I stopped for a moment to let that sink in. “You’re needed at home. Your son needs you. I need you. Please come home.”
There. I was finally finished. I said everything I had come to say.
He covered his face with his hands for a moment. Then he exhaled heavily, as if the fight had finally left him. “Who’s the minister now, Louisa?” he asked, a sad sweetness in his voice. He took my hand and looked right at me with the look that I had come to expect from him. A look that I had come to want from him.
“Actually,” I said as I took his other hand, “I’m the lucky one. I got the package. You and William.” I swallowed and hastened to add, “and Aunt Martha.”
Then we walked, hand in hand, back to the automobiles. “I’ll follow you home,” he said, holding the door for me as I climbed up into Rosita’s truck.
It might have just been my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw a trace of amusement light his eyes as he watched me back Rosita’s truck up and shift from reverse to first gear, making a horrible sound as I ground the gears.
Home, I repeated to myself. I was going home.
Chapter Sixteen
The Mexican Police sent Ruth’s body back to Copper Springs for burial. We had a small service for her, just the four of us, headstone and all, and put her in her final resting place in the cemetery next to the church. It seemed a touch of irony that she had tried to get away from Copper Springs most of her life, yet here she was, back to stay.
We had struggled to find the right epitaph to be inscribed on her headstone, finally settling on: “We hope she found the peace she was looking for.”
After William solemnly laid a long-stemmed white rose on the grave, Aunt Martha took him home. Robert and I stood at the gravesite a few minutes longer, both of us lost in our thoughts about this woman who lay before us, far below in the ground.
Finally, I broke the silence. “I think you were right.”
“What could I possibly have been right about?” he said, still looking down at the fresh grave. “I’m shocked to hear those words from you.” He glanced at me with a puzzled look on his face.
“Ruth and I are a little bit alike.”
He groaned. “Oh Louisa, I never should have said that. Please forget it.”
“She even said so herself. But I disagreed with her reason,” I admitted. “Anyway, just a little bit alike. We both are, were, no, I mean, are stubborn women.”
“Pushy, too,” Robert added.
I raised an eyebrow at him.
“And you both think you’re right about everything and everybody.”
I frowned at him.
“But there’s a big difference between you. Ruth wanted everything her way. You’re willing to wrestle with God to make it His way. The difference is…well…quite literally, it’s a difference between life and death.” He looked back down at Ruth’s grave.
“Now there’s an interesting sermon topic,” I said with a half-smile.
Robert turned to me. “You know, for one brief moment, that day you disappeared, before I realized that William was gone, too, before I realized Mueller had taken you, before I found the ring, I thought that maybe you…,” his voice trailed off.
It slowly dawned on me what he was trying to say. I turned to face him. “But you knew, didn’t you? Robert, you knew I wouldn’t have left. You knew that, didn’t you?” I searched his eyes for my answer.
It was important to me he knew he could trust my promise, even if it was made hastily before a judge to ensure my citizenry. I might share stubbornness and pushiness and self-righteousness with Ruth, but that was where the similarities ended. I kept my promises. I was not like her.
He looked at me and smiled. “I knew.”
I stepped a little closer to him and slipped my hands into his. “There is just one other thing more I haven’t told you. Something I did tell to Ruth.”
He took a step closer to me.
“I told her I loved you.”
Then he kissed me, gently at first, then with deep feeling, not even caring we were right in front of Ruth’s grave. Rather symbolic, I felt. Ruth’s hold was finally broken.
Epilogue
Not long afterwards, Robert and I had an official church ceremony to, what Robert called, really ‘seal the deal.’ Reverend Hubbell, the retired supply minister from Douglas, was kind enough to do the honors. The judge’s wife banged out her rendition of Mendelssohn’s Wedding March on the organ, a special request by Robert as a surprise for me. The musicianship might not have been stellar, but I suspect Felix Mendelssohn would have been delighted to know his music was being played and appreciated in Copper Springs, Arizona.
Our courtship began on our wedding day. We started our life together with a renewed optimism, as the war in Europe slowly drew to conclusion.
The world of the Allies rejoiced, on April 30th, 1945, when Adolf Hitler committed suicide by shooting himself in the mouth after poisoning his mistress.
Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich had crumbled within a decade.
One week later, Germany surrendered unconditionally. Hitler’s henchmen scattered like rats to a sewer system. Some were found in the days and months and even years following the war, but Heinrich Mueller, head of the German Gestapo, has not been found. Nor has his cousin, Friedrich Mueller of Copper Springs, Arizona. Fortunate fools. But one day, I take comfort in the fact they will stand to be reckoned with before the Almighty Lord.
Hearing of Hitler’s death made us eagerly expect to learn of Dietrich’s release from prison. We were anxious to tell him our story and the role he played in bringing us together. He was never to learn of it. To our great sorrow, we heard that Dietrich’s trial had finally happened, after two years in horrible prisons with appalling, inhumane conditions, just three weeks before Hitler died.
