The Voyage: A Historical Novel set during the Holocaust, inspired by real events

by Roberta Kagan

  . Even though the sun had gone down, it was still hot and sticky outside. Anna took some hair pins out of her handbag and quickly twisted her hair up into a bun. A nagging thought kept creeping into the back of her mind. She tried to push it away, but it came rushing back. It had been two weeks since she’d received a letter from Alex.

  Chapter 73

  “There’s a union meeting tonight,” Alice said the following morning. “You two have to attend. I’ll be there. It’s at eight o’clock. Here is the address.” Alice handed them both a small square of paper.

  “I don’t know.” Anna shook her head. “The company really frowns on this…”

  “Of course they do, look at the way they treat us. If we had a union, they couldn’t work us so damn hard. How many times have you been forced to work right through your lunch? And all day without a break? Ten hours…no break…no lunch…”

  Bette nodded. “I have.”

  “Come on, Anna, you know you have too.”

  “Yes, of course I have. But I don’t want to end up unemployed. That would be worse.”

  “Well, who does? I need this job too. In fact, I probably need it more than you two gals. Your husbands send you money. I’m not married. I’m on my own, but why should we be treated like animals just because we need the work? We do a good job and we are human beings. We deserve respect,” Alice said.

  Anna shot a glance at Bette. Bette shrugged.

  “All right, I’ll be there,” Anna said.

  “Me too,” Bette answered.

  The meeting was in the apartment of one of the employees whom none of the three girls had met. He worked loading merchandise at the dock, and his name was Fred. He welcomed everyone at the door, and even set out a plate of cookies, and coffee.

  Anna’s eyes darted around the small room; perhaps one of these people had come as a spy for Gimbels. They could be taking down the names of the employees who showed union support.”

  “Okay, order, everyone… Come on, take your seats,” Fred said as he stood in front of the crowd. He was a big man, with thick red eyebrows, and a bush of matching hair. A sprinkling of brown freckles covered his face. “Come on, these fellas can’t stand around here all night.”

  Card chairs had been set up in rows, and everyone took their seats. Anna sat beside Bette, with Alice on Bette’s other side.

  “I’d like to thank you all for taking the time to come tonight. I know how busy everyone is, and I sure am glad we have such a good turnout,” Fred said. “I’m not going to stand up here and talk. I’ll get right to the point.” He smiled. “I’d like you all to meet a friend of ours, a friend of the working man. He is a real important fellow, the National President of the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Unions. For those of you who don’t know him yet, his name is Samuel Wolchok. Let’s give him a real warm welcome.”

  Fred began clapping, and the others joined in. Mr. Wolchok walked up and raised his hands to silence the crowd.

  “Thank you.,” he said. “I’m here to help you form a union. But first let me answer a question everyone has been asking me tonight. What is a union? What is a union, you ask…? It’s when the labor force all bands together and becomes one powerful force. Because every single worker is part of this whole, the owners of these big companies can’t treat their employees any way they to want to anymore. When the workers unite, they have power. They can demand fair wages, reasonable hours, and humane treatment. You are the workers. It is the sweat of your labor that makes the owners of these big stores rich. Why shouldn’t you be treated better? You bring in lots of revenue, but how many of you can afford to shop in Gimbels? I’ll bet you can’t. I’ll bet you shop at Kleins or Ohrbah’s. Not that there is anything wrong with those stores, but you spend your ten hour days catering to the rich clients who demand that you kiss their asses so that Gimbel can live in his big, fancy house. Do you have a big fancy house?” The crowd grunted. “Hmm… I thought not. Well, if you decide to form a union of the workers here at Gimbels you’ll become powerful. Your bosses will be forced to pay you better, because if they don’t they won’t be able to keep their store open. Why, you ask? Because if the entire labor force goes on strike, there will be nobody here, and they sure as hell don’t know how to do our work, couldn’t do it if they tried, right?”

  “Yeah!” the employees cried out in unison.

