The Grayling

by Cheryl Freier

  The color of the sky changed from an encouraging blue to a discouraging, dismal gray. The clouds were assembling and then massing. “Well, I must be going home”, he said to her. She twisted her hips slightly and said, “You can stay for a while longer can’t you?” “Well, I guess for a little while,” and he paused and said, “looks like it is going to rain. I think I would like to get home before the down pour”. “She waved her right hand in the front of her face and said, “Don’t worry about it. You can always come to my hideout”. He looked at her and smiled, and he asked, “are you sure that you have enough room?” “Of course we do”, she answered most assuredly. The cloudiness faded just as suddenly as it had appeared. Like magic, the brightness of the sun shined brightly.

  “How about we walk around the lake?” he asked her. Pausing, he said as he remembered what he wanted to ask her in the first place, “how about I ask you what your name is?” She looked at his eyes, her eyes glowing in the sunshine, and said softly, “Sarah”. He smiled. Together they walked as they left their footprints in the sand–-four feet with the same rhythm; that was the beat of their music. He looked at the ripples in the water, while she picked at some of the tops of the long grass. He spotted a school of fish swimming close to the surface of the water, and he knew that these were the fish of his survival. He smiled at her and she smiled back. There was a sense of warmth between them.

  He was thinking, “wouldn’t I like to hold her hand”, and he thought some more, “her hand looks so delicate and gentle and it feels so cold”. He concluded to himself, “she needs a strong man”, and he sighed, “I am just the right one”.

  She was thinking, “with his pointed nose, and dark, wavy blond, light brown hair, and milk white skin, and blue eyes, he looks more handsome than a German”, and she shook her head a few times up and down in affirmation. She looked at him and she frolicked in her thoughts, “he is so tall and handsome”. “Hmm”, I wonder what his name is”, she said to herself.

  They walked to the other side of the lake and then rested a few feet away from the edge. They looked at the lake, admiring its natural flow and watching the water flow, as they continued their walk. “What is your name?” she asked as she moved her head sideways. “Oh”, he stammered, “my name is Samuel”, and he pronounced his name with a voice of distinction. She smiled and nodded her approval.

  Stopping where there was a clearing of the wild grasses, which spouted up and extended their tinsel apexes, red, grey, wheat, all different earth tone colors, towards the sky; Sam bent down and knelt to the edge of the water and cupped his left hand. Bringing the clear, pristine water to his mouth, he quickly supped up a handful of the water. He breathed in and out and wiped his mouth, saying, “this is really good, fresh-tasting water”.

  He saw her reflection in the water, flowing, flowing gently away with the ripples of the water of the lake. “Don’t disappear on me”, he said quietly to himself, and he got up and wiped his mouth.

  Together, they gazed at the sky and stared quietly into the open and expansive space; both of them wishing for a peace and an end to the war. She spotted a shining, bright star and said, “I wish that I could reach up and pull down that star”. Sam was amused at the thought, and laughed out loud.

  She broke the silence by saying, “what are you going to eat for supper?” He hesitated, because his thoughts were not on food. He answered her, “most likely some of the mushrooms we had last night and maybe some berries and some pieces of flatbread”. She exclaimed, “Never heard of that kind of bread”. “Well, we have had to be resourceful and make what we can”, he answered her with a choking sound in his voice. She paused and then asked, “Do you have anything to put on the bread?” “Oh, yes”, we eat the bread with some of the quince preservatives my mother has made”, he answered, thinking of all of the hard work that went into it. “Your mom must be a really good cook,” she said. Sam smiled as a response, and he was so happy to hear Sara said that.

  The blue skies gave way to a deepening gray color once again. Thunder roared like a lion had a tooth ache and lightening bolted like the sky was angry: all of these were a harbinger of an approaching storm that was going to have a downpour. The rain fell in its downpour a few minutes later. Sam’s jacket got soaked in just a few minutes. Sarah’s sweater was soaked wet too.

