Karolina's Twins

by Ronald H. Balson

  “‘Open up. We’re going to get you better.’ She had a bottle of medicine and gave me a spoonful. Do you have any idea what the Nazis would do to someone who gave antibiotics to a Jew? The penalty was death. This was the risk that Siegfried took for Karolina, and I knew instantly what she’d had to do to get the medicine.

  “I grabbed her wrists and cried. ‘Oh, Karolina, what did you do?’

  “‘I’m fine. Don’t concern yourself with me. Just take the medicine and get better.’

  “The next night she stayed away and returned again in the early morning hours to feed me antibiotics. I cried. I said, ‘Don’t do this. I’m not worth it.’ She hushed me.

  “Karolina’s sacrifices and the medicine worked. Karolina nursed me through my sickness and back to health. A week later I was well enough to return to my sewing station. Back to work, weaker but on the mend. Even after the arctic blasts had passed and the temperature moderated, and except for those nights she didn’t come home, we continued to sleep together under the same blanket, our arms around each other. Karolina warmed my body, and her goodness and selflessness warmed my soul. Under the most hellish conditions of human existence, Karolina would cradle me at night and because of her, I survived.”

  Lena leaned forward and spoke intensely. “Now do you understand? Do you realize why I must keep my promise? I have never loved anyone in my life as deeply as I loved that woman. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for me. She saved my life. I owe her and I’m going to repay her.”

  Catherine nodded. “We’ll do it together.”

  “Even after spring finally arrived and the nights had warmed, it felt awkward to sleep alone. We had become so close. It was so natural for us to get into bed together. And so we did. We entered 1942 together, and that was a pivotal year for me.”

  Catherine put down her pen and stood to stretch.

  “This would probably be a good time for us to break,” Lena said. “I’m tired and I can see that you need a break as well. Can we pick up here next time?”

  “Thank you.”

  FOURTEEN

  “I’M DYING FOR A dish of rocky road,” Catherine said, sitting on the couch in her terry robe.

  “And we don’t have any?” Liam anticipated the worst.

  “If we did, I’d get up and get it myself.”

  He sighed. “Cat, it’s eleven P.M. There are no ice cream stores open at this hour.”

  “Mariano’s is open till midnight.”

  “Mariano’s is a grocery store.”

  “They have ice cream.”

  “Cat…”

  She smiled broadly. “I have a craving.”

  “That’s just some myth that women make up to manipulate men during pregnancy.”

  “How would you know? Are you a woman?”

  “Women are devious. It’s a proven fact.”

  “Do you want to carry this child?”

  Liam groaned, stood, walked to the hall and put on his coat. “Mariano’s is twenty minutes away,” he grumbled.

  “Thank you, dear.”

  * * *

  “I REVIEWED LENA’S MEDICAL RECORDS,” Catherine said to Liam when he returned.

  “Really, what did you learn?”

  “Mmm. This ice cream is fabulous. One more little dish, please. Just a little, and then I’ll tell you.”

  “Cat.”

  “I’ll tell you when I get my ice cream.”

  Liam returned to the living room with another dish of ice cream and sat beside her. “Are you doing all right?” he said.

  “What do you mean? With the pregnancy? Just because I want more ice cream?”

  He shook his head. “With Lena. With her story. Is this a project we need to take on right now? I remember how depressed you became when you were interviewing Ben Solomon. He would tell you about the tragedies that occurred to him and his family during the Holocaust and you would have screaming nightmares. Don’t you remember Christmas Eve, when you saw ghosts in the church vestibule? And outside the church, when you thought the chestnut salesman was an oracle?”

  “The Nazis’ cruelty was beyond comprehension, Liam. It’s unbelievable what these people went through. But this second time around, though no less horrific, is more manageable to me. I’m in a position where I can actually help someone and make a difference. If I can help her close a chapter of her life, whether or not we ever find these children, well … you understand.”

  Liam smiled and kissed her on the cheek. “Tell me about the medical records.”

