Someone knocked at her bedroom door.
“Come in,” Gilde said.
“Mrs. Thornbury. I don’t know if you remember but you said I could have tomorrow off.” It was Vicky’s nanny with her cockney accent.
“Yes, that’s fine,” Gilde said, feeling more like screaming than talking.
“Do you want me to stay, Mrs. Thornbury? I can stay if you need me.”
Gilde shook her head. “No. Are you going to leave tonight?”
“Well, I sure would like to. I mean if it’s all right with you.”
“Yes, it’s fine,” Gilde said. She heard the curt sound of her voice and immediately regretted being so rude. “I’m sorry, Meredith. I didn’t mean to be so short with you. I’m not feeling well.”
“Then I won’t go, ma’am”
“No, no, please go. I insist that you do.” Gilde took a one pound out of her purse. “Here, here is…a bonus for you,” she said as she handed it to Meredith.
“Thank you so much, ma’am” Meredith stammered, overwhelmed by Gilde’s generosity.
Gilde smiled but tears threatened to spill from her eyes. How was she ever going to go on without Alden?
“Make sure you lock the door on your way out,” Gilde said.
After Meredith left, Gilde couldn’t fall asleep. She sat by the window and listened to the silence, and in the silence she heard her parents’ voices. They didn’t speak directly to her. They were only the voices of memory, of things that had happened so long ago. She could hear Alina’s laughter, but she could not remember her face, nor could she remember Lotti’s face or her parents’. Their features had blurred in the time span of her memory.
As she sat looking outside, Gilde quietly sung to herself. She sang the simple songs her father had sung to her and her sister when they were very young.
“You’ve got to have a little Mazel, because Mazel means good luck. If you have a little Mazel you’ll always have good luck.” She sang it in a whisper, but it brought tears to her eyes and they flowed freely down her cheeks.
“Where is my Mazel, Papa? I have no good luck. I lost you and Mama and Alina. I lost William and his family. I have no heart to go back to my career. And worst of all, Papa, I lost my rock, my oak tree, my Alden…I don’t have any Mazel…” She put her head down on her arm and wept softly.
Gilde got up and poured herself a shot of brandy. She hated alcohol, the taste was terrible, but she downed it and then another. The warmth helped to calm the pain and emptiness inside of her.
After three straight shots, she lay her head back down and closed her eyes. Then Gilde fell into a deep sleep. By some miracle Vicky slept too. And it wasn’t until she heard a loud knocking on the door that she awakened. Meredith will get the door, she thought. But then she remembered that she’d given Meredith the time off. Her neck ached from sleeping in an uncomfortable position. There was another knock, and she forced herself to get up. .
“Who is it?” she said, still groggy with sleep from the alcohol.
“It’s me. Your husband. It’s William.”
William? Gilde felt her knees grow weak and begin to wobble. Her heart fluttered in her chest. She flung the door open.
“William…you’re alive?”
He nodded. She fainted.
CHAPTER 22
Alina November 1945
Alina sat at her desk in the office she’d built adjacent to her bedroom and began doing her weekly payroll. She’d designed the placement of the furniture so that she had a good view of Joey’s room, making it easy to keep an eye on him while she worked. On top of the whitewashed desk were two piles of neatly organized papers Alina kept accurate records so as to ensure that everyone received the correct amount of commissions each week. The girls constantly talked amongst each other about how fair Alina was to them. They discussed how she always paid them in full and on time. Alina often overheard the conversations. The girls would often speak harshly about the past, when they had worked at other houses. The owners, they said, would find ways to keep some of their money, making false claims, saying that they owed extra for this or that. Alina prided herself on treating the girls the way she would have wanted to be treated. She was at the brothel all the time, and although she didn’t sleep with the men, it was easy to imagine how hard the job was, and what the prostitutes had to endure every day. She knew that they had no other options. There was a time when she had been in a situation where she couldn’t see any option but to marry Trevor, and it was terrible to feel trapped. If this were their only way to earn a living, Alina would make sure that at least they were treated properly.
