So, as the funeral unfolded, Father/Grandpa Zanton left them for the last time. People from many towns and villages came to pay their respects to a great man — to a man who so proudly kept up with family traditions as well as family dignity. He was a man of honour and had no problem dealing with anybody; or any generation, for that matter.
Through the years of hard work and dealing with people, he was able to show that he was a man of his word!
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The Little Miracle
IN OCTOBER 1937, MARK AND LUCILLE were blessed with yet another daughter. This one, however, did not co-operate. Lucille was by now almost forty-two years old, a difficult age for childbirth.
“It is a breech birth, and we are all in trouble here!” Jagica yelled. “We can start praying for a miracle!” The midwife, who had previously attended to the births of all the others, was scared.
“Jagica, you are a capable woman. You must have faith in yourself. We can do this,” Lucille was pleading to her. She could see that the exhausted woman was ready to give up.
“Mark, help me here!” But Mark could barely stand on his feet, much less provide help. “It’s no use.”
“Jagica! You must not give up. Come on! Mark!” Lucille, totally exhausted, screeched at Mark.
Then somehow the baby appeared. It was a girl. She was blue and was not breathing. Jagica worked on her as she was trained to do, but time was running out on them.
This woman had a reputation as an expert, almost equal to a doctor; but this just happened to be an extraordinary situation. She was by now giving up for the second time.
“Shock her, shock her! The water!” Lucille was yelling again at the woman. Then suddenly the baby shook and started crying. The little miracle lived.
“We must christen her right away in case she doesn’t make it in the next few days — right, Mark?”
Mark found his voice. “Yes, of course. I will take care of that.”
All that time, Helena was crying in the kitchen, hoping for everything to come to an end. When Mark finally appeared and told her everything was all right, she had to sit down in order not to faint.
“Helena, I will be right back to tell the children that their mother is all right.”
They named their little girl Silvia.
Although Lucille was the real hero, here, for not giving up on her little Silvia, Jagica took the credit for saving the baby’s life. She became an instant celebrity. As for Lucille, she was just very happy that the two of them had survived the ordeal. All that mattered was that there was no damage to the baby.
“I am used to situations where other people take credit for my actions. I had to save the baby, not only for her sake, and not just for Mark and myself, but for Grandpa’s sake as well.” She had to prove to his memory that she and the baby were both doing fine.
“This one is for you, Grandpa. And thank you once again for everything: for standing by my side, for believing in me, for being so honest and righteous, and, above all, for being you!”
Helena was facing her own demons regarding her father’s death. “The two of us spent a lot of time together, especially since my stroke.” She was telling Lucille quite a bit about things that Lucille never knew before. “He defended me in more ways than one. There were times when Mother and Magda didn’t even give me a chance to speak, much less give me credit for any of my input, regarding things here around the house.”
“I am sorry for your loss, Helena.”
“I don’t know if Mother’s death had anything to do with my illness; however, Father died of old age, even I know that.”
“We all miss him. He was there for me when I first came to this house.”
“On top of all this, I am going through a midlife crisis. I realize that all women do, but I didn’t have good health to begin with.” Then she added, “I wish Father had been alive to see the new baby.”
It was wonderful that little Silvia survived her breech birth. Helena could be heard talking to the baby and telling her all about Grandpa. “Grandpa is looking after you and me from heaven. Grandpa can see us from above.”
Lucille would watch the two of them with a tear or two and appreciate the fact that her sister-in-law had a gentle heart after all.
This new addition to the family brought a new beginning for Helena and Lucille. While Magda more or less stayed away, other than coming to see the new arrivals and smirking at them for having so many children, Monika was different. She always welcomed the new arrivals with them, and helped as much as she could, even though she was having her own problems.
Life went on and the Zanton household once again regained some order. It took Lucille quite some time to get over this latest childbearing.
Mark saw to it that she was happy. He said to Anna’s daughter, “Milena, you are free of all your other duties for the time being, except to help Lucille with anything and everything. You won’t be sorry. You will get time off, once the worst is over.”
“And you think that my mother will let me do that?”
“Do what, Milena?” Mark was taken aback by her question.
“I mean, go away for a while and visit the relatives.” Milena was almost pleading.
“I hear you, Milena. Don’t make me a villain — as if I was some kind of a monster. I only want what is best for you, but that does not include torture, the way you sounded just now.
“Maybe we can work something out for the good of both of you,” Mark said with a smile. And Anna hugged her daughter and kissed her.
Silvia, having never been blessed with the goodness and presence of Grandpa, managed to still get plenty of attention from all the others around her.
“My goodness, this child hasn’t got any time to sleep. Everybody is trying to prevent her from dying, but at the same time giving her no peace,” Lucille protested happily. “You can all relax for now, and in the spring we will have a bash for everybody around us to help us celebrate.”
“I want to have a talk with your brother about possibly taking the younger generation on a trip for some skiing. What do you think?” said Mark.
