War Torn Love

by Londo, Jay M.

  Then his mother said, “My darling, this ring has been in my family for six generation, now that you’re going to be come my daughter-in-law. I want you to have it. Since I do not have any daughter of my own, except your sister, and now you of course. I would be honored if you would have it now.”

  “Oh thank you it’s so pretty!”

  Later after everyone else had left the house, not remotely tired, I could not possibly sleep. Momma came into my room, wearing her bathrobe, I put my book down, she hoped into bed with me, she brushed my hair, and we talked for several hours, women to women. I had all kinds of questions for her, what it may be like, once I get married. I have been very curious about the wedding night. Momma blushed a little. Nevertheless, she told me all about it. It was customary that a mother passes this knowledge onto their daughters, before their wedding night. She said I could wear her mother’s - my grandmother’s - wedding dress. Since I was a smaller dress size than, neither she nor my sister could fit in it. I guess grandmother and I were the same size. We ending up falling asleep in each other arms, Poppa discovered us later asleep - when he had gotten up to go the bathroom, and Momma was not there. He let us be. In the morning, he told us both how beautiful and peaceful we both had looked.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “THE GRADUATION”

  It was finally graduation night for Abram and I and the rest of the seniors at my school. Funny I knew I ought to be in high spirits about this - but honestly, my mind was so whole-heartedly on my upcoming wedding, I just wanted to get this over with once and for all. I wanted to be done with school. Then I’d be one step closer to the wedding - become a wife, and hopefully a Momma.

  Growing up in a time that I did, the world was suffering an economic depression – and I will not sugar coat it. It was hard. So many Jews had been migrating to Poland, after the Russian Revolution in 1917. Many were poor, putting addition strains on things. As poor as my own family was, during the time. I knew what an extraordinary extravagance it was when - for an early graduation present - my parents presented me a brand–new-store-bought dress. Such a rare treat - in fact, it was my first and only store bought dress. Usually it was mother, or later me that sewed all my clothes. It was simply lovely - the stitching was quite - unique, I would love to know how to do it. It was a cotton material, light yellow dye, with lovely spring colored floral prints, with lots of ruffles and lace sewn in. The dress came straight from Paris, and was the latest fashion I’m sure of it. A new hat with large colorful feathers, accompanied my dress along with and a pair of black pumps, with brace buckles - he height of the heel was at least an inch high. I had to practice just to walking in them. I simply looked divine. My sister was so sweet to me - she had bought me silk stockings to go with my dress. My legs looked amazing in those shoes. The cut of the dress was as if it was tailored especially for me.

  It was a beautiful day. The ceremony was to be held outside and - thankfully for us - there was no rain.

  My teachers had elected me to present a speech at the ceremony, I was Valedictorian - seems I had maintained the best grades of all the students. A lot of good it did me - I wasn’t able to afford to go on to college, most graduating tonight wouldn’t be going. I was quite nervous about any form of public speaking. Concerned about this, I practiced quite a few times in front of my audience, which at the moment consisting of Abram. I ‘m afraid to speak in front of crowds, I’m more an introvert. I tend to be completely gripped by fear. And my fear was only escalating the closer to the speech that we got.

  Abram and I had to show up early to the school in order to help the other seniors decorate for the big event. I was also the president of the decorating committee. I worked hard all week preparing for this.

  After several, separate speeches by the various teachers from the high school, the Principal spoke. It was a very pleasant, upbeat speak I had to go up after that that was a lot of pressure to be placed on me, at least I looked good. He called me up to the podium. After slowly, nervously getting up from my chair from which I was sitting, where I, gripping onto the seat with my hands not wanting to let go until this was all over, I had been looking around. I realized just how many people had shown up for this graduation ceremony - so many different family members had shown up. It seemed each one of my steps I took etching my way forward, my stride grew smaller, and slower, in order to attempt to postpone of the inevitable. I was growing quite nervous. I knew I could not put it off any longer. I couldn’t let my family down - they were so proud of me. I sucked it up, and took a big breath. I rose up onto the stage, my legs like lead. Trying to work on the quivering, I strode to the podium, and turned. As I now looked out in the midst of the crowd of people - oh, there were scores of people, more than I had imagined would have shown up, I gulped, my eyes dropping to the paper. I paused for a couple of seconds, and it drew out.

  It was hard to look up from my piece of paper it was nearly ripping it as my hands trembled. I had transcribed my speech. Thirty long silent seconds standing there and I had yet to say anything; the words just didn’t seem to come out. I had frozen up. I could not budge, or speak. I started to sweat. Then I remembered a trick a teacher had told me one that she had used, when she grew scared when public speaking. She said that she imagined everyone that she saw before you are all in the nude. How could that not help? I tried, and rather than starting my speech, I broke out in bellowing laughter, run able to stop laughing, I guess it was working much too effectively. Everyone was looking at me as if I was strange, “completely off my rockers.” But seeing some of the people in the audience was quite funny looking in the nude, at least in my mind. I’m sure in real life they’re very nice people. I guessed Abram knew why I was laughing.

