by Riker, Becky
Karlijna nodded. She had not heard the word rationed before, but she understood. It had been that way in Belgium too.
“You speak very good English, Karlijna,” Louisa snapped out of her reverie. “Did you learn it in Germany or after you went to Sweden?”
Karlijna didn’t bother to tell them that all she learned in Germany was of man’s depravity. A lesson she continued when she arrived in Poland.
“I began English lessons when I was six, the same time as I started my other schooling.”
Ellie’s eyes widened, “Will you be in my class at school?” she turned to her father, “I never thought of it, but she could, couldn’t she?”
Will, who was the high school principal, smiled at his daughter indulgently, “We’ll have to see. Karlijna will need to test first and then we will see where to place her.”
Karlijna’s heart began to beat faster. They were planning on sending her to school. She would love to get more education, but she had no way to pay for it. She decided to tell them now before further plans were made.
“I wish to be thankful , but I think I cannot go to school.”
“Why?” the others asked in unison.
“I am not,” she struggled for words, “I have no money for school. I vas plan to work. I can only vork or learn.”
Sig placed a hand on Karlijna’s, “There is a high school here. You will not have to pay.”
Karlijna wasn’t sure she understood, “I vill go to school vith no money?”
Will’s eyes looked suspiciously moist as she looked to him.
“That’s right,” he answered, “there is no cost to you.”
Karlijna thought about this a moment and then shook her head resolutely, “No, I cannot do this. It is too much.”
Louisa joined in, “That’s what I thought,” she said on a laugh, “but they made me go anyway. Don’t worry. It won’t be as bad as it seems.”
“No,” Karlijna said again, “I cannot let you pay for my school. You must not take me into your house and also pay for school. No.”
Sig shook her head, “Karlijna, you don’t understand. The school is public. It is free for all citizens.”
Karlijna let this sink in. She would be able to go to school. She had only had private tutors before, but she had always wanted to go to school. A sudden thought stopped her, “What is citizen?”
“A citizen is someone who lives in a country.” Sig looked at Will, “Will that be a problem for her?”
He shook his head, “I don’t think so. Karlijna, did Michael say anything about your citizenship – about becoming an American.”
Karlijna closed her eyes in thought, “He did tell me something. He said he would fix things so my papers would let me be an American forever and not have to go back to Europe unless I wanted to.”
Will scratched his cheek, “What did he do?”
Karlijna shrugged, “I do not know. He didn’t tell me much. There were many things to happen, and I had trouble to understand.”
“May I see the papers?”
Karlijna put her hands to her cheeks, “I forgot,” she cried, “he wrote letters for all you. They are vith my papers. I get them.”
She hurried off to do that, passing Sara’s door on the way to her own. It was closed so Karlijna did not bother to drop off Michael’s letter, but carried it down with the others.
“Here,” she handed a thick envelop to Will, “they are in here.”
The family each took their own letters to read.
Karlijna decided she had time to write a letter to Kaaren and Torkel. She would have not been able to concentrate on her task if she had read the contents of Michael’s letter to his father.
Dear Dad,
It is nice to be able to write without fear of what the censors will omit. Nevertheless, I will try not to give away any top secrets.
I want to tell you first off, that I had to pull a few strings and a few tricks to get Karlijna sent to you. I won’t go into detail right now, but I thought you should know that it wasn’t simple. Karlijna doesn’t know what I had to do to get her over there so quickly, so it is no use asking her. I may tell you when I get back, but, hopefully, she’ll never have to know.
She is as dear to me as my own little sisters. I hurt for all she has been through. If you give her some time to get to know you, she will probably share with you all that she has endured.
The letter went on then about some funny incident, but Will stopped reading and stared at the page.
What had Michael done? Was it illegal? Also, what had Karlijna been through? The family was under the impression she had run from Germany to escape the war. Was there more?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Karlijna was enrolled in school. The teacher who did the testing looked at her with skepticism when she arrived, but his opinion did a complete turnaround by the time they finished.
“I can’t say for sure until I speak with Mr. Gunderson, but I know what my recommendation will be.”
Karlijna thanked the man and walked back to the Gunderson house. It was just a few blocks, and Ellie had walked with her that morning, pointing out landmarks along the way. Still, she was relieved to see the house, to know that she hadn’t gotten herself lost on her first outing.
Ellie arrived home a few hours later, “Did you find out what grade you’re going to be in?” she wanted to know the moment she walked in the door.
“No,” she replied with a laugh, “I did not. I am find out tomorrow.”
“I will find out,” Ellie corrected her.
Karlijna had asked her new friend to help her with her English, “Thank you. I vill find out tomorrow.”
“Will,” Ellie laughed, “wa-wa-wa. No v sound.”
Karlijna laughed, “W – ill. That is hard to remember.”
Will arrived home just in time for supper.
Sig met him at the door, “Busy day?”
He nodded and rolled his eyes, “The first day after vacation is always busy. Where’s Karlijna?”
The girl was found and brought before the man of the house.
“Karlijna,” he began solemnly, “Mr. Drake was very impressed with you. He says he thinks you should begin twelfth grade.”
