by Marilyn Land
There for the first time he laid eyes on Alexandra Portman who even in mourning was nothing less than stunning. His thoughts wandered back to the letter, and he hoped for both their sakes that after the War, these two beautiful, young people found their way back to each other.
At the family’s request, a book was placed on a small table in the lobby for visitors to leave condolences and/or simply sign denoting they had attended the service. He thought about signing the book, but decided against it. No one would know the name Marcus Hirsch or who he was anyway.
To himself he said, “May you rest in Peace, Elise Portman.” As he walked to his car, his thoughts were of Jake.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lexi returned to Birmingham and resumed her studies. Betsy and Lily were wonderful and hovered over her like two mother hens until she convinced them she was just fine. Reminding them she had a bit of catching up to do to allow her to graduate with her class next year, did the trick. They finally gave her some space.
The following weekend, Lexi took the train to London to spend Rosh Hashanah with her Pops and brothers. After attending services at their synagogue, they had dinner at the house. Manny turned down an invitation from his brother to join his family, but accepted an invitation the following week for Yom Kippur.
Lexi prepared a simple meal of roast chicken, potatoes, and green beans; she picked up a challah and a honey cake from a bakery near the train station. It was somewhat of a solemn day with Elise’s passing still fresh on their minds, and a far cry from the many lavish holiday meals Elise had prepared for their family and their many guests over the years. But, they were all together, and they were in agreement that’s what she would have wanted.
It was back to Birmingham for a week, and then once again she took the train to London for Yom Kippur. They were having dinner with Ivan’s family on Saturday. Lexi hadn’t seen or really had a heart-to-heart talk with him in two years; he was away when Elise died. She looked forward to seeing Ivan who had joined the Royal Navy and was due to be home on leave before shipping out.
Since attending the Memorial Service for Jake’s family, Lexi had not been to the East End. Although Ivan lived a few blocks over from where Jake had lived, the bombed out buildings were hard to look at; devastation was everywhere. Just as in London and Birmingham, where the damage was even more extensive, the effected areas were blocked off and cleared of as much rubble as possible awaiting war’s end.
Dinner was quite nice; it was good to see Ivan who looked so handsome in his uniform. He always was a charmer, and this night was no exception as he tried to lift everyone’s mood.
On Sunday, Lexi took the train back to school once again. She doubled down on her studies; she still had some catching up to do. Her next trip home would be over the Christmas Holidays when she would be on school break until after the New Year.
The girls were eternally busy with their studies, and spent endless hours at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital that was now receiving military patients from all over England. British air attacks against Germany, having reached an all time high in recent months, measurably increased the number of patients who were RAF pilots with severe spinal injures in need of specialized care.
In short order, a Spinal Injuries Clinic was set up in a nearby building to accept these patients under the auspices of Stoke Mandeville Hospital located in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. The Hospital, whose specialty was spinal cord injury, continued to draw wide attention from the medical world for their new treatments and rehabilitation programs.
At first Lexi found working at the Clinic depressing, but she was soon won over by the brave young patients, as well as the physicians and nurses brought on board to implement the new treatments and rehab programs, all of which had been developed at Stoke Mandeville. She found herself spending time with pilots and listening to their stories; always thinking about Jake and hoping perhaps one would mention his name.
Time passed quickly and with the holidays approaching, the girls decided to make plans for their break. They were all going to be in the London area, and decided that they would definitely meet up and spend some fun time together.
Although Betsy and Lily were going home to family, Lexi would be staying at the house alone. Her Pops was on a special mission to Jerusalem with a group sponsored by the British Government. He felt terrible telling her he wouldn’t be around when she came home, but she knew that her Mum’s passing had hit him hard, and she accepted the fact that his way of coping was to keep busy.
Betsy invited her to join her family for Christmas Day Dinner, and she accepted. She had never celebrated or attended a Christmas Dinner, but why not? It was better than spending the day home alone, and she appreciated Betsy and her family including her.
She was glad she did; she hadn’t had as much fun in a long time. There were five siblings including Betsy—she had two older sisters and two younger brothers. Her parents were friendly and welcoming, and there was even a present for her under the overly decorated tree that stood in the corner. Betsy pointed out the many ornaments and their special meanings; including some that she and her siblings had made when they were children.
It was a warm, wonderful day. She had never met Betsy’s family prior, but now felt as though she had always known them. Lexi returned home exhausted, and fell asleep with a contented smile on her face. As she often did, she dreamt of Jake. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and they were having a picnic. They were near water and children could be heard playing in the background. Was the War over? Were she and Jake married? Were the children she heard theirs?
Although her dreams were vastly different, her questions were always the same and remained unanswered.
Lexi spent time going through some of her Mum’s things. Her Pops had gently suggested that he would appreciate her help. She wasn’t in the mood to go shopping; there was nothing she needed and rationing was still a factor. She did pick up some food for breakfast and lunch, and had dinner with her brothers, her aunt and uncle, and cousins who were around.
