The Day the Flowers Died (25 page)

I thank you in advance for reading my personal letter and for
considering the writing of a letter of sponsorship for me.  I
hope to see you soon.

With love, 

Eli Levin & Rebecca Baum Levin 

Eli showed the letter to Rebecca and without pause she signed
under her name.  The next day he dropped it off at the post
office down the street.

Wednesday, March 1, 1933

Eli took a few days off of work to get the required
documentation from the German police and, with the Nazis in favor
of Jews exiting Germany, fulfilling the request was not difficult.
He scurried to his Audi with the file containing Rebecca’s
documentation for an American passport and the documentation he
acquired for himself, including bank statements, photographs of the
wedding, and the signed contract, with the signature of both
witnesses.

Eli also included a personal letter describing why he wished to
immigrate to America.  Among the reasons listed were his and
Rebecca’s desire to live close to her aunt and grandmother and
raise a family, though Eli knew as well as Rebecca that her
grandmother was harsher than her mother, Deseire, and they probably
would not spend much time with her.  Much of Deseire’s values
and discrimination stemmed directly from her mother, Adel. 
Her older sister, Aunt Martha, like Rebecca, always had a mind of
her own.

Deseire met her husband Ralph on his business trip to America,
then moved to Germany where she lived ever since.  Up through
her fifties, Adel would visit her daughter and granddaughter. 
Rebecca distinctly remembered Adel commenting on how many Jews
lived in the cities of Germany and remarked to Deseire and Ralph,
how do you deal with it?

Only six or seven, Rebecca didn’t know what Jew meant, though,
by the negative tone in her grandma’s voice, it might have meant a
lot of traffic or robbery.  When Rebecca grew older, she began
to see the little biases and discriminations exclusive to Adel and
passed to Deseire, though Martha and Ralph did not seem to share
the same discontentment.

At the American Embassy, fenced in with the America flag blowing
in the wind behind the metal gates, the soldier requested Eli’s
identification and reason for entering before opening the
gate.  As Eli waited in line, he noticed a number of Jews like
himself with files of papers and reasons for a visa to
America.  The Americans were business oriented, shuffling
through people like they were shuffling through papers.  When
Eli approached the desk, the lanky clerk grabbed Eli’s files with
robotic motions and then handed Eli his application form, took his
fee for processing and then dropped Eli’s file in a stack behind
him with many other records.  The office was tense under the
lengthy immigrant restraints.  Government moved with a slow,
stern hand and Eli drew back in his seat with a distaste for the
compassionless regulations.

“How long will it take to hear from the immigration office?” Eli
asked.

“It could take a couple months or more.  It’s difficult to
say for sure.  If we get backed up, it could take longer.” The
clerk raked his fingers through his blond hair, cooling himself in
the upcoming summer heat.  With the cooler broken, only one
fan wobbled back and forth, offering little relief.

Eli narrowed his eyes to concentrate on the clerk’s thick
American accent.  Once he understood, he asked, “You think I
will be able to procure the visa?” His throat tightened.

“There are quotas.  If you don’t make it in this year, you
could be on a waiting list for next year.  But there are no
guarantees.” The clerk’s grey eyes became empathetic and he lowered
his head, calling the next in line.  Despite the clerk’s
attempts to lighten the unlikelihood of his obtaining a visa, Eli
could not help but worry his paperwork wouldn’t be enough and he
would end up sitting in Germany until next year or later.

He walked out of the office, considering the possibility he and
his family would be left behind.  Aaron’s suggestion about a
forgery came to mind.  He considered the shaky response of the
clerk despite his hopeful expressions and couldn’t bear the thought
of his family being denied.

* * *

When he arrived at the law firm Thursday, he saw Ezekiel pass
through the hallway heading to his office.

“Papa?”

Ezekiel turned his head.  “Eli, did you accomplish what you
sent out to do?”

“Yes, and that’s what I want to talk to you about if you have
time.”

Ezekiel nodded and they headed for Eli’s office.

“Let’s talk in here.” Ezekiel sat in the mahogany chair near the
desk and Eli leaned over the desk towards him.  “What is it,
son?”

