Yesterday Was Long Ago: Part Two

by Hedy Thalberg James

  “Wow!” said both, surprised.

  “They will work as missionaries, as it was their plan as soon as they met in Berlin.”

  She sat thinking of Gisela. “Gisela, the second oldest, has nothing but bad luck with men. She decided to live with her grandmother and stay in Berlin.”

  “Berlin?” interrupted Andreas. “It is the worst place for a lady like her. That city has almost more fights and uprisings than all others in Europe combined. Every newspaper writes about it.”

  “Well, Andreas, they don’t live in the middle of the city like the Reinhardts do. The outskirts and suburbs are quiet.”

  “But they all are starving and breaking benches to get firewood!” he said, almost out of breath.

  “Not a Reinhardt! They always manage with foreign money quite well.”

  “Oh,” he sighed, feeling relieved.

  “Peter is in the second year of medical school and is doing quite well.”

  “Gosh, mother! In time we will only know doctors. Lucas is one already, and Peter Reinhardt and I are future ones,” Andreas concluded, when the doorbell rang and there stood Lucas.

  “We were just talking about doctors,” Gaby exclaimed happily. “And there you are! The only real one we know.” She chatted away while leading him to the parlor.

  “Hello, Dr. Rosatti,” Astrid greeted him with a slight embrace.

  Andreas shook his hand heartily and came right to the point. “Gaby and I just wondered if we still can call you Lucas.”

  “And why not?”

  “Mother just called you ‘Dr. Rosatti’.”

  “I will change that in a hurry, as she knew me as a boy too.”

  “Never mind. There is a difference. We are older and it’s only proper.”

  “We’ll talk about it some other time, Baroness von Walden,” he teased. I came here to tell you that I have four tickets for Saturday night at the opera.”

  As always Gaby jumped. “What is the title?” from Andreas, equally excited.

  “Puccini’s ‘Madame Butterfly.”

  “Great!” all said in unison.

  They all drank hot chocolate and were, as always, glad to see him. Bertram, however, gave him the impression of an actor on a stage. He was, in Lucas’ opinion, a permanent performer. Once again, their dislike was mutual. Bertram would always refer to Lucas as ‘the funeral director’.

  Astrid told him they were invited to the Reinhardts’ for the upcoming Sunday afternoon and mentioned how anxious their son Peter was to meet him, as he too was a student of medicine, hoping to be a surgeon like his grandfather, Hannes Reinhardt. He gladly agreed as, so far, he hadn’t met anyone he liked in particular at Wilhelmina’s hospital.

  Philip and Victoria were elated to see the von Walden children again, telling them how much they had grown. Philip avoided saying how beautiful Gaby was for fear Victoria might take it wrong. And Peter, after having said his welcome back to Vienna, was very pleased to meet Dr. Lucas Rosatti, knowing how excellently the school in Lausanne taught its students. But Vienna, despite the aftermath of the war, was not far behind. Lucas thought of taking an extra year in the University for pathology. He knew his parents wouldn’t oppose him, as most hospital administrators come from the line of pathology. Andreas was somehow proud to be with Lucas after noticing how impressed Peter was by his humbleness, and Lucas had never entered a palace previously with so much sincere friendliness.

  Peter directed his first question to Andreas. “I heard you will soon join my school.”

  “Next year. I cannot wait, as I have wanted to be a surgeon ever since I was a little boy.”

  Lucas laughed. “He already has lots of training behind him. His uncle is a dentist but knows more about medicine than most family doctors.”

  “The best I got from you, Lucas. You are a born teacher and have the born patience to go with it.”

  Lucas only shook his head with a humble gesture. Philip, watching with pleasure how well those three fellows got along, suggested room service for the three of them, feeling they wanted to chat as much as possible among themselves.

  Victoria was especially happy about Peter, who seemed to be, at times, very lonesome with Gisela now gone too. “Well then, I have the honor to dine with three beautiful ladies,” Philip smiled, taking a seat among them.