There was a knock on Alina’s door.
“Come in…” Alina said, putting the pencil behind her ear. A habit she’d developed because she always seemed to misplace her pencil.
“I brought you a cup of coffee.” It was Klara.
“Oh thanks. I could use that.” Alina smiled, taking the cup and sipping the hot, fragrant liquid.
“I have news. Maybe you want to know, maybe not,” Klara said.
It was early morning and Klara didn’t have her hair done yet or her makeup on. When she wasn’t made up, she looked young and almost innocent. All except for the striking ruby red hair.
“Don’t tease. What’s the news.”
“Well...” Klara said, then took a moment to sip of coffee.
Alina gave her a mock frown for holding the news back. “Come on, tell me.”
“Yesterday I went into town to buy some fabric for that black velvet dress May will be making for me.””
“Yes…and?”
“And, well, in the Russian community, news travels rather fast. Now, as you already know, the women don’t talk to me because of my life of sin, of course.” She laughed.
“Of course.” Alina shrugged.
“However, I overheard two women talking. I am sure they were talking loud enough so that I could hear them.”
“Go on, what?”
“They said Ugo is back in New York. He’s home from the war. He made it through, he survived. He’s alive.”
Alina gasped. She hoped that was what Klara had come to tell her. “Oh thank God…” Alina whispered. “Is he alright? Was he hurt?”
“I don’t know, they didn’t say. But what I do know is that he is alive. And…”
“And…”
“You love him, Alina. We both know you do.”
“He is your ex-husband, Klara.”
“Ugo is more like a brother to me than he ever was like a husband. We were young when we were sweethearts. He and I discovered sex. But, I’m not the same girl I was back in Russia and I don’t want the same things. I care for Ugo, I always will. I know he resents me. And, I can understand his feelings. But, he shouldn’t, he knew when he got to America that we had grown apart. It was obvious to both of us. He resents that I have become a prostitute. He can be so self-righteous sometimes. But, the important thing is, I care for you, my friend. You’ve done a lot for me, Alina. More than you know. I want you to be happy. And, I know you and Ugo love each other.”
“Yes, well, I don’t think it’s in the cards for me to ever be happy in love. Ugo could never accept the fact that I won’t give up the house. He doesn’t understand why I need security so badly. So, that’s that. But, thank God he is alive.”
“Yes, thank God.”
CHAPTER 23
Alina awakened choking and coughing. She was disoriented from lack of air. It was dawn and the sun had just begun to rise. From her bed she could see the rays poking through the charcoal smoke that was so thick in her room she could not see the floor. Her head was heavy, she felt dizzy, and for a moment she was confused. Then her heart began to race and she realized that the house was on fire. Her first thoughts were for Joey. She heard the roar of fire and the screams from the girls. Why hadn’t she heard them before? Was her head that clouded? She jumped out of bed. “Joey!” she screamed. “Joey!”
Alina knew the house well, yet it was as if s
he was lost. The smoke had filled the house quickly and now the room was black. She could no longer see any light coming in from outside. Under such a heavy black cloud it felt impossible to navigate her way to the room adjacent to her own. She was bumping into furniture. She even stubbed her toe on something she couldn’t see. A pain shot up her leg but she ignored it. Alina had to get to her son. She couldn’t remember where she’d heard this, but someone had once said to get down on your belly and crawl through a fire. The smoke would be less thick. It was nearly impossible to see even a few feet in front of her, so she dropped to the ground and began to creep on her hands and knees. Finally she found her way to Joey’s room. He had not awakened. Alina could not stop coughing. Her eyes and nose were running profusely. Yet, Joey wasn’t coughing at all. He was silent. Fear shot through her like a lightning bolt. Her entire body was trembling. Was he dead? Alina shook her son hard. Hoping she could force the life back into him. “Mama’s here,” she said as she lifted him from the bed and began carrying him towards the door. She tripped over the rug on the floor and fell forward, dropping Joey. He awakened coughing and frightened. “Mama, help me.”