  “Then they are going to have to listen to us,” Wolchok said.

  The crowd of workers cheered and stood up, clapping.

  “So, let’s get going. I got some of my best boys here to help you get started signing up for that union.”

  “What about dues?” one of the men from the back of the room asked, “Union dues?”

  “The dues are a very small percentage of your pay, and with the raise the union will get you, you won’t even notice the dues.”

  A few others asked questions, but Anna could see that the group was all fired up, and no matter what the questions or answers, Gimbels would have a union very soon.

  Lines formed in front of the three organizers who had come to sign the workers up as new union members.

  Alice took Bette’s and Anna’s arms and led them into one of the lines.

  When they got to the front, the union organizer at the table handed each of them a form. He looked up and his royal-blue eyes caught Anna’s glance. He nodded to her and smiled as his long, raven-black hair fell over his forehead.

  Anna thought he looked a great deal like Clark Gable.

  “Hello… I’m Benny,” the man said directly to Anna. The fire in his eyes and the passion he exuded for the workers cause gave Anna a tingle up her spine.

  “I’m Anna.”

  “Come on…let’s go. I can’t stand in this line all day.” a short, chubby man with slender little hands standing behind Anna said.

  “People are waiting,” Anna said.

  “I don’t care.” Benny smiled.

  “Come on,” the little fat man said again.

  “All right, all right,” Benny said. “Can we talk after I get done here?”

  Anna shook her head. “Sorry, I’m married,” she said.

  “I didn’t ask you about your marital status. I just wanted to talk to you,” Benny said.

  Anna was suddenly embarrassed. Perhaps she was attracted to Benny and he just wanted to plug the union.

  “I don’t know what made me say that. Of course we can talk.” Anna’s face felt hot and she knew she was turning bright red.

  “Jeez, come on…” the little fat man stomped his foot.

  Anna took the union form and pencil, and walked back to her seat.

  Everyone walked around for the rest of the meeting, talking, and sharing cookies and coffee. The organizers made their way through the small crowds, trying to spend time with each group. Benny did not approach Anna. And the more he seemed to be ignoring her, the more she wanted him to come over and chat with her and her friends. She stood on the side of the room with Bette and Alice, trying not to glance over at Benny as he spoke to the others, his smile friendly, but his voice strong, echoing through the room, filled with conviction.

  At ten-thirty, people began leaving. They all had to be up in the morning to be at work by seven. Everyone said their goodbyes and headed out into the night.

  Outside the building, Anna, Bette, and Alice separated, each headed in a different direction. Anna tried to avoid the subway at night, so she decided to spend the extra cash and flag a taxi. As she stood at the side of the road waiting for a cab, Benny walked over to her.

  “Sorry, it seemed like everyone wanted to ask questions tonight. I meant to get back over to you, but I just didn’t get the chance.”

  “Oh, that’s fine. I was talking with my friends,” Anna said, keeping her eyes on the street as if finding an open cab were the most important thing in the world to her.

  “Have you eaten?”

  She hadn’t. In fact, she realized that she was hungry. “No, actually I forgot to eat.”
/>   “Why don’t we go and grab something and I can tell you a little more about the union.”

  “I don’t think so,” Anna said, “Thank you anyway.”

  “Please, I hate to eat alone. You aren’t going to make me eat alone are you?”

  She looked at him. He gave her a silly expression, and she couldn’t help laughing.

  “Oh, why not? Yes, let’s go and get something to eat,” she said.

  “Do you like Chinese food?” Benny asked.

  “I’ve never had it.”

  “Well, my dear girl, you are in for quite a treat,” Benny said. “Come with me. No need to fear the subway at night when you have a Knight of the Shining Union with you.”

  She laughed.

  They took the train to Chinatown.

  “I know the best place for Chinese food.”

  “I’ll just have to trust you…”

  The restaurant was small, only five tables, but it was late so they got a booth in the corner immediately.

  “Shall I order for you?”