Ellie, who had joined the younger girl, whooped with delight, “Twelfth grade. That means you’ll be in my class. It will be like having a twin.”
The parents of the “twins” looked at each other and smiled.
It would be difficult to convince anyone that the girls were sisters, much less twins. Karlijna’s eyes were as dark brown as Louisa’s where Ellie’s were the same light blue shared by her mother and siblings. Though Karlijna’s golden hair had only grown to chin-length, it was apparent it would be quite curly. Ellie’s white-blond tresses hung long and straight down her back.
Though both girls were tall, their figures were not similar. Ellie had feminine curves even beyond her age. She filled out her dresses in a way that Karlijna never hoped to.
Sig and Will did not try to dissuade the girls, however. If they enjoyed their fantasy, it was harmless enough. As things usually were, the girls would probably fight and make up many times during the course of the year.
Karlijna could not decide who was more agitated on her first day of school – Ellie in her excitement, or Karlijna with nervousness.
She reported to her class, thankful Ellie was in the same one.
“We have a new student,” Miss Pearson announced, “her name is Karlijna Bergstrom. I hope you will all make Miss Bergstrom feel welcome.”
Karlijna felt all eyes on her for a moment before the teacher cleared her throat and began class.
When the bell rang a young lady came and nudged Karlijna's arm, “I'm Genevieve Knapp. Do you have Algebra next hour?”
“I do singk I haf algebra,” Karlijna knew her words were more accented than usual.
Genevieve stopped in her tracks, “You aren't from around here.”
Karlijna shook her head, “I just come to Un
ited States last veek – last week.”
Genevieve narrowed her eyes, “Are you from Germany?”
Ellie linked arms with Karlijna, “She's from Belgium, actually.”
Genevieve still looked suspicious, “As in Belgium, Germany?”
Karlijna knew the girl was upset about something, but unsure how to help the situation. Ellie, on the other hand, knew just what to do.
“Actually, Belgium is west of Germany. I think you might be thinking of Berlin,” she laughed a little, “I had to have Karlijna show me where Belgium is on the map. My geography is so bad.”
Genevieve laughed too, “Sorry about that. I didn't mean to lump you with the Gerry's.”
Karlijna didn't know what a Gerry was, but she felt it must not be a good thing.
Five weeks later, an envelope came from Michael. Sig had not opened it, but had waited for the whole family to gather. After supper she carefully slit the end and pulled out the precious contents.
“Oh, look,” she sounded delighted, “he wrote to each of us.”
Ellie held out a hand for hers, “Can we take turns reading our aloud to each other?”
“I have a better idea,” Will spoke up, “why don't we each read what he wrote to us and then share the best parts. That way if he repeated himself at all, we won't all read the same thing.”
Sig handed one to Sara, then Will, then Ellie, “Here's yours, Karlijna. I do believe it is longer than the rest.”
Karlijna was pleased he had even thought to write to her.
They all quieted immediately to read his news.
Dear Karlijna, Feb 1. 1944
I hope you are adjusting well to school. I never enjoyed classes, but both of my sisters have. I could never understand wanting to sit still for so long, and I was grateful when I finally graduated.
I knew you would love my parents, and I am sure they love you as well. Your sweet spirit and godly character make everyone – here a word was crossed out several times and Karlijna could not make it out – see what a blessing you are.
It was very kind of you to not correct the man at the train station. I'm sure he was processing a lot of people and assumed most of the women who came through were military wives.
The picture of me in my room is from a day that I was playing baseball and made a home run. I did get very dirty and I don't know if my mother washed and mended the shirt or if she had to use it for rags. It was that torn up. I am sure she remembers, though. Mothers do.
I have been wondering how you and my sisters are getting along. You didn't say in your last letter. Ellie is full of energy and always fun to be around, but I think she can be exhausting. Sara has always been quieter than Ellie, but Mom says she is even more so since Harry went away. I pray you are able to be good friends with both of my sisters.
It is a comfort to know you are praying for me. There are times when I let my fear overtake me. Lately, I have been remembering what you said, that it works better to pray than to worry. You are right, of course.
If you write again, please tell me how my mother looks, if you have met Louisa and John and who else you have met. Please tell me you are praying as well. It helps to hear it.
Your friend,
Michael
Karlijna read through the letter quickly, knowing the family would want to hear what he had said to her. She would save it to read to herself again later on.
Sig had tears in her eyes, “I'll read first.”
The family took turns reading the letters to each other before returning to their own to read them again. Following supper clean-up, Karlijna went back to her room to write a letter to Michael.
Dear Michael, Feb. 21, 1944
I hope you have gotten my other letters I wrote. Your mother gave me an address for you that she thought might be faster. I sent them V-mail. It was very interesting to hear how they would take pictures of them and carry the film to where you are to turn it back into letters. This is smart.
I met a friend of yours yesterday. His name is Peter Jarret. He said to me, “How is Mike?”
I asked him who Mike was, and Ellie laughed. I did not know people called you Mike. Do you like it better than Michael? It seems strange to me and not at all what I should call you.
