You Are My Sunshine: A Novel Of The Holocaust (All My Love Detrick Companion Novel) (52 page)

Z
ofia took the child’s hand. “Do you remember me?”

The little girl shrugged, unsure.

Christa silently slipped away. But Katja turned to see her go and cried out “Mama…Mama...” But Christa did turn around. Instead, she disappeared around the corner.

Katja
began to cry in panic.

“It’s alright, Sunshine. It’s going to be just fine.” Z
ofia said smoothing her hair.

“I’m scared. I don’t know you.”

“I knew you when you were little. Perhaps you might remember me singing this song to you?” Zofia began to sing softly “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.” Zofia’s eyes filled with tears. “You make me happy when skies are grey.” Zofia’s mind drifted back to the night she lay beside Isaac on the floor of the little log cabin in the woods when she and Shlomie had sung this song.

Z
ofia bent until she was eye to eye with Katja. “Do you remember?”

“I remember. I think I remember…”
Katja said. “Sing some more.”

Z
ofia lifted Katja into her arms, her arms that had been empty for so long.  “You are my sunshine. My only sunshine…” She whispered into Katja’s ear as she took in the sweet childlike fragrance. Then she hugged her tightly. “Don’t be afraid, little one. I will be here for you, from now on.”

Katja
smiled but the tears still stained her face “Where are my mama and papa?”

“They had to go away for a while. I am going to be your
mama for now.”

Katja
began to sob again. “I want my mother.”

“Shhh, I know. I know.” Z
ofia felt the papers from the Lebensborn inside her bra, they was stabbing into her flesh. This poor child had no idea who her real mother was. Someday, Zofia would help her to find out, but not today. Today and from this day forward, she would comfort and love her as her own.

Z
ofia rocked Katja in her arms. Katja moaned but Zofia continued to rock her smoothing her hair from her forehead and kissing her cheek.  Finally, the child put her thumb in her mouth and grew quiet.

“Come, let’s go home.” Z
ofia said putting Katja down on her feet.

“What shall I call you?”
Katja asked

“What would you like to call me?”

“Can I call you mama? Can someone have more than one?”

“You are a very special girl. You can have as many
mamas’ as you’d like.”

“I would like to call you mama.”
Katja said wiping her eyes and nose with the sleeve of her sweater.

“Very well then
,” Zofia managed a smile “I have an idea. How would you like to take a walk through the park? I’ve heard there is a lovely park right down the street.” Zofia had seen an entrance to a park not far from the hotel where she was staying.

“Yes, I would!
Do you think there might be a playground? Do you think there will be ducks? I love to watch the ducks,” Katja said.

The mention
of the park brought a nice distraction, Zofia was glad she’d thought of it. Katja seemed excited.

Z
ofia smiled. “I don’t know, but why don’t we go there and find out?”

Katja nodded. They walked together in silence. As they turned the corner Katja tripped on a piece
of stone that had fallen on the cobblestone walk from one of the bombed out buildings. Before the child could fall, Zofia caught her.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, but my ankle hurts a little.”

“Why don’t you hold my hand, that way I can keep you steady if you
lose your balance?”

“N
o thank you…” Katja said.

“Please
, do it for me? I could fall over one of these big rocks, and then who would be there to help? If I am holding your hand, that will keep me from falling too. We can steady each other.”

“Really, I would be helping you?”

“Yes, you would. You don’t realize how much you really would.” Zofia said her heart aching.

“Then
of course, I will take your hand.” Katja smiled. “You should have said so.”

“You’re right I should have.”

A vendor cart stood at the open gate in front of the park. The old woman was selling cookies and sausages.

“Are you hungry?” Z
ofia asked.

Katja shrugged.

“Don’t be shy,” Zofia nudged her, “how about a cookie?”

Katja shook her head enthusiastically.

After she bought the treat, Zofia handed the little girl her cookie wrapped in white paper.

“Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” Zofia smiled.

The two ducked through the
canopy gate entrance and into the park. Then hand in hand they walked along  a narrow sidewalk through an over grown garden of Lush grass, thick green trees and sprinkled with flowers and weeds in vibrant shades of purple, pink and yellow. It was obvious that there had not been much manicuring lately but the result was magnificent. Occasionally they saw a tree that had fallen due to the bombing, but otherwise the park was like a garden of Eden filled with God’s natural abundance.

“Look, there is a bridge…Is that the ocean?”
Katja asked pointing to a sunlit body of water beneath an iron bridge that had somehow been spared by the bombs that had destroyed so many buildings.

“N
o, sunshine, it’s not the ocean, it’s just a pond.” Zofia said looking out at the water.

“Isn’t it pretty?
I think I see ducks swimming in there.”

“Y
es it is very pretty and I think you’re right, there are ducks in the water. Do you like it here?”

“I
do like it, but it kind of frightens me too. That bridge, it looks like the bridge that was in a story my mother once read to me. It was a story about a mean troll that ate Billy goats who crossed his bridge. Do you think there are mean trolls hiding underneath?”

“N
o, I don’t think so. Would you like to walk up onto the bridge?’

“N
o, I’m scared.”

“You
can’t see the ducks very well from here now can you?  I’ll tell you what. I promise you that you will be safe. I will keep you safe. Put your trust in me, alright.” Zofia knelt down until her eyes were level with the child’s and squeezed Katja’s hand. “When I was a little girl,” Zofia said, “We used to go to Shul on Yom Kippur that is a very important Jewish holiday.  And on that day, our Rabbi used to say this prayer. It was called “The Narrow Bridge. Would you like to hear it?”

