Sugar House (9780991192519)

by Scheffler, Jean

  "Then the Prussian army decided they needed to have power over the Baltic Sea to control trade routes and take new territories. They came in great numbers and occupied our village. They threw out families who had lived in their homes for hundreds of years. Luckily, the soldiers were not interested in our small cottage, and we were left alone at first.

  "My mother tried everything she could think of to help us get by. But without the living my father had provided, we were going hungry. Anna went to work as a maid for a lieutenant in the Prussian army. My mother cried and begged her not to take the position, but we were starving and Anna felt she had to. She was always headstrong, my sister. Shortly after she began working at his home, the lieutenant fell in love with Anna. I was not surprised. She was very beautiful. Tall and strong with wide blue eyes. You have her eyes Joe; did I ever tell you that?"

  Joe shook his head. His mother rarely spoke of her life in Poland because the memories always upset her. He tried to remember her mentioning her older sister and could not.

  "The lieutenant was becoming angry at Anna's refusals and became more persistent every day. She decided she had to run away to escape his advances. She left in the middle of the night, stealing one of the fishermen's boats, but the lieutenant ordered his men to sail after her and bring her back. When she was brought before him, he told Anna he would have her tried for treason unless she married him. She knew that she would be found guilty and imprisoned or put to death as our father had been. Despondently, she agreed. My mother died of a broken heart on the day of Anna's wedding. There was nowhere for me to go to live. I could not live with Anna, because the lieutenant had too many soldier comrades that were eager to force their hand with the life of a young girl, just as he had done to Anna."

  The houses outside the streetcar windows were closer together now, as they came upon the outer edge of the city. Joe inhaled, and the smell of hot tar and burning rubber made his eyes water. He coughed into his hands and felt better. "Are you all right, Joe?" Matka asked.

  "Yes, I'm fine. Please tell me the story," he replied.

  "This is where your Ojciec comes in, Joe. He'd been a neighbor of ours, and our families had been friendly. I was too young to pay attention to him before the soldiers occupied our land. After they came, all we did was try to find ways to survive. He came to my cottage the night I buried my mother. He knew my impossible situation. He felt my fate would be similar to Anna's, and he was worried. I was fifteen and very vulnerable. He was leaving on a ship for America the next day and wanted to give me his ticket. His family had saved for many years and finally had enough for the passage for him and his two brothers.

  "I refused his offer. I could not take such a gift. There would be no way for me to repay his family. He insisted, telling me he had spoken to the sailors on the ship, and they had agreed to let him sail in exchange for working on the boat during the passage. Finally, I agreed, as there were no other options for me and he wouldn't leave until I took his ticket. I didn't not know until I boarded that he'd lied about the agreement with the ship's sailors and had actually agreed to become an indentured servant to work off his passage to America. Ojciec would have to work in the copper mines in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for five years to pay off his debt.

  "During our two week voyage, I stayed near him on a bunk in the bowels of the ship. He protected me from the thieves and thugs on board. Before we arrived in America, I asked if I could accompany him to the Upper Peninsula. Uncle Alexy and Uncle Feliks were going with him and were going to find work there also. It was bold of me to ask such a favor, but I knew no one in the new country and I was falling in love with your father. He asked instead if I would marry him and I agreed. The captain married us before we reached Ellis Island. The passengers on the ship were our wedding guests. They all laughed and clapped when we kissed and said it was fitting for us to start a new life together as we came to our new country."

  Matka had been looking off into the distance as she'd been telling her story to Joe. She paused now and looked down at his face.

  "When you saw me asking for forgiveness in the cemetery, it's because I left Anna. She's there without her family and cannot even speak our language in her own home. I miss her so much every day, but am powerless to help. I write to her but never get a reply. I am sure the lieutenant destroys my letters before she sees them."

  The streetcar stopped on the corner of Woodward near their house. They paid their fare and walked home. Joe put wood in the kitchen stove, and Matka put Frank to bed upstairs. Then she sat on a small wooden chair near the stove, warming herself. Joe put the warmed up supper on the table and sat down. He looked over at his mother as he took a bite of kielbasa. Again she was looking not at him but out the window of the kitchen. A tear rolled slowly down her cheek. Joe walked around the table and gave her a hug. Surprised, she looked down at Joe and hugged him back.

