Fire and Steel, Volume 2

by Gerald N. Lund

He was suddenly hesitant. “I know that you and your family are Lutheran. And, as you know, we are Catholic, as is most of Bavaria.”

  She stepped back so she could watch his face. “Go on.”

  “Papa wants us to be married in the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Oberammergau. It is a very beautiful church, almost like a small cathedral. But it is also very Catholic, with statues of saints everywhere, lots of gold leafing, murals, and the like. Is that going to be offensive to you and your family, especially your mother?”

  She was nodding as he finished. “Before I answer that, let me ask you a couple of questions. Where would you like to be married?”

  Hans’s shoulders lifted and fell. “You know me. I’m not what anyone would call a devout anything, so it doesn’t really matter. But I want you to be happy, Emilee.”

  She reached out and laid a hand on his arm. “Thank you for that. What about your mother?”

  “Mother,” he said with soft affection, “is always the peacemaker. She’ll do whatever we say, but I know she’s worried about offending your family.”

  “What would she choose if it were completely up to her?”

  “Good question. Remember, my mother is a Mormon. She’s no longer Catholic.”

  “Oh, yes, I remember you saying that. So what does that mean? Would she like to have it in a Mormon church?”

  “Not necessarily. First of all, they meet in rented halls. In the second place, the nearest congregation is in Munich. If it weren’t for that, she’d probably love it if her Mormon pastor, or whatever they call them, performed the wedding. And that’s not just because she’s a Mormon. From what she says, I understand that the Mormons believe that marriage should be for eternity, not just for time only.”

  That brought Emilee’s head up. “What does that mean?”

  “I’m not sure. Mama just says that she hates that part of the wedding ceremony where they say, ‘Until death do you part.’”

  “I do too. So what do they do differently?”

  He shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her. But back to your question. I think Mama would prefer it if we had the wedding at our parish church right here in Graswang. It’s small. It’s quiet. Most of their friends are here. But, what do you want, Emilee?”

  She took his arm as they began to walk again. “Actually, Mother is not very happy with our pastor lately.”

  “Why is that?”

  “When we first moved back to Pasewalk, we were welcomed into the local parish quite warmly. Then, as Mama’s health declined, we just kind of dropped off his list. He never came to see her. Never inquired after her. She was not used that. Her pastor in Königsberg was very caring and concerned. But she knows that your family is Catholic. I think she just assumes it will be in a Catholic church.”

  “Is your Onkel Artur coming down with your family?”

  “Of course. They’ll all come together.”

  “Gut. So, let’s talk to Mama. If she agrees, I’ll tell Papa that we want it in our local church, and that will be that. With you, me, and Mama united, he’ll give in.”

  “Then it’s settled.”

  February 1, 1919, 7:40 p.m.—Der Leuchtender Stern Restaurant, Oberammergau, Bavaria

  As Hans watched the waitresses in the Bright Star Restaurant distributing the last of the dessert, he leaned over and put his arm around Emilee. “Well, Frau Eckhardt, are you happy?”

  “Do you have to ask?”

  “I think the wedding went well. Do you think your mother was pleased?”

  “More than pleased, Hans. Afterward she told me how worried she had been about it being a Catholic wedding and how happy she was with how it turned out.”

  “Good. I’m very glad.”

  “In the Lutheran church, we believe that a wedding is a religious service and not just a social occasion. The reception is the time for the social aspects, but the wedding ceremony itself should be a worship service that praises God and sanctifies the marital union.”

  “I’d say that was true of our Catholic service, too.”

  “Exactly. That is what pleased her. It was reverent, worshipful, and sacred. Actually, I was surprised to see how much alike our two services are—the processional, the prayers, the music, the reading of selected scriptures. We have all of those too.” Then she jabbed him with her elbow. “So, newly wedded husband of mine, which scripture was your favorite?”

  If she had thought she would catch him by surprise, she was wrong. He answered without hesitation. “Well, I’m hardly a scripture scholar, but I really liked the one from Genesis about Adam and Eve.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, after God created Eve, he said that the two of them should become as one flesh. With you standing right there beside me and knowing that in a few moments we would be husband and wife, the idea that we could become as if we were one person was really profound to me.”

