War Torn Love (4 page)

             
Abram’s mother began crying, “You show such kindness to us, we’re strangers to you. I knew moving here was a good idea, well than it would be rude to reject such kindness that has been shown towards us. All I can say is thank you! It would be a pleasure - to break bread with such nice people. God surely heard my prayer.”

             
Momma smiled back as she walked over and gave Mrs. Balsam a hug. Then shook Mr. Balsam hand.  Momma appeared to be on cloud nine, she’s always happiest when she could be to assistance others, she said she liked doing God’s work; it was her own way of giving back. I to was so happy that Abram was going to be coming over to my house. Wrapped up in the moment, I walked
over and gave him a hug.  He wasn’t quite as receptive to this sudden warmness I had showed towards him - in fact he turned beet red, I think he was embarrass by this, oh what had I done, I thought. His parents and my mother all smiled, all looking upon us, and commented on how cute it was. His arms never seem to rise up and embrace mine, though I think deep down he liked it. I just so happened to have seen him half-smiling. He told me as much years later. I let my arms back down and also turned beet red in utter embarrassment, after the adults had to make such a big deal about it.  Once I had noticed the parents all smiling.
             

             
Abram’s mother commented. “Oh look at that, how cute is that, aren’t they a charming couple.  Your daughters are quite beautiful.” At the time I had never even considered Abram as a boyfriend material, I did not like boys in that way; no he was nothing more than a playmate. Well not for a couple more years anyways. And from that instant on, over the next couple of years, that’s what we were defined as, and it sort of stuck, “the charming little couple.” I always tried holding  Abram’s hand, I wasn’t quite sure why, but he would always pull his hand away from mine, I guess I was a tomboy, but I still was a girl at heart, and from that very first moment, he had won mine. From the moment the two of us met, we went everywhere together, like two peas in a pod.

             
About
half-hour
later
,
things got into full swing, when Poppa and Mr. Landau showed up upon Momma’s request, along with my older sister.  They all introduced one another; see with Hasidic Jews, we always helped one
another in time of need, to not offer help to others who are in need, is strongly wrong, especially in God’s eyes. Soon as my Dad and Mr. Landau had arrived, my sister Marym, and my mother made a beeline for the house. Momma wanted to go make our new neighbors feel as welcome as humanly possible, by making up some beds, and cooking up a tradition Jewish meal for our guest. Well it was more a feast.

             
I myself did not get off so scot-free for the night’s events. I gathered eggs and the vegetables for the little feast. Normally I would have put up an objection, and fretted over being assigned such a mundane task, but not this time. To make it go a bit better, I took the liberty of asking if Abram wanted to lend a hand. He excitedly asked his Momma,

             
She said, “Go ahead!”

             
He was so excited that we had chickens. Coming from the city, he had never actually gotten up and close to a live chicken before. I think once I took him inside the chicken coop he was intimidated by are rooster, with good reason he was a hoary old bird. He liked to try attacking once in a while.

             
Momma called out to everyone that dinner was going to be ready in a little while. The men had been gathered in the living room, and began smoking cigars. Mrs. Balsam and Mrs. Landau joined Momma, disappearing behind the door led from the dining room leading onto in the kitchen. We could hear them giggling - it was nice to think of Momma was enjoying herself once
again. She just enjoyed putting on dinner parties. She really did have a heart of gold, even then, I hoped to grow up to be like her.

             
I saw my opening. Abram was standing there all alone twiddling his thumbs - looking uncomfortable, out of place - being ignored by all the adults in the room.  Excited I asked him, “Abram would you like to go up and see my room - well my sisters and my room, I have a puzzle of the Eifel Tower I have been working on - would you like to help me with it? I’m about half done with it.”

             
“Sure, why not? I like puzzles.” I could hear the excitement in his voice.

             
Surprised that he actually liked puzzles just like me, “You do?”

             
“Yep! I sure do, I was working on one of the Alps before we had to move,” smiling as he answered. We headed towards my room.

             
“Wow! Hana I love your room, it’s so big.”