  “I received the records in the morning mail and followed up with a telephone conversation with Dr. Watkins late this afternoon. He’s her primary-care physician and he’s treated her for twenty-five years. The records themselves do not disclose any symptoms or treatments for mental deterioration. There are notes of discussions between Dr. Watkins and Lena about her mental acuity. He notes, ‘Seems focused, no reports of confusion, no incidents of disorientation or poor judgment.’”

  “Well, that’s good. Where’s Arthur going to get his medical support for a guardian petition?”

  “The notes are fine. It was my conversation with the doctor that raised a couple of troublesome issues. He’s noticed increased anxiety, but tends to attribute it to Lena’s obsession with the two children.”

  Liam winced. “He said ‘obsession’?”

  Catherine nodded. “But not mental deterioration. He said that while one out of every three seniors will die of Alzheimer’s disease, and two-thirds of them are women, he hasn’t detected any of the signs in Lena. I asked him whether he ever recommended that she be evaluated for any other dementia, and he conceded that he saw no reason to do so. At her checkup he gave give her a mental-status exam that he would normally conduct on any eighty-nine-year-old woman, and she seemed fine. He saw no reason to prescribe any more extensive testing, such as brain imaging or neuropsychological testing.”

  Liam shrugged. “So what’s your worry?”

  “He was definitely concerned with her obsession with Karolina’s children. Last year, she traveled alone to Poland against his advice. He had recommended that if she insisted on going, she take Arthur or a friend with her. He told her it was too dangerous for her to go alone. Lena told him she didn’t want Arthur involved, and there was no one else to go with her and she was going to go alone whether he liked it or not.”

  Liam shook his head. “Doctors never like it when you don’t follow their advice. Why didn’t Dr. Watkins want her to go?”

  “Physical reasons. She walks with a cane because she has seriously arthritic hips and knees. Her balance is unstable at times. She’s eighty-nine years old. According to the doctor, disregarding the obvious risks and doctor’s orders, and embarking on such a strenuous journey to find these children could very well be regarded as obsessive behavior. And when I told him that Arthur alleged that she’s delusional, he said that could be worrisome.”

  “Obsessed with a delusion?”

  “Although he’s not making a diagnosis, he said he couldn’t rule it out. And then I got a lesson on delusional behavior. There are two types of delusions: bizarre delusions, which are strongly held beliefs in things that are realistically impossible, like Martians taking over your body, and then there are non-bizarre delusions, which are theoretically possible, but improbable and irrational, such as people who believe they are being followed by the CIA. Unless there is some basis for Lena’s belief in Karolina and the two children, such a delusion that becomes the central focus of her life would amount to a psychological disorder.”

  “And Arthur has alleged that she is spending all of her time and her money searching for these children.”

  “But here’s the thing, Liam, any proof, no matter how slight, of the existence of Karolina’s children would negate the diagnosis of the disorder.”

  “So, the solution is simple: we need to get the proof. How is the ice cream?”

  “Mmm.”

  FIFTEEN

  “AT OUR LAST SESSION, yo
u told me a very moving story about you and Karolina, and how she saved your life. I can thoroughly appreciate why you would want to keep your promise to her. But you’ve never told me what you promised to do.”

  “I promised to come back and find her children.”

  “And, you also said, to give them certain information. But you’ve never told me what the information is.”

  “It’s very personal, Catherine. I’m not trying to keep things from you, but do you really need to know at this point?”

  “I guess not, but as your lawyer, I’m trying to develop a factual defense. In Arthur’s petition, which is now set for hearing, he claims that you’re delusional. If the case goes much further, I may need to submit proof that you’re not.”

  “I understand,” she said softly. “Okay. I’ll tell you.” She started to speak, but Catherine halted her.

  “If you feel more comfortable waiting until later, then that’s all right.”

  Lena nodded. “Good. Let’s wait till later.”

  “I think we left off in early 1942. You told me things took a pivotal turn.”

  “Yes, they did. But before that, I had an incident with Rolf.”

  “Rolf?”