“Yes.”

“All right then, now you must listen closely, and I will tell you.” Zofia smiled. Katja returned the smile. Are you ready?”

Katja
nodded.

Z
ofia nodded back. Then she began her voice soft and soothing.

“The
world, in which we live, can be a narrow bridge. The most important thing is not to fear.  Keep moving straight ahead and your heart will be led by God.  Don’t waste your day in dread help is near.

A Narrow Bridge, A narrow bridge,
but every step across will lead you home.

So many things have changed nothing near the same. Is it the way you thought it would be? Hang on every hope.
I climb the burning rope. Suspended free I float look up and see.

A Narrow bridge, a narrow bridge
but every step across will lead you home. “

“I don’t understand
what it means, but I like the way it sounds.” Katja said

“Well, it means don’t be afraid, God is with you, my little sunshine.”

“I don’t know much about God, but my papa used to say that Jews were bad and you said that this was a Jewish holiday prayer.”

“Well, I am Jew. Am I a bad person?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“
Katja, you are very young, keep your mind free and you will learn a lot in the years to come.” Zofia said kissing Katja’s forehead. “Now, do you trust me enough to climb the bridge holding my hand?”

Katja
nodded her eyes clear and bright with faith. Zofia felt tears form in her own eyes. From this day, forward Katja would be her own child she would love her and raise her to be a good person. She would do everything in her power to erase any evil planted in this innocent child’s mind by the Nazis. And, most of all she would take this little vulnerable person and protect her with her life if need be.   Zofia bent down took Katja in her arms and hugged her warmly as she vowed this to herself.

They walked across the bridge hand in hand stopping in the middle to look across the pond that appeared golden from the light
of the sun.

“We are going to England, leaving tomorrow.
It will be a great adventure.” And then Zofia continued speaking more to herself than to Katja “And in the future we will have another even greater adventure, God willing.  Someday, I cannot tell you when, but someday, a ship will leave for Palestine; this is a very special place. You and I will be on that ship we will go together. There is nothing left for us here, little one. Our lives will begin again in Palestine… the promised land.”

Katja
squeezed her hand. “I’m not afraid anymore.”

Z
ofia bent down and hugged the little girl, kissing the top of her golden hair.

Chapter
88

Before the war, ended British had promised the land of Palestine to be awarded to the Jews. The Zionists held fast to that dream throughout the entire war. This was to be the long awaited Jewish homeland. Now that the war was over, Great Brittan was not sure that they wanted keep their promise.

After their liberation from the Nazi terrors, Jewish refugees, worked,
saved, and waited in hopes of embarking on the voyage that would carry them far away from Europe and all the memories they wanted to leave behind. Far away, to Palestine, the promised land.

On July 11
, 1947, a ship christened “The Exodus” departed from a port located near Marseille, France. Aboard this ship destined for Palestine, 4,515 immigrants sailed with hope in their hearts 655 of the passengers were children. They were on their way to Palestine, a land where Jews could live without fear, a promised land.

Watching this ship sail out into the open sea, one would believe that this was the end
of the Jewish struggle. They would be wrong, this was only the beginning…

Chapter
89

July 11,
1947 the harbor at Site, France.

The boarding
of the ship “Exodus” on its way to Palestine.

On a hot morning in early July with the sun beating relentlessly on their heads, Zofia stood holding Katja’s hand at the dock in Site, France a little ways outside of Marseilles. Zofia watched Katja look around with excitement and wished she still had enough innocence left inside of her to feel some of that awe. All she knew was that she was leaving Europe forever and with it the bitter memories of the Nazi’s and the war.  The English were not pleased about surrendering the land they promised to the Jews, and Zofia expected that there would be problems ahead. She gazed at the boat, a massive vessel with the words “Exodus” shining in black letters on her side. There had been much speculation amongst her friends about weather this boat would be allowed to go all the way across the seas to Palestine, or somehow be diverted back to dreaded German soil.  Passage had cost her everything she’d saved, but for Zofia it was worth the risk.  Through discussions about Palestine with Isaac she’d come to yearn for a Jewish homeland. They’d talked of it often and it was a dream that they shared. Now she would embark upon that dream with a precious child who was just as much a victim of Hitler’s madness as she had been. A child not of her body, but a child she had come to love fully and completely.

The lines to board the vessel were long.
Everyone stood waiting holding his or her papers, and any belongings they had.

A sailor strolled by with a tiny puppy.
The dog barked and Katja turned around.  Then, Katja loosened her grip on Zofia’s hand, and went running out of line to see the little golden dog.

“Come back
Katja.” Zofia cried out “I cannot go after you; we will lose our place in line.”

Katja
caught up with the man. She was playing with the dog and giggling as the little mutt licked her hand.  There were too many people and too much chaos at the port that day for Zofia to allow Katja out of her site. She left her place in the line to go after the child.

Z
ofia ran pushing the crowds out of her way until she reached Katja.

“Look Mama, isn’t she a beautiful puppy? Can I have one, please? When we get to
Palestine?”

“
Katja, I don’t know. I don’t know what things will be like when we get to Palestine. If it’s possible, I will get you a dog. For right now, you must not leave my side under any circumstances. We talked about this last night. It would be far too easy for you to get lost here or on the boat, and then anything could happen. Do you understand me?” Zofia reprimanded Katja voice harsher than she would have liked due to her nerves at almost losing sight the child at the crowded port.