The Promised Land (All My Love, Detrick Series) (All My Love Detrick Book 3)

by Roberta Kagan

  “I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you. Yes, Katja and I came to tell you that we are getting married.”

  “Mazel Tov,” Aryeh said, grabbing his brother and patting his back. Then, turning to Katja and hugging her, “Welcome to the family.”

  “Yes, Mazel Tov,” Aleana, his sister said, crossing her arms in front of her chest and stealing a glance at their mother.

  “It’s late. Why don’t we settle in for the night and we can all get to know each other tomorrow?” Elan said.

  He and Katja walked to the back of the house. “This is my room. This is where I grew up.”

  His mother was close behind. “I don’t think it is proper for you two to share a room in our house until you are married. So, I fixed it so that you and your brother can sleep in your room, and the girls can sleep in Aleana’s room.”

  Elan shrugged. “Are you all right with this?” he asked Katja. “We can always get a hotel room if you would rather.”

  “No, I am fine,” she said, not wanting to start off on the wrong foot with her new family.

  Preparing food at the Amsel household was much different from the way it was done at the kibbutz. Katja offered her help, but Elan’s mother was not open to anyone else working in her kitchen. She would not accept Brenda’s help either. Only her daughter was allowed to help. Mrs. Amsel hardly spoke to Katja and Katja felt very out of place. But on the second day of their visit, Katja and Elan went with his brother and Brenda to tour the Old City. They invited Aleana but she declined. Brenda was open and friendly. She told Katja about life in America and how much she’d come to love Israel. They became fast friends.

  Later in the week, the two couples went to the market on Ben Yehuda Street where Elan’s father owned and operated a fruit stand. They shopped for a few hours and then returned to the house. Had it not been for Brenda, Katja would have felt alone and alienated.

  On Yom Kippur, the family went to temple. “I am not religious, said Elan. I know it sounds hypocritical, but this is the only day of the year that I actually go to Shul. I fast, too. Just in case. You know, just in case all this religious stuff is true.”

  Katja laughed. “You are such a strange man, Elan.” She teased him. She had always fasted on Yom Kippur. Everyone did on the kibbutz. At the end of the day, they broke the fast with a feast, welcoming in the New Year. Katja was glad that they were leaving Elan’s parents' home in the morning.

  “She’s not as bad as she seems,” Elan said about his mother, as they rode back toward Tel Aviv. “She’s just really protective of her children. You’ll get used to her, and as she gets to know you better, she’ll come to love you. Besides, we won’t be around my family that often.”

  Katja nodded.

  “Come on, beautiful, give me a smile,” he said. “When you smile you light up the world.”

  She laughed “Elan . . .”

  “And when you laugh I know why I chose you to be the mother of my children. I want to make a thousand Jewish babies with you. I want us to single-handedly rebuild the Jewish race that rulers, like Pharaoh and Hitler, have been trying to destroy since the beginning of time.”

  “A thousand children—won’t I be tired?”

  “Well, at least two.”

  “Two sounds much better.” She laughed again.

  Chapter 73

  As Konrad was strolling to the small café where he had breakfast each morning, a boy of about seven years old approached him and handed him a note. Before Konrad could ask the boy who the message was from, the child disappeared down an alleyway. Konrad opened the envelope. As he had guessed, it was from Mossad. Konrad had his orders. Mossad was giving him until the end of January to arrange the capture of Manfred Blau. Konrad felt guilty. He’d grown to like Blau. He was a good friend whose company Konrad enjoyed.

  But Konrad also hated Blau because he saw a lot of himself in the man. He saw many characteristics of which he was ashamed. They were both weak, both unattractive, not the strong Aryan athletes they yearned to be. Back in Germany when Konrad had worn his uniform, it made him feel important, special, even handsome. But without it, he had slowly reverted back to the ugly boy he’d once been, the child who had endured mocking at the hands of his peers. He knew just by looking at Blau that Blau had also been, like himself, the clumsy boy who didn’t fit in.

