The Day the Flowers Died (13 page)

Eli told her to wear something conservative and Rebecca knew
exactly what he meant. Years of practice, living with her socially
conscious, conventional mother taught her that.  Rebecca had
not even learned of a flapper dress until well into her twenties.
While other young ladies freed themselves from the constraints of
the older generation in the twenties with dazzling, sexy dresses
celebrating cleavage and makeup that used to be considered a sure
sign of prostitution, Rebecca’s parents coddled her with cultural
courtesies and propriety.  She had mixed feelings about that;
on the one hand, she considered it a luxury to have been brought up
with money, servants, cooks, and a large home and, on the other
hand, she missed out on many of the reckless teenage experiences of
her less fortunate friends in Munich and University.

Rebecca knew reds and yellows were too loud and short dresses
were not conservative enough.  She wanted to be a part of
Eli’s life and this meant dressing the part for his family.  A
flustered emotion arose as she chose between two dresses still in
her closet.  A long sleeved, dark forest green outfit covered
the ankles, and white flower embroidery decorated the collar and
sleeves.

The other, a light bark brown dress whose sleeves broke right
after the elbow in a white lace, also hid the ankles. A crisp white
belt accompanied the garment.  Rebecca pulled out the bark
brown dress, a pair of gold earrings and her brown heels.

Eli wouldn’t pick her up until late afternoon, giving them time
to arrive at his parents’ house before sundown, but Rebecca did not
want to rush her appearance and desired to make sure of every
detail before he arrived.

An hour before sundown, Eli rushed down to her room and
knocked.  Rebecca opened the heavy door with a delighted,
nervous smile.

Eli had grown to know her smiles.  She had a wide eyed
smile that meant surprise.  Her short stretched lip meant she
was trying hard to be courteous. She had a hand covered smile when
she felt elated, but remembered her cordial upbringing, and she had
this smile where her lips were crooked in their corners.  He
knew she was anxious about meeting his family and, despite all his
reassurances, he knew she still felt anxious. But deep inside, he
also harbored doubts that everything would be fine.

Eli escorted her to his Audi and drove out of the heart of the
city to the outskirts.  Rebecca could see many low trees full
of dark green leaves bundled up like a quilt about them, and
elongated trees whose light evergreen feathers blew over the ground
below them.  It reminded her of the drive up to her own house
while departing the busyness of Munich.

The Levin home was quaint, but one of the larger homes in the
area.  Unlike the Baum house with its luxury statues and daily
tended gardens, this held a small garden in the front next to the
windows.  When Eli pulled his car into the driveway behind an
expensive white 1931 BMW 3/15 DA 4, Rebecca saw a young girl peek
out the window, giggle, and then drop the curtains. The car was
unique in its appearance with a strong box shape, white and black
contrasting colors, and thick tires. Seeing the car, Rebecca
understood why Eli talked about wanting to buy one earlier.

“Your father’s?” she asked, knowing already the answer.

“Yes, he just bought it a few months ago.  Beautiful, isn’t
it?” Eli said beautiful with pride, eager to finally show Rebecca
his family’s wealth, in complete contrast to Eli’s apartment and
old car.  Eli held Rebecca around the shoulders as they walked
up to his parents’ home.  The wide, tall white house with
columns at the entrance looked simple and comfortable. Eli opened
the door and the festivities from inside permeated into the
corridor.  A short woman in her late thirties with blond hair,
brown eyes, a blue uniform and white apron hobbled over to them
with a warm smile squished into her soft pale white cheeks.

“Ada!” Eli gave her a hug replete with missing someone he hadn’t
seen in awhile and the maid kissed him on the cheek.  “So good
to see you again.  Your surgery went well?”

“Yes, yes.” She answered in a strong Austrian accent, too heavy
for Rebecca to make out all her words clearly.  “The hospital
stay was long, about one week and terribly boring.  Not much
to do and not much good food.  Your parents were so kind to
bring me plates of home cooked meals.”

“Did you fall ill?” Rebecca’s curiosity brought her to the
forefront of the conversation.

“Heavy heart palpitations.  I have been feeling faint and
fatigued and went to have myself checked.”

“What did the doctors say?” Rebecca’s study of nursing left her
head spinning with questions, thoughts and she felt quite
comfortable with this conversation, one most people would prefer
not knowing the details of.