  I locked eyes with Abram, he yelled “Come on sweetie you can do it. Say it just like we had practiced.”

  Taking a deep breath, “Ladies, and gentlemen, teachers, my fellow students. It is a true honor to be standing here before you all today, because to be standing here, it means that we have all accomplished something quite amazing. It has taken lots of years of hard work. I stand up here today holding our hopes and all the dreams and me. Dreams I am sure we all now share - that is of a bright future. I say we shall hold our heads up high, as we leave here today for the last time, each of us holding our diplomas in hand. We should never forget what we learned here. Nor the friendships that are forever molded and forged here. I know I shall miss you all. With are young future not yet determined, we have to try to remember that we have the power. A power that each one of us holds in our hands. We now as citizens of this great country - we now have a chance to build Poland into even a grander nation. After all, it is the twentieth-century. 1938. As we, seniors walk away with our diplomas in hand, I wish us all the best, and may you all have a happy, long healthy life! Think of where this will lead us – and think back kindly on this time when we are in the audience, watching our families receive their honors- honors that every student works to earn.”

  Everyone stood up out of their chairs, and began to applaud! I smiled in surprise, and then, curtseyed deeply. After they quieted back down, I said, “Thank you everyone. And I would like to thank all the wonderful teachers we have had over all these years to prepare us for this special day, their patience, understanding, and gift of teaching. Thanks to them all, we are now able to view the world in a different, amazing way. My thanks also would also include all our parents -I would have to say our greatest teachers of all.”

  Thunderous applause followed me as I walked calmly back to my seat, and gladly went and sat back down.

  Abram grabbed hold of my hand once I sat back down, “I knew you could do it! That was a fantastic speech, much better than when we practiced it.”

  Then after the Principal of the school got up and spoke one last time - he began handing out the diplomas directly after. As each of our names was called out individually, we went up on stage, and received our diplomas. Abram and I were called up. I did not think it was going to mean so muc
h to me, to be handed my diploma, but you know what it did. Tears of joy and gratitude began to flow down my face. I looked out and noticed my parents clapping. Then Mrs. Kaczmarek, and her youngest boy had arrived to congratulate us, I had hoped she was going to show up today; she come especially for me. We had become much better friends – it is amazing what understanding and effort can do. God had taught us both a good lesson - people do change. He sometimes works in strange miraculous ways.

  Afterward there was a party potluck was held in our honor, put on by the friends and families in the school’s gymnasium. We had pulled off decorating the entire room with streamers, balloons handing down from the ceiling, and banners covered the walls. As a treat, the school band was the musical entertainment. Abram’s parents and my parents sat together. My niece had gotten sick, so my sister and her family left after the graduation. Abram and I were sitting at the next table over from my parents, since the table was not large enough to hold all of us comfortably.

  After we ate, there was a dance being held for graduates only. I loved to dance, one of my most favorite things, especially since I had such an incredibly handsome dance partner. There was one snag, my handsome dance partner absolutely a horrible dancer. Because that boy is not coordinated when dancing, I do not know why he’s not, with all the practice he got with me. I think he has two left feet, funny thing; both his dad and Mom are fantastic dancers. Usually by the end of the night of dancing with him, I can barely walk normally; my toes end up getting all bruised up, since he usually ends up stepping on them so many different times. If I am limping home afterwards, and he asked, I would just tell him I had a blister. It partly my fault, I guess I should have been honest with him a long time ago; after our very first dance together. The reason I didn’t was he was so proud how he had practiced with his mother - I guess I thought he would have gotten better by now. I just did not want to hurt his feelings. If I did, he might not have gone dancing any longer - maybe I was thinking more of myself.

  Poppa and Momma left early, Poppa was having a big sale at the store in the morning, so he wanted to be sure he made it to bed early. Well all the parents left after eating, leaving us to our own devices. Poppa smiled, looking at me with a look that conveyed his pride – it shone through in his eyes. He came up to me, and told us to have some fun - un it was strange, I had noticed for the first time in my young life, he didn’t tell me I had a curfew. I was being treated as if I was an adult. He kissed my forehead. He was about to walk away, when I asked. “Poppa what time should I be home tonight?”

  He smiled, in a soft soothing voice “Honey you’re no longer a child, and soon you’ll be married. I think you can make your mind up now, when you’re exhausted, don’t you think? I’m so proud of you my little bear! Now please have some fun celebrate a little - you deserve it.”

  “Thank you Poppa! I’ll see you in the morning!”

  “You kids have fun!” Momma said and waving at us as she left us behind.

  The kegs were tapped soon after - the beer started generously flowing from the large oak barrel, and even though I am not normally a drinker, I had some. Even though drinking was common in my country, I did not generally drink of any kind.

  Tonight I would give it a go of it, in honor of the occasion. After my first stein was completely consumed – it was somehow as horrid as it had tasted on the first couple of sips but after a dozen or more it started tasting remarkably good!