  Now, Konrad must betray Blau. He had no choice. However, Konrad didn’t feel as bad as he’d felt when he betrayed Detrick. Nothing in his entire life had been as bad as that. But it certainly didn’t feel good. Perhaps he could do with a trip to Brazil to the favela. That always gave him the release he needed. For a long time he’d tried to be sexually active with women, he’d even tried violent and sadistic sex with prostitutes. For a while it almost satisfied him. But once he’d engaged in sex with a boy, his body never responded to women again. He hated the boys who had sexual encounters with him. They reminded him of his perverse desires.

  He’d become so disgusted with himself that he’d even killed a few of them, stabbing them numerous times, then leaving their mutilated bodies in the public bathrooms where the acts had taken place. He’d never planned on murder, but the rage would come over him, and before the boy knew what had happened, Konrad began stabbing him. Sometimes he would see the boy’s face turn into Detrick’s, other times it would turn into his own. When he saw himself, he would turn the most violent, stabbing and cutting until the reflection of his own face disappeared. Whenever he left the favela he promised himself that he would never return. He would tell himself that this was the last time. And then . . . he would feel that need stir, causing his heart to race and the blood to rush to his ears, and he would return to look for another boy.

  Chapter 74

  When two people are in love, they rarely pay much attention to anything surrounding them. Katja quickly forgot about her mother-in- law’s difficult personality, and she seemed to forget about her friendship with Mendel. As close as she and Rachel had been all of their lives, she still could not bring herself to call Rachel and give her the news. But December 10 was coming up fast and that was the first day of Hanukah. She and Elan planned to arrive at the kibbutz on the second day. They’d shopped for gifts for both her family and his; mailing the ones they’d purchased for his family and packing the ones they had for hers. It should have been an exciting time. But, secretly Katja was worried. Had Rachel been honest when she said that she had no romantic feelings left for Elan?

  The temperature had dropped during the night and it was unusually cold the morning that they left Tel Aviv. Katja watched the city fade away as they drove towards the kibbutz where she had spent her childhood.

  As expected, the main house was decorated with menorahs. Katja knew her mother would be either in the kitchen or in the children’s house. She directed Elan to the guesthouse and then went off to find her mother. Zofia was sitting on a bench with a little boy beside her. He was writing numbers in a workbook with a red crayon. Katja watched her mother for a moment, and her heart ached with love. Zofia was so patient. She wore a heavy sweater that tied at the waist and slivers of gray had begun to appear in her hair, which was caught up in a soft bun at the back of her neck. Katja felt a shiver of sadness come over her as she realized that her mother would not live forever, someday she would be gone. Even as a little girl, Katja had had nightmares of losing her mother. And now as she watched Zofia, she realized that the hard life her mother had lived had taken a toll, and although Katja was not sure of her mother’s exact age, she knew that Zofia was in her early forties, but she had begun to look weathered.

  “All right now. Recite the numbers for me,” Zofia said, closing the book.

  “One, two, three, four . . .” the child said in Hebrew.

  “That’s very good, now in English.”

  The boy began to count in English when Zofia turned around and saw Katja. Her face lit up. “My Sunshine, come here. Let me look at you.” Zofia stood up. Katja ran to her mother.

  Zofia took Katja
in her arms and hugged her. Katja buried her head in Zofia’s hair and for a moment, Katja allowed herself to linger in that safe, familiar fragrance that was her mother.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Zofia said.

  “I brought Elan with me. He’s at the guesthouse.”

  “I can’t wait to meet him. Come, let’s go out into the field, and see your father. He will be so happy to see you.”

  When Isaac saw Katja approaching with Zofia he climbed down the ladder he was standing on. Katja could not help but remember that when he was a young man he’d jumped off ladders much taller than this one. Katja knew that her parents had lived a hard life, and it had taken its toll on their bodies. They both seemed so much older than they were. The stabbing pain shot through her heart again. Her parents were aging and one day they would be gone. One day she would not be able to hug them or talk to them.

  “Papa . . .” Katja said, running to him.

  He hugged her tightly. “Katja, Shalom sweetheart, welcome home . . . welcome home.”

  She couldn’t help it; she was crying.