  Lucas was still more dumbfounded when he entered Peter’s room, who had the door wide open to his study, with another one slightly ajar that was doubtless his bedroom. His so-called ‘rooms’ had more space than Rosatti or Lebrun’s entire villas, he thought, and he was equally astonished about his easy-going manner. The study had a skeleton and an enormous amount of books, some of them dating back to when the study of medicine started. They could talk enough about it even while they ate, and Andreas was relieved to hear that he could spend extra time as long as Lucas brought him back.

  “I am afraid for the boy all alone after dark. Those fellows with their red armbands even make me nervous during the day.”

  “Me too,” Victoria agreed. “They call themselves the ‘Reds’, ‘Communists’, ‘Social Democrats’, you name it. As with the war, it all has to end one day.”

  “Mrs. von Walden?” Philip asked kindly just before leaving. “I hope you will give your son permission to visit with Peter, time permitting that is. Without Paul and Gisela, he feels very much alone. Somehow, he has not taken to many students to call them friends, but I observed that both of our boys like each other.”

  “I don’t object if he gets a safe passage home. As I stated, we live in dangerous times.”

  “You may be assured of that,” Victoria interjected, and asked why they have never seen Bertram again.

  “Oh, he is still the same as far as timing is concerned; comes for one or two hours with this friend, brings us things he gets from the black market. I know it sounds horrible, but our money is almost worthless, so I give him Swiss francs,” she smiled.

  Philip was extremely relieved but still cautious.

  1922

  8

  1922 was here and the time had come for quite a few changes. Lucas finished his extra studies and both von Walden children were to arrive for their usual vacation in Lausanne. Lucas hoped that during the summer he could tell Gaby how much he loved her.

  He had talked the previous year with his father about it, but was advised to wait, as the girl was only sixteen. Also, there was no other indication than that she saw him only as a good friend with whom she had grown up. He suspected, however, that the plea for an extra year in Vienna to study was in one way connected to be near Gaby. Now Gaby would be seventeen, and with her exceptional beauty, she was not only stared at in Locarno the previous year, but he noticed, not without jealousy, that Vienna was now not much different. He was afraid that even Peter Reinhardt, with whom she had a lot of fun at every opportunity, might just sweep her off her feet. So, July was to be the month for him and the thought that she might turn him down caused him many sleepless nights.

  July brought changes to some other families he had the fortune to get to know better. The Wertheims left for France to meet his brother in LeHavre, tour a bit of the country together, and spend some time in Vienna before he took his son Samuel home. He had graduated and they were very proud of him. The Reinhardts’ son, Paul, was returning from Zurich’s prestigious university, but would meet his family, as usual, in Salzburg. The Silvermans would spend this year’s vacation in Italy. Little Anna was six by now and ready to travel. So, with everyone out of the way, Bertram saw that his long anticipated opportunity had come to pass.

  The families would leave and the graduates celebrate; except Astrid of course, who considered Bertram more of a son than the reserved Andreas, who spent most of his free time with the Reinhardts and Lucas. Gaby developed a very nice friendship with a girl named Renate Steger, whose father was her piano teacher, and both girls dreamed of playing on the stage. The rumor in Vienna was that new money would make its entrance soon and the black market would be disap
pearing.

  “Mother dearest,” said Bertram in his most sweet and pleading voice. “Can Gaby come with me to Sam’s graduation party? He invited lots of nice, young people. She may even meet someone interesting!”

  “Well, the Wertheims are in France, but I am sure you and Sam can be trusted. But bring her home no later than eleven.”

  “Eleven?” he acted surprised. “I’ll have my sister home no later than ten.”

  “Alright. That is even better, as I’ll be back from my prayer meetings by then. Andreas is going to be at the Borgner’s party. Their oldest son graduates from law school. I set no time limits on him at his age. Lucas is at a small dinner at his professor’s house. He abhors a noisy crowd. Besides, in two days he will be leaving, taking Andreas and Gaby with him to Lausanne.”