“I’m here, Joey. I’m here.” She could barely talk or catch her breath. But she thanked God that he spoke. Joey was alive. Even in the middle of a terrible fire, she felt a strong wave of gratitude. I thought I’d lost him.
“Alina.” It was Klara. She’d come to Alina’s room to help her. “Alina.”
“I’m in here. I’m trying to get Joey outside.”
“Let me help you.”
Alina carried Joey. Klara held Alina’s hand and pulled her along as they began to push forward through the burning building. Wooden boards from the structure of the house fell in flames before them. Still they kept trying to get through. As they passed the kitchen, there was an explosion that rocked the structure and sent them both flying.
“Joey!” Alina screamed.
“Over here, Mama.”At least he was alive. Her chest ached but she found her way to him. “Klara?”
“I’m here, Alina.”
Alina couldn’t see Klara. “Where are you?”
“With Joey.”
Alina followed the sound as best she could until she was with her son and Klara. It was only a few feet to the door. Lifting her son and grabbing Klara’s arm, Alina headed to the exit. Watch out for the big overstuffed chair, Alina reminded herself. Then they were outside. Alina fell on the grass, still holding Joey. The fresh air filled her lungs and she coughed even harder. In fact, Alina coughed until she vomited black mucus. Then she looked at Joey. His face was covered with soot, and he wasn’t breathing.
CHAPTER 24
Three girls died that night. They were young women. Alina felt sick about it and she felt responsible. Joey was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where Klara and Alina stayed with him.
“He’s alive, but he’s not a strong boy. You already know that I’m sure,” the doctor told Alina.
“Yes, I know. He had polio when he was very young.” Alina stiffened her back. Klara put her arm around her friend for support. “Will he live?”
The doctor shrugged. “His lungs are weak and to be quite truthful with you, I’m surprised he made it through the fire. However, we’ll do our best.”
“Can I go in and see him?”
“Yes, go on, he’s down the hall in room twelve”
Alina’s heart felt like it was crushed when she looked at Joey, dwarfed by the large white hospital bed. She could only see the sad shape of his deformed hips and legs that lay beneath the blanket. A nasal catheter fed oxygen into his tiny nostrils and his small chest rose and fell with the shallow intake of his breathing. Blue veins covered his closed eyelids and his lips, and his small fingernails were a slight shade of blue.
Klara took Alina’s hand in hers and squeezed it. Alina glanced at Klara, then reached out and touched Joey’s small fingers and caressed them. .
“Joey, Mama’s here,” she whispered, putting her face close to his. He didn’t respond. “Joey?”
Joey’s eyes flickered open, and although Alina couldn’t be sure, she thought she saw a smile drift across his face before he closed his eyes and was once again unreachable.
Klara sat with Alina for several hours beside Joey’s bed until night fell. Then she turned to Alina. “I am going back to the house to see how bad it’s been damaged. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Alina nodded. The house. She’d forgotten about the house. “Yes, thank you, Klara.”
CHAPTER 25
When Klara arrived back at the brothel, she saw immediately that there was nothing to salvage. All was lost. She sank down onto the concrete stoop and put her head in her hands. Things had been going so well for her, for Alina, in fact for all of the girls. Nobody wanted to be a prostitute; however, for most of the girls this house and this job was as good as they could ever hope for. Right now Klara and Alina were in trouble, and they were going to need money. Several months prior, Alina had shown Klara the dresser drawer in her bedroom where she kept her money. “I want you to know where the money is, in case anything ever happens to me,” Alina had told her. “You are the only person I feel I can trust to take care of Joey if I die.”
Klara had dismissed Alina’s serious comment at the time“You are young and you are not going to die.” .
