War Torn Love

by Londo, Jay M.

  Once we entered our new country, Nitza and I first went and visited all the holy sites, I wanted my daughter to be proud of her heritage, so many of us died for, including her parents. We eventually managed to get a small piece of land just north a town called Mahseya. It was perfect the property, sitting up in elevation just a bit overlooking the surrounding. The government was encouraging settlement throughout the country. We worked so hard to prepare our new piece of land. I had saved up enough money that I was just able to hire a carpenter to build us proper house, though it was plain and on the small side, it was all ours, so to me it was like a castle. Nitza for the first time had her own room; she had to share for much too long. It was nice to, to be getting my own room. The two of us had could had been happier then we were on our piece of property. While Back in England, I had tried my very first lemon, I had loved them so much, and idea had come to me one day; I did all the research on growing lemons and other citrus trees as I could find. We bought and then planted fifty-lemon trees from Cyprus, and half again amount of orange trees to start off, we planned to add more tree’s as we could afford them. We also put in a large vegetable garden.

  We labored and installed fencing to hold in our new livestock. We raised a hand full of lams, and a good milking cow, and two dozen chickens to start. We both worked hard to achieve, and accomplished our goals. At a high price, like for example, until the tree’s were established, they had to be hand watered every day, we did anything we could to bring in an income during this period, and by no means was it easy on us. I think what we had accomplished in just over a year’s time was rather remarkable. I may be currently poor, my hands always are blistered, I was stiff, and always tired, but there was something to say working your own land. I know truly understood my husband’s passion. I had taken on no debt my husband taught me that. I was not about to lose this orchard as well.

  It had been two-years since Nitza and I had migrated to Israel, it was so wonderful being in the land of our people before us, a feeling I could not quite describe, and do it justice. Our country was quickly becoming into its own.

  Nitza had for the most part fully recovered, and adapted to her new homeland. She is growing like a weed. She had started attending a Jewish high school, she had been making all kinds of new friends, and she is starting to come out of her shell. She still had nightmares, at least a couple of times a week. We had her bartizan last years and not to mention, she is quite beautiful, she looks just like her mother at the same age, so much so, occasionally I get her confused, and yes, oh the boys are coming around trying to call on her. Nevertheless, I am very guarded with her. I am afraid to let her go. I am overprotective, and part of it is I am afraid to be all alone.

  As far as my own love, interest. I had had no interest in following in love with another man. Yes, it is a very lonely life, which I had chosen for myself; not having a man in my life is difficult. There is so many daily things that I need a man around for.

  I try making all my wonderful memories of my husband to last me. To counter some of the loneliness I experience, I try to stay very busy around the farm, I never seem to had any free time anyways, when would I had the time, there is always something that needed to be done, and what I had discovered not enough sunlight in the day to accomplish everything.

  God blessed my tree’s, it was amazing just how many lemons I was going to had this year crop; they smelt so good, the air was filled with their sweet smell, they should fetch us a good profit at market. At least I am hoping, unfortunately for me I was unable to hire any help to assist us to pick all the fruit, at least this first year. I was worried I would not be able to pick it all in time. Then will had to see how this year went, and reevaluate next year. We had been barely been scrapping by, as it was. Nitza helps out bless her little heart; she helps me before and after school. I never had to ask, she just does it, she would do even more, but I cannot allow that. But I was doing a majority of the picking of the fruit, I left her during this time to tend to the animals, and the cooking. I would not let her miss a single day of school, because of the war; she had missed so much; it had been tough on her. I insist she receive a good education. Thankfully, for her, she is a very intelligent girl; I had worked with her as much as I can. I hope she had a chance to go to college. She brings home good grades, but because she was so far behind before she even got started, she was forced to work twice as hard for the grades she received. I help her out every evening.

  Because the trees were planted on a fairly- steep hillside. The view was amazing, but it made it rather tough to use a ladder to climb up and then pick the fresh fruit at the higher portion of the tree. The fruit that was waiting to be picked, without falling over and hurting myself, which happened a few times already, I had the assorted bruises all over my body to prove it. As I approached one particular tree, it taunted me to climb it; I began climbing the small tree, quite stubborn I was going to pick every single one of the lemons. I stretched out trying to reach the lemons growing on the tiptop of the tree, stretching myself out as far as I could to obtain such a lofty goal. I was not about to let any fruit go to waste, not on my watch. I could not afford to lose a single piece of fruit, and I certainly did not want the birds getting to my sweet lemons.