  “Like I always said, Lucas should be an undertaker or funeral director,” he smiled wickedly.

  “Oh, it’s not that bad! The kids have always had a great time with him.”

  He never gave any reply as his mind was occupied with other matters. Gaby was not the biggest hurdle, and his stepmother would by now believe anything. After all, it took three years of acting to convince her he could be trusted with everything. But it was Rupert he was mostly worried about until they arrived at their destination. They told Rupert’s parents that both would attend a big weekend rally in the blue-collar worker town of Steyr. He never mentioned any of his other carefully laid out plans. And to make it appear very sincere, he would tell him his life story, which was just one more lie. Both belonged to the Communist Party and their former war buddies wrote to each other regularly, but mostly to Bertram who was always full of new ideas, which Rupert lacked. They planned to open their headquarters in Steyr, with Bertram as their leader because he had the will to do it, the money they needed for it, and the willingness to leave Vienna for good. Rupert’s parents wondered why they would choose to leave on the late train, change in a small town called Grein, and wait until midnight for the next one.

  That little non-descript village was known for its vortex, which was quite an awesome sight. This whirling mass of water and air could be admired from a bridge with a heavy, safe guardrail, still making quite a few onlookers dizzy. When Rupert was recovering from his wounds in the hospital in Grein, his parents had come for a visit, and called it a whirlpool, which could suck you in if you were not careful.

  “Rupert is on duty and we will certainly see it on our return trip.” The Fosters had been satisfied with Bertram’s reply.

  So far, everything was going according to plan and Sam, whose only wish before his return to New York was to go to bed with Gaby, would get his wish at his party. After all, among a big crowd of students, a few heavily spiked drinks, and six bedrooms upstairs, it should not be too much of a problem.

  Bertram brought Gaby to Wertheim’s villa at eight, with the promise to fetch a few more girls from her school. That suited her fine as, after the proper introduction, she felt lost and was almost ready to leave. But then drinks and all kinds of fine food were served by a hired waiter. Wertheim’s servants left, as always, at seven, completely unaware of an impending party. More and more young people arrived but she looked in vain for Bertram with his promised friends of hers, as he claimed it would be a surprise.

  Bertram was already on his way to the Fosters’ to pack a few things for the weekend and arrived simultaneously with Rupert, still in uniform, but off duty for the next three days. Rupert was looking forward to the trip and had packed the previous day, knowing he would have to help Bertram. Although he used only a cane and had special shoes made, he had never acquired the balance to stay upright without anything to hold on to. Rupert got used to it, and as a friend, he didn’t mind.

  Bertram ordered a taxi to have plenty of time for the train station and as Rupert helped with the suitcases, he found Bertram’s quite heavy. “What in the hell did you pack?”

  “I’ll tell you on the train.” It was first-class of course, as they wanted privacy.

  “Rupert,” he began the moment the train began to move. “I have a lot to tell you and hope you will understand and still be my friend.” He started with his gloomy childhood, which was caused by his father’s hatred and physical abuse, his different reform schools, and his job as a pimp at Breuners. Rupert listened while giving from time to time a sorrowful nod, as he knew of many cases very similar in his line of work.

  He was just about to compliment him on his turnaround and the love for his family he supported through all those meager years, when Bertram started to tell him the rest of the story, without the slightest sign of guilt or remorse on his grinning face.

  “Let me tell you Rupert, for Gaby I collected from Sam three hundred dollars. He wanted her in the worst way, as he had never bedded a virgin. Herbert Blumenfeld gave me 500.00 Czech crowns and Abbe Koch was only too happy to give me 300 Swiss francs, as both don’t care whom she had before. It’s all in our suitcases, and we are going to live like kings in France each time you visit me, because of course, I can never go back to Vienna, and I mean never. Therefore, I decided to stay in Steyr under a different name that only you and your family will know, as I can trust all of you. I left mother a goodbye note under her pillow with some money, though she is still in the possession of my inheritance. But I don’t need a damn thing from a von Walden. That name is, as of tomorrow, gone for good. I guess I was always generous to her because she gave birth to Gaby,” he smirked.