  “An overseer in my section who was always making passes at me. Rolf was a corpulent, ruddy-faced redhead. Probably about twenty-eight to thirty years old. He was a big man, who stood about six foot three and weighed about three hundred pounds. He was a pompous, disagreeable punk—there’s no other way to describe him. He bullied his way around the Shop thinking it was his prerogative to have his way with any woman he chose, and that included me. He started coming around my station sometime in the early part of the year, with his off-color remarks and boasts about his sexual prowess.

  “I tried to ignore him the best I could. I certainly never gave him any encouragement. But he never got the hint, or wouldn’t take the hint. He just kept after me, sometimes putting his hands on my shoulders, telling me how much better he could make my life, if he wanted to. I continued to shake my head and politely decline his advances. I would lift his hands off my shoulders. Then after a while, he became frustrated and angry. That’s when the physical abuse started.

  “As he walked his rounds, he’d purposefully bump into me, knocking me forward. Or he’d pull the garment out of my machine and throw it on the floor, saying, ‘Whoops.’ One day, David saw him. He pulled him aside to talk to him, but I could see Rolf was arrogantly denying any wrongdoing and dismissing any responsibility for rude behavior, all with a sardonic laugh.

  “The next day, Rolf came up behind me, leaned over and said, ‘Don’t depend on the Jewish foreman to change my mind. I got my eyes on you. And what Rolf wants, Rolf always gets.’ Then he rubbed his hand across my breast, laughed and walked away. That night, on my way out of the Shop, I told David what had happened.

  “Two days later, Rolf was back harassing me. David saw him and came up from behind. He told him to come to the office. Later that day Rolf received his new orders—he was transferred to the midnight shift.

  “Rolf did not take it well. He was furious. He complained to Hauptmann Richter, the Nazi officer in charge of the whole operation. As I told you, the Nazis had set up the Shop and appointed David to run it, but David was a functionary—he was always subservient to the boss, and the boss was Hauptmann Richter. Most of the time Richter was out in the cafes or the bars. He deferred to David on all operational decisions and usually left him alone, but after Rolf complained to Richter, David was asked to justify the transfer.

  “That evening, David called me into his office and closed the door. ‘I have something important to discuss with you.’

  “‘Is it about Corporal Rolf?’

  “‘Don’t worry about him. He won’t bother you anymore.’

  “I looked at David skeptically. ‘Right.’

  “‘No, seriously. I had him transferred to the night shift. He complained to Hauptmann Richter and today we had a discussion. Don’t worry.’

  “‘What kind of discussion?’

  “David smiled. ‘Do you want to know how it went?’

  “I nodded.

  “‘First, Hauptmann Richter demanded to know why Rolf’s shift was changed. I told him because he was abusing one of my workers. He was trying to coerce a Jewish woman to have sex with him. And I’d had other complaints about him as well.’

  “‘“Lies. Pure nonsense,” Rolf said. “You take the word of this Jew? I’m only doing my job here, trying to get these lazy women to work. Sometimes I have to use a little force.”

  “‘“With all respect, Hauptmann, I saw him rip a coat out of a woman’s sewing machine and throw it on the floor,” I said. “I saw him laugh when he did it. I saw him rub his hand across her chest. It’s not the first time he’s abused this particular worker, and she’s one of my best.”

  “‘Richter eyed Rolf disapprovingly. “Relations with Jews? That’s strictly forbidden, Corporal Rolf. Do you know I could bring you up for court martial? I could have you deployed to the Eastern Front for such an offense.”

  “‘Rolf turned white. “Relations? Me? Nothing could be further from my mind. You’re making a big mistake. I would never defile myself with a Jewess. I was enforcing the edict of hard work. This woman’s just trying to get me in trouble. I’m just trying to do my job here.”

  “‘Richter nodded and said, “Well, now you will do it on the midnight shift. The transfer is approved. Let me know if there’s any more trouble with this man.”’

  “David winked at me. ‘So that was the conversation. I don’t think he’ll bother you anymore. But that wasn’t really the reason I called you upstairs. There’s something else. Sit down. Today, Mayer Kapinski said to tell you that the man who betrayed your father is Louis Feinberg.’