  "Perhaps now that Germany and Russia are fighting on our land the lieutenant will become distracted with the war and my letters will reach her. Or maybe he has joined the fighting. But I don't know if she will be able to write back. Every day I read how horrible the battles are in the newspaper. So much human loss and destruction of our lands… I worry how my village is faring. It is in such a remote part of the country, and it seems there are no reports about the Kashubian region. Both Germany and Russia have offered pledges of an independent Poland in exchange for loyalty and army recruits. Every day my hope increases that I will hear from her, now that Poland has a fighting chance of becoming its own country again. And every day I hope she will forgive me for leaving her and not saying goodbye."

  "I hope Aunt Anna can get a letter to you real soon, Matka," Joe said.

  "I hope so too, Joe. That is my perpetual prayer," she replied, another tear rolling down her soft cheek.

  Chapter Eleven

  Two weeks flew by. The Feast of St. Josaphat was upon them. The children had practiced singing "Veni Creator Spiritus" for hours and hours, until the Latin words rolled off their tongues. Joe knew he would never forget the lyrics for as long as he lived. Unfortunately, he had no idea of their meaning, as Sister Mary Monica had not felt it necessary to translate the song for the class. The class would sing this song for the bishop at the end of the dedication ceremony.

  Matka and Aunt Hattie spent hours cooking for the festival. Ojciec and Uncle Alexy wouldn't be able to attend the festivities until Saturday because of work, but Ojciec took Joe aside before heading out the door that morning.

  "I'm going to skip dinner today and practice my curve ball, Joe. Hope I get a chance to pitch in the game." Joe laughed and was about to reply when he had a small coughing spell.

  "You all right, Joe?" Ojciec asked.

  "Yes, Ojciec, just a little cough. I feel fine."

  "All right son, drink some water then and I'll see you tonight." Ojciec grabbed his hat and walked out the front door.

  Joe got a drink from the kitchen and said goodbye to Matka. "I will see you at the church," she said, kissing him lightly on the top of his head. "Walk with your cousins to the corner of Canfield and Dequindre and look out for them," she called as he was heading for the door.

  Great, he thought. Now I will be late waiting for those ninnies, and then Sister probably won't even let me play in the game tomorrow.

  But he was wrong. Marya and Pauline were waiting for Joe at the end of the walkway leading to their house.

  "Well, hurry up Joe!" said Marya, bossy as usual.

  "I'm here, Marya. You in a hurry to meet your boyfriend, Tall Paul?"

  Marya's faced turned a bright red. "Joe, you are a despicable boy! If I didn't want to be tardy I would turn around and go tell your mother what a horrible son she has!"

  "And I would turn around and tell your mother how I heard you skipped confession yesterday to sneak off behind the church and kiss Tall Paul!"

  Pauline's eyes grew wide as saucers as she stared at her sister, then at Joe, and then turned to look at Marya again.

&
nbsp; "Joe! What a loathsome lie," Marya replied, but quieter now and less forceful. Marya's face became a darker shade of scarlet. Joe could see he had the upper hand and decided to back off for the present. He knew Marya would try to stay far away from him all weekend now (that being the exact reason he'd revealed his information). He'd planned on telling her after morning Mass, but she'd pressed it out of him.

  "Listen, Marya. Just stay out of my way this weekend, and your secret is safe with me, okay?" he said.

  "What secret, Joe? I don't know what you are talking about," she replied. She grabbed Pauline's hand, pulling her quickly down the sidewalk ahead of Joe. "Come on, Pauline. We don't want to walk with Joe. We don't associate with liars!"