  With the dim light bulbs above them, Bertram couldn’t notice how Rupert’s face had turned white and his heart was pounding as never before in his life. How he wished he had a gun to shoot Bertram at the next station like an attacking mad dog. But now, his thoughts went even further. If he is capable of selling his lovely innocent sister, aside from leaving his trusting family along with Gaby to live in shame, sooner or later it will also spread from the district to their schools. And there was Lindenfels, who hated those von Waldens, according to Bertram. Wertheim will be the first one to know it, with Sam blaming everything on ‘Bertie the Pimp’. Now his mother’s anguish, Gaby’s ruined reputation at school, and Andreas’ name at the University! Once more the von Waldens are finished… and once more Bertram was the villain. He was a man without any conscience, which was, according to Rupert’s training, the most dangerous kind. But he couldn’t lose his temper yet; just question him calmly and set a trap.

  “Bertram… after all you have told me—and it shows me a different kind of man than I have never known in all these years—” He paused, watching Bertram’s uneasiness. “how do I know that once we arrive in Steyr, there is not a pack of low-down scum like yourself waiting to take both of the suitcases, give me a merciless beating, and let me fend for myself? You insisted that we not wear our red badges, though Vienna is referred to as the Red City and we go to a communist rally?”

  “We travel first class,” he interrupted uneasily. “You have gone crazy, Rupert. Your whole facial expression has changed. I am really hurt by your accusation.”

  “You? Hurt?” You have enjoyed that sort of life and I wonder how you got to know Sam so well.”

  “Mother works for the Wertheims’ store.”

  “But you and I never went there, unless you were his pimp while I was on duty.”

  “Alright, so I introduced him to my former boss.”

  “For money, I assume?”

  “Why not? Sam brought Herbert and Abbe—all very wealthy Jews. He made plenty of money. Hell, I am not a charitable organization. I take it from whomever I can get it.”

  “And don’t give a damn who you hurt,” Rupert finalized when the train arrived and he read the large sign, ‘GREIN ON THE DANUBE’. Only Rupert and Bertram descended, as most people took a night train for a much longer way.

  “Don’t you feel sorry for Gaby?” Rupert asked, for his own personal reasons.

  “Why should I? At seventeen, it’s high time she knows what she got it for,” he laughed aloud, while Rupert locked the two suitca
ses at the station’s special department. “Like I told you,” he continued. “I served so many so-called gentlemen virgins, and to tell you the truth, I enjoyed all their whining and at times crying. I knew they would be back the next evening for more.”

  “Not your sister, Bertram, and you know it!”

  “Who cares? She was always the apple in Father’s eye and could never do wrong; less so with Andreas. But what am I talking about it? I’ve got plenty of money and will never be found. If Austria gets too hot, I leave for France.”

  “Ah ha! And you think I’ll follow you wherever you go?”

  “Why wouldn’t you?” he answered, feeling trapped. “We were in France during the war. That country is full of foreigners.”

  “Not Germans nor Austrians, Bertram. And I am sure you are only trying to get out of something. So why don’t you start by giving me the keys to our suitcases. After all, it’s always me who has to carry your loot.”

  “Here they are,” he said after some hesitation, feeling he was on trial. But he had to go along, for once they arrived in Steyr, everything would change. He would have his keys and baggage back in no time.

  With the noise of Grein’s vortex coming nearer, Bertram said, “I hope you don’t plan to show me your parents’ stupid waterfall!”

  “Hmmm, and I thought you liked God’s miracles, like you said the other day in front of your mother.”

  “I did?”

  “Yes, right after the prayer meeting.”

  “I told you why I did it. If it weren’t for Gaby, I would have never even visited… just like during the war. I visited and lived in whorehouses.” He talked louder now as the noise of the gushing water came nearer.

  “As a peeping Tom? Or as they say in French, voyeur?”

  “Don’t get sarcastic. It’s not my fault that I got shortchanged.”