CHAPTER 26 - OLDENBURG, GERMANY—JANUARY 24, 1917 #2
“Bruno,” Norbie said. “You must go to the guide dog school to observe. You’ll be impressed when you see them train.”
“I’m sure I will.” Bruno paused, stepping away from Nia, and pointed to the stove. “I brought dry sausage and onions from an officers’ boardinghouse in France. It’s all I could gather before I left.”
“It’s a blessing,” Anna said. “Danke.”
Norbie dished sliced sausage and caramelized onions onto plates, and they sat at the table with Max next to Norbie, and Anna next to Bruno. Norbie said grace, giving thanks for Bruno’s safe arrival and his gift of food.
Anna took a bite of sausage and chewed, savoring the rich, gamey flavor.
She wondered, although briefly, how long it’d been since she’d eaten meat.
Burying her thoughts, she glanced to Bruno.
His eyes were surrounded by dark circles, and the hair near his temples had turned gray.
You’ll eat and sleep and forget about the war.
“The sausage is delicious, Bruno,” Norbie said.
“Ja,” Max said. “It’s generous of you to share your food.”
Bruno nodded and forked a hunk of sausage.
Anna, despite her head buzzing with a flurry of things that she wanted to ask, refrained from overwhelming Bruno with too many questions.
Based on her experience as a nurse, she knew that it often took soldiers some time to acclimate to life away from the war.
And considering the way Bruno’s eyes remained fixated on his plate, she assumed that it might take a while for him to adjust to being home. He’ll engage when he’s ready.
“Bruno,” Norbie said. “I wish you could have seen Nia when Anna brought her home.”
Bruno looked up from his food.
“Nia had been trained as an ambulance dog, but she injured her paws at the front.” Norbie glanced at Nia, curled on the floor, and he lowered his voice, as if he were sheltering his words from a child’s ears.
“She was deathly thin and couldn’t walk, and she was on the verge of being euthanized.
Anna saved her, and now she’s a guide dog. ”
“That’s not entirely true,” Anna said. “You and Emmi helped.”
“Nia is lucky to have you, Anna,” Max said.
Bruno placed down his fork and clasped Anna’s hand. “So am I.”
“Danke,” Anna said. She felt him squeeze her fingers, and then slip away. Desiring to change the subject to something other than herself, she said, “Max is a brilliant pianist.”
“Ja,” Norbie said. “He’s been performing for us every night.” He turned his eyes upward, as if looking to heaven. “Helga would have loved to have heard him play.”
“Helga?” Bruno asked, forking a bit of onion.
He doesn’t remember my mutter’s name. Anna’s heart sank.
“She was my wife,” Norbie said.
Bruno looked at Norbie. “Please forgive me. I do remember stories of her from you and Anna. I understand she was a lovely woman. I’m tired and my brain is not working well.”
“It’s all right,” Norbie said.
Bruno turned to Anna. “I’m sorry.”
She placed her palm on his hand and nodded.
Their conversation dwindled and they finished eating their meals, with each of them saving a bit of their sausage to augment their rations for the rest of the week.
Although Anna offered to help clear the table, Max and Norbie insisted on washing and drying the dishes, allowing her and Bruno time alone in the living room.
“How was your travel?” Anna asked, sitting beside him on the sofa. She smoothed her skirt over her knees.
“Gut.” He turned to her. “You look beautiful.”
“Danke,” she said, still feeling hurt from his failure to recall her mutter’s name. I need to let it go. “Will you be going to Frankfurt to visit your parents?”
“Nein. I plan to spend my military leave with you.”
“I hope they will not be upset with me for monopolizing your time,” she said.
“They won’t,” he said.
She looked at him. “It feels strange not having the opportunity to meet them.”
“It’s temporary,” he said. “After the war—when we’re living in Frankfurt—you’ll see them often, perhaps more frequently than you would like.”
How can I leave the school when there are so many veterans who will be in need of a guide dog? She buried her thought and said, “I assume Vater has already invited you to stay here with us.”
“He did, and I accepted. But perhaps in a few days, I could get a room at the boardinghouse, like my last visit. It will give us time to be alone.”
Anna wiggled her toes inside her boots, attempting to dispel divergent feelings rising in her chest.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
“I’ve missed you, too, and I want us to have time together.” Her heart rate accelerated. “But I’m unable to take time away from work, and I should be here for Max and Nia. I’ve made a commitment to them, and the guide dog school.”
Bruno rubbed stubble on his jowls.