  “And me as well,” Emilee murmured.

  Just then there was a sudden clinking of metal on crystal. They turned. Hans’s father was on his feet, tapping his glass with his spoon. The room quickly quieted.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began. “Friends, neighbors, and family. Before we begin the dancing, we would like to present the bride and groom with gifts from their families. We shall begin with a gift from Emilee’s family. Then, Hans Otto’s sisters shall present them with our family’s present. Then, Dr. Schnebling, Emilee’s godfather, and I will present our gifts. And finally, we shall have a very special presentation by our grandchildren.” He nodded to Emilee’s mother. “Frau Fromme, would you like to begin?”

  Emilee’s mother got slowly to her feet, looking wan and somewhat tired, but joyful, too. “Thank you, Herr Eckhardt. I shall be brief. To Hans we say, welcome to our family. You have filled my daughter’s life with joy, and for that I shall be eternally grateful. Danke schön.”

  She turned to her sons. “Ernst and Heinz-Albert shall present our gift to you.”

  Hans leaned over to Emilee. “You were behind them in the processional, but I wish you could have seen Heinz-Albert as he marched with the groomsmen and the bridesmaids. He was so proud to be paired up with Annaliese.”

  Almost instantly tears welled up. “He told me later. He even remembered her name. Thank you for including him, Hans. Mama and I are very grateful.”

  The gift Emilee’s brothers brought over was a large punch bowl made of lead crystal and embellished with an elegant floral design cut into the glass. With its base and ladle it made a beautiful set, and the audience responded with exclamations of wonder.

  Next, two of Hans’s three sisters got up and headed for the gift table. Anna, who was now in her eighth month of pregnancy, stood and waited where she was. Ilse and Heidi returned carrying a gift that was not wrapped, because it was a large and bulky quilt. Each sister got ahold of one side of the quilt and held it up high, letting it fall out to its full length. Emilee’s hands flew up to her cheeks as she gasped in delight. The quilt was for a double bed and was obviously handmade. It was deep, royal blue. In the center was a large red heart with stitching across it.

  HANS AND EMILEE

  LOVE ETERNAL

  FEBRUARY 1, 1919

  Emilee got to her feet and came around to join her new sisters-in-law. “It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, close to tears. “Turn it so everyone can see.” As they did so and more applause began, Emilee hugged each of them.

  “Thank you,” Emilee whispered. “Thank you for accepting me into your family.”

  Ilse choked up. “After seeing what you’ve done for our little brother, you are our family.” Hans Sr. was tapping on the glass with his spoon, so everyone quickly sat down again. “All right,” he said, not waiting for everyone to get settled. “Dr. Schnebling and I have decided to present our gifts together. Artur?” As the doctor got up, he turned to his left. “And would the happy couple please join us as well?”

  Hans’s father shook hands with Emilee’s godfather, and then together they withdrew envelop
es from their jacket pockets. Artur handed his to Emilee. Hans Sr. handed his to his son. “Open them together,” he suggested.

  When they did so, Emilee and Hans both gasped. “Five hundred marks?” Hans cried. Emilee held hers up too. “Five hundred marks also.”

  “To get you started in life,” Artur said, stepping forward and taking Emilee into his arms. He kissed her on the forehead. “I am so happy for you, Emilee. And so proud.”

  Hans was staring at his father. “Papa, I . . . I don’t know what to say.”

  Hans Sr. smiled, immensely pleased. “I think danke schön is a good start.”

  By this time, everyone was standing and applauding. Finally, Hans Sr. held up his hands. As the group sat down again, Artur, Emilee, and Hans returned to their seats.

  “Thank you, thank you,” Hans Sr. called. “Now, as I said, Hans’s nieces, nephews, and cousins have a presentation to make.” He held out his hand toward a side entrance into the hall. Immediately the children marched in, with Annaliese, the oldest, in the lead. They came in single file, not in order by age, but by height. The girls were glowing with anticipation. The boys looked like they were trying very hard not to giggle. Bruno and Miki, the two youngest, brought up the rear. They formed a line in front of the head table facing the audience. Miki and Bruno came forward in front of the others. Bruno held a roll of butcher paper in his hands. He held it out so that Miki could take the edge of it and they moved apart, unrolling it for all to see. Instantly the crowd erupted with laughter followed by even more enthusiastic applause.