  “I tensed. ‘Is he sure?’

  “David nodded. ‘He’s known for some time.’

  “That made my blood boil. Now I was angry. ‘He’s known for some time? Why hasn’t he done something about it? Why hasn’t this man been punished?’

  “‘Calm down. The Judenrat found out he was a traitor and that he was delivering secret information to the Gestapo. They began using him to send false messages. Now his usefulness has been spent. Kapinski said he would leave Feinberg’s fate to you, since it was your father who was murdered. You may handle it yourself or you may decide what should be done.’

  “I was stunned. How could I handle it myself? Could I play the role of executioner? I shook my head. ‘I don’t know what to do. I can’t be responsible for the death of another person. Even if he is a traitor.’

  “David smiled at me and gave me a hug. ‘No one would blame you if you did. If it was me, I’d want to strangle him, but you’re too damn decent to take action. If you’ll permit me, I’ll arrange for suitable punishment.’

  “‘No killing,’ I said. ‘I don’t want the responsibility.’

  “‘No killing.’

  “Three days later, David summoned me to his office again. ‘I’ve arranged for Feinberg’s punishment. I’d like your assistance.’ Then he laid out the plan for me.

  “That night, David had an anonymous note, written in German, delivered to Feinberg: Herr Feinberg. You are directed to meet a designated messenger at the door of your building at 7:00 P.M.”

  “Promptly at seven, a chubby man in a tweed sport coat and felt Hamburg hat walked down the stairs and toward the door. He had a nose like a ferret and a pencil-thin mustache, not much more than a line across his lips. He looked puzzled—curious about the cryptic note he had received from his German handlers. He glanced from side to side.

  “‘Mr. Feinberg?’ I said, standing at the bottom of the stairs. He looked at me and shrugged. ‘Yeah, I’m Feinberg, but I have an important meeting, young lady, so please get out of my way.’ He waved his hand and tried to brush past me, but I stepped in front of him.

  “‘I’m your meeting.’

  “‘You? A girl? You wrote that note?’

  “
I shook my head. ‘I didn’t write it.’

  “He snorted. ‘Hmph. So the Germans send a young girl to meet me and give me instructions? What are they thinking?’ He eyed me up and down and shook his head. ‘What is your name?’

  “I never diverted my stare from his face. I needed to see his reaction. ‘I am Lena Scheinman. I am the daughter of the man you betrayed.’

  “He froze. He quickly looked around, but failed to see David standing in a darkened recess behind him. ‘Captain Scheinman?’

  “‘You betrayed my father to the Nazis. And three other patriots. You turned them all in to the Gestapo. You knew there’d be reprisals. The Gestapo executed four families. Entire families. You condemned them all. You’re a traitor and a murderer. You’re no better than the Gestapo.’

  “Feinberg shrugged. ‘Who are you to lecture me? What do you know? You’re too young. You know nothing. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a war going on, and I’ll do whatever it takes to stay alive. I know who’s in charge around here and I’ll make sure my wife and I are taken care of.’

  “‘What about my family? My mother and my baby brother? And the other families that were killed because of you?’

  “‘Unfortunate for them, but they are casualties of war. I guess they shouldn’t have been spies. You wasted your time coming here. I do what I must. Someday when you’re older you’ll understand.’

  “‘I think the Judenrat and the others in our community will be most interested in what you told me.’

  “‘Ha! Told you what? I didn’t say anything. I’ll deny it all. No one will believe your word against Louis Feinberg.’

  He turned to leave, but David stepped up from behind and put a strong hand on his shoulder. ‘I think you might be mistaken,’ David said.

  “He looked back at David. ‘Look, what’s done is done. Scheinman would have been caught anyway. It was only a matter of time. The Nazis knew there was a resistance group, all I did was to hasten the process a little.’

  “‘For favors,’ I said.

  “‘Yes, for favors. Of course, for favors. Anyone would have.’