“Are you upset with me?”
“Nein.” He held her hand and looked into her eyes. “I want things to be the way they were.”
“Me too.” But what if it’s not the same?
Bruno caressed her hand and paused, touching her bare ring finger.
“If I had known when you were arriving,” she said, “I would have worn my engagement ring. I usually store it in a keepsake box while I’m working, but I’ll wear it while you’re here.”
He nodded, and then glanced toward the sound of chatter in the kitchen. “We have much catching up to do, and it would be nice for us to have privacy.”
“We can create a bit of privacy here,” she said.
“We will,” he said. “But in the event that we can get away, even for a few hours, I’ll have a room available for us.”
Anna picked at a loose thread on her sleeve, then nodded.
Norbie and Max—guided by Nia—entered the room but didn’t sit.
“We thought that we’d say good night before we head off to bed,” Norbie said.
Anna straightened her back. “But it’s early.”
“The rich food has made us sleepy,” Norbie said, rubbing his belly. “Right, Max?”
“Ja,” Max said.
“But you haven’t played the piano,” Anna said. “And we need to work on finishing your composition.”
“Tomorrow,” Max said. “Tonight, you and Bruno will catch up on lost time.”
“Danke,” Bruno said.
“You’re welcome,” Max said. “But could you do me a favor?”
“Of course,” Bruno said.
“I want you to take my room instead of Norbie’s.”
Norbie turned to Max. “But I’ve already made plans to sleep on the cot in my workshop.”
“I insist.” Max patted Nia, standing next to him. “Besides, it’ll make it easier for me to take Nia out to the garden to do her business.”
“Are you sure?” Norbie asked.
Max nodded.
“I appreciate that,” Norbie said. “My back isn’t what it used to be.”
A swell of gratitude filled Anna. It’s sweet of him to think about Vater.
“Is that all right with you, Bruno?” Max asked.
“It is,” he said.
Minutes later, after Norbie and Max had gone to bed, Anna and Bruno sat side by side on the sofa.
To catch Bruno up on her life, she told him about Dr. Stalling, Emmi, and Fleck, as well as the challenges that she and Max encountered with Waldemar, including his refusal to allow them to train inside a church.
“Your letters didn’t mention that Max was a Jew,” Bruno said.
Anna shifted in her seat. “I didn’t think it would matter to you.”
“It doesn’t,” Bruno said. “I’m merely surprised that he wouldn’t be housed with a Jewish family. Even at the front there are separate chaplains—Feldrabbiners (field rabbis) serve the Jewish soldiers.”
“All of the blind veterans are boarding with trainers, none of whom are Jewish.” She crossed her arms. “I’m honored to have Max stay with us.”
“I’m glad that he’s been a suitable guest.”
Anna’s shoulder muscles tightened.
“I could speak to your supervisor about Waldemar, if you like.”
“I would prefer that you didn’t,” she said.
“It might make things more difficult for Max and me. Fleck doesn’t condone Waldemar’s behavior, but he tolerates him because there are few trainers, and we’re expecting larger groups of battle-blinded veterans to arrive in Oldenburg.
I appreciate your offer, but for now, I think we can deal with Waldemar on our own. ”
“All right.” He moved close, his leg touching her knee.
She drew a deep breath and gestured to the gramophone. “Would you like to listen to music?”
“Only if you do.”
“I do,” she said, hoping the music would ease the awkwardness of their reunion.
Bruno stood and went to the gramophone, where he sorted through a box of records.
After making a selection, he placed the disc on the gramophone and lowered the tone arm.
Static hissed and, a few seconds later, a boisterous beat of bass and snare drums filled the air.
After a few bars, the beating drums were joined by a brass band, comprised of trumpets, baritones, and tubas.
“We have lots of music choices,” Anna said, “including several piano suites that you might enjoy.”
Bruno sat, placing his arm around Anna. “I didn’t recognize the names of the songs, except for the military marches.”
A memory of Max’s question flashed in her head—What type of music does Bruno like?
“Did I pick the wrong record?” he asked.
“Nein,” she said, not wanting to disappoint him.
He pulled her close.
“I think we should take it slow,” she said.
“Of course.” He caressed her cheek with his thumb, then eased back on the sofa.
She rested her head on his shoulder. It’s irrational of me to be on edge.
I’ll feel better about things tomorrow. But the longer she sat with Bruno, listening to the oom-pah rhythm of deep brass instruments, the more she yearned to be with Max at the piano while Nia thumped her tail on the floor beneath their bench.