As the final weekend of their break approached, the girls made plans to meet for dinner at Archie’s Pub near Lily’s house. After ordering, Betsy offered a suggestion. “With New Year’s Eve only two days away, we need to get serious and make some plans—time’s a wasting. The Red Cross Club and USO are sponsoring a Gala in the Grand Ballroom at the Savoy.”
Feigning a swoon, she continued, “Brits and Americans, oh so handsome in their uniforms—just waiting to meet some young ladies such as ourselves to make some beautiful memories together to carry with them into battle. My sisters and their friends are going, because, as they put it—with entertainment, live band music, food, and drink, it can’t be anything less than fabulous.”
Laughing at Betsy’s performance, they too agreed that it sounded great. Their plans set, they bid one another good night. “See you at the Savoy Friday, 9:00 p.m. sharp; let’s meet in the Lobby.”
She finished going through her Mum’s clothes, keeping more items for herself than she had intended. One was a bright blue, backless sheath that had been one of her Mum’s favorites. She held the dress in front of her and peered into the mirror, noting how the color of the dress brought out the blue in her blue-gray eyes. She decided it would be just right for New Year’s Eve.
At present, her wardrobe consisted mainly of casual clothes worn only when she was not wearing her uniform. She couldn’t recall the last time she had the need for dressier evening attire. There were a few items she put in a box to give away, but most of Elise’s beautiful dresses fit her perfectly, and she decided to keep them, along with several pairs of shoes that matched.
After a late lunch, Lexi fell asleep reading. When she awoke, she realized she had to get a move on or she would be late meeting her friends. She took a hot shower letting the water thoroughly relax her.
Blessed with a peaches and cream complexion and long full eyelashes, the only m
akeup she wore was lipstick. Her alluring red hair was shoulder length and required little more than a brushing to fall in natural waves. Five feet, six inches tall, a shapely woman’s body, and long legs left no doubt, the gangly girl had become a real beauty.
She sat at her dressing table staring at herself, wondering what she was doing. She had no desire to meet a nice young man and send him off to battle with any memories whatsoever; or spend an evening dancing with one or more awkward young men stepping on her toes and attempting to make boring conversation.
Jake was still first and foremost in her thoughts; not a day went by without her wondering where he was, recalling a fond memory, or picturing the two of them together.
She stood and slipped on the dress, once again questioning herself why she had agree to attend the party. She was pleased with the reflection in the mirror. She never gave much thought to her looks, even though her entire life she had been told how beautiful she was—and that red hair! The comments never affected her; she was still the same Lexi.
Suddenly, it felt good to be dressed for a night out and not wearing her compulsory uniform or casual attire. Before she could change her mind, she grabbed her coat and purse and set off for the Savoy.
She longed to be meeting up with Jake for a night to remember instead of meeting up with friends to attend the New Year’s Eve Gala.
CHAPTER TWELVE
British spirit remained undaunted on New Year’s Eve 1943, in London, England. Foot traffic was brisk as Londoners and visitors alike set out for a respite from four long years of war. They hurried past the bombed out areas, heading to gatherings both large and small, that had been planned on a high note based on news of the Allies’ recent victories. For months, there had been no further air raids, and many were predicting the possibility of an end to the War in the New Year.
Although Jake, Tommy, and Andy had not yet learned the part that each of their Squadrons would play, rampant rumors at their posts led them to believe it was something big and that, if successful, would finally bring an end to the fighting. The fact that they were given ten days of leave further enforced their belief that the rumors were indeed true.
Jake was in a good mood as he dressed to go down to the Gala which was scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m. He had spent the week as he usually did when he was in London—with a visit to the cemetery, and stopping by to see Rabbi Levin. This time, he did not go to Valence Road; nor did he go to Max’s shop that had been emptied of its contents for some time. He had come a long way in putting the past behind him, and had only recently been able to recall happier times without revisiting the horror of that awful night. Returning to where it all happened served no purpose whatsoever.
Studying his reflection in the mirror, he saw a man. Technically he was still a teenager, being two weeks shy of his 20th Birthday. He wore his RAF uniform with an air of pride to be serving his Country; he felt secure but never cocky. His personal losses and the War had matured him far beyond his years, but the boyish grin remained. He stood six feet, four inches tall, and had put on just enough weight. There was no denying his blond hair and deep blue eyes revealed a stark resemblance to his Mother, and for a brief moment, he grew sad.
He longed to be meeting up with Lexi for a night to remember instead of meeting up with friends to attend a New Year’s Eve Gala.
Setting his thoughts aside, he returned to the present. He had three days of leave remaining, and he knew that once he returned to his post, his next leave would be a long time coming if any of the rumors proved true. Although Marcus and Elise had said their goodbyes, before leaving to spend the holidays with their daughter and her family in Manchester, north of London, Jake promised to stop by De Beers on Monday before catching the train back to Devon.
The clock showed a little past eight when Jake left to meet his friends in the bar for a quick drink until it was time for the festivities to begin. Running in to Tommy and Andy had been an unexpected bonus, and the three of them agreed that they couldn’t have planned it better.