  “Well, we had better get under some trees for cover”, Sam declared. Sam spotted a cluster of old trees. “Come on with me over here”, he called to Sarah. She followed and he covered her head and shoulders with his jacket, and they sat under the large trees together. They watched the rain falling. All of the leaves near them soon were covered with droplets of water. Occasionally, a rabbit would dart out of one of the nearby bushes. And the young couple would laugh at it.

  They laughed a little; they talked a little; they sang a little; they cried together a little. Sam said, “I am hungry”. Sarah said, “You must come to my hideout and eat with us. Sam hesitated, “well, all right, but only if you have enough food”. Sarah quickly answered, “I know that we have enough food otherwise I would not have invited you”.

  “But how do you really know that?” Sam asked her with a concerned expression in his voice. “I know because once a month we get a delivery of canned food. We bury the cans and use them when we need them”, she told him. If we are lucky, we get a delivery of fruits and fresh breads. The breads are so welcome. They remind of home. “Would you have any fresh bread?” Sam thought out loud and asked, but then caught his thoughts. Sarah answered with a smile on her face, “Yes. We do. It is rye bread. Do you like rye bread Sam?” she asked.

  He answered without any doubt, as he was licking his lips, “Oh, yes. I love it”. He paused for a moment, with his eyes protruding, and said, “I used to eat it all of the time with fresh butter”. The rain shut off in the sky just as suddenly as the cloudy faucets had turned on.

  The sun came out of hiding behind one of the puffy clouds. The rain stopped as suddenly as it began. There was the smell of fresh green leaves in the air. The fresh smell of the leaves and the thought of eating fresh, baked rye bread put expressions of joy on their faces.

  They walked slowly side by side for a while. Sam stopped suddenly in his tracks. Sarah hesitated and then asked him, “Why are you stopping?” He replied curtly, “in case you do not know it—there is a war all around us”.

  She hesitated as though she was dazed, and then she looked into his eyes, and she said, “Oh, okay”. “You must remember!” he cautioned her.

  She walked first and then he followed, as she led him very carefully by the side of a ravine. Then up an ascending hill and when they reached a cluster of bushes, she said, “we are almost there”. Sam cautioned her, as he held his finger on his closed lips, and she just stared at him, barely expressing any thoughts.

  “You must not talk, and you must walk very softly,” he cautioned, while whispering. She pointed to a direction to the north of them, saying, “Over there, see where there is the cluster of pine trees on the hill?” He looked for a few minutes, his right eye closed and his left eye protruding and focusing closer and closer as though he was adjusting a telescope, and he said slowly, “yes”. She continued, “Well, there in the midst of the thick, strong-looking pine trees is our house; it is in the midst of the underbrush”. “That sounds fantastic. Wow, what a place to hide”. They walked for a bit.

  “Okay, then lead me to your hideout”, Sam said, as he broke the silence. They walked up the steep hill and walked through the dozens and dozens of unseen, untouched pine trees, and almost tripped on the pine cones that had fallen beneath them; and there it was: thick brush and within the underbrush there was a large wooden house. It was almost like finding a sunken ship in the middle of the ocean. With hand hewn shutters, which had never been painted, which covered its windows so precisely; and noticeable thick planks of oak wood cut down, hewn, and chiseled for its door, the house stood still in
time, most quietly, but assuredly, but majestically; a materialistic stature of wealth, which was an obvious indication of accomplishment attributable to hard work and sacrifice.

  Looking ahead for only a short distance, he spotted a deserted figure of a man lying on the ground. Sam alerted Sarah, and they both walked over to the man. Sam exclaimed, “Why, it is a man, and he is breathing”; and at that moment, the man rolled over and opened his eyelids and stared at them, whimpering. Sam arched his neck in a downward direction and asked, “Would you like to come with us for food?” The man answered in a weak tone of voice, “Yes. I am very hungry,” and he sat up. “Just follow us”, Sam exclaimed. The man walked slower than Sam, but hobbled along, favoring his right leg.

