by Riker, Becky
Maybe Mr. Sodergaard expected her to cook. That would be a disaster. For, though she could make a few simple meals, Karlijna was not adept in the kitchen.
The young woman could have stewed on it all night, but realized it was not going to help her. She needed her rest. Telling herself this was not going to make it more likely to happen so she did what she had for years when she needed to calm herself.
“‘The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want,’” she forced herself to take a deep breath and unclasp her tightly folded hands.
“’He makes me lie down in green pastures,” she pulled the rough wool blanket up to her chin.
“He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.”
Karlijna felt herself slipping out of consciousness as the rest of the words flitted through her mind, not necessarily in their proper order.
Despite her restless night, she woke the next morning early, full of energy and enthusiasm for the day. Leif was just coming into the store to open up as she was fastening the buttons on her jacket.
“Good morning, Karlijna,” he grinned at her, “are you off to work so early? And with no breakfast?”
“I am,” she pulled a scarf from her pocket and began to tie it around her head. “I do not wish to make a bad impression.”
Leif took her elbow, “Then I think it would be wise not to go yet.”
Karlijna went willingly with him, but frowned at his words.
“It is but six in the morning. They will not wish you to intrude on their sleep, nor their breakfast.”
He didn’t add that she needed to eat to keep her strength for the job.
Ingrid fed her young charge a large breakfast. It was amazing, even to Karlijna that she could force any food down, so nervous was she. Ingrid, however, had no intention of letting the girl go anywhere without ample food in her stomach.
“Thank you for the food,” Karlijna helped clean the dishes once she had eaten her fill, and began to pull her light sweater back on her shoulders, “I should start off.”
Ingrid handed her a brown paper package, “Don’t forget this.”
Karlijna looked at it in confusion, “What is this?”
“That is your dinner,” Ingrid’s voice was matter-of-fact.
Karlijna smiled, realizing that food for a noon meal had not occurred to her before that, “Thank you, Ingrid.”
Ingrid gave the girl a quick hug, “You’re welcome.”
Karlijna found her way back to the large house with no problem. She took a deep breath and stepped up to the door. Gathering all her courage, she knocked firmly on the portal. There was no answer.
The young girl wondered if she had misunderstood. Maybe there was nobody here this morning or she was to report to a different location. She stood a moment in indecision.
The girl had nearly decided to leave to find Leif when she noticed the doorbell. Remembering Leif using that, she touched it lightly. When that did not elicit a response, she pushed again, harder this time.
Expecting the same man who had answered the door before, Karlijna was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Sodergaard, himself, greeted her, speaking in Swedish.
“Miss Bergstrom,” he smiled and stepped aside to allow her entry, “you are here early.”
The girl flushed, “I hope I am not disturbing you. We did not discuss a time so I thought to come early would be better than to come late.”
“You are right about that,” he agreed as he walked ahead of her into his study, “please sit down.”
Karlijna did as she was bid while he sat in a chair next to her.
“I assume you are able to read and write in all the languages we discussed?”
Karlijna nodded, wondering if planned to write down her instructions, “I am able, but as I am still learning Swedish, I have had little time for reading.”
The man nodded, “I think you do very well. Do you not find it similar to German?”
She tilted her head to the side, “Some of the sounds are similar. They are more like each other than English or French.”
“Indeed,” he scrutinized her. “Do you always wear that scarf?”
She touched the grey fabric, “I have a red one as well.”
He blinked as if confused but didn’t question her further.
Instead, he rose and retrieved a stack of papers from his desk.
“I do business, mostly in Sweden, but also in France and England. I used to travel to these places, but with the war, I conduct most things through correspondence.”
Karlijna was becoming more confused by the moment. She wished he would explain to her what her principal duties were to be. It would probably be best if he would take her to the housekeeper for instruction. She knew better than to rush her employer, however. She nodded at the times she thought appropriate.
Mr. Sodergaard walked to a smaller desk in the corner of the room and laid the papers down, “This will be your desk. I will be in here from time to time, but that shouldn’t interfere with your work.”
Karlijna felt she must be honest now, “Mr. Sodergaard,” she spoke up as loudly as she dared, “I don’t know what it is I am to be doing. Am I not here to be a maid. . .or a kitchen helper?”
The man’s shocked face would have been comical if the girl herself hadn’t been so puzzled.
“A maid?” he finally managed, “Why would I employ a girl with your talents as a maid?”
“My talents, sir?” she shook her head, “I really have no talents.”
Mr. Sodergaard shook his head, an amused look covering his features, “You have more talent than you think.”
He moved to sit down next to her again, “I hired you to work as my interpreter. I am sorry I was not more clear.”
“An interpreter?”
“Yes, Miss Bergstrom. I need someone to tell me what the letters from my French associates say.” He leaned back in his chair and smiled, “They, of course, have their own interpreters who rewrite the letters in Swedish, but I have learned through experience not to trust anyone, but my own man. Or,” he added with a sheepish grin, “my own woman.”
