You Are My Sunshine: A Novel Of The Holocaust (All My Love Detrick Companion Novel) (6 page)

“Father
,” Christa raised her voice.

“I am not a
fraid to speak my mind. Take me arrest me. Go ahead, send me off to one of your work camps if you so wish. But I will tell you this. These crimes you are committing you and your Nazi friends they will not go unpunished. There is a God. And I have news for you, it is not Adolph Hitler.”

Dr.
Henkener walked out of the room. Christa burst into tears. Her mother went to her and took her in her arms. Manfred sat on the edge of the sofa feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Dr. Henkener had hurt his feelings, forced him to think too much. If the man were not Christa’s father, he would turn him into the Gestapo today for his comments against the mighty Fuehrer who Manfred had come to believe had saved Germany. But a little voice in Manfred’s head said, “If not Germany, well at least he saved me.”

“Excuse me…” Manfred said. “I must be going.” He got up to leave and Christa rushed to his arms.

“Wait. Please let me go for a walk with you.”

If he was correct, he saw a glint
of fear in her eyes. Did his beloved believe he might turn her father in for treason? Was she that unsure of his feelings for her?

“All right.” He said.

A fresh blanket of snow covered the sidewalk. Manfred held Christa’s arm so that she would not slip, and also because he loved touching her, being close to her.

“My father didn’t mean what he said.” She said as they walked towards the park. “He thinks he knows so much, but he doesn’t really understand. Forgive him.”

“It doesn’t matter what he thinks. If you will still be my wife, we will marry without his blessing.”

“
Of course I will,” She said. “Manfred,” She cleared her throat against the cold. “You won’t report my father will you?”

“No, darling,
I would never do that to you. But you and your mother must speak with him. He is far too outspoken for his own good and for the good of his family. If he continues to voice his negative opinions, he will surely be arrested. There are spies everywhere. He must learn to be quiet.  I love you, Christa, and I would do whatever I could for you and your family, but if he is caught I may not be in a position to help him.”

“I’m afraid for him, Manfred. I’m terribly afraid.”

“I know darling. You must go to your mother and the two of you must make him understand. He is not only hurting himself, but he is also hurting the both of you. Silence him, you must.”

She nodded wondering how she would ever reach her strong willed father.

“Now, on a happier note…let’s plan a wedding.” He said gently squeezing her arm.

“I don’t know if my father will pay for a wedding.”

“We don’t need him. We’ll have a small ceremony. Something I can afford.”

“Are you sure
?”

“Absolutely
,” He gently pinched her cheek. “Your father will come around. He’ll see that I’m not such a bad guy after all.”

“I hope so. He can be so stubborn sometimes
, but he is a good man. And it hurts my heart to think he might not attend my wedding.”

“I know. We will do what we can to try
to convince him. Yes?”

“Yes.” She sniffled and he knew she was close to crying
again.

“I love you, Christa. I am going to do everything I can to give you a good life and to make sure you are happy. I think perhaps I loved you from the first time I saw you. Give me a
chance; don’t let this thing with your father discourage you. Please…”

“I won’t.  I will still marry you.” She said. But he saw that a dark
spot of doubt had covered the sunny glow in her eyes.

“Trust me. When he sees how much being on the right side
of the party can do for him, he will surely change his mind. They are generous and good to their own. I promise you this.”

She nodded.

Chapter 3

“I am getting married.” Manfred told Goebbels the following day as they ate their lunch in Goebbels office.

“Oh, is it the girl who was here the other night?”

“Yes, it’s her. Christa Henkener.”

“She’s a real beauty.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You should be proud.”

“I am.” Manfred said. He thought about talking to Goebbels about his future father in law. Perhaps his mentor could help. But then again, he might alert Goebbels to an enemy of the Reich and the doctor could be arrested. That would be a big problem with Christa right before the wedding, best not to mention anything.

“Where are you going for your honeymoon?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t decided.”

“How about the highlands
? It’s beautiful country up there in Munich. I’ve always loved Munich. Once, long ago, I wanted to live there. Have you ever been?”

“No sir, my family
never had enough money to travel.”

“Ahh, well
, I could arrange for the party to pay for a lovely honeymoon for you and your bride in Munich. Would you like that?”

“Oh
yes sir that would be wonderful.  And my future wife would appreciate it as well. ”

“I will take care
of it right away.”

“When do you plan to marry?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Well, this is rather good news.  Hitler will be coming to visit ag
ain in early May. Perhaps you might want to invite him to the wedding. Of course only if that gives you enough time to plan everything.”

Manfred thought
of his father in law. He worried that the old man might say the wrong thing. Still, Adolph Hitler, attending his wedding. What a compliment what an honor. He would surely go places in the party with a credit like that under his belt.

“
Of course, I would be honored, sir. And we will make sure to date the reception during the time when our Fuehrer will be here in Berlin. Do you think he actually might attend?”

“He might.
You never know with him. Sometimes he will do something so wonderful and unexpected. There is no telling.”

“I will send an invitation to his secretary as soon as we book the banquet room.”

“No need to book anything, son. Would you like to have the wedding at that lovely restaurant where you proposed?”

“You know where I proposed?” Manfred didn’t remember telling him.

“Of course I know. I know everything that goes on around here. That’s why I am the Minister of Propaganda.”

Manfred felt a pang
of concern. Perhaps Goebbels knew about Dr. Henkener as well. “I would love to have it there, but I am afraid it might be too expensive.”

“You’re future
in-laws have plenty of money, don’t they?”