  As they reached the clearing near the house, Sarah’s sister, Molly, ran out, waving her left hand and calling out loudly, “hello”. She spotted the ‘stranger’. She stopped where she stood, staring with her eyes instinctively and putting her hands on her breasts. Her mouth was opened and she looked like she was going to scream. Sam blurted out, “Do not be afraid. He will not harm you. He has come for some food. Molly’s sister stopped still, while gripping her hands. Sam said to the stranger, “come with us and we will get you some food”. Molly’s sister exclaimed in an indignation tone of voice, “No, no.” I do not want him in my house.” Sam held back what he wanted to say while gritting his teeth. There was a ‘dark silence for more than a moment. He could not talk to Molly. He said to the stranger, “Stay here. I will bring you some food”.

  Sarah’s dad put down the lace curtain. He said to Sam and Sarah, “welcome, welcome. You are just in time for some venison and potatoes”, and he patted Sam on the back. Sam rubbed his hands and said, “I will be back in a minute. He walked to the stranger and gave him the fish that he had caught, and he gave him a plate of venison and potatoes, saying to the stranger, “here take this, and God be with you”. The stranger looked at him with reverberating circles in his eyes, but grateful they were grateful expressions in his eyes; he grabbed the fish and grabbed the plate of cooked venison and potatoes, and he ran down the hill, and ran into the woods into his own hiding place.

  Sam looked all around the outside of the house carefully. When he was sure that no one had followed, he put up his right thumb. Sarah moved quickly to the front door and twisted the handle quickly. Together they made a quick entrance and closed the door just as quickly behind them. Both of them sighed from relief, as they walked into the large living room, which had five medium-sized wooden chairs for couches. Small-hand-sewn quilts were hung on the top of the chairs and other quilts were placed for seat cushions, providing décor somewhat in the manner that they were used to living in.

  “I will call my mother and my father”, Sarah announced. Sam nodded. In a few moments, there was the sound of two simultaneously sounding voices announcing, “So you are Sarah’s friend. And in the same sentence they announced, “Come, join us for some supper”.

  Sam was dazzled when he saw that the dining room table almost took up the entire space of the room. Large size wooden chairs surrounded the table. The smell of fresh baked bread came from the room on the side, which was the kitchen. They sat down at the table, while Sarah’s father said the blessing and cut the bread. Sarah’s mother offered strawberry jelly for the bread.

  “Where do you come from?” The father asked, as he sat way back in his high-arched chair. Sam answered, “My family had to escape from the Germans. We have been hiding in the woods nearby.”

  “The Nazis, the Germans, Hitler, they are all the same! Rotten to do what they are doing to the Jews!” he exclaimed, and his face turned red in color and he almost choked on the piece of bread that he had in his mouth. His wife bowed down her head, praying in silence.

  Sam shook his head in bewilderment. Sara did not utter a word, as she stared through the lace curtain, watching as the man seemed to have the strength to run through the trees. They sat at the kitchen table and talked about the news. “So where do you think Hitler is today?” Sarah’s father, Jonah asked. Sam answered, “Hopefully deep in Russia with his armies dying off quickly from starvation and the bitter cold. As long as he is away from Czechoslovakia, we have hope that the war will end soon!” They all raised their cups and said a toast, “May we all survive.” Sam cleared his throat and ate quickly. “Not so fast eating your food–you must savor every morsel of the food”, Jonah called out, as they all shoveled the food into their mouths. Sam smiled and nodded his head.

  He looked at Sam and asked, “Would you like a cup of homemade tea?” Sam drank a cup of homemade tea and sat and talked with Jonah for another fifteen minutes about his father’s lumber business. Sara and her mother cleared the table. Molly swept the floor.

  The man looked at Sam, whose eyes were beginning to close and he said, “Young man, let me get you something from the kitchen for you to take home with you”. “Well, it is getting late and I must be going on my way,” Sam said, as he pushed the chair away from the table slowly.

  The man had several handfuls of sugar cookies wrapped in a checkered cloth, large blue and white colored cloth. “Here”, he said. “This will bide your time on your way home and there are plenty of extras”. “Yes, yes. Thanks so much”, Sam answered and he immediately took one of the cookies to chew on. Sam eyed another cookie and then closed the cloth checkered cloth and put the cookies into his coat pocket.

