The Day the Flowers Died (10 page)

The client was also a friend of the family and, justly, his
father took the case, though he knew the difficulty in proving it
in court, especially now that Hitler had gained so much fervor
behind his ideas and party.  No one wanted to see a Jew
getting more money, but his father insisted on doing what he knew
was right and he believed the dry cleaner swindled his client.

“Eli, do you have the receipts ready?”

Eli bundled the files into his folder and handed them to
Ezekiel.  “Do you think we have enough to get his money
back?”

“Even if we do, will it be enough?” Ezekiel said, always with
realism in his words.  “We will put up a good fight.” He took
the folder out of his son’s hands and placed it into his
briefcase.  Eli followed his father through the halls of his
office, halls his father helped to build himself in
renovations.  They went to Ezekiel’s office where he retrieved
a file from his desk and then the two of them walked to an exit to
the parking lot.

“Let me run this to the court office for you.  I’ll hand it
to Ekkehard and then we can argue the case Monday morning,” Eli
offered.  His father nodded, pensive in thought.

“I’ll wait here for you and then we’ll head home.” Home to
Ezekiel meant the outskirts of Munich, a large house built for a
large family, now empty of their son.  Home to Eli meant the
apartment building in central Munich where he and Rebecca shared
many Friday and Saturday nights.

Eli drove with cautious speed through the intersections and
roads until approaching the courthouse, then parked behind the
building.  He raced up the steps and handed the file to
Ekkehard, the clerk who worked for Ezekiel Levin, responsible for
organizing all the paperwork for each case of the Levin Law
Offices.  The clerk ensured all parties had received their
disclosed information before proceedings.

But Monday morning found the office in shambles, with everyone
running to and fro and a few shouting, trying to find Eli’s
father.  Eli grabbed the arm of Kevin, a tall, light haired
older fellow who wore glasses.

“What’s going on?”

“The papers you gave to the clerk yesterday never found their
way into the hands of the defendants, and now the papers are
missing.  We’ve been searching everywhere trying to find
them.”

“But I gave them to Ekkehard yesterday evening before seven,”
Eli said in defense.

“He claims to have never gotten them,” Kevin insisted and, for a
moment, Eli doubted himself until his father surprised him from
behind and patted him on the shoulder.

“I saw my son drive off to the courthouse myself.  The son
of a bitch Ekkehard lost them!” His father’s stern words took Eli
aback, since most of his life he never heard his father
swear.  The sturdy and strong man never lost his temper. 
“I’d venture to bet he lost them deliberately,” Ezekiel demanded,
but the halls were silent of supporters, never uttering the subtle
ways the injustices of the Nazi party seeped into their
lives.  “Bought off at a minuscule price, no doubt!”

Eli saw no way to win the court case now, not without the
receipts.  They had a slim chance with the information,
because of so few fair judges left from political and social
pressures.  But now, without the evidence, there was no ounce
of hope at winning and Eli knew that itched inside every vein of
his father.

“We’ll get them next time, Papa,” Eli said, knowing that was
unlikely, too.

Sunday, February 14, 1932

Valentine’s Day was a big day for Eli.  He wanted to do
something special for Rebecca and met her early Sunday morning to
tell her she would have to let him blindfold her.  She did of
course, and Eli guided her down the steps to his car and then drove
her to an unknown location.  He walked with her over soft
grass until pausing and sliding off the blindfold.  A wood
picnic table under a large cascading tree sat next to a blue green
lake.  Two lit candles sat in the middle of the worn wood
table with two plates of delicacies.

Rebecca leapt into the air, eager to enjoy the Valentine meal
with the man she loved.  Two long elegant glasses stood next
to each plate, filled to the brim with white champagne. 
Rebecca in gaiety scuttled to the decorated table and smelled the
plate of food as she sat.  She laid her Dresden Wire Mesh
handbag on the chair beside her.  The soft painted pink petals
and pale green leaves decorating the bag were a perfect compliment
to the nature encompassing them.  The late winter chills in
the wind pervaded the park and tossed Rebecca’s long hair.

“This looks lovely.” She smiled subtly and Eli returned her
gaze.