             
I just smiled, and at that moment, I knew he and I were going to be good friends.

             
“Abram one day I would love to go see the Eifel Tower - did you know there’s an elevator, and you can actually go all the way to the top?  I bet you can see all of Paris from up there.
“Abram have you ever been in an elevator?”

             
“No!”

             
We worked on the puzzle for about ten minutes, before we were called down for dinner. Truthfully, I was disappointed dinner was already ready so soon as it was, I had been enjoying my private time with my new best friend.

CHAPTER TWO

                         
“THE BIG QUESTION”

             
Abram was now all settled in to his new place; it was grand having him so nearby, it seemed like we had been friends for a long time, we got along so famously, we were like two peas in a pod. We never seemed to argue, and he usually let me have my way. The hardest times of each summertime day, I found, was when the two of us had to be separated and then go to our own individual houses for the night. Most nights we nearly had to be drug in kicking and screaming, in less, we were listening to our favorite radio show, when both our families would come together; His family would come over to our house. Poppa just had purchased the radio a couple of months ago. The one thing we had going for us, when we went to bed each night, each of our bedroom windows faced one another. Therefore, we would play games in the window.

             
The two of us was now able to take satisfaction in the celebration of the rest of the summer, spending it together, and I had so much of the town to still show him.  One day, the two of us had gone to the matinee, and seen a double feature, with several cartoons. We ate popcorn, had soda pop. Then we walked down to the train tracks that ran directly through town. Abram took a coin out of his pocket,
and the gum he was chewing from out of his mouth. Stuck the gum onto the coin, then onto the rail track. Then we hid, as we waited for the next train to show up. Forty-five minutes later a train rolled on through.

             
Abram counted aloud, “We two-engines, and forty-three boxcars, and a caboose being towed along.”

             
Once they had safely passed, we went back to the track we searched for the coins.

             
“Hey Abram I found the coin laying near the track. Oh my gosh look it must be flatted out three times its once normal size.”

             
Each of us dreading the day when we would once again, be heading off back to school, to start the fourth grade. Since the two of
us,
both hated the thought of attending school. We tried and not talking about it and ruining the mood.

             
The first order of business, after Abram was freed up to play during the summer days, was to turn our
tree house
into a
fully
fledged clubhouse, though of course we were the only two members , with our mascot my dog named Trixie. We even came up with our own secret, very complicated two-minute handshake, although neither had the guts to become actual blood brothers.  Instead, we cemented our young, blossoming friendship by spitting in our hands, and then shaking firmly.  After transforming the tree house, I was so excited.

             
“Hey Abram, we should ask if we can spend the night in the tree-house,”

             
“Ya, that sounds like a good idea.”

             
But when I went to go asked Momma,
             
“Momma could Abram and I spend the night in our club house?”

She got an awfully strange look on her face as I asked her. Who would not consent to that? At the time, my young unformed mind did not identify with, or comprehend Momma’s
gun spoken
worries, why suddenly it was taboo for us to be together, or at least spend the night together. But I wouldn’t leave well enough alone.

             
“Why, what did I do wrong, please Momma, please?”

             
“Young lady I said no! Now leave it!”

             
I hounded her for an explanation why we could not.“Momma why are you saying no to me?”

             
I had started thinking that she didn’t like Abram, or something. I guess.  I threw one of my notorious
tantrums
, that is until Poppa happen to come home, and got caught up in my little outburst…

             
“Young lady you stop that at once, or I’ll tan you butt, you hear me.”

             
I guess I came to my wits, and decided it was not worth a spanking. Especially when I spotted Poppa’s belt was now out - oh I grew too hate that belt.

             
She responded to my confusion, once she realized I probably was not going to leave well enough alone.

             
“Hana darling
             
I would like to talk to you, you have to understand boys and girls just don’t do that sort of thing - like sleep together, in the very same room unsupervised, or in your case, a tree-house,
             
unless they're married, or they are brother and sister. It is not proper in God’s eyes. Do you understand what I am trying to say?”