The Heart Of A Gypsy

by Roberta Kagan

  Chapter73

  When Nadya saw Christian sitting in the ballroom she almost cried out and ran to him. His eyes told her she must be still and reveal nothing. But he was relieved to see her alive and unharmed. “This Officer would like to spend some time with you. Make sure he is happy. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes,” Nadya answered the guard.

  “Sir,” the guard addressed Christian, “There are private rooms upstairs. You are free to use one. Just turn to your right and you will find a series of open rooms with very comfortable beds. These are the pleasure rooms. The girls’ dorms are on the left.”

  “Thank you,” Christian said as he took Nadya’s arm and led her up the stairs.

  “Christian, thanks be to God, you are here. The dead man’s ribbon worked.”

  “Nadya…shhh…be quiet. Let’s get into one of the rooms and then we’ll talk.”

  Once they’d closed the door to the private room she leapt into his arms, and he held her close to him.

  “Hanzi is dead,” she whispered. “The Nazis killed him before they took me. I couldn’t stop them.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.” He kissed her hair. He wanted to linger, taking in the very essence of her, but he knew he must explain and act quickly. “Nadya, listen, this is important. Your brother is outside with the Polish Resistance. We’ve come to take you out of here. You and I will spend the night together in this room. It will look as if I am a customer. Then at dawn I will unlock all the doors. Within a few minutes the raid will begin. While the Underground is attacking the house, you and I will escape back to our camp.”

  “Thank God. You know, last night I took out the dead man’s ribbon and I talked to the Shera Rom, and now here you are. He sent you. Oh, Christian, I am so happy to see you.”

  He kissed her and drunk in the scent of her hair like a drug. “I am so glad you are all right.”

  “I have two friends here, Christian. I cannot leave them. One is a gypsy girl; they have beaten her because she cannot do as they ask. The other is a beautiful, brave Jewish girl who has given me strength through her friendship. Can we take them with us?”

  Christian hadn’t counted on this. He’d planned to create the chaos, and if the other women wanted to escape they would have the opportunity. But when he looked into Nadya’s pleading eyes, he realized that he must assure the safety of her friends.

  “We’ll take them with us. Do you know where to find them?”

  “Of course.”

  Chapter 74

  It was early evening, when all of the women in the house were to report to the ballroom for roll call. Nadya would be there so as not to draw attention to herself. But as soon as attendance was taken, Christian would come down to the ballroom and claim her for the evening. At roll call, Christian instructed Nadya to find her two friends and tell them to meet at her room just before dawn. He also insisted that she give them no further information. “We will explain more once everything has begun. It isn’t worth the risk if one of the girls is questioned and she decides to talk,” he told Nadya firmly. “And be careful; tell them quickly and quietly. As soon as they allow the customers to enter the ballroom I will be there to claim you.

  It disturbed him to let Nadya out of his sight, even for a few minutes. He could have gone down to the office and claimed her for another night, but then she would not have been able to leave the room at all. He knew how stubborn she could be; she had to make contact with the other girls because she would never leave the soldier house without her friends.

  When the eight o’clock bell rang, each of the women headed to the ballroom as they did every night. If the eight-ten bell rang and someone was not present for attendance, she would be severely punished.

  While the girls were lining up, Christian went to the office and got special permission to keep Nadya with him for the entire night.

  “I could not find Tsura. We will have to check her room right before we are going to escape,” Nadya said once she and Christian had returned to the private room following roll call.

  Christian nodded. “And your other friend, the Jewish girl… You didn’t tell her what we have planned? It is best she not know.”

  “I didn’t tell her anything…only to meet me at the room we share, and to try to be there by dawn.”

  “Perfect,” Christian said.

  Chapter 75

  The morning light just began to illuminate the darkness of the night sky as Christian took Nadya’s hand and followed her to the room she shared with Yetta. Yetta was awake and waiting, as Nadya had told her to be.