“A plate of your assorted favorite foods,” Eli pointed showing
her each one. “Smoked duck, a pocket of caviar, baked carrots, and
sautéed pears.” With each named food, Rebecca’s smile grew wider,
realizing Eli knew her so well.  Rebecca savored the duck and
then picked up a spoonful of carrots.  She nibbled a pinch of
caviar and then sipped her white champagne.

“Did you cook all of this?”

“I spent all Friday night a slave in the kitchen.” Eli
smirked.

“You told me you had to work late.”

“And I did,” he joked.  After the meal, Eli pulled up two
paper bags and handed one to Rebecca.

“Another surprise?” Rebecca’s warm gaze fell over Eli’s face
like shadows on the sidewalk.

“Open it,” he said and Rebecca didn’t resist.  She pulled
out a pair of pink ice skates with matching laces. Holding the
skates beside her foot, she danced on the grass in spins. “Looks
like they will fit.” Eli stared at her.  “Thank you Eli. The
color is beautiful.”

“We have a lovely frozen lake.” Eli grinned, “a picnic, and a
wonderful day to ourselves. What more could two people want for?”
Eli persuaded. Rebecca’s loud guffaw was coupled by her tousled
hair. Staring at her, she felt Eli wanting something.”

“What?”

“Please, try on the skates.” Eli encouraged.

“Now?”

“Just a moment. We can test them out on the ice near the
shoreline. I will hold you hand.”

“But… ”

“Don’t worry. I will hold you.” Eli winked.

“Alright.” After Rebecca pulled her two skates over her feet,
they walked, hand in hand, with Eli doing most of the balancing, to
the frozen lake.

Her honey touched brown hair glistened under the late winter sun
and the dew from the grass also hung in the sky on her nose. Eli
brushed the loose strands off her cheeks and collar before lowering
his lips to her supple neck. Her lake blue eyes radiated under the
blue sky and Eli’s contrasting deep brown eyes sat like steady
stones.

Holding her hand steady, Rebecca pushed off the shoreline onto
the hard ice. The two separate bodies twined so close became like
one, at least to a distant observer.

“Stay near the edge. We don’t want any accidents.” Eli
stated.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Rebecca questioned with furrowing
brows as she stared at her feet over the ice.

“I used to come here with Papa as a boy. The ice is hard. Just
don’t leave my hands.”

“I won’t.” Rebecca giggled in a smile, thinking she would be a
silly girl indeed if she broke hands with the one man holding her
up securely. 

“I love the weather this time of year,” Eli whispered and she
could only smile, closing her eyes against the soft breeze. Rebecca
pushed with Eli at her side and she almost slipped when she tried
to turn around, but Eli caught her. Stumbling in his grip, he
grinned and she gritted her teeth, but soon she stood and
smiled. 

Stepping off the ice and onto the grass, Eli pulled her up spun
her into his arms, even the weight of skates could not keep him
from her.  Carrying her to the picnic table, she sat to pull
off her skates. Then, they lay on a quilt Eli straightened out over
the grass near the picnic table. Letting the cool sky fall over
them like a blanket, they rested in each other’s arms, their toes
touching.

In this quiet moment, the only disturbance between them was of
past words of politics reminding them that the country and the
world were changing.

“Do you really think Hindenburg won’t remain president for much
longer?” Rebecca inquired.

“Elections are coming up.  Anything is possible.” Eli
glanced away at the sun before returning his gaze. 
“Hindenburg is the favorite, but he’s getting old and his mind is
not what it used to be. If Hitler runs this year, who knows what
will happen. He makes promises the people want to hear and, despite
his party’s violence and radical ideas, the people want bread on
their tables.” Eli kissed her lips.  “But we can hope.” The
morning trickled into late afternoon and they headed back to their
apartment building.

* * *

Monday morning, Eli read over briefs and statements that needed
to be reviewed for court in the afternoon.  Aaron burst into
the office with a newspaper swaying in his hands.

“Did you read the morning paper yet?” Aaron’s voice sounded
frustrated and his movements agitated.  He sprawled the paper
over the mahogany desk in front of Eli. “President Hindenburg
reluctantly agrees to run again, announcing his candidacy for
re-election.”

“That is a good thing.”

“I’m not finished.” Aaron ran his finger across the next line in
the paper, “Hitler decided to oppose him and run for the presidency
himself.” Eli sunk in his chair, remembering Rebecca’s words, “do
you really think Hindenburg won’t be president much longer?” It
wasn’t set and Hindenburg had a stronger following than Hitler, but
it was one more step forward for the Nazi party.