  I just so happened to allow myself to get distracted, and so I did not hear the stranger that was coming up on me. Which startled me, of course, that was not saying much, because I do startle awful easy?

  The man’s voice suddenly spoke up, attempting to get my attention, “So Mrs. isn’t funny the first time you and I first met, you were up in a tree then as well, you know the one that was in front of your parent’s house remember, your tree-house. That was a beautiful tree. Now all these years later, here you are once more, I find you once again up in a tree! We need to stop meeting like this.”

  My heart had just skipped a beat or two; I had chills run down my spine. I remarkably was afraid to turn around and look at the man now standing behind me, speaking to me. I was afraid whom I would find standing there. I certainly knew who’s voice it sounded like. At least the thought of whom it was belonged to, but there was no way that could be the person I was thinking of! It could not be possible. No, I thought he was dead, he had to be. I had not heard or seen him in nearly eight years. I told myself it was just the afternoon wind, and my mind combining to play tricks on me is all, funny thing I had actually just been thinking about him, then I thought, that was it. I did not know what to do. What would happen if it were he, what I would do then? Neither of us had seen each other in years. Surely, we had both changed so much, what if we did not love each other anymore. Could we still be in love after all this time? Would he still be attracted to me?

  Then I heard that familiar voice once more confirming what I was thinking,

  He then said, “Come on sweetie, I had missed you so much, do not deprive me another moment to be able to casts my eyes on your beauty. I had had to wait so long already, I had dreamed about this moment every day since our last encounter, gone over every detail in my head of what I would do and say. Though I had never imagined I would catch you up in a tree. You had to know I had been searching for you since the end of the war! Once I was well enough, I had never stopped looking for you! I am sorry it had taken so long sweetie; I would had gotten word to you if I can, to at least let you know that I was alive. I had no idea where you were, or at the time if you had survived. I hope it is not too late for us. I hope you did not remarry in my absences, I would understand if you did, but my heart would be broken. You thought I was dead, and I am sure you had gotten lonely; you are a stunningly beautiful woman. Sweetie please turn around for me, I assure you it’s me, I know you’re scared, and confused! If you do, and it’s not too late for us, then I promise that I will spend the rest of my life, making it up to you for all the time that we had missed out on. No one will ever separate us again if you tell me it is not too late.

  Then with that, I excitedly turn to look taking a leap of faith; when I could not bel
ieve it, how! “My God it is you, you are actually alive. It is funny in my heart I always knew that somehow you were. I think deep down that is why I never remarried again, or even thought of dating; you are the one true love of my life. In my heart I had always hoped.”

  Just then, I was all caught up in the excitement, taken in by the moment. By this point not paying attention to where it was that I was, and that certainly was not standing firmly on the ground. Forgetting I was up in a tree, and then ended up slipping outright, Once more, I would find my knight and shinning armor was right there to embrace me, keep me from hurting myself. So many times in the past, had he come to my rescuing? I wrapped my arms around him. He gently set me down; we passionately glanced at one another for a moment, taking it all in. It seemed so strange to be casting my eyes upon him once more. We were both taking in each other, before we could not resist any longer, as the passions flames were lit once more. Our lips were licking a pair of magnets unable to resist being apart any longer, and that is how we came to be kissing once more. I had forgotten just how good his kisses were. How good it was to be kissing a man once more. My whole body was tingling, from head to toe. I was coming alive once more!

  It was clear the war had been physically hard on my darling husband. I could only imagine what they put him through. His face was scared up, he had a noticeable profound limp, and he had aged so much in these years since I had seen him last, I noticed his right hand was slightly maimed, he embarrassedly tried hiding it from me. Nevertheless, none of that mattered to me at all; at this point, I could easily look passed any of that. He was the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on. I had him back in my life that is all that mattered. I was never going to let him go again. I had to catch my breath several times in utter debrief that he was even here. My heart was pitter-pattering. All my- prayers had been answered.

  “Abram my love the war was also so touch on me, but I had to share with you something before we head back to the house. I want to stop for the day I am tired. I had been at it all day. Therefore, I think you should know I am really, really sorry to had to tell you our darling Abeila did not survive the concentration camp, Auschwitz was hard on her! You had to know I did everything I could to save her, it just was not enough, she was a really fighter just like you, she definitely was Daddy’s girl. She never once had given up, never complained. Could you imagine that?”

  “I know already Hana, sadly the worst day in my life was when I found out when I was given access to all the meticulous record keeping, the Germans had kept at the camp. Hana, she really was so precious wasn’t she; I do not think there had not been a moment I do not stop thinking about her. Every time I hear a little girl’s voice, I find myself curiously turning around thinking it is she. Losing her took more out of me than anything else, all the torture I was put though did not compare to losing her.”