In the kangaroo court of Nazi Germany, Dietrich and his brother-in-law Hans had been found guilty of treason and were hanged on April 9th, just one week before the Allies reached the camp where he had been held in Flossenberg. No one was notified of their death, not even Dietrich’s parents. They finally heard of their son’s death on a radio broadcast from the BBC.
When the news finally reached us, and we heard of the gruesome details of his execution, we both wept for our beloved friend. Heaven’s gain was earth’s loss.
* * *
The townsfolk of Copper Springs survived. Perhaps because no one went unscathed, it was easier for the town to help each other get through Herr Mueller’s devastating deception. Even his own wife, Hilda Mueller, was left penniless and homeless. Amazingly, she knew nothing of her husband’s secret life.
In a remarkable show of charity, the town embraced her. She started working part-time as a receptionist at Ramon’s Barber Shop and part-time as a hostess at Rosita’s Cocina, a little Mexican restaurant the Gonzalves’ opened up not long after their baby boy was born.
Herr Mueller’s house, which had been heavily mortgaged so that he could free up the cash to take with him, was auctioned off for a penance to the bankrupt town and has become the new Copper Springs library and town offices.
And an interesting development happened in the local churches. They started filling up. Emptied bank accounts made for full churches.
Ruth’s death ended up being a blessing, easier to handle than her abandonment, for her death brought closure. William and Robert healed together, and this time, their wounds healed strong.
William’s language skills and speech have continued to develop so clearly he is now understood by many people in Copper Springs. He is starting to read and write and can lip read so well Robert and I can no longer have a conversation without his input.
Once a month, we take him to Violet Morgan, the retired teacher in Bisbee, for tutoring, and we always stop by the Prospector’s Diner to visit Wilma and check on her newest waitress, Glenda. In a fitting touch of irony, Glenda sold Mueller’s ring at our repeated insistence and used the proceeds to make a down payment on a little home for her
and her red-haired nephew, Tommy.
All too soon, we are going to have to seriously consider letting William attend the Southwestern School for the Deaf. But I have another idea I’ve been mulling over, in which William might be allowed to go to the local public school. I’m still working on a strategy to persuade Robert.
There’s something else I need to tell him, first. William is going to have a new role soon, as a big brother. For a month or so now, I’ve been feeling suspiciously similar to how I felt after Ada’s visit. I’ve already chosen the baby’s names. If a girl, she’ll be Marta. If this baby is a boy, his name will be Dietrich.
Aunt Martha has let me start to teach her to play the piano though we’ve been on the same beginner’s piece for three months now. One thing I’ve learned about Aunt Martha, if I accept her where she is and give her time, she can surprise me.
A book I had once read described good and evil as equal and opposing forces: the yin and the yang. Natives in Southeast Asia wore fabric skirts made of a large black and white checked pattern, like a checkerboard, to symbolize the balance of good and evil.
I think they’re wrong. I have seen, with my own eyes, how good is greater than evil, God is greater than Satan, and God’s good ultimately triumphs. The scales of light weigh heavier than the scales of darkness. And as dark as the night can get, and it can get very dark, indeed, the sun will rise and expose the day.
Reading Guide for Copper Star
What were Louisa’s redeeming qualities? What was the least likeable aspect of her personality? In what ways did we see Louisa’s character change? In what ways did her character remain constant? Have you had a “Louisa” in your life?
What did you think, at first, about William? What compelled William to play tricks on Herr Mueller? What was he trying to prove?
How was the attachment that William and Louisa felt for each other, from the very first, believable? What did they contribute to each other?
Let’s talk about Robert. Louisa described him as “a man typical of his generation: He guarded his emotions and kept his opinions to himself, veiled by a gentleman’s exterior.” Do you think Robert’s attitude was typical for that time period? Is there any merit to being that kind of person?
What kind of a minister do you think Robert was? Did you admire his fortitude or did it frustrate you? Was it right or wrong for him to go into the ministry, knowing he didn’t feel called to it?
The Gordon household was an orderly home. “Even Aunt Martha’s hair was pinned neatly into place, just like her emotions.” Louisa arrived and turned the household topsy-turvy. She liked to face things head-on, whereas Robert and Aunt Martha kept their feelings private. How does this relate to your life? Whom are you more like?
How did you feel when Aunt Martha said she didn’t want a choir robe made by a German or a Jew? Why did she seem so reluctant to accept Louisa? What did you think of the way that Louisa handled the choir robes?
Louisa and Aunt Martha had a love-hate relationship. When did it shift to a bond between them? What caused the change? Have you ever had a relationship that changed from one of antagonism to one of loyalty? Was the change permanent?
Playing the piano helped Louisa escape into a world without troubles. What helps you to escape your world?
Why is the title, Copper Star, a metaphor suitable for the book?
How did you feel when you learned that there were hostage exchange camps within the United States? Do you think it was right or wrong? Did your feelings change after knowing Louisa could have been a hostage exchange?
What compelled Louisa to want to return to Germany? Was it an appropriate motivation? What do you feel your primary motivation is in life? Have you ever felt “not good” enough?