“After a week of rest, he told me I’d be fine, but Mr. and Mrs.
Levin insist I rest and refuse I lift a finger during the feast.
This will be different for me, being waited on instead of the one
doing the serving.” Ada grinned into her wide chin and wobbled back
into the living room area where she tended to low stress knitting,
and sewing sweaters for all the Levin kids, including Eli. 
Rebecca heard the three sisters Eli told her about in the next room
with Ada giggling, and she looked at Eli and smiled her nervous
smile.

“Let’s introduce you, shall we?” Eli’s eyes silently asked if
she was ready to move forward.  Rebecca nodded and Eli ambled
hand in hand with her into the living room.  Sarah, Eli’s
oldest sister, sat the farthest away in the room, gazing over
Rebecca, watching her carefully with occasional intermittent
smiles.  Her long brown wavy hair draped, braided, over her
shoulder.  The tallest of the three, with her love of dancing,
she maintained a lean strong form.

Leah, Eli’s middle sister, sat next to Sarah on a closer side of
the sofa.  Her short, straight, brown hair was fashioned in a
bob and her cheeks were puffy like her dress, or perhaps it was her
figure. Her rounded eyes matched her personality.  Miriam,
Eli’s youngest sister, sat on Ada’s lap on the sofa to the left as
they entered the room. Her kind big brown eyes hid behind curly
long brown hair, the lightest of the three, which dangled to her
waist. Eli guided Rebecca to the empty sofa to the right. 
Rebecca sat next to Eli while he held her hand.

“So, how was your drive up?” Ada inquired, easing the sisters
into welcoming the new guest.

“It was a short trip, pleasant.  Not any difficulties,” Eli
responded.

Ada directed her eyes at Rebecca.  “And you, dear, did you
enjoy the drive?”

“Yes, it reminded me of trips to my parents’ house, roads
bordered with trees and bush.  It’s always nice getting out of
the city and into the country.”

“The city can be so daunting, so much noise and crowds. 
The worst of Germany in one spot,” Ada confessed.  Rebecca had
only heard the words: daunting, noise, crowd and nodded her head in
agreement, knowing from Ada’s expression she did not much care for
the city of Munich.

Rebecca’s lips pressed tightly when they pulled upward and Eli
recognized her “polite” smile.

Eli also knew this because he was privy to her esteem of Munich,
the freedom it provided her, the boisterous life, and the many
hospitals in need of help.  Rebecca had told him about the
hospital close to the courthouse and the interview she had for a
position there.  She hoped to secure a job come May, but she
was still waiting on hearing back from them.

Ada smiled at the sisters, encouraging their polite
conversation.

“How did you enjoy your studies at University?” Sarah asked, not
only out of courtesy, but out of sincere interest.  She
planned to attend a university for dancing.

“I enjoyed my classes very much,” Rebecca answered and Eli
interrupted.

“She received her diploma in Nursing.”

“A nurse,” Sarah remarked, her eyes softening, “That’s a kind
profession, dedicating your life to helping others.”

“It’s all I ever wanted to do since I was a child.” Rebecca
recollected old memories she had not thought about for some time,
“I remember watching the doctors and nurses closely whenever I had
to go to the hospital with Mutti, and admired their delicate skill
and patient hands.”

Sarah smiled at Rebecca’s response and then Leah gained the
courage to entertain the new guest.  She played with her short
hair when she spoke.

“Eli told us you worked at a local diner,” Leah offered
information Eli mentioned in passing.

“Yes, I do.”

“Is it good work?”

“It can be stressful at times, but work is work.” Rebecca
shrugged and Leah played with her fingers before looking away from
Rebecca.

“What grade are you in at school?” Rebecca inquired.

“I’m in the seventh grade,” Leah said, like she had accomplished
a great feat.

“Very good!” Rebecca reciprocated her feelings.  Rebecca
glanced away from the far sofa and focused on the sofa across from
where she and Eli sat.  She gleamed looking at the little
girl. “This must be Miriam?” she asked, knowing the answer.

Ada cuddled Miriam in her arms, kissing her on the
forehead.  “She is the youngest in the family.” Ada raked her
fingers through Miriam’s long, light brown hair.

“How old are you?”