  “Abram we still do have a lovely daughter, who’s growing into quite a beautiful woman!”

  He had a confused look about him!

  It turns out it is your niece! Abram I have to tell you, she is so wonderful, so loving; she is a very kind person. She is striving to forgive the Germans for what they have done; she has an absolute heart of gold. You know the two of us went through so much together, my sister had asked me to raise her, and it was her last bequest to me, she knew she was going to be going on to her death. And since Nitza own parents had passed on, so years ago she asked if I would become her new mommy, she did not want to think of me as just an aunt, when I had become so much more to her. From that moment on, that is the only way I had thought of her, I hope you can understand that. She is going to be so happy to see you. She talks about you all the time; she has a lot of wonderful memories of you”

  My husband was the type of man that would give you his shirt off his own back. It is as if he did not had to think twice about that if someone he loved was in need, I think in his heart he was not going to had a hard time excepting her as his daughter, it was not much of a stretch, up until Auschwitz. Especially with the loss of his own daughter, he responded, “That’s wonderful, I am so glad about that I think I would like the thought of becoming her Poppa.” He was suddenly looking around. I recognized that look of his, it’s I want to ask something, but afraid to sort of look.

  Abram I could tell you want to ask me something, I know you better than that, remember. So out with it, you could ask me anything!”

  Ok Hana I was told in town that this is your orchard! Is that true all this is yours, how, it’s amazing!”

  “No my love you were misinformed, it’s not mine its ours now that your back, I meant it to replace our old farm. You know it is so good to had you home!” You had not had a home in so long. Its time you do. He could not hold it in, he began to cry, and he put his arms around me. He twirled me around.

  “I thought I was never going to see you again. Now I found you, you give me a daughter, and now all this, I am so proud of you, what you two had accomplished. Just then, when Nitza had came home from school and spotted none other than Abram embracing me, she dropped her book bag about fifty yards from us, and came running over towards the two of us. Abram put his arms out as if to say he was excepting her, glad to see her, and the young excited girl lunged lovingly into his waiting arms. She began to cry with excitement! Burying her head in his manly chest.

  Nitza let me get a look at you. My goodness had you gotten big since the last time we were together. You are so beautiful, I am so happy to finally see you! I had really missed you, there was not a day I did not think about you, know look your no longer just a dream, you are really standing before me in flesh and blood. I am sorry it took so long to find the both of you.”

  He picked her up, she laid her head on his shoulder, smiled looking up at him, as a daughter would look at her Poppa, her eye’s meeting his. “Poppa; I thought I would never see you ever again! I love you I missed you so much! How do you like what mommy and I had done here?”

  “I missed you too my love! Well I cannot believe all the hard work you two must had done, it’s incredible, to say the least.”

  Then I smiled warmed by all this unbelievably events unfolding so quickly and unexpectedly before me. The thought occurred to me it would be nice to get something to drink; it was rather warm out. I wanted to show my husband our place; I could not believe the fact that I had him in the flesh, not just a distant memories.

  I said aloud, “Say what do you two say, I used some of these wonderful lemons I just picked, and Nitza and I go make us up some fresh lemon aide, for Daddy and we could all site on the porch and drink it! Besides now that your actually here. I am dying to show you the place; I must admit it will be good to had a big strong man like you around once more to amongst other thing protect us girls, what do you say Nitza, do we need Daddy to protect us?”

  “Yes, mommy we do!!!!” smiling as she said it!

  “Alright you two how does some lemon-aid sound, so what do you two say?”

  They both were laughing; they answered at the same time, finishing each other’s thought, that sounds wonderful!”

  They were quite the pair.

  “Oh Daddy wait until you try mommy’s lemonade, it is the best in all of Israeli!”

  I said, “Well your too kind darling sweetheart!”

  Abram was smiling from chin to chin, the same smile he had went he was a little kid. I had known him most of his life, he had many smiles. This one is his overwhelmed with happiness smile.

  He then said, “Ladies now you made me awful thirsty.”

  We all held hands, Abram was squarely placed in the middle. Nitza wanted to be sure, she was going to be able to hold his hand as well. We merrily headed up to the house, then on the way Nitza out of the blue said, “Momma, Poppa now that Poppa’s come home to us, I would say the war is all finally over! Now we could finish healing.”

  She was right in her own way, it made perfect sense to the both of us, it was now all over wasn’t it - my prayers were heard! The flowers can bloom o
nce more!

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