  Hans Sr. called out over the noise. “Hans. Emilee. This is all the children’s doing. You need to come around and look.” Taking Emilee by the hand, Hans led her out and around the children. When they saw what it was they stopped, and then they too clapped their hands and started to laugh.

  In the center of the banner was a red heart, identical to the one on the quilt. Inside the heart, painted in white letters, it said ONKEL HANS & TANTE EMILEE. To the left of the heart, in larger black letters, it read PLEASE COME SEE US. To the right, in the same sized letters, the sentence continued. AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.

  Instantly, Emilee was in tears. She started forward to hug the children, but Annaliese waved her back. “Miki has something from all of us to you. Please stand together.”

  Hans and Emilee did so, facing the crowd now. Miki handed her side of the banner to Bruno and came around in front of the pair. She was very solemn and held her hands together in front of her, as though she were ready to pray. She stood there for a moment and then took two steps forward, stopping in front of Hans. She beckoned for him to bend down. When he did so, she went up on tiptoes and kissed him on both cheeks. “We love you, Onkel Hans.”

  Pretty close to tears himself, he managed a hoarse, “And I love all of you.”

  Miki moved to face Emilee. Again her finger wiggled. Emilee bent down close, and Miki kissed her on both cheeks with that same solemnity. “We love you, too, Tante Emilee.”

  Tears were streaming down Emilee’s cheeks and she couldn’t speak. Miki stepped back and started to return to her place. But suddenly, she whirled around and ran back to Emilee, throwing her arms around her. “I love you so much, Tante Emilee. I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

  Except for a lot of sniffles that could be heard, the room was silent as Miki turned and trotted back to rejoin Bruno. Hans Sr. got to his feet, wiping at the corner of his eyes with his handkerchief. Then he cleared his throat and called out. “All right. Let’s get these tables and chairs moved back, and let’s dance.”

  8:45 p.m.

  Hans Sr. and Inga came over to where Hans and Emilee were talking with Herr Holzer, the schoolmaster who had been such an influence in Hans Otto’s life. Holzer and his wife shook hands with the Eckhardts and then said good night and moved away. Hans Sr. and Inga turned the bride and groom around and moved with them over to the corner. “Hans, Emilee,” Inga said. “Your father and I have one more thing to give you.”

  Hans Sr. withdrew another envelope from his jacket and handed it to Hans Otto. He just stared at it. “What’s this, Papa?”

  “A little more to help you get started.”

  Hans gave his mother a questioning look. “Open it,” she said with a smile.

  When he did so, he fell back a step. After a moment, he held the check out so Emilee could read it. One hand flew to her mouth. “Two thousand marks! But you already gave us so much!”

  “Shh,” her father-in-law said. Then to Hans Otto: “Your mother and I believe that your plan to open up a mechanic’s garage to repair trucks is a wonderful idea. If the army had given you your severance pay, you would have had enough to do that. But they didn’t.”

  Hans looked quickly at Emilee and back at his father. “We will take it on one condition. It is a loan, and we shall pay it back as quickly as we are able.”

  “Yes,” Emilee said firmly. “A loan. But how generous of you. I don’t know what to say.”

  Hans Sr. was shaking his head. “On the day your mother and I were married, my father deeded over the dairy farm to us, even though he and Mama lived with us for many years after that. Since you have signed the farm over to your sisters, this is the least we can do for you.”

  Struggling to keep his voice level, Hans said again, “It’s a loan, Papa. And we will pay it back. But this is heaven sent. Thank you, Papa. Thank you, Mama.”

  Emilee wiped at her tears, laughing softly. “You’d think that I wouldn’t have any more tears left today, but. . . .” She stepped to Inga and put her arms around her. “I know your daughters will always be there for you, Inga, but we would be honored if, when the time comes that you need some help, you would come and live with us.”