“Yes, but they are not as generous with it as we would like.”

“Well, don’t worry. The party will cover the wedding as well. You just tell your future wife to get her guest list together. And let’s get started planning this wedding. And perhaps, just perhaps, I might play a song on the piano at your wedding.”

“You play piano, doctor.”

“In fact I do. I love music.”

“So
do I.” Manfred said.

“So, Manfred
, what do you say? Shall we begin wedding preparations? ”

“Oh
yes, sir. Thank you sir, thank you so much.” Manfred stammered. The party was good to him, very good.

With only a few months to plan the wedding, the couple was caught in a whirlwind of excitement. They sent invitations to relatives on both sides.  Manfred, escorted by Goebbels, went to see the proprietor of the restaurant. They were welcomed like royalty, and offered tastings of the food, until they selected the menu to be served on the special day. The band that had played the night of Manfred’s engagement agreed to play at the wedding. The hall would be decorated with Nazi flags and pictures to honor their fuehrer and the fatherland. Goebbels ordered that the tablecloths Manfred designed, the ones with the embroidered swastikas, be used. Manfred agreed whole-heartedly. The silverware was plated with 14-karat gold, and the ivory dishes made of fine German China had tiny gold swastika emblems all around their perimeters.  Christa quickly took her mother’s gown to the dressmaker for alterations, which took time, but Mrs. Strum knew the Henkeners for over ten years and so she agreed to put the job in front of any others she might have in queue. Of course, part of that decision was made when she was told that Christa’s future husband was working for the SS directly under Goebbels.  Together, Manfred and Christa visited a florist that was highly recommended by Dr. Goebbels. Goebbels made a phone call before the couple arrived and the florist agreed to do the tables, boutonnieres, and bouquets all in pink tea roses at no charge. A gift the florist said, for a fellow citizen who was working so hard for their cause.

As a wedding
gift, Manfred gave Christa a necklace of ivory pearls. He gave them to her early so she would be able to wear them on their wedding day. When she received his gift, she cried with joy and put her arms around his neck.

“Manfred, you have made me the happiest woman in the world.”

“And you have made me the happiest man.”

One evening Manfred and Christa were invited to have dinner with Goebbels and his wife Magda. They met at a popular restaurant a few blocks from the New Reich’s Chancellery. 

“Heil Hitler.” The group exchanged greetings before the host ushered them to a table by the window.

“This is my wife Magda, Magda, this Manfred Blau. I’ve told you a little about him. And this is his future wife.
Christa Henkener.”

“A pleasure to meet you both
,” Magda Goebbels smiled.

“My pleasure
,” Christa said.

The dinner went well. The women talked
of weddings and children, while Manfred and Joseph looked on.

But even in the midst
of all of his joy, and even with all that Joseph Goebbels had done for him, when Manfred looked at the doctor he still looked like the death head symbol.

It was mid April when Manfred found the letter waiting on his desk. It was stamped with Hitler’s own insignia.

“The
Fuehrer will be honored to attend the wedding of Manfred Blau and Christa Henkener.”

Manfred read the letter over twice. He could not believe it. Hitler h
imself would be at the wedding.

Chapter
5

Thomas
Henkener sat beside his wife Heidi at their kitchen table. Christa was not yet awake.

“Manfred brought Christa some butte
r, if you would like you can have some of it on your toast. I’m sure she won’t mind.”

“I mind. I mind very much. I don’t want anything from that boy or from his Nazi friends
. He is nothing more than a hoodlum.”

“
Perhaps, Thomas, But Christa is fond of him, fond enough of him to agree to be his wife. We don’t want to lose our daughter over this do we?”

“I cannot understand how a child
of mine could be seduced by the lies of the Nazi party. And not only is this boy a Nazi, but he is part of the SS, the worst kind of Nazi, the cruelest.”

“Maybe not
, He only works in an office.”

“Yes, he works slandering and ruining good people.
Why? Because he feels superior? Somehow, in his distorted brain he has decided that he is part of some imagined Aryan race. an insane notion. That is for sure. I hope you know that most of these SS men couldn’t compare in knowledge or character to a doctor like Doctor Shulman”

“I understand.
I know you think of Dr. Shulman as a friend, a colleague who has earned your respect over the years. But, Thomas, please remember, Dr. Shulman is a Jew and we live in dangerous times.”

“Do you think I am afraid?
How can you forget how sick little Christa was with that terrible heart problem, and it was Dr. Shulman that helped her, saved her life, actually. Without him, we wouldn’t have a daughter. You must remember how we prayed.  I can still see, Shulman walking into the room and taking your hand, then telling you that it would all be all right.  How can you forget this, Heidi? He is a brilliant doctor, besides, do you think these boys with their fancy uniforms, and ridiculous notions scare me? ”

“
You should be afraid. You should take care of what you say, it not only affects you it also affects Christa and I, not to mention your sister and her family. Be more careful Thomas. Think before you talk and before you act. I know you see these storm troopers as mindless thugs, but they have power, Thomas, real power, the power to make our lives a living hell, even to kill us.”

“
Can’t you see? How can I turn on the men I have worked beside at the hospital for the last 25 years, men like Shulman, Kahn, Schultz, they are all Jews, but each of them, in his own right, is a brilliant doctor. I’ve gone to them for help with consultations. They have stood beside me in surgeries. I know these men. I know their hearts and minds. What is going on here is a dirty shame, an embarrassment to Good German people. When Germany persecutes its citizens for no valid reason, we, the German people lose.”