  “Nadya, I had a hell of a time getting away from the soldier I was with… What’s going on?” Yetta began.

  Nadya cut her off, “Yetta, come… Follow me…”

  Yetta cast a suspicious glance at the man who stood beside Nadya wearing the black uniform of the SS.

  “It’s all right. He’s my husband; it’s a disguise. Hurry, I’ll explain later,” Nadya told Yetta.

  Yetta stared in disbelief, “You said he would come.”

  “I knew he would. The Shera Rom heard my prayer through his dead man’s ribbon and brought my husband to rescue us. Hurry, we must find Tsura.

  Nadya ran across the hall to Tsura’s room, with Christian and Yetta close behind her. Tsura lay upon her cot with her face to the wall.

  “Tsura,” Nadya said in Romany. “My husband is here to help us escape. This is him,” she indicated Christian. “Don’t be afraid of the uniform; it’s only a disguise. He wore it so he could get in here and find me. Hurry, follow us.”

  Tsura jumped up from her bed and followed close behind Nadya.

  “Sweetheart,” Christian said as he held fast to Nadya’s arm, “Show me where all of the doors are located in this place.”

  “I don’t know where they are. I have only been here a short time and have only been allowed out of my bedroom for the last couple of days,” Nadya answered.

  “I know where they are. Follow me.” It was Yetta. She led Christian to each of the doors. As planned, the entire building was surrounded by the Resistance. Christian opened each door, giving a quick hand signal which was registered by a group who waited outside. Then he listened for the Sintis bird call. Once he heard it, Christian left the door unlocked and quickly moved to the next one. At each of the doorways he executed the same plan, readying the building for the attack by the Resistance.

  The three girls escorted by Christian passed by guards in the hallway, but because of Christian’s uniform the Nazi’s only smiled and waved them on, assuming they were headed to the restaurant or bar.

  “This is the last door,” Yetta told Christian. It was behind the building near the kitchen. The kitchen, a large structure filled with steel refrigerators, stoves and wooden preparation islands, was closed for the night. But the smells of food still lingered.

  Christian cracked the door open and gave a special hand signal indicating that all of the doors were unlocked, and that now the Resistance could enter and begin the attack. From where he stood, Christian heard the special bird call, the one that informed the entire group that everything was in place to begin.

  Now Christian turned to the girls, “Listen closely. Soon many men will be coming through these doors with guns. There will be fighting, shooting and danger. As they come in, we will rush out. There will be a great deal of confusion. The Nazis will be caught off guard, so expect to see men shot to death. It will be unpleasant, but you must not stop to look; you must stay close behind me. Do not hesitate or look back for any reason. We are leaving this place very soon. Very soon you will be free. ”

  Chapter 76

  The sun burst through the darkness as Christian pushed the kitchen door open to let the light in. With the light came the Partisians. They dashed into the soldier house, as silent as a pack of female lions on a hunt. They arrived armed and ready from all directions. Soon the entire building was infiltrated with freedom fighters. Christian held fast to Nadya’s hand. With her other hand Nady
a held on to Yetta, who gripped Tsura as they dashed out into the yard.

  “Keep running and remember, no matter what happens, don’t look back,” Christian yelled. The soldier house became filled with the noise of machine-gun fire. Hysterical screams from both men and women rose from within, breaking the stillness of the dawn. Dead bodies of German guards lay sprawled across the front lawn. The girls slowed down, stunned by the horrific display, but Christian pulled Nadya as he edged them on.

  “Come on… Keep going… We cannot stay here.”

  Men, women, guards and freedom fighters were running in all directions. As Christian and the girls crossed the street just outside of the brothel, they saw Shmul, who lay dying. Blood surrounded him, and his body seemed to be riddled with bullets. Christian had to stop. He knew he should keep going, but he could not leave Shmul to die alone in the road. Christian bent down on his knee and looked into the eyes of the man who had once been so skeptical of him, but whom he had grown to consider a dear friend.