Karlijna swallowed hard. She wondered if Leif had any idea what she was getting into. Disappointment surged through her. Hoping not to offend, she spoke up.
“Mr. Sodergaard,” she forced herself to look into his eyes, “I think you are mistaken about my abilities. I do not have training with interpreting. I only speak those languages because we were taught them as children. I have never worked at this kind of job before,” she rose. “I am sorry for having taken up your valuable time.”
“Miss Bergstrom,” he rose with her and restrained her with a hand on her arm, “I was not mistaken. This is a job you can do.”
She shook her head and began to protest again but he stopped her.
“I’ll make a deal with you, Miss Bergstrom. You try this job for five days,” he released her and went to sit behind his desk. “If it does not suit you, then, after those five days are over, I will find you a different job.”
Karlijna found herself nodding, “In one of your factories.”
The man shook his head, “No, that is not work for a woman – especially not one as small as you, but I will find something.”
Karlijna walked over to the small desk and sat down, “Alright, Mr. Sodergaard. I will try this job for five days.”
As sure as Karlijna had been that the job would not work for her, she was pleasantly surprised to find she enjoyed her tasks. The first two weeks, the work was very steady. Mr. Sodergaard said this was because he was so behind in his correspondence.
Once she caught up on all that, the interpreting work was spotty. Mr. Sodergaard gave her filing and other odd jobs to do to fill in the gaps. When she suggested she only work three days a week to save him some money, he laughed at her.
“I’m not going to do that, Karlijna. You may hire yourself out to someone else for the remaining days and then where would I be? I need you too much.”
Karlijna smil
ed at the thought, realizing he could hire anybody he wanted to at the wage he was paying. She was grateful for the job, though, and didn’t try again to convince him to lessen her hours.
Occasionally, he would let her go home early if he had no jobs for her. One of such days, she decided to visit Rachel and Regina.
Stopping by the neighbor’s house to inquire whether Julius was home, Karlijna was pleased to discover that man was expected to be gone for the rest of the week.
She knocked on the door of the Goldbloom house. Regina answered it and, smiling, hurried her young friend inside.
“You are looking well,” the woman offered her a chair before calling up the stairs to Rachel.
“Thank you, Regina. I am feeling well.”
“I see your hair is growing back.”
Karlijna reached up and ran a light hand over her scarfless head, “Not as fast as I would like, but I’m not bald anymore.”
Rachel came into the kitchen, “What is it?” she began, but stopped talking when she saw the visitor, “Karlijna,” she smiled and stretched out her hands to take the girl’s in her own, “How good it is to see you.”
“Thank you. How are you doing? How is your family?”
The women looked at each other and Regina gave a small shake of her head. Karlijna almost missed it. She frowned at the pair.
“You will not tell me what is wrong?”
Rachel turned to her with a smile too bright, “It is nothing. Nothing is wrong.”
Karlijna shook her head, “I am to believe that?”
Regina sighed, “Our troubles are not yours, Karlijna.”
Karlijna shook her head, “My troubles became yours when you took me in. Now, your troubles are mine as well.”
Rachel looked down at her hands and shook her head. Regina watched her sister-in-law, but did not answer for her.
Frustration grew in Karlijna’s heart, but she did not voice it.
“The children are well?” she questioned.
Regina nodded, “They are. The baby is napping now, and the older two are playing with some neighbor children,” she leaned in and whispered with a laugh, “Gentile children.”
“How are the men? Has Erich found work yet?”
Regina twisted her pretty face into a scowl, “No. Not yet.”
Karlijna wondered if the problems stemmed from that but knew better than to ask. She visited with them for a short time about common things. They were pleased to hear of her new job. She rejoiced with them when they told her they had received news that Rachel’s sister was still alive and well in Germany. After too brief a time, Karlijna realized she should be getting home. It would not do to have Leif and Ingrid worrying on her account.
“Goodbye, my friends,” she bade them at the door, “I hope to see you again soon.”
“Do stop by,” they urged as she left.
When she arrived back at the store she was pleasantly surprised to see Torkel had stopped for a visit. Leif had been called back into the store, so it was just Torkel and Ingrid when Karlijna came into the room.
“I heard you found a new job, Karlijna,” he spoke from his spot in the kitchen.
“I did,” she hung up her sweater and moved to wash her hands in the basin, “Leif helped me.”
“And are you enjoying it?”
“Very much,” she dried her hands on the rough towel and turned back to him, “but there is not always enough work to keep me busy.”
“What do you do then?”
Karlijna began peeling the pile of potatoes Ingrid had washed and left on the table, “Today, I went to visit my friends, the Goldblooms.”
There was no missing the shadow that crossed Torkel’s face at this. Karlijna immediately asked him about it.
He waved his hands, “It is nothing,” a forced smile replaced the frown, “I have heard gossip, but I know nothing firsthand. I am not one to spread tales.”
Karlijna stopped peeling, “Torkel, I don’t want to encourage gossip, but if they are in trouble, I would like to help them. At least to pray for them.”
