: No Support for France in Case of War”
1911:
“Russian Premier Stolypin Assassinated”
Like the crumpled paper under foot, these headlines and articles slipped from memory, as each new addition of these newspapers quickly became so much litter. Markus spent his last afternoon with Levi, after saying his farewells to Mama, Anji, and his friends in Munich. Before Levi was to drive Markus to the village train station, they again walked the woods at Kalvarianhof, like many times in their youth. The two tramped noisily through the high, frosty grass.
“Have you decided about Helena?” Levi inquired as they both braced against the cold December wind.
“No, not really. I’ll just let things unfold when I get back to Windhoek … see how Helena feels about me, truly, and me her.” They both pulled their collars up against the icy wind.
“I didn’t tell you earlier,” Markus began, “but there is another woman, an American, whose family is very friendly toward me. I’ve been invited to dinner and such with them. She’s very nice, a real beauty, but—”
Levi cut him off. “Another woman?” Levi stopped in the crunchy snow, turning toward his friend. “You never said anything about another woman. Are you really seeing two women at the same time?”
Before Markus could reply, Levi continued, “Mein Gott, you’d better be careful. You could lose your commission if a scandal—”
The Storm That Shook the World Page 4