  “Thank you, dearest Emilee,” Inga said, weeping unashamedly, “but surely you know by now that you are one of my daughters too. It just took me a while to convince Hans of that.”

  February 15, 1919, 2:40 p.m.—Herrnstrasse 16, Obermenzing District, Munich

  Five-year-old Bruno Groll looked up from his stack of blocks. The sound of an engine outside was unmistakable, but normally he didn’t take notice of passing cars. But there was a squeak of brakes. When the motor died, he was up like a shot and to the front window. He took one look and then began jumping up and down and hollering at the top of his lungs. “Mama, Mama! Emilee! Come look! It’s a taxi. Hans and Tante Inga are here!”

  Paula Groll came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. Emilee was beside her.

  “Look, Mama. It’s Tante Inga.”

  Highly skeptical, Paula looked at Emilee. “That can’t be.” But Bruno was now shouting through the window and waving wildly.

  “Oh my word,” Paula cried. She whirled and called up the stairs. “Gretl! Come down quickly. Bruno, pick up the blocks.” Then she turned to Emilee. “Did you know Inga was coming?”

  “No. Hans called his father yesterday and asked him to ship his toolbox up. He called back last night to say it would be on this afternoon’s train. But he said nothing about Inga coming.”

  Just then, Gretl, who was thirteen, came running down the stairs and joined them at the window. “Tante Inga’s here?”

  “Yes. Hurry. Put the dishes in the sink and the bread dough in the ice box.” As she started away, Paula took off her apron and threw it at her. “Here, Gretl. Take this.” Then taking a deep breath, she calmly walked into the front hallway, motioning for Emilee to follow her. “Come. Let’s go say hello.”

  2:45 p.m.

  “Why didn’t you call?” Paula asked.

  Inga reached up and removed her hat and set it on the lamp table beside the sofa. “Because I didn’t know I was coming until about an hour before we left. My Hans was out in the barn getting young Hans’s toolbox ready to take to the train station. I was watching him and saying something about it being two weeks since the wedding and things like that, when Ilse, Heidi, and Anna came in. They had my suitcase all packed.” Inga laughed gaily. “At first I started
giving them all these reasons why I couldn’t go, but then I just stopped and said to myself, why not? And so here I am.”

  “Well, what a wonderful surprise.”

  They heard the front door open, followed by a loud clunk. A moment later the door closed again, and they heard the taxi driving away. Finally Hans came into the room, brushing his hands against his pant legs. He came over and sat down beside Emilee. As he took her hands, she pulled them away. “Ooh. Your hands are cold.”

  He reached out and took hers again. “I know. That’s why I want you to warm them up.”

  “Did the tools make the journey all right?” she asked.

  “Not a scratch,” he said.

  Inga chuckled. “Your father threatened the porter with physical harm if anything happened to them.” Hans turned to his aunt. “Paula, is it all right if I leave the toolbox in the hallway for now? I’ll move it upstairs later.”

  “Of course.”

  “How about my crate of cheese?” Inga asked her son. “Is it all right?”

  “It’s in good shape too, Mutti.”

  “Crate of cheese?” Paula asked, looking at her sister.

  “Yes, six rounds. About a hundred and twenty pounds. One for you and Wolfie. One for Hans and Emilee.” She turned to Emilee. “A housewarming present from Graswang.”

  “Mama,” Hans broke in. “We haven’t signed the papers on the flat yet. Who are the other four wheels of cheese for?”

  “I’m giving them to the branch.” She turned to Paula. “I assume we’re going to church tomorrow.”

  Paula nodded, but Emilee was a little irritated that Hans had given her such an abrupt explanation about their new home. So she turned to Inga. “We sign the lease on Thursday,” she explained to Inga. “They already have our deposit. And then we move in on Saturday.” She turned back to Hans. “Tell her, Hans. Tell here where it is.” Then to Inga: “It’s a wonderful place for a mechanic’s garage.”

  Though he tried to look annoyed, Hans was actually delighted to be asked about it. “Well, Mama, I know you don’t know Munich any better than I do, but Wolfie helped me find it. It’s in a district called Milbertshofen.”