  I had never been drunk before this night. Abram could hold his own - he and his father drank beer quite regularly. I wish I could say the same thing. By my third beer poured up to the rim, you might say I was acting tipsy, as the powerful effects of alcohol began coursing through me coursing through me coursing through me. Coursing through me. It seemed my judgment was being affected - and my inhibition vanished, and I wanted to act wild! I was starting to come out of my normally uptight shell. Abram and I danced, - I laughed, he laughed, and we were having a jolly good fun. I also went over and danced with my girlfriends - we had all been drinking, something new to all of us.

  After Abram had headed off to hang out with his own friends, as well as head off to the bathroom, I was at a lost from. I moved aimlessly. My next action was completely out of character, I took it upon myself to commence to undressing out in the very middle of the dance floor. As the beat of the music pulled me in and I had witnessed my girlfriend started doing the very same thing - she was laughing, doing this on a dare from her boyfriend. Then they started egging me on, since I had been standing next to her laughing - you know monkey see, monkey do. Luckily, for me I was not the only one acting completely crazy - half the students were. Most all the students by this time in the evening were in pretty much the same kind of state of drunkenness -we were all celebrating certainly letting loose.

  I found myself being a naughty girl; I kicked off my new shoes. I reached around and undid the buttons on the back of the dress, and it too began to slide off. I was dancing all around as I was doing all this, all the girls involved in this act were now drawing a crowd of cheering boys, you could only imagine. My female friends began joining in a race to be the first to get naked, and the boys were going wild with such amazing spectacle, not believing their eyes, which only egged us on even, further to witness their excitement!

  Several of the boys there had been trying to get a look at me for years, since I had developed at an early age, and probably the fact that I posses the largest pair of breast in my class. Then with no worries about what I was doing. I brilliantly slipped out of my slip, and then onward, I took a real leap of faith. I was now down to nothing more than my bra and panties. First, I gulped down a half a stein of beer for further courage to take the ultimate leap. When I saw two other girls taking their bras off, in my head, it had become nothing more than a game to me - it had nothing really to do with sex, at least, not fully. Well I did the only sensible thing I thought of, at this point I was not thinking. I took my bra off, excitedly moving my chest back and forth, so they could all get a look at my magnificent breasts - at that moment, I wanted the world to see them. If Abram had been there I would have never gone this far. I was on the rather large side; add that to my small frame, and short stature. Now I was having some real fun. I had never let loose like this before, all that prudes in me had snapped. I had never shown my body to anyone - other than my mother, and sister. I was a prudish, straight-laced uptight girl. It was time I was not such a “goody two shoes.” Darn it I was a woman now. So I thought. Face it, I had simply snapped. My panties were off in a flash; my clothing all lay in a pile on the dance floor, right beside me. One thing that could be said. No guy, would dare think of approaching me, they all knew I was completely off limits, the boys knew that Abram was the toughest, and best fighter in school. He would kill anyone of them if they even thought of touching me, but he could not stop all of them from looking at me, especially if his girl was making a fool of herself. Moreover, there were at least ten girls, now all nude out on the dance floor, putting on their own sort of burlesque show. Frankly too much beer and vodka had been flowing at a steady rate to all these poor drunk girls. We began putting on a little act for the cheering boys. They were all being dogs about it. I noticed none of them where out here. I had never felt so free, so liberated, at least for a couple of minutes.

  The shit really hit the fan a couple of minutes later. Abram heard all the cheering. Wondering what was going on, why was there cheering, he could not see from where he was standing. But when a classmate ran up to him, screaming that there was a bunch of girls that took off all their clothes. He started running, thinking “Oh shoot!” He had a strange feeling that I had been involved somehow. Boy was he right! Sickened to have return back to witness me in all my glory, heck by this time I was even singing. He had not left me alone more than five- minutes, he could not believe how quickly this had all unfolded and he was shocked.

  The shock in his eyes, having never seen all of me until now, there in my birthday suit; I know he had dreamed
of that day All the same, judging by his facial expressions, I would have to say he was to mad at me - maybe disappointed, and even embarrassed. His face was scarlet, although he never flat out yelled at me. His voice was low, and quite stern with me. He certainly did not allow himself to enjoy seeing me, at least openly. I wrapped my naked warm body around him - I took his hands and brought them to my large supple breasts, and pressed his hands inward. He did not bite; he never took advantage of the situation.

  “Hana, - what do you think you’re doing? Why would you do this? What are you thinking? Are you completely crazy? You’re embarrassing yourself and me, not to mention your making a complete fool out of yourself.”

  My words slurred, “Abram I’m just having a little fun, letting loose for the night, you should try it, lighten up, I fell so free. So what do you say big boy, you like what you are seeing? You know, pretty soon this body is going to be all yours! Then you can do whatever you want.”

  “Get your clothes back on, “he growled, low and menacing, “I love you, and I respect you, and I love, and I respect you, and I expect for you to do the same of me. Your body is not to be displayed this way… “He said. He looked into my eyes as I began to giggle, and took a different tact. “But I’ll tell you what, let’s play a little game shall we, you know how much you love playing games.”

  “Ok, sweetie I’ll play, so what’s the game?”