“A trip as in . . . ?” Lucille inquired. “Can you be more specific?”
“I can provide the transportation, and Ivan can teach them how to ski,” Mark said. “That was my point in offering Milena a change. I am sure she would love it, and the others will not mind at all — they never did before. However, I thought you and I should discuss the subject first. You think it’s a good idea?”
“I think it is a wonderful idea, Mark. Knowing Ivan, he will have as much fun as the kids,” Lucille said.
Winter came and went, and it was time to have that celebration. No one was left out. Uncle Drago was also present and, after the party, he decided to stay for the summer.
“This is almost like having Grandpa here,” Vera said happily. But to Silvia, Drago was “Grandpa,” and she was very drawn to him. She always wanted to crawl toward him, and he almost couldn’t bear the pleasure. The attention that this little darling paid him was overwhelming.
“I am glad I made the decision to stay for the summer,” he confided to Lucille. “I enjoy the time with little Silvia. Helena enjoys being with us as well, have you noticed that?”
“Yes, I have; but you mustn’t overdo things while you are here. Mark wants to take you and Helena to the vineyard this afternoon so that the three of you can reminisce about the ‘good old times.’ How about that, Uncle Drago? Here he is.”
Mark walked in with a big smile. He could tell what the conversation was all about, just by looking at their faces. He was terribly fond of his uncle, and the feeling was mutual. “So, are you ready to go?” Mark invited the two of them.
Drago had missed his home and he was good for Helena, encouraging her to mingle with the family. “Helena, you don’t know how lucky you are to have a good home
. I am well aware of your handicap, and I know that your life could be very different without it, but these people are all so good to you . . . just think about it.”
Monika also dropped in quite often, especially when Uncle Drago was there, not to mention Ivan, who would take him to his shop in order to inspect it and visit with his employees.
Silvia was like a toy for everyone, but by the time she started walking, at the age of thirteen months, she and Leni paired up and became inseparable. This was especially fun for Leni, because now they could go places together and she could show Silvia different things. The two of them kept each other company, which suited their mother just fine.
“Leni is by far the best babysitter. Now we need only to look for one of them and we will find both,” Lucille chuckled. “It is hard to tell if they are running after the chickens, or whether the chickens are chasing them. Poor Silvia, she often falls, for her legs are slower than her imagination.”
“Yes, but Leni always tries to soothe her little boo-boos — have you noticed that?” Helena added. “They are going to be all right and remain close for a very long time.”
Lucille was now in her prime, doing well, very happy; and this is how it is supposed to be.
The Zantons’ parties in the summertime were always the greatest fun. Vera was quite a socialite, while Mark Jr. couldn’t care less. Helena always perked up in the summer, and Monika became more visible at that time of year. Marie kept everyone in stitches. She had the gift of coming up with the most unlikely statements about the children.
“I wish Grandpa was here to see us enjoying ourselves,” Marie often mentioned. She also enjoyed having cousin Nesta there for the odd visit and she would make fun of her, not out of menace, but trying to balance the difference between the cousins. She had the knack of camouflaging many awkward incidents in her own way. Nobody complained too much, since Marie was quite a comedienne without even knowing it; so it all came out as in good fun.
In late 1939, Mark Sr. came down with pleurisy.
“Mark, you look like death itself. You must go and see Dr. Loncar.” Lucille was worried.
“It’s just my back acting up again. I will be all right.”
“I don’t think so, Mark. You don’t look after yourself, and something tells me this is serious. The children are worried as well. You know very well what is going on in the world, and we cannot afford to have you ill.” She was more worried than she let on.
By now, Adolf Hitler, who had become Hindenburg’s successor back in 1934, began to rearm and to increase the size of the German Armed Forces. With his eccentric ambitions and daring activities, plus an enormous greed for power, he prepared to invade Poland by 1939.
“Hitler is determined that the Jews are the main obstacle to his success,” Mark Sr. stated.
Hitler feared the Jews because they believed they were superior to any other race, which gave them more status than he was ever ready to accept. He was certain that the Jews did not belong in Germany, so they became his biggest enemy, and he felt he must get rid of them all. His name for this plan was “The Final Solution”; it would be responsible for the so-called “cleansing” of the Jews, resulting in more than six million deaths in various concentration camps throughout Europe by the end of the war.
Years earlier, many Jews, on finding out what the plan was, started to immigrate to other countries and were leaving — or, rather, fleeing — Germany in groups. Now those who stayed knew that there was no guarantee they would be safe.
“What am I going to do?” Lucille wondered. “I know that I don’t have the same strength as I used to. To deal with the family wouldn’t be so bad, but there is the hired help and Helena, now that Mark isn’t capable of doing things for her. I wish Grandpa was still with us.” And Mira listened.
“Don’t allow yourself to panic because then you will lose control,” Mira warned her.
“I know Mark — he is worried that he will get worse.”