They were seated at a small table when he arrived. As he approached, he noticed their eyes glued to the bars and metals that adorned his uniform. Andy exclaimed, “I don’t know if you’re able to discuss the particulars, but you seem to have been quite busy since we last saw one another. I didn’t want to bring it up the other night, but I’m impressed, really impressed. In fact, there’s been a little bit of a buzz about Britain’s RAF heroes in the military community. Looks like you’re on your way to be up there with the Best of the Best.”
“I haven’t heard about any buzz; I just do what I set out to do when I joined the RAF. It hasn’t been easy, but then it’s never easy losing flying buddies, no matter what the circumstances.”
For the next hour, they revealed all the good and the bad they felt they could divulge. Andy and Tommy were both bomber navigators, but they were posted to different squadrons and had different stories to tell. Neither had seen each other since coming back from the States, but connected earlier in the week by a chance meeting on the streets of London.
Noticing that it was past nine, Jake urged, “Let’s go have some fun and bring in 1944 in style.”
Lexi came out of the Underground Station at Hyde Park Corner and walked the half block to the Savoy. A light snow was falling as she made her way up the street. Putting her earlier doubts aside had reversed her mood, and there was a spring in her step as she approached the hotel. For the first time since her Mum died, she looked forward to a carefree evening with her friends before returning to Birmingham. Anticipating a full schedule the next few months leading up to her graduation, she fully intended to make the most of the three days she had left on break.
Since arriving in London, she had managed to sort through her Mum’s things, seen family members that were in town, and had dinner with her brothers on two occasions. Her older brother was spending New Year’s weekend with his fiancé and her family; her younger brother was set for a weekend of partying with his pre-med pals. She assured them that she was fine, and that she too had plans. Above all, she hoped tonight would be an omen for good things to come in 1944.
It was a little past nine o’clock, and when she entered the hotel lobby, they were eagerly awaiting her.
Betsy spied her immediately and prodded, “Come on Lexi; we’ve been watching some handsome chaps, both Brits and Americans, mind you, go into the party, and we need to get in there so we can stake them out.”
Lily backed her up. “We’ve also been watching some pretty young ladies go in, and we don’t want them to get too far ahead of us. What I’m saying is we don’t want to miss a thing.”
“Okay, okay you two, I get the message. Where do we check our coats?”
The Grand Ballroom was beautifully decorated for the season, as was the large Christmas tree that stood next to the bandstand. Along the walls were tables of food and drink manned with volunteers ready and waiting to serve. The band was playing, and there were a few couples on the dance floor.
As the girls surveyed the room, almost immediately, Betsy and Lily were no longer standing beside her. As they headed to the far side of the room, Lexi found herself alone. Feeling uneasy and a little insecure, she walked over to one of the tables. The woman volunteer said, “May I offer you a drink dear? We have ale and beer, and I highly recommend the punch; it’s spiked, but rather refreshing.”
Lexi smiled. “Yes, thank you; the punch sounds good.”
She handed her the glass saying, “You look familiar. Have we met before?”
Lexi was certain she had never seen the woman. “No, not that I recall. I haven’t lived in London for years, and any time I’ve spent here recently has been on school breaks; I’ve been attending nursing school at the University of Birmingham. I graduate in a few months.”
Suddenly, the woman realized why her face seemed familiar to her. “My dear, I think I knew your mother, that is if she was Eli
se Portman.”
Lexi nodded, and the woman continued. “She often showed us pictures of you and your brothers. She was so proud of the three of you. You might not be aware, but your mother was instrumental in putting evenings like this together for all our young lads in service, and not just on special occasions mind you. She wanted to make sure that anyone away from home would have somewhere warm and inviting to go. I am so sorry for your loss; all of us who volunteered with her miss her.”
Lexi was touched by the woman’s kind words. She thanked her, turned and spotting Betsy and Lily, started walking towards them.
Suddenly—her heart stopped. There he was. There she was. Their eyes locked across the room. The years melted away. It was exactly like that very first time at her cousin Ivan’s party when they were twelve years old. Neither was certain what they were seeing was the real thing, as they made their way towards one another, brushing past and through the crowd that continued to grow. Time stood still for both of them.
Neither spoke a word. Jake pulled her into his arms and kissed her with all the pent up longing in his heart. For years, each had dreamt that this moment would actually happen, and now here they stood unable and unwilling to let go of one another, fearing that if they did, it would prove to be a dream and evaporate.
Their surprise and utter joy of having found one another caused them to both start speaking at once, and the questions flew.
“My God, you are more beautiful than ever. You’re beautiful and wonderful and best of all you’re here! How are you? Are you alone? Are you staying here at the Savoy? Are you living at home?”
There it was that Lexi smile. “You’re pretty beautiful yourself and looking so sharp in that RAF uniform with all those ribbons and metals, I might add. How are you? Are you alone? What are you doing in London? Are you posted here or nearby?”