Faith in God is clearly a significant part of Louisa’s life. What role does prayer play in her life?
In Copper Star, where was God’s grace most evident?
Did you know anything about Dietrich Bonhoeffer before you read Copper Star? If so, did you learn anything new about him? Did he seem like a real person to you? If you’d like to learn more about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, read Letters and Papers from Prison. It’s a collection of letters smuggled out by sympathetic guards during the twenty months Bonhoeffer spent, under suspicion but without charges, in Berlin’s Tegel prison.
About the author
Suzanne Woods Fisher writes books and publishes articles from her home in the San Francisco Bay Area. She shares a busy home with her husband, four kids, and a steady stream of puppies she raises for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Find her on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com
Acknowledgements
A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul. (Proverbs 13:19, NIV)
With all my heart I thank God for giving me the passion to write and the encouragement to persevere.
A special thanks to the How girls, Lisa Marquardt, Deb Coty and Linda Danis, my first draft readers. I owe you!
Grateful thanks to my editor, Dawn Carrington, for her commitment to excellence.
I especially want to express gratitude to my husband, Steve, and to my wonderful children, Lindsey, Gary, Meredith and Tad, who gave me the time, space and freedom to write.
A special thank you to the John Tracy Clinic of Los Angeles for checking the manuscript for accuracy, sharing information about Spencer and Louise Tracy and their son, John, in the early days of the Clinic, and for enthusiastically supporting this project.
The author gratefully acknowledges the following trademarks:
Good Housekeeping magazine and cookbooks: Hearst Communications, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE 959 Eighth Avenue New York NEW YORK 10019
Cheerioats (now called Cheerios): GENERAL MILLS, INC. CORPORATION DELAWARE Number One General Mills Boulevard Minneapolis MINNESOTA 55426
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese: Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE Three Lakes Drive Northfield ILLINOIS 600932753
Zenith Radionic A2A Vacuum Hearing Aid: Zenith Electronics Corporation (formerly Zenith Radio Corporation) 2000 Millbrook Drive, Lincolnshire, Ill. 60069
LONE RANGER, INC., THE CORPORATION MICHIGAN 17TH FLOOR-STROH BLDG. DETROIT MICHIGAN
International Business Machines Corporation CORPORATION NEW YORK New Orchard Road Armonk NEW YORK 10504
BBC: The British Broadcasting Corporation Broadcasting House Portland Place; London W1A 1AA UNITED KINGDOM
Crayola Crayons (current owner) Binney & Smith Properties, Inc. CORPORATION DELAWARE 2035 Edgewood Avenue Easton PENNSYLVANIA 18045
The text of the 1917 Scofield Reference Bible is now in the public domain. Oxford University Press published a copyrighted revision of the Scofield Bible in 1967 with a slightly modernized KJV text. The Press continues to issue editions under the title Oxford Scofield Study Bible, which it offers with other translations. Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan 48126
Enjoy this excerpt from Goldeneyes
© 2007 Delia Latham
Coming 2008 from Vintage Romance Publishing
In the darkness of a Depression-era night, a man addicted to alcohol commits a heinous crime that impacts the lives of two entire families, and over two decades will pass before the horrible wrong begins to be made right.
He thought she was not going to answer the door.
No one responded to his first two knocks. He heard no stirrings from within the house and decided it was possible she wasn’t home. His gut feeling, though, was that the woman was there, ignoring his persistent tapping at the door.
“Mrs. Kelly? Mrs. Kelly, are you there?” He landed three more solid raps against the splintered wooden door and turned to go, disappointed. He would have to try again later.
Behind him, the door creaked open. He turned and saw Annie Kelly for the first time. She was the most beautiful mess Clarence Camden had ever laid eyes on.
Her silver-gold hair – not silver as in gray, but a beautiful silvery gold
– had obviously not been brushed that day, or possibly the day before. Her face was colorless in the dimly lit room, the cornflower blue eyes stark against the paleness of her skin. She wore a spotted and wrinkled gingham housecoat with all the buttons in the wrong holes.
She looked half dead, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and make everything better. He couldn’t find his voice.
Finally the woman spoke, so softly he had to strain to hear. “Yes? I’m Mrs. Kelly.”
Again he opened his mouth, and for a moment, feared he would never again be able to speak. He desperately cleared his throat and found his elusive voice.
“I’m sorry to disturb you. I know you’ve been through a difficult time, and I apologize for dropping by like this.”
She just stood there, her eyes lifeless and dull, obviously waiting for him to state his business and leave. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortable under her detached gaze.
“Look, I – I really don’t know how to say what I’ve come here to say. Perhaps I should start by telling you who I am.” He attempted a small smile, which faded and disappeared when Annie did not offer one in return. “My name is Clarence Camden. The Lamont Limelight is my company … my uh, my newspaper.”
Still no response. He sighed and plowed ahead. “I’m afraid I have some bad news, Mrs. Kelly.”
Copper Star Page 24