  “I guess you’re going to have to. I have no idea what to have.”

  “Then leave it to me,” he said.

  “I should tell you that I don’t eat pork or shell fish.”

  “Me either. I am a Jew,” he said.

  “Really?” Anna looked at him, surprised. “I thought with that black hair and your blue eyes that you might be Irish.”

  “Nope, I’m a full blooded Hebe.”

  “Hebe?”

  “It’s slang for a Jew.” He smiled. “Would you like a drink? They have a wine called plum wine that’s delicious.”

  “No thanks.”

  “I’m still in shock that you’re Jewish. I can usually tell other Jews,” she said.

  “I can tell you’re Jewish. I knew it when I first saw you.”

  “Really, how? Do you think I’m stereotypical?”

  “Nothing about you is stereotypical. You, Miss Anna, are one of a kind. Maybe it’s just that I have a sixth sense.”

  “Is your name really Benny, or is that just a name you use for the union. I’ve heard that some of the organizers didn’t use their real names.”

  “Where did you hear that? Not true, not true at all. My real is name is Benjamin. But I like Benny ‘cause it’s sort like Benny Goodman, you know?”

  “Sure I know Benny Goodman. I love his music.”

  “Do you dance?” Benny asked.

  It had been a long time since Alex had taken Anna dancing. In fact, they had not gone since they left Cuba. She hadn’t given it much thought until now that Benny brought it to her attention.

  “I do dance. In fact, I love to dance.” She’d forgotten how much she loved it.

  “So your husband must take you dancing all the time?”

  “No, he’s in the service.”

  “Overseas?”

  “I don’t know, I haven’t heard from him in a couple of weeks. The last I heard he was in California.”

  “California is beautiful, one of my favorite places.”

  “You’ve been there?”

  “Yeah, I’ve been all over the place.”

  “I’d love to travel.” Anna said as she watched the cars outside the window.

  “You should join the union organizers.”

  “Oh, I don’t think so. From what I have heard, it is dangerous.”

  “Yeah, I suppose it is. We get ourselves into some serious trouble sometimes. We make a lot of friends and we help a lot of people, but in turn we make some serious enemies, too.”

  “How long are you staying in New York?”

  “That depends…” A sexy smile broke over his face.

  “On what?” she asked. She couldn’t help being drawn to his magnetic eyes and alluring smile.

  “On you...” Benny said.

  She looked away from him. Twice in one night he had made her blush. Alex, think of Alex, she told herself.

  After dinner, Benny escorted Anna back to her apartment.

  “Thanks for having dinner with me.”

  “Thanks for all the information about the union,” she said.

  “See you soon, I hope…”

  “Thanks again, for dinner and everything,” she answered, and walked up the stairs to her apartment.

  Chapter 74

  The following day Anna received three letters, each postmarked a few day apart. Alex had written consistently. His letters had been held up in the mail.

  For the most part the letters told her about what he was learning. He was still stationed in California, and would not be re-stationed for at least another six months; then there was a good chance that he would be transferred somewhere out in the Pacific. But if he had his choice, he would put in for a transfer to Europe. Alex wanted to fight the Germans, not the Japanese. He had no issues with the Japanese, he said. He wanted to pay the Nazis back for the deaths of his family, for their hatred of the Jews, for his time in the camp, and for their deception on the St. Louis. He explained to Anna how during gun training he imagined the targets to have the faces of the Nazis he’d remembered from Dachau. When he turned the machine gun on them full blast, he said he felt elated. And because of this he’d become an excellent marksman.

  “The strange thing here is that the other soldiers think I am German just because I have an accent and I was born in Germany. This automatically makes them leery of me. They think I am some kind of a spy for the Nazis. Can you imagine? If they only understood that Hitler does not see me as a German, only as a Jew. If they would only accept the fact that I am on the side of America even more than the Americans are because the survival of my entire race hangs on the outcome of this war. I try to explain this to them, but their heads are too thick and they are unwilling to believe me.