  Joe laughed to himself as his cousins trotted off ahead. Boy, he'd have to thank Franz for sharing that golden piece of information with him. Yesterday, Franz, like Tall Paul and Marya, had snuck away during confession. His purpose, however, was to find a place to smoke a cigarette he had pilfered off his big brother. Standing in the shadows behind the priest's rectory, he'd heard two voices whispering near the church. Believing he was about to get caught by one of the sisters, he quickly stubbed out his cigarette and headed for one of the church's side entrances to avoid being noticed. As he guardedly turned the corner of the rectory, he saw instead Tall Paul and Marya smooching behind the church.

  Franz and Tall Paul had been friends since first grade, but Franz always played the sidekick. Paul was better looking, more courageous, more adventurous, and of course, taller than Franz. Paul was good to Franz, but he never seemed to notice that his large personality overshadowed the smaller boy. Franz wrestled with his conscience on whether to divulge his secret, but his need to be in the spotlight won over his loyalty to Paul. Franz approached Joe immediately after Thursday's Mass and divulged his knowledge of the kissing couple. Franz had been impressed with Joe's quick thinking on Halloween and thought he would make a good ally. He also felt he owed Joe for getting him out of a beating with the Jewish boys.

  Joe and Franz laughed and poked fun at the couple. Franz said, "I guess Tall Paul will be your relation when they get married." Joe said girls were disgusting, especially Marya, and he was sure Tall Paul could never really like his cousin because she was snooty and bossy. Franz made Joe promise not to tell Tall Paul, but he hadn't said anything about not telling Marya. Recalling how red Marya's face got, Joe laughed again and ran toward the procession's starting location.

  The Felician Sisters were organizing the classes in order of grade when Joe arrived. Father Gatowski and the altar boys would lead the school down the streets, and each nun would then lead her class in the procession. A child from each class was placed in front of their class and held a banner bearing an image of the Blessed Mother, Christ, or St. Josaphat. Sister Mary Monica directed Joe's class to line up in rows of two. All the children were wearing their Sunday best; some were dressed in traditional costumes representing the region of Poland their family had immigrated from.

  The November sun shone weakly down on the brick street. Although the air was chilly, Joe felt flushed.

  Father Gatowski took his place at front of the procession, and everyone began to march down the street. At the nuns' direction, the children began to sing "Boże, coś Polsk?" (God Save Poland) as they headed toward St. Josaphat's three towering steeples. People came out of stores and homes when they heard the children singing. Women waved small Polish and American flags from their porches and sidewalks. Several men came out of a barbershop on the corner and joined in singing the Polish national anthem. Soon others joined in, and the street was filled with the harmony of men's, women's, and children's voices proudly singing of their homeland. All three church communities—Jozefatowo, Wojciechowo, and Sercowo—came together for a moment, and the song rose in volume as the children made their way to the new school.

  ***

  As the procession reached the cathedral, the singing died down and the parishioners entered the church. Joe's class made their way to the front and took their seats. The organ struck the chords of the opening hymn, and the congregation rose from their seats. Joe and his classmates genuflected, knelt, rose, and genuflected again throughout the two hours while Bishop Foley, with the assistance of eight other clergymen, celebrated the Mass. At one point, Joe felt a tickle rising up in his throat that threatened to produce a loud coughing spell. Luckily, he had remembered to put a few peppermint Chiclets in his pocket; the sensation was quelled.

  Finally it was the moment for Joe's class to sing before the bishop. They stood in their pews as the priests prepared for the final hymn. Sister Mary Monica stood in front of the first pew and held both hands high as if she were conducting an orchestra. Looking at the nun's face, Joe realized that his teacher was nervous. Her black veil had slipped slightly, and he could see a strand of blonde hair peeking out from underneath. Funny, he hadn't thought of Sister Mary Monica as having hair. And he had never thought about what color it would be.

  Straightening herself, Sister Mary Monica began waving her arms, signaling the children to begin the hymn.

  "Veni, Creator Spiritus, Mentes tuorum visita, Imple superna gratia, Quae tu creasi pectora."

  The class sang together, emphasizing the lyrics as Sister Mary Monica had taught them. Joe looked up at the altar as they began the second verse. Judging by Bishop Foley's reaction, Joe was sure the song wasn't resonating the feeling of reverence that Sister had hoped for. Bishop Foley had started his way down the altar steps when the organist played the first stanza. As the altar boys and priests of the church continued down the main aisle, the bishop stopped suddenly and looked over at Sister Mary Monica's second grade class. Astonished by the priests' departure from tradition, Joe stopped singing.