But looking through the skeletal remains of the building, Klara could see that the money was gone, burned with the house. The dresser was nothing but ashes. Alina was penniless. Klara had spent her money quickly, but now all of her belongings were lost. She did have a couple of dollars in her pocket and that was all she had left. Well, no sense in worrying about all of that right now. Right now she had to come up with an idea to help Alina and herself, and to somehow rebuild the house. But how? With no money, how could they start over?
Then, sitting on the stoop with the smell of smoke still lingering in the air, Klara got an idea.
The first thing she did was go to the hospital and talk to Alina.
“I have to go away for a few days. I am going to see an old customer of mine to see if he can give us a loan to rebuild the house.”
“You saw the house?” Alina asked.
“Yes.”
Alina shook her head,“It was that bad?” “It’s gone. Destroyed.”
“Did you check my dresser ?Was the money there?”
“It was burned. The dresser was burned to ashes, Alina.”
Alina felt sick. She was sitting beside Joey watching the rise and fall of his chest. God, if she lost him, she didn’t know what she would do. The house was less important, far less important. But it meant everything to the girls. And besides, where was she going to go now, how was she going to earn a living?
“Was anyone else hurt?”
“Three of our girls died, but you already know about them. Rose, Mary, and Andrea. I told Rosey’s family, they had disowned her long ago, but her mama cried anyway. After all, the girl was just sixteen years old.” She shook her head. “It could have been any one of us.” Klara patted Alina’s hand. “Anyway, I tried, but I couldn’t find any family for Mary or Andrea. Maybe their families are still overseas. Oh Alina, what a terrible way to die. I think of those girls and I feel sick to my stomach. Poor souls. I don’t think I’ll ever get the stench of that burning building out of my nose. It’s lingering like a nightmare you can’t wake up from. Well … at least none of the customers was hurt. The rest of our employees are scattered. I couldn’t find May. For now, they’re all probably looking for work somewhere else.”
Alina frowned.. “It will take forever to rebuild the house and unless your customer can help us financially we can’t do it … we have no money. Every dollar I had was in that house.”
“I know.”
Alina nodded. “I suppose you have to go and see your client,” Alina said, fighting the tears.
“Yes. But I’ll be back. Where can I find you?”
“I’ll be here in the waiting room. I don’t even
have enough cash to go to a flop house. Would you believe I’ve even thought about contacting Ugo and asking him for help? At least just for enough money until I can find some kind of work. With things being the way they are, I might have to work as a prostitute too.”
“Oh Alina. You’ve been my best friend. Prostitution is no life for you. You aren’t made for it. That would be a last resort. Let me try to talk to my customer and see if he will help us out. I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise. And, I’ll do my best not to let you down,”.
CHAPTER 26
Klara went to the offices of several of her customers, and each one was not happy to see her in the light of day. Most of them rejected her outright and told her to leave. They didn’t want to be seen talking to her, especially near their places of employment.
Then she took the subway to a small neighborhood tavern tucked between two brownstones down in the Lower East Side. Roger had taken Klara to this place for drinks a few times. Although Roger had never come out and told her what he did for a living, rumors ran rampant in the house that he was a hit man for the mob. And there were plenty of lawyers, judges, and policemen who in the throes of passion shared information with the girls they might have otherwise kept confidential. Because of his job, until now, Klara had kept Roger at a distance. She was afraid of him.He maimed and killed for a living. But, unlike so many of her other clients, Roger had wanted more from her than just casual sex in exchange for money. He didn’t treat her as if she had been ruined. Roger didn’t look at her as if prostitution had made her unsuitable to be a part of his life outside of the safe confines of the brothel. In fact, several times he’d tried to convince her to leave the house and become his exclusive girlfriend, his mistress. And he wasn’t ashamed to be seen with her in public. He took her out for dinner, and for drinks. Sometimes Klara almost felt as if he were trying to court her. The very idea had made her laugh a little. But not today. Today she was not amused, today she needed help, and of all the clients who’d come to have sex with her, she was pretty sure Roger was the only one who would come through with any real help.
Another Breath, Another Sunrise: A Holocaust Novel (Michal's Destiny Book 4) Page 9