  “I do not fear my own death. I only fear that I will somehow lose you, that something terrible will happen to you. Sometimes at night, I can’t sleep because of this fear. As you know, I have lost everyone I have ever loved. If I should be killed, my only concern is that it would cause you pain, and I hate to think of myself as the cause of any unhappiness for you. I am not worth it,” he wrote. “Anna, if I should die you must go on; you must forgive me and not grieve. This war is something that I must be a part of, it is something I must do in order to make things right in my own mind. When Hitler killed my family, he declared war on me personally, and I want to be sure that I give him just what he deserves. I only hope that I have the opportunity to kill plenty of Nazis.”

  She read his letters and was afraid that he was spiraling down into madness. Anna knew that Alex was angry, and rightfully so, but he seemed to be obsessed with murder and revenge. If only he’d not gone so far away… She could not protect him from himself now. And he needed protection; his mind had been unsound before he left. “Now, without me to lean on, God only knows what will become of him....” she whispered aloud.

  Chapter 75

  A vote was taken. The union won, hands down. Gimbels employees were now a part of the RWDSU.

  Anna came into work on a Monday morning to find a letter waiting for her behind the counter where she worked.

  “This is for you.” Her supervisor, Joan said. It came with the mail this morning.

  “Oh, no…” Anna said. “I hope it isn’t about my husband.”

  “Go in the back and sit down and read it. I’ll watch the counter.” Joan said. Anna was a good, reliable employee, who stayed out of trouble. Joan liked her.

  “Thank you,” Anna said, taking the envelope and walking to the break room.

  Three women whom she knew from different departments were pouring coffee. She didn’t want to stop and talk, so she took the letter into the bathroom, locked herself in a stall, and tore the envelope open.

  It read:

  “Just wondering if you’ve had a craving for egg rolls lately, no pork, of course? Or maybe you’ve had a hankering to go out dancing? I’ll be at the diner next-door at seven when you get off work tonight. Come on over and say hi
to your friendly union rep, Benny, at your service.”

  She tore the paper into small pieces and flushed it down the toilet. Damn him, she thought. I have enough to worry about without him bothering me.

  Anna ignored Benny’s request, and three days later a dozen red roses arrived at Gimbels for Anna. All the salesgirls who saw the delivery boy carrying the box wrapped in silver paper came rushing over to see who the flowers were for.

  “It must be from your husband overseas,” one of the girls said as Anna thanked the delivery boy.

  “How beautiful… May I get Anna a vase from the housewares department?” another one of the girls asked Anna’s boss.

  “That won’t be necessary. I believe we have something in the back that Anna can use.” Joan smiled at Anna. “Come with me and bring your flowers. We’ll put them in water.

  “Aren’t you going to open the card?” another salesgirl asked.

  “Perhaps Anna would prefer to open that in private. Come along, Anna.” Joan put her arm around Anna’s shoulder and led her away.

  Anna tucked the card into the pocket of her skirt. She had a feeling that the flowers were not from Alex. How could he send flowers all the way from California? They had to be from Benny, and she would prefer that the others not know about his interest in her.

  Joan filled a vase with water and put the flowers in one-by-one. “They are lovely.”

  “Yes, they are.”

  Joan never asked who the flowers were from. She put them on the table in the break room and left.

  Once she was alone, Anna opened the card.

  “This act of sending flowers is not really my style, but you are a rare find. So, how about that dinner? You know how I hate to eat alone. Benny.”

  He was really beginning to get on her nerves.

  Chapter 76

  Anna never responded to the flowers, and she did not hear from Benny again. But three weeks later, at the beginning of August, labor and management negotiations began. Mr. Broido, the vice-president in charge of the employees, seemed to be on fairly good terms with Mr. Wolchock, and because of this the employees were hopeful that they would be granted what they asked for. The demands were not outrageous. The employees were asking for a forty-hour, five-day workweek and two dollars a day additional pay.