  Perhaps the bishop was surprised by children singing at such a solemn occasion as a Pontifical High Mass. Or perhaps the children's Polish accents, combined with their new American accents, made the Latin lyrics incomprehensible to the Irish bishop. Or most likely, the bishop was shocked to see Sister Mary Monica's' small frame vigorously swaying back and forth, habit rocking side to side as she directed her charges through the ancient hymn. Joe's teacher was enthusiastically waving her arms about her, encouraging the children to sing loudly and in unison and never looked in the direction of the bishop. Gratefully, Bishop Foley gathered his senses and with a look of discernment continued down the aisle and exited the church.

  Joe smiled to himself as his class left the building. Everything seemed to be going his way, and tonight he'd attend his first dance! Tomorrow would bring the long awaited baseball games.

  Joe's class walked to the basement of the school, where the luncheon was being set up. He found a seat next to Sam. The parishioners bowed their heads to say a prayer over the food. The aroma from the banquet was mouthwatering. Tureens of mushroom soup and borscht, together with platters of boiled pike, fried carp, cheese and potato pierogi, cucumber salad and sour cream, sauerkraut, and homemade bread covered the tables. The women of the Ladies' Catholic Benevolent Association, a society club to which Joe's mother belonged, piled food on the children's plates. There were eleven such societies belonging to St. Josaphat's, and all had worked tirelessly to prepare for the feast day.

  Sam dug into the mountain of food on his plate as soon as it was set in front of him. Joe took a bite of a warm cheese pierogi and then gulped down his milk. Whichever lady had made this dumpling was not as good of a cook as his mother. Joe ate a few more bites and then pushed his plate away.

  "You're not going to eat any more?" asked Sam.

  "Nah. I'm not very hungry," he replied. "You can have it if you want."

  "Thanks. Here, trade plates with me so the nuns don't notice and start nagging I'm committing the sin of gluttony." Sam said.

  After the luncheon the boys were free for the afternoon. Their female classmates and the women had to stay to wash the dishes and clean the basement hall, but the boys had an entire Friday afternoon to themselves. Walking up the couple blo
cks to Woodward Avenue, Sam and Joe discussed their options.

  "You have any money?" Sam asked Joe.

  "A couple pennies, How about you?"

  "Yeah, my mother gave me fifty cents this morning for helping her cook breakfast for the boarders," said Sam.

  "Fifty Cents! Whatcha gonna do with all that money?" Joe questioned.

  "Spend it! Come on. We've got a whole afternoon with no one breathing down our necks… no mothers, no priests, and especially no nagging nuns! Let's go!" Joe bounded after Sam, not believing their luck. Fifty cents for just two boys to spend? He wasn't sure they'd be able to find enough things to spend it on.

  Chapter Twelve

  The crowds grew as Sam and Joe neared the large avenue. Joe hadn't been on Woodward without his parents before, and he stayed close to Sam. They walked a couple blocks east, trying to decide where to spend their treasure. Sam wanted to take a ferry ride to Belle Isle and see the zoo, but Joe said he thought was too cold for the animals and they would all be sleeping. Truthfully, Joe was feeling the chill of the air. He didn't think a boat ride would help his constitution.

  "Okay, you want to go to Grinnel Brothers Music House?" asked Sam.

  "Sure, what's there?" Joe inquired.

  "They have tons of sheet music, pianos and…"

  Joe interrupted, "Neither one of us can play an instrument, and fifty cents isn't going to buy us a piano."

  "Let me finish, Joe. They have really good piano players in there that play the latest songs while people walk around and shop. And I heard they got a gramophone player last week and they play records a few times an hour. Have you heard a record yet, Joe?"

  "No, but I heard about 'em." In fact, Joe had heard very little about records, but he didn't want to sound like a country bumpkin. "Well, let's go have a look Sam."