  From out of nowhere Ion appeared. “Shmul,” Ion said; the pain in his voice was clear. The Jew smiled at Ion with the wizened grin that had become so endearing to everyone at the gypsy camp.

  “Ion, Christian, my friends…get out of here… Can’t you see it’s dangerous?” Shmul said.

  “I can’t leave you. Christian and I will carry you,” Ion said.

  “Don’t be crazy… Go, I am dying.” Shmul’s face lit up. “But you know what? It’s all right… because…it is far better to die here as a fighter than in the concentration camp as a victim,” Shmul said.

  Ion glanced at Christian. Then Ion gripped Shmul’s hand tightly as he felt the life leaving Shmul’s body. For a moment it looked as if Shmul had something to say. Both Christian and Ion waited, but he did not speak again. He would never speak again. Instead, Shmul just winked at Ion, closed his eyes, and left the cruelty of the world behind.

  Then something happened. Something changed. Something drastic.

  Suddenly people of all shapes and sizes were running through the streets, shouting that the Allies had invaded Normandy and Germany was losing the war.

  It was then that Christian looked over at Ion and realized that sometime during the commotion Ion had taken a shot to his shoulder. Christian helped him up, held Ion’s waist, and the five of them ran through the alleyways until they reached the train going out of Berlin. The train station was in chaos. The guards were stunned by the news of the invasion. Between the confusion surrounding them and the fact that the women were escorted by two “SS officers,” the group was not even asked to present papers when boarding the train to Warsaw. If the request had been made, there would have been another bloody battle on the train platform. Ion was doing his best to hide his injury; the blood blended well into the black jacket. But Ion was growing weak. When the train finally stopped, they got off and found the horses that Christian had left waiting for them at the edge of the forest, saddled and ready to go. Christian was worried about Ion.

  “Are you well enough to ride, my brother?” Christian asked him.

  “I was born on horseback… Don’t worry about me,” Ion smiled.

  “I’ll take Nadya and Tsura. Can you ride with Yetta?”

  Yetta smiled, “How about this? I can ride very well. Ion, you sit behind me. I’ll follow Christian back to the camp,” Yetta said.

  Once they arrived back at the gypsy camp, Dr. Melvin heated a knife, and after a stiff dose of whiskey, Ion gritted his teeth while the doctor cut the bullet out of his shoulder. Then Dr. Melvin used a needle and thread to sew the wound after he poured some of the whiskey over the incision. He looked at Ion, “You’re as white as the lace on a bride’s wedding gown. Are you all right?”

  “Yes, but I’m glad that’s over.” Ion lay back on his cot.

  Christian had been sitting silently beside Ion through the entire ordeal. He asked Dr. Melvin, “How is he?”

  “He’ll make it…but he needs rest and care; he’s lost a lot of blood. The good thing is that we have meat, and that should help him to rebuild his strength,” Dr. Melvin said.

  Ion was pale and weak, but smiling as he glanced over at his dear friend and brother. “We did it, Christian.”

  “Yes, we did… Thanks be to God,” Christian said.

  Nadya smiled at her brother, and he back at her. “I knew you both would come… I never gave up hope.”

  “She didn’t; that’s true,” Yetta said, and she took Nadya’s hand. “And thank you both for taking me with you.”

  Yetta looked at Ion. She was astounded at the brave Gypsy who’d worn an SS uniform to rescue them. Then Ion glanced back at her. Christian saw that the two were mutually attracted. Perhaps his brother-in-law’s wish to someday marry would be granted very soon.

  “Ion, Nadya,” Christian took a deep breath as he addressed them both. The time had come. He would reveal his dreaded secret. He owed them that. “I have not been entirely honest with you. There is something I must confess.” He swallowed hard. This was the hardest thing Christian had ever done. Even as he spoke he knew he ran the risk of losing everything he held dear in the world. But he could not go on living a lie.

  Ion looked at Christian. “Go on,” Ion said.