  As he left the house, Sam felt a somewhat silence feeling and he shivered. Sam shrugged his shoulders as if he did not understand the silence, but continued a fast pace, because he knew it was not safe to be alone in the woods at night or day. He wondered about the war and wondered if the Nazis would ever discover the house, which was in the middle of the pine trees. “Better to have an underground bunker”, he muttered to himself. He questioned, “Was it real or was it an enchanted house?” He threw his hands up in the air and walked on. His feet did their job almost automatically. His mind began to think of Jewish history. The indomitable fortress of Masada entered his mind. The Romans succeeded in conquering the fortress after a long siege. “But the people held on to the last minute,” he said to himself. What about Queen Esther? She conquered a Haman single-handed. Sam’s thoughts came back to reality; Sam felt his forehead, because it was beginning to throb. “Must not get too upset,” he cautioned himself.

  It took him less time to come home than it took to find the house. This was the first time in a long while that his feet ached. He announced to his family, “There is another family living just three miles up the trail.” He showed the cookies to his family. Everyone took one and expressed how good the cookies tasted. No one asked questions why he had been gone so long. They sat for a while quietly all together. Occasionally one person looked at another, but for the most part there was silence for at least an hour. Anna initiated a thought, “I wish that I could visit some of my family”. No answer from anyone.

  They all sat for a while. Joseph got up and asked, “Who will go with me to find our breakfast?” Silence, and Joseph did not pursue it. Martin, after a few minutes, initiated, “I will go with you”. Joseph nodded his head. Soon they were on their way. Fishing poles in their hands.

  Anna asked, “Would you like some of the supper?” Sam answered quickly, “Yes, I am hungry”, and he sat quietly on the crudely hewn kitchen stool and rested his elbows softly on the crudely hewn kitchen table. Mushrooms, which were dipped in wild berry sauce was the supper. Sam gobbled it all down. Sam was up early the next morning. He said to Anna, “I am going to pick berries”. She nodded and looked at him with a strong sense of awe and admiration.

  Sam emerged from their well-built tunnel for escape and entered the whirlpool of the German net that was ever present in his mind, and, of course, was real. He knew. He knew that he had to remember her name. He headed for the lake. He headed to see her, Sara. He said to himself over and over again, Sara, Sara, Sara, and he started to hum and he felt happ
y.

  Near the lake, he picked some berries and put them in his knapsack. When he got to the lake, he fashioned a string by twisting three strong vines and cutting them with his pen knife; he attached the vine to a pole that he had made by cutting off a long and tall branch from a beech tree and he left the pole where he could easily find it on the side of the lake. When he came to the lake and sat at the edge of the lake he fished.

  She was swimming in the water and she saw him and waved. She came out and wiped her body, starting from her hair and then her breasts and working her way down to her toes. She bent down to wipe off her toes. She quickly wrapped the towel around herself. He continued to fish and made believe that he had not noticed her. She dressed quickly into the same outfit. She walked over to him and sat down beside him and they both watched the water for a sign of a bubble or a bob of the fishing pole. “Sometimes it is hard to catch a salmon or a grayling”, she said.

  “Once in a while a big salmon lurks by, but it is hard to catch one, because they are a very large size fish, maybe even two feet long”. Just as Sara was describing the salmon fish, which is unique to the river waters and streams in Czechoslovakia, the pole jutted upwards and moved sideways about 190 degrees. Sam’s hand suddenly was jerked as the fishing pole was being pulled down into the water, but slowly–-being pulled into the ripples of the lake. Suddenly, in space of two minutes, white clear, iridescent bubbles emerged to the top of the water–-and, behold, like magic, a fish could be seen just about coming up to the surface. “Oh, a fish”, she exclaimed, with a rush of pink color to her face. “Yep, and not too hard to catch either”, and he pulled the fish out of the water. It was not hard. He gave the pole one hard pull and up into the air the fish flew. But the fish was strong and fought back. The fish pulled mightily and tugged mightily until Sam thought that he might have to let him go! He backed away from the lake and the more the fish was away from the water, the less chance of surviving it had. Sam smiled and said, “Well, I guess that we will have fish for dinner after all”. They parted for the day. She went to her hideout and he went to his.