“Why aren’t you in your office next door?” Eli asked.

“Not very busy for me these days.” Aaron’s lip curled.  “My
colleagues, Cynthia and Robert from the party, have no trouble
finding new clients.  I, on the other hand, am having a hard
time holding on to my old ones.”

“Sorry,” Eli said in a soft voice, both of them knowing the
reason wasn’t that he was a bad lawyer, but that he looked too
Jewish.

Aaron ruffled his fingers through his dark curly hair. 
“You’re lucky.  You get to work with your father.  He
makes sure you acquire clients.”

“Even our business has lessened this year.  The Nazis are
first-rate at spreading propaganda.” Eli glanced over the newspaper
again, reading the quotes enclosed: “Freedom and Bread,” was
printed underneath Hitler’s picture as his personal slogan to
perpetuate his campaign.

“Freedom and bread! How memorable!” Aaron reacted in
disgust.

“Hitler has a monster of a campaign and Hindenburg is
essentially resting on his reputation as former president.”

“Hitler won’t win,” Robert said, squeezing through the opened
crack in the door.  Aaron and Eli both jerked their heads up
at Robert.  “He won’t have enough supporters and he knows
it.  This is just a ploy to gain more Nazi sympathy and
followers.” Robert closed the door behind him.

Aaron’s eyes sharpened in the corners, “And it’s working. 
His influence has already reached into our law offices. What’s
next, synagogues?”

“I don’t know,” Robert said with sincerity, “but he has another
speech scheduled in Berlin today and there’s a Nazi rally
downtown.”

Robert handed a Nazi pamphlet to Eli, who stood to take
it.  “This was handed to me this morning on my way to work.”
The pamphlet read: The Sensationalist Newspapers Lie! Biased and
racial slurs filled the pages, propitiating a Nazi world
view.  Eli clutched it in his hands, then crumbled it,
thudding heavily onto his seat.

The work day was long as all days were without Rebecca at his
side, but this day was worse, because Eli could see the grip of the
Nazi party tightening like a rope around the neck of the country he
grew up in, of the country he once loved.  Eli walked to his
old Audi and drove home for the day, seeing plastered over the city
walls posters of Hitler and his Nazi campaign.

Some announced sixteen simultaneous mass meetings in Berlin on
the problem of unemployment, 5,600,000 demand work, and some
stated:

“Germans! Give your answer to the System! Elect Hitler! Everyone
knew this system meant a pejorative Nazi term for the Weimar
Republic, blamed for the problems the country faced.

Other posters came more to the point of the problem, to the very
core of Germany’s economic collapse, stating, “The Jews are our
misfortune,” after the meeting by Julius Streicher, a leading Nazi
who stood by the displayed words during his speech.  Posters
plastered with Jewish and African derogatory comments became more
frequent and more widely accepted.  Eli slid behind the wheel
of his car, tugging on his pale grey tie with sparkle on its
opposite side which reminded him of Rebecca on New Year’s Eve.

He drove over the roads he grew up on as a child, riding his
bicycle and falling from it for the first time, over the roads he
walked to school on, over the roads he had his first kiss. 
When he parked his Audi and plodded to his apartment building, he
grabbed his chest at pains burning inside, though no such physical
sensation was there, before opening the front metallic door with
its broken latch.

* * *

Rebecca spent the first half of her day at University, preparing
to end her courses in March and pick up her Bachelor’s of Science
diploma.  She could taste the thrill of completion in her
mouth.  It took her longer than four years, but she was proud
of her accomplishment.

The second half of the day, she cleaned up spills and served
food at the local diner, offering everyone a smile, even those who
annoyed her.  She needed the money to spend on food, clothes,
and things she liked to do.  Her mother pulled the strings of
her father, like a jockey pulls a horse, when he offered to pay for
college to make sure the extras were not in the deal. Her mother
used this tight fist on the money to try to get her daughter back,
to live home with her again, as all high class daughters did. But
Rebecca would not have it that way. She wanted to pave her own way
out of her mother’s grip. Yet she never thought about how much her
mother tried to control her life as she served at the diner. 
She thought about how much freedom she had because of that job,
that university, and that life with Eli in Munich.