Mira acknowledged her own fear of what was coming. “I can’t stand listening to the radio. There is nothing good coming through.”
“Lucille, hurry!” Frank, one of Mark’s right-hand men, came running into the kitchen. “I’m afraid Mark may have broken his arm.”
His pleurisy a bit better, Mark was cutting wood for their wood-burning stove. He really was careless.
The good thing was that the mill was finished by now. However, the hops still needed plenty of attention, and therefore plenty of planning was necessary. The weather always played a big role in running a hops plantation. The more co-operation there is from the weather, the greater the harvest. The touchiest time is the month of July, when the flowers are right at their peak; this is a critical time when there has to be plenty of sun. Hopefully, there would be no hail, for that destroys the hops. The flowers get damaged and don’t reach the right size and/or shape. In cases like that, the government can either reject the product or pay next to nothing for the product. The farmers sold their crop to the provincial government and they in turn sold it to the federal government. Only then did the hops get distributed and sold worldwide.
“We are lucky that we are self-sufficient without the hops,” Mark commented.
“What do you mean?” Helena asked.
“We still have wheat, wood, pigs, cows, potatoes, and grapes (or wine); and there are apple orchards, cherry trees, peach and plum trees, and walnut trees with fruit on them that can be sold . . . but, of course, I realize that the hops and the mill have been our main source of income for the longest time.”
Mark tried too hard. If he could just relax, he probably wouldn’t have so many accidents. And Helena was more work than help, although she tried.
“Don’t you worry about Mark. I will help him overcome this setback.” Helena sounded determined.
“That would be great, Helena. You know that the children come first; they are not grown up and they need me.” They were by now ranging from twelve years of age down to two. “The children adore their father and want to be around him, so you might end up with your hands full; but we are right here as well. Just make sure that that husband of mine behaves, will you?” Lucille yelled as she went out to attend to someone’s needs.
The villagers also dropped in to say hello, knowing that they were always welcome to do so.
A farm previously almost ruined and lost now flourished with love and life, all due to what Mark and Lucille had between them.
Mark said, “I would never have dared to even hope to have this bunch of kids to love and live for. They sure are worth it all. Even when I get hurt, I just dismiss it as long as they are all right.”
Vera, being the oldest of the siblings, was expected to do some house chores. Plus . . .
“Vera, you and Mark will watch the girls this afternoon for a while. Bruno will help you.”
“But Mom, I never get to be with my friends. They all get a lot of free time,” Vera protested.
“Fine, if you have to be with your friends, then take your sisters with you.” Lucille knew that it wouldn’t work, but it was an idea.
Mark, on the other hand, protested for a different reason. “Mom, can I go with Father instead? He needs help as well.”
“Your father is not working, which is why I have to go out for a while, so don’t give me that.”
So, more often than not, Marie wound up doing most of the “watching.” She was not only willing but capable as well. Bruno also preferred being with her rather than with the bossy Vera. Overall, there were altogether six so-called “children” for the household staff to look after:
Auntie Helena, for her handicap and her regular complaining
Vera, for being very impatient and bossy
Young Mark, for having more interest in horses than people
Marie, for being daddy’s favourite and therefore envied
Leni, for being the qu
ietest, and nobody knew what to do with her
Silvia, who happened to be Vera’s worst enemy
Word got to Lucille how Vera disliked watching the “baby” through the village women, who were upset. “Lucille, that Vera is going to break that little Silvia’s neck, the way she fights. She holds the baby with one hand and fights with the other. You know how stubborn she is and she thinks she is always right. Everybody can see it, so we felt we should tell you.”
“Vera, you will regret this for a long time. Your behaviour is outrageous!” Lucille threatened her.
Nevertheless, the children loved each other, for the most part.
By now, the Germans had already invaded Poland, and more disturbing news was coming over the radio.
“Sometimes I wish we didn’t have the radio — so we would not have to hear all the bad news,” Mark said sadly.
By the time the valley was invaded, a good deal of panic had set in. But the children were still quite unaware of the turmoil. Mark and Lucille kept everyday living as normal as possible to spare the children from the seriousness of the situation surrounding them. Children sense trouble, all right, but as long as their parents are there and are okay, the children manage quite well.
Leni and Silvia attended a private kindergarten; Vera was quite mature for her age; young Mark was his normal self; and Marie usually made herself useful everywhere, especially when it came to keeping peace between Vera and brother Mark.
Things were extremely tense. If one said the wrong thing, or looked at the Germans in a negative way, they instantly became suspicious. Therefore, the younger two girls were allowed to know only certain things, just to make sure there were no mistakes or misunderstandings. Any little slip could turn out to be dangerous.
Having the wrong name was another danger. The Germans were after certain names. Anything related to a possibly Jewish name would immediately be investigated, and not always in a nice way. In some cases, when the information was not forthcoming, the house would be burned down without any warning. A dog barking in the middle of the night in a certain way was suspect to them.
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