“I know you’re comfortable in Germany and I know you hate to
disrupt your life, but Germany is being ravaged of all its civil
liberties.  It’s not the Germany you or even I grew up
in.  It is no longer the fatherland of Germans.” Eli grabbed
his father’s folded hands and held them across the desk.  “You
know as a man who studied law what these legislative actions can
lead to.  You know better than most how delicate our lives now
hang in the power of the Nazis.”

His voice grew stern.  “There’s no more legislative
balance.  There’s no more parliament.  There’s only
Totalitarianism.” Eli closed his eyes and opened them again in
hope.  “Papa, we must leave for the safety of those we
love.  You must leave for your family.  I must leave for
Rebecca.”

Ezekiel rubbed his chin and lowered his head.  “I’ve
thought about it, son, but I’ve talked to clerks at the immigration
office and they tell me it’s risky.  They say it’s very
difficult to acquire the visas.  Even then, the country we
enter may reject us and send us straight back to Germany.  It
also costs a lot of money for the ship, the visas, and the travel
arrangements, as well as money to start up a new life.”

“But, Papa, we have to try.” Eli’s eyes filled with desperation
for his father to hear him, for his father to waive the
stubbornness and agree to leave with him.

“I don’t know if it will be better to uproot the entire family
to a country we’ve never been to.  I just don’t know.” Ezekiel
rested his head in his hands, wiping his forehead.  “There are
prejudices everywhere, Eli.”

“I dropped off my paperwork at the immigration office. 
I’ll let you know how it goes, but, Papa,” Eli’s voice lowered,
“even if the immigration office rejects the visa, Aaron knows of
someone who makes forgeries.  If we have to, we could…”

“No, no, son.  That could send me to jail, you to jail and
what then? What good will you or I be to our families then?”
Ezekiel shook his head and Eli knew he would have to wait on
hearing from the immigration office and hope his father changed his
mind before he and Rebecca departed.

* * *

Sunday March fifth, Eli and Rebecca joined a spontaneous Jewish
anti-German boycott.  Jews throughout the world held mass
rallies and marches proclaiming their rights.  Eli built a
sign reading: Be Free of Fascism! He and Rebecca marched through
the streets with other Jews and those who sympathized.  Unlike
the violence of the marches from the red hooked-cross Nazis filling
people with fear and dread, these marches evoked humanity and
dignity and yielded its participators, previously stomped and
kicked by jackboots, a way to combat the maltreatment.  This
gave a voice to many whose businesses were being vandalized, closed
down and abandoned by once faithful employees.

Rebecca and Eli marched side by side and, unlike the earlier
demonstration with the Communists and Social Democrats, Rebecca was
not in the least bit intimidated or afraid.  The protest
boycott empowered her as she watched Eli and his Jewish friends
fill the streets with their heads held high, with determined voices
and a sturdy will.  The boycott allowed those being denied
their livelihood a refusal for the perpetrators.  Felt all
over the world, German efforts led organized movements across
Europe.

Wednesday March twenty second, fifteen kilometers northwest of
Munich, the first group of prisoners made up of mostly Liberals,
Communists, Social Democrats, and homosexuals was taken to a
concentration camp in Dachau.  The sounds of marching soldiers
and military trucks dragging men away from almost every German
community echoed in Rebecca’s mind, sounds of resistance, struggle,
and ultimately of free thought suffocating.

Political leaders and rebels threatened the Reich and Hitler’s
ideas for government.  They believed in liberty and equality
above all.  The Nazis had no use for those values and
systematically executed influential political leaders.

Part of Dachau held prisoners in row after row of cots inside
buildings.  Another part conducted medical experiments. 
In total, the camp held two hundred thousand, one third of them
Jews.

Some German citizens became concerned at the recent brutality,
but Hitler assured everyone his totalitarian government had every
right.  After all, the Communists burned down the Reichstag
parliament, leaving the country helpless.  The Nazi party
grabbed the reigns and began leading the country again.  This
soothed some and worried others.  Eli and his friends were not
fooled.

Rosalyn and Robert stopped by Eli’s house the evening of the
twenty third to discuss the country and the options left for people
who did not agree with its course.  Rebecca had warmed tea for
everyone.

Rebecca answered the door; Rosalyn and Robert entered briskly
and headed straight to the table.  They did not have time to
waste.  In their minds the country’s downfall was imminent and
they were in its wake.  Rebecca filled three cups with mint
tea, and then handed a cup of lemon tea to Eli who exited the
bedroom.