Sara is going to the farm tomorrow. She spends a few days every week there – I think to keep herself busy. Louisa tells me much to come, but I think Sara would not like that. Please pray I will be patient with Sara. She is very sad I am here, and I don't know if there is something I can do to help.
You asked how your mother is. I think she is well, but since I do not have the way to know from before, it is hard to answer. She sings praises to Jesus while she works just like my mother did. They are different songs, but good to hear anyway.
Ellie is my dear friend. She helps with my words so I will not sound German. It is frightening to people if they think I am from Germany. Someone called me a Gerry and made Ellie very mad. I told her it was more sad that people hated the Germans than it was that someone thought I was one. She does not understand that it is not the Germans who we fight. She does not see how hating a person because of their race is so wrong, but I do see it.
When I was in the first camp I was treated better than the Jews because I was just a prisoner who disobeyed the government. They were not trying to kill me, but to teach me a lesson and keep me from doing wrong again. Mama and I were made to work very hard and they beat us if we did not – just as they did the Jews. It was not until we arrived at the second camp and we no longer had uniforms with identifying marks, that we began to be grouped with the Jewish people.
The Germans are God's children, and I cannot look at what is happening to the Jews and believe it is okay to judge the Germans as a race any more than it is okay to mistreat the Jews.
I am happy your mother and father feel the same way. I think Sara and Ellie do not yet, but they are young and have not yet seen what I have.
It is a blessing to have you to talk to. It is not good to tell your sisters or parents what I have seen. They would feel pain. You have seen these things and know.
I am praying for your safety and for your heart – that it will not be made hard because of what you must do.
Your friend,
Karlijna
The situation between Sara and Karlijna did not improve as the winter wore on. Sig tried to intervene, but Sara would not listen to her mother.
“I don't care what horrible things were happening to her in Sweden. She should have just gone back to Germany if she couldn't handle a couple rumors.”
Sig felt like pulling her hair out. How could this child be so uncaring, “It wasn't a few rumors, Sara. They were malicious lies intended to destroy her. She had nobody to return to, and she didn't come from Germany.”
Sara rolled her eyes, “Poland then. It's all the same now anyway.”
Sig set her lips in a firm line, “You may not roll your eyes at me, young lady. You may think you are an adult, but you are behaving like a child, and you still live in my house.”
“I'm sorry, Mom,” Sara was instantly contrite about her disrespect, but no talking could convince her to think better of Karlijna.
“I'm sorry for you,” Sig finally said. “You are missing out on a chance to understand what true forgiveness is because you will not learn the truth.”
After that, Sara left for John and Louisa's house and stayed for two weeks.
Karlijna could not help but be relieved as there was certainly less stress because of it. However, she was grieved to know there was a rift in the family because of her.
“I wish you wouldn't worry about it, Karli,”Ellie said. “She wouldn't be so mean if she really knew you.”
The girls sat knee to knee on Ellie's bed, supposedly doing their homework.
“I will keep praying for her,” Karlijna sighed, “but I still feel like I should apologize.”
“For what?!” Ellie's eyes shot open, “For being German? You can't because you're not German.�
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Karlijna shrugged before reaching down to pull her sleeve lower on her wrist.
Ellie noticed, “What is that?” she bit her lip after asking as if she knew the question might have a painful answer.
Karlijna hesitated.
“Never mind,” Ellie rushed in, “you don't have to talk about it.”
Karlijna rolled up her sleeve and exposed the marks, “It is a prisoner marking.”
“You were marked by a prisoner? Why?”
Karlijna shook her head, “No. I was marked as a prisoner. They stamped it on my arm. It is the number I was to them.”
“Karli,” Ellie was having trouble taking it in, “why were you in prison?
“My family disobeyed the Germans after they came into Belgium.”
“They took all of you? How old were you?”
“When I was almost thirteen, the Germans took over Belgium. We tried to fight, but we were never strong after the Great War. They took over and began right away to harm our Jewish people. When I was sixteen, the German soldiers began to take them from their homes and put them on trains.”
Ellie shook her head, “Why?”
Karlijna could see the curiosity in Ellie's eyes but knew the girl did not understand what was happening.
“I will tell you what happened, but I must speak to your mother too.”
Ellie was obviously wondering why, “O—kay,” she agreed. “I'll go get her.”
“Mom,” Sig was in the kitchen polishing silver when Ellie came down,”Karli was going to tell me something about Belgium, but she thought you should be there too.”
Sig put down her rag and wiped her hands on her apron, “I'll come now.”
Sig sat on Sara's bed while the other two resumed their positions on Ellie's.
“You do not have to do this just to satisfy Ellie's curiosity, Karlijna,” Sig spoke before Karlijna could begin.
“It will be good you know,” Karlijna said. “It will help you know how to pray for the people who suffer. If I am telling that which is too hard to hear,” she continued, “I will stop.”
She paused a moment to determine where to begin.
“I was telling Ellie about the trains. The soldiers came into homes and made the Jews leave. Some went willingly because they were told they would go to good places, some thought it better if they should fight. If they fought, they died – or they saw their children killed. The soldiers had their job – to get all the Jews out of Belgium as fast as they could.”