  “Don’t cry, sweetheart, this is a happy time,” Isaac said. “Come on, Mama; let’s go and get Katja something to eat.”

  “I brought a friend. Someone I want you to meet, Papa.”

  “OH? NU? So who is your friend?”

  “His name is Elan.”

  “Ahhhh, a boyfriend”

  “Yes, Papa, a boyfriend.”

  “Well, so come on. Let's go and meet this boyfriend who thinks he is good enough for my little girl,” Isaac said, joking.

  “I think you’ll like him. At least I hope so.”

  “Does he make you happy?” Isaac said, wrapping his arms around Katja’s neck on one side and Zofia’s on the other.

  “He does, Papa; he is very good to me.”

  “You love him?”

  “Yes, very much.”

  Isaac glanced at Zofia and nodded. “Then I am sure we will love him, too.”

  They found Elan in the guesthouse with Mendel and Rachel.

  “Katja, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard from you,” Rachel said.

  “I know. I’m sorry.” Katja looked away. She couldn’t meet Rachel’s eyes.

  “I see you’ve brought Elan here for the holidays,” Rachel said, her face calm and unreadable.

  Katja nodded, stealing a glance at Rachel. She wasn’t sure how to proceed. She loved Elan, but she was terrified of losing her lifelong friend.

  Everyone was standing around waiting for Katja to speak. She could not look at Rachel, so she turned to her parents.

  “Mama, Papa, this is Elan.”

  “Welcome,” Isaac said and he gave Elan a bear hug. “Happy Hanukah. Come on, let’s go and get you two something to eat. I’m sure you’re both hungry.”

  Elan laughed. “What is it with us Jews? Why is it food is always on our minds?”

  Isaac put his arm around Elan. “I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

  “I feel the same way. I have been eager to meet Katja’s family,” Elan said.

  They all walked toward the main house. Rachel caught up with Katja.

  “You go on ahead. I want to talk to Katja,” Rachel said, taking Katja’s arm and slowing her down.

  Katja had been worried about this conversation. That was why she had not been in contact with Rachel since she and Elan had begun seeing each other.

  “Why haven’t you called me or answered any of my calls?” Rachel said.

  Katja shrugged.

  “It’s Elan?”

  Katja nodded.

  “You think I feel bad because I dated him a long time ago?” Rachel asked.

  “Yes, and I’m sorry. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you.”

  “You did hurt me, but not by dating Elan. By avoiding me. You are my sister, my blood sister. I don’t care about you and Elan. I told you that before. But I don’t want to lose you because of him.”

  “And what about you, Rachel? I haven’t known you to date anyone since Elan. That’s why I was so concerned, so guilty. I was afraid that you might still care for him.”

  “Sit down, Katja, I have something to tell you,” Rachel said, as they passed a wooden picnic bench.

  Katja was worried about leaving Elan alone so long with Mendel and her family, but this was important. She sat down. Rachel sat down beside her.

  “I haven’t dated anyone else because after dating Elan I knew what I was. I knew what I wanted and what I didn’t want. I just didn’t know how to tell you. I wasn’t sure what you would think.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m a lesbian, Kat. I have a girlfriend; she and I live up in Golan Heights. Because we don’t think that our families would be able to cope with the situation, we don’t spend holidays together. She goes to her family for the holidays and I come here to mine. No one knows about us but you and Mendel.”

  “Oh . . .” Katja said. “Oh . . .”

  “Are you upset? Disgusted?”

  “Neither,” Katja said and she turned to look at Rachel. Then Katja hugged her dear friend. “Oh Rachel, I’m relieved. I never wanted to hurt you. I was so afraid that this relationship between Elan and I would cost us our friendship. I am going to marry him, Rachel. I love him.”

  “God bless you both. I am more than happy for you,” Rachel said. “But I guess you don’t know,” Rachel cleared her throat, "or you don’t realize . . .”

  Katja’s eyes met Rachel’s. “Realize what?”

  “Kat are you blind? Can’t you see it? Mendel is in love with you. He has been for years,” Rachel said.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I am positive.”

  “He told you?” Katja asked.

  “Many times. He was hoping to marry you.”