“What is so urgent?” Eli inquired.  Robert shook his head
and stood, unable to sit in his anger.

“I can’t believe it.  I just can’t believe it.”

“What happened?” Rebecca sipped her tea and sat next to
Rosalyn.

“Didn’t you listen to the radio news?” Rosalyn asked.

“No, we haven’t had time.  I’ve been busy at the
hospital.  Eli’s been focused on work at the firm. 
They’ve lost many employees.”

Rosalyn spoke with calm, a calm beyond Robert’s capability at
the moment.  “The Enabling Act was passed.” She said her words
with slow methodical motion, almost freezing towards the end of the
sentence in disbelief.  Then her tone became inflamed. 
“Hitler promised the Act would in no way be harmful to the
Presidency, the Reichstag, or municipal government.  The
majority of Germany bought into his conservative national leader’s
façade, believing him at the ceremony where he pretended not to be
in charge of a radical party.”

“Oh my God!” Eli reacted.  Robert eased his angered wounds
and sat down before Eli continued almost as calmly as
Rosalyn.  “This gives them the power to dissolve political
parties altogether and grants him dictatorial powers.”

“The Parliament is now just paper for the Nazis to hide behind
and play puppet master,” Rosalyn said with disgust.  As
Rosalyn finished her thought, someone pounded on the door. 
Rebecca opened it, delighted to see Aaron.

“Aaron, glad you could make it.” Rebecca invited him in, her
hands motioning him forward.

“Thank you, Rebecca.” Aaron took off his dark blue suit jacket
and laid it over the sofa.  He surveyed the room and noticed
the tension in the faces of everyone.  “You all heard the
news.”

“Yes,” Eli confirmed.

“What are we going to do?” Rosalyn’s voice shook.  Robert
and Rosalyn steadfastly supported the Communist party.  The
idea of not being able to participate in protests, rallies or
marches in support of their beliefs was unfathomable to them.

“It’s incomprehensible what is happening to the country,” Robert
said in a forceful, unabated declaration.  “What is more
incomprehensible is that the citizens of Germany are allowing it to
happen!”

“The country will be ruined under the hands of an evil
brilliance,” Aaron insisted.

“Brilliance?” Rebecca questioned.

“Hitler is no fool.  He knows exactly what he’s doing, what
he wants and how to get there,” Aaron responded in a confidence he
carried in the courtroom.  “A sociopath, but brilliant.”

“So, how do we get there, to what we want?” Eli asked Aaron.

“I wouldn’t wait too long.  I’d look for all the possible
routes out of Germany.” Aaron’s eyebrows clenched upward and his
lip curled underneath.

“What do you mean?” Robert interjected.

Rebecca sipped her tea and answered, “Eli and I have decided to
leave.”

“You’re leaving?” Rosalyn’s mouth dropped open and she darted
her eyes to Rebecca.  “How come you didn’t say anything to me
earlier?”

“It’s not finalized yet.  We have to wait on Eli’s visa
from the immigration office and then we’ll make arrangements for
the ship.”

“I wouldn’t rely on the immigration offices.” Robert confirmed
Eli’s fears.

“Why not?” Rebecca inquired.  Eli shook his head out of
Rebecca’s view, telling Robert to close his mouth.

“Nothing.” Robert cuddled Rosalyn close to him.

Everyone left after tea and, with a long face, Rebecca followed
Eli into the bedroom.  Eli sat on the bed with his head down
and eyes staring at the sheets.  He glanced up at Rebecca,
knowing she would ask, but not wanting to answer, not wanting to
bring more worry to her.  His eyes tore away from her to avoid
the conversation.

“What did Robert mean, ‘I wouldn’t rely on the immigration
offices.’?”

“Don’t worry about it, Rebecca.  You know Robert. 
He’s just looking at it from all angles.”

“Should we worry about it?”

“It will do no good, will it? Whether they approve my visa or
not, worry will not change it.” Eli rubbed Rebecca’s hands as he
spoke to her and Rebecca slipped into bed under the thin silk sheet
she bought for the summer sun.  “Let’s not think about this
much and rest now.”