  “I am not from Norway,” Christian said, and looked from Ion to Nadya, his eyes filled with pain. “I am a German. My name is Christian Eberhart. My father is a Nazi a doctor at Auschwitz, a madman. I have spent my entire life trying to make up for his failures as a human being. It was only when I could not find Nadya that I went to my father to find her. There was no other way. I would never have gone to him for anything for myself, but for my wife…I would do anything I had to do…risk anything I had to risk,” Christian continued. “I love you…both of you. You are my family. But if you feel that I am not worthy of your love, then just say the word and I will go away and never return.”

  Ion cleared his throat and studied his friend as he spoke, “Christian, you are not your father. You are not responsible for his crimes. I have known you for over a year now, and you are good and kind man. And I am proud to say you are my brother, the husband of my sister and my best friend.”

  A single tear fell from Christian’s eye. Then he turned to Nadya. “Can you forgive me?”

  “Christian, I love you. I don’t care who your parents are or what country they came from. Their crimes do not reflect on you. You are my husband, now and forever. I love you,” Nadya said as she took his hand. “You are one of us, you are Rom, and you do have the heart of a gypsy.”

  Chapter 77

  Once they were alone together in their wagon, Nadya fell into Christian’s arms. He cradled her like a baby.

  “It was terrible at the soldier house… I was so afraid… But I knew…somehow I knew that you would come,” she whispered into his ear.

  “I could not rest until I found you. I was so petrified that I might be too late. If they had hurt you, or worse, I don’t know what I would have done. I was like a wild man until I saw you and I knew you were all right.” Christian ran his fingers through her hair.

  “Oh, Christian, in a way you were…too late, I mean.” Her tears fell onto his naked chest and he reached down to her face to wipe them away.

  “Too late? You’re here now and that’s all that matters to me,” he said as he hugged her.

  “I was pregnant,” she said. “I was going to tell you when you returned. They killed the baby…and Christian, forgive me please, but they did something to me so that I cannot have any more children. The doctor at Auschwitz made me sterile.”

  His blood boiled. Could the doctor have been his father? “Oh God, Nadya,” Christian said. “ I am so very sorry,” Nadya whispered, not meeting his eyes. “I will understand if you don’t love me or don’t want me now… I know I am no longer worthy of being your wife... If you want to find someone else, someone who can give you children, I must respect your wishes…”

  “Nadya,” he kissed her forehead. “Sweetheart, my darling, my lo
ve, there is no one else in this world for me…no one. I will never stop loving you, and no matter what happens, I will always want you. You, and only you, are my life, the reason I can go on living, no matter what this world throws at me, is because I have you. You see, Sweetheart, I just look at you and I say that there is good in this world because my wife lives, and all around her is joy and light.” He gently lifted her chin so that his eyes could meet hers. “I have a feeling that when this war is over there will be many orphaned children. We will find one and we will raise it as our own, the same way that you once found Hanzi.” He saw the pain in her face. “I am sorry for everything that has happened to you. All I ever wanted to do was to protect you and help to build a better world for you.” His eyes were moist with tears. “I am so sorry about the baby, and what happened to Hanzi. My darling, I know how much you have suffered, but please realize that we are blessed because we still have each other… and together you and I must go forward from here. If we let this setback defeat us, then the Nazis have won. Please,” he begged, “Please, let me love you, and let my love make you strong and complete again. I know you have lost a great deal, but my love for you is powerful, more powerful than the whole Third Reich. You’ll see, just give me a chance. Let me heal you. Let me help you to forget,” he said.

  As he took her into his arms, she released her pain and sorrow as she surrendered to his undying love.

  Author’s Note

  Very little is ever discussed of the plight of the Romany, or the Roma, under the Nazi rule. That is why I chose to write this story.

  Bands of Freedom Fighters, many of them Romany, escaped from the tyranny of the Third Reich into the forests of Eastern Europe, where they hid until the end of the war.