Miriam raised her right hand and showed five short fingers, then
pulled her hand down to cover her giggling mouth.

“Miriam doesn’t like to talk to people she doesn’t know very
well,” Eli confided to Rebecca.

Sarah leapt from her seat like she leapt in her ballet shoes and
pranced to the other side of the room.  All eyes followed
her.  “I think Mama needs me in the kitchen,” Sarah said and
disappeared.

Eli turned to Rebecca.  “Mama is preparing the rest of the
feast.  Sarah is helping her today since Ada is resting from
her visit to the hospital.  Sarah enjoys helping Ada cook too
when she’s not busy with her schoolwork.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Rebecca asked.

“No, no, it’s real busy in there.  I’m sure you’d get lost
in the hustle of the preparations.” Eli pinched her nose. 
Rebecca squinted at his dark brown eyes and sent him a private
smile.

At the feast, Eli walked with Rebecca to the table and covered
his head with a white fabric he called a kippah. A white lace cloth
that could have been sewn by Ada covered the long table. 
Eight white ceramic plates sat on the table, three settings on each
long side, with one setting at each end.  A large round
platter reigned in the center, with a roasted egg on a small plate,
horseradish in small dish, a mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon and
wine in another dish, parsley in yet another dish, and a few
chicken on a small plate.

Two plates of matzos sat at each end of the table and a glass of
wine accompanied each plate.

Rebecca’s eyes widened in awe at the procedural arrangement of
the feast.  Eli showed her to her seat next to him at a corner
of the table.  Eli strategically planned it this way so that
she would be between himself and his mother, the two people he knew
would be easiest for her to converse with during the lengthy Jewish
remembrance.  Sarah sat on the other side of Eli, filling up
the last seat.  Ada sat across from Rebecca, followed by Leah
and finally Miriam who sat next to her father.  Ezekiel
entered the room, a tall man with a strong lean figure and a short
grey beard and mustache. He also wore a white kippah covering his
head.  He walked to Eli, patted him on the shoulders with a
hopeful smile, then greeted the lady Eli had brought to meet the
family.

“Shalom.  My name is Ezekiel.  It’s a pleasure to meet
one of Eli’s friends.” Warm and inviting, Ezekiel put Rebecca at
ease.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.  Eli has told me so much
about you, about all of you.”

“He’s told us much about you as well.  Finally we get to
meet you.” Ezekiel felt like her own father when he finished his
sentence and sauntered to his chair to wait with everyone else for
Deborah to find her seat.  Finished with the meal to be served
after Seder, she pulled off her apron and rushed out of the kitchen
adjacent to the dining room, both rooms smaller than at the Baum’s
house.

Her hair was a mix of grays and browns pinned up on her
head.  Her eyes were wide and her figure plump, but
healthy.  She looked more motherly than elegant, a stark
contrast for Rebecca at her own house.  She sat down and the
Seder began.  Eli had told Rebecca in advance to simply follow
him and that no one expected her to grasp the entire feast
tonight.  The eldest daughter dimmed the lights and Ada set
two candles on each end of the table.

Miriam opened her mouth for the first time for Rebecca to
hear.  “Why is this night different from all other
nights?”

Ezekiel began with the Kadeish prayer over the wine. Then they
each stood, one by one, and made their way to the washing bowl set
on a cabinet near the table, washing and drying their hands. 
Eli told her normally there would be a prayer after this, but
Pesach was a special holiday that omitted it in the hopes of
exciting the child’s inquiry to ask why.  They sipped their
wine and then dipped parsley into salty water while Ezekiel said a
blessing, followed by another cup of wine and, a peculiar event to
Rebecca, the taking of matzo, the breaking of it and hiding half of
it under a napkin while returning the rest to the main plate.

After this strange display, Miriam spoke again in her soft, but
audible voice and Rebecca smiled at the young child’s patience and
dedication which, at this point, surpassed her own.  Miriam
asked, “Why do we eat matzo instead of bread, why do we eat bitter
vegetables, why do we dip our vegetables twice, and why do we
recline instead of sitting up straight?”

Rebecca gazed around the room and noticed she was the only one
with a straight posture out of habit from constant reminder by her
mother.  Ezekiel then began the retelling of a story she
remembered from Catholic school, the story of the Exodus from
Egypt.