“I don’t know that there is anything you can do to help them, Miss, and God knows their needs so you can pray for them.”
Annoyance welled up within her, but she tamped it down. Her mother had many times chastised her for her curious nature, and she knew Torkel was right.
Karlijna went back to peeling, praying for her friends as she did so. She was so engrossed in her petitions that Ingrid had to call her name twice to get her attention.
“I’m sorry,” the girl flushed as she looked at the lady, “what did you say?”
“I asked you if you wanted Leif to order a winter coat for you. The cold weather will be upon us before you know it.
Karlijna shrugged, “I suppose I will need one, but does he not just carry them in the winter?”
Ingrid nodded, “He does, but not until we have already had some cold days.”
Though still September and quite warm, Karlijna shivered at the thought of the cold to come. She had not been adequately clothed in the spring for the weather in Poland. The feeling was one she did not wish to revisit.
“I will order a coat,” she said decisively.
“Another thing you could do,” Torkel spoke over the top of his cup of coffee, “Is get the fabric and make one.”
Ingrid nodded, “That’s not a bad idea either. It would cost less.”
Karlijna shook her head, “That won’t work. I’m so slow and I might not have time to finish before the weather turns.”
“You didn’t make your clothes?” Torkel stared into the dark liquid while he spoke.
“No,” ´the girl studied him as she spoke, “Rachel and Regina made them.”
“I suppose they could take in a little sewing again,” Torkel commented, still not looking at the girl.
Karlijna narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if she was hearing him correctly.
“Now that’s just silly, Torkel,” Ingrid spoke from her place at the stove. “By the time she paid for the fabric and them for their work, she wouldn’t save any money.”
Torkel looked up and made eye contact with Karlijna. He gave a slight nod before rising. He set his cup on the table.
“Thanks for the coffee, Ingrid. Tell Leif I’ll be over tomorrow morning around ten to help with that shipment.”
“Good,” the woman replied without turning from her work. “We’ll see you then.”
Karlijna hurried to finish peeling, chopped the vegetable into cubes and then washed her hands.
“Ingrid,” she said as she rubbed her hands dry, “I’m going to go see Leif about that coat right now before I forget.”
Ingrid laughed, “Girls and new clothes. It is always the same.”
Karlijna laughed with her as she left the living quarters to seek out Leif.
“I need some material for a coat,” she told the man when she found him.
“You could just order a coat,” he offered as he handed a catalog to her.
“Thank you, but I’d rather get the fabric.”
Leif raised his eyebrows, “I could give it to you at cost if money is a problem.”
She shook her head, “No, thank you, Leif. I would rather do it this way.”
In short order, Leif had helped the young woman pick out a heavy blue wool, along with buttons, thread, and the lining she would need.
“How much of the cloth and lining will you need?”
The answer made his jaw drop. She just smiled sweetly and waited for him to comply.
“Thank you,” she ran back to her room for her money while he totaled her bill.
“I’ll pay the full price, Leif,” she shook her head at the figure he had written down.
He smiled and shook his head, “This is the price for family, little girl.”
Karlijna sighed and gave in. She knew arguing was useless.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next morning, Karlijna left early for work. She had a stop to make on the way.
“Karlijna,” Rachel greeted her at the door, “what a surprise to see you out so early.”
“Good morning, Rachel. . . Regina,” she hugged her bundle to herself, “I was wondering if you could help me with something.”
“We’ll help you in any way we can,” Regina replied. “What is it?”
“I need a winter coat.”
Regina frowned a little, “I wish I could help you, but I don’t have. . .”
“I’m not asking you if you have an extra one,” Karlijna interrupted, “I need help making one. Do you know of anyone I can hire to do it for me?”
The women looked at each other, but gave no answer.
“I was going to ask you to do it for me,” Karlijna pushed a little, “but I didn’t know if you would have the time.”
“Of course we will help,” Rachel smiled and took the bundle, “then you will not have to pay for it.”
Karlijna began to take the fabric back, “I could not ask that of you. I got this from Leif yesterday.”
She hoped it was not lying to omit that she had paid for it.
Rachel held fast to the package, “We will do this for you and charge only a small amount. It will be good to do this.”
Karlijna smiled. She knew it was a small victory. Getting the women to allow her to pay what their services were worth would be another battle, but she had gained some ground.
“I will pay the normal wage for this. It is a hard job to make a coat.”
Regina whispered something that Karlijna didn’t understand. Karlijna looked to her. There were tears in the woman’s eyes.
“I’d better get to work,” she decided to make a hasty exit.
“We will do this,” Rachel spoke up, “It will be done next week. Come to see us next week and to get your coat.”
Karlijna waved and hurried off to work.
One week later, Karlijna hurried to the Goldbloom house again early in the morning. Not thinking of anything but receiving and paying for her coat, she knocked on the door. Julius answered.
Karlijna was angry with herself for not checking his whereabouts before approaching. There was no turning back now, though.