  “Oh, poor Mendel. What am I going to do?” Katja bit the side of her nail.

  “I don’t know Kat. What can you do? You and Elan are in love. Mendel will just have to accept your marriage,” Rachel said. “In time he will find someone of his own. But now that you know how he feels about you, be gentle with him. It’s going to be hard for him. By the way, now that you know the truth about me maybe someday you and Elan will come up to Golan. I would love for you to meet my girlfriend. She's an American. Her name is Sandy.”

  After Katja and Elan announced their engagement, the entire kibbutz was buzzing with excitement and wedding plans. The wedding would take place on the kibbutz. Elan’s family would be welcomed there. Rooms would be set up in the guesthouse where they could stay and be comfortable. Since Katja would be finished with the army by March, the couple set a wedding date in June. This would give Katja and Zofia enough time to make a dress and plan. Katja noticed that Mendel was sitting alone, staring out the window, not participating in the planning. Now she knew why. Her heart ached for her childhood friend. She went over to sit beside him as he arranged and rearranged the pile of white candles beside one of the menorahs.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy and unavailable lately,” she said, softly touching his arm.

  “It’s all right. You’re busy with Elan. I understand.”

  “Still, that’s no excuse for not being there to talk to a good friend,” Katja said. “We will have to spend more time together.”

  “I can’t. I’m busy with school. But, I want you to know that I am happy for you Kat. I want you to be happy more than anything else in the world, and Elan seems to make you happy.”

  “Thanks Mendel,” she said, squeezing his arm.

  He nodded. His eyes were glassy and she hoped he wouldn’t cry.

  “You’ll be here for the wedding, won’t you?” she asked.

  “Of course; for you Katja, I would do anything,” Mendel said. He smiled at her, but she saw the sadness in his eyes.

  Chapter 75

  Three days before they were to begin the mission, Manfred received a package with instructions from Konrad. Inside it was a bottle of peroxide tha
t Manfred was to mix with another bottle that contained a dark hair color. Then he was to cover his hair with it and leave it on for a half hour; after that he was to shampoo the mixture out of his hair. A fake mustache and sideburns were also inside the box, with a small bottle of spirit gum to attach them, and a passport for “Michael Morgenstern.” There was also a plane ticket and instructions to meet Konrad at the airport at nine in the morning that Wednesday.

  Manfred was careful to follow the directions exactly, without making any mistakes. The picture on the passport looked a great deal like Manfred after he’d finished with the hair dye. He boarded the plane and was led to his seat by the stewardess. He was sitting next to a man with curly red hair. Looking more closely, he saw that it was Konrad wearing a wig and thick black glasses that almost covered his entire face.

  Manfred nodded to Konrad as he sat down. Konrad returned the nod. Anyone watching would have thought the two men were strangers.

  The plane flight to Holland was turbulent. Several times Manfred found himself glancing at Konrad to see if the plane was in trouble. Konrad seemed unfazed by the shaking so Manfred assumed all was well. The stewardess brought their food, but Manfred had no appetite. He was worried about the mission they were undertaking.

  “Are you sure that this will be as easy as you say?” Manfred whispered, as inconspicuously as possible.

  “Yes, I’m positive. We’ve paid off the guard at the prison where they are keeping our Führer. ODESSA paid him very well, I might add,” Konrad said. “All we have to do is go to the hotel and wait. They will bring Hitler to us.”

  “What if they don’t?”

  “They will.”

  “If it is so easy, then why did you need me?”

  “I need you to help me distract the people at the airport when we are on our way back to South America. It isn’t as if Hitler does not have a very distinctive face. Of course, he will be wearing a disguise; I have everything to change his hair color and his facial features in my bag. Still, it will help if you flirt and engage the airline personnel, making you memorable, while making Hitler and me less so. Keep everyone busy. I have some magic tricks that I brought. They are silly sleight-of-hand tricks, but they will keep everyone laughing and entertained. Meanwhile, I will attend to our Führer’s needs. He might be ill or weak and need help. Still, we don’t want to draw any attention to him, so I will see to it that his disguise is effective, while you take care of the distraction aspect.”