Chapter 56
SOPHIA
By the middle of May, Sophia’s sophomore year at West Oak Forest had ended, and unruly teenagers sprinted across the lawn, hugging friends, and singing the lyrics to “California Girls” by the Beach Boys while their fathers lugged trunks, suitcases, and boxes of books to their cars.
Sophia stood with Willa in the roundabout, clutching the same tattered train case she had arrived with in September.
Willa talked nonstop about her summer plans in New York City with her uncle and then a trip to his summer house in Sag Harbor.
“There’s the car.” Willa waved as the shiny Cadillac pulled through the roundabout. When the driver opened the door, it was Ms. Eleanor who stepped out of the backseat, in a pair of windowpane culottes and a sleeveless shirt. Her hair bounced around her shoulders.
“Mother,” Willa shrieked.
Ms. Eleanor hugged Willa and kissed her cheek. Then she reached for Sophia and squeezed her too. “How are you, darling?”
“Very well, Ms. Eleanor. It’s good to see you.”
Ms. Eleanor pushed a loose strand of hair from her eyes. “What are you doing for the summer?”
“My aunt is picking me up.” Sophia couldn’t keep the smile off her face, liking the way “aunt” sounded from her lips. She was so excited to see Jutta again. “We are taking a little road trip to Philadelphia.”
“Mom, Sophia found out that she was adopted,” Willa cut in. “Her mom sent her over to America from Germany because she couldn’t keep her. She’s just discovered a whole other family. Isn’t that amazing?”
Sophia’s smile slid from her face as she watched Ms. Eleanor’s skin pale as if she’d seen a ghost. Did she feel sorry for Sophia? She had always been kind, unlike Mrs. Pride, Willa’s grandmother.
“Congratulations, Sophia,” Ms. Eleanor said. She urged Willa into the backseat of the car. “Baby, we had better go. You know how traffic is this time of day.” To Sophia she offered “Good luck, and have a good summer” before slipping into the car.
“Thank you.”
The big Cadillac pulled out of the circle just as Max came up with a duffel bag hanging down his side.
“Hey you,” he said, letting his fingers graze hers. “Are you ready for this?”
“Yeah, I just wish that Willa hadn’t blurted all my business to her mother. Now she’s looking at me like some poor little orphan child.”
“Don’t be silly.” He draped his arm around her waist, making her warm all over. “You are going to meet your father for the first time. Let that be your only concern.” He gave her the sweetest smile.
“Hopefully,” she said as the cars continued to move through the line, not wanting to give voice to all the things that could go wrong again. Sophia touched his chin. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too, but we’ll write, and you can call me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “Here’s the number to the house in Martha’s Vineyard. Reverse the charges if you need to.”
“Your parents won’t mind?”
“I’ll worry about them.” He kissed her temple.
A two-toned Dodge La Femme pulled up, and Jutta waved to Sophia as she got out of the car, wearing a bright yellow headband that matched her pedal pushers.
“Impressive school. I almost thought you gave me the wrong address,” she said, sweeping Sophia into her arms. They had met only the one time, and spoken by telephone, but Jutta’s embrace comforted Sophia in a way that said they belonged together.
“Jutta, this is Max. The one I told you about.”
“Hello, handsome,” Jutta said, taking him in.
Max replied, “Guten Tag!”
Jutta ribbed Sophia as she and Max exchanged pleasantries in German. “Wow. I’m impressed.”
“I told you he speaks well.”
“It’s a passion of mine.” Max beamed.
“Come on, we had better get a move on.” Jutta walked to the driver’s side.
Max grabbed Sophia’s hand and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Call me. Soon as you can. Promise?”
She nodded, not wanting to let go of his hand.
On the highway, Jutta popped in an eight-track, and as the car roared up I-95, Sophia removed the letter she had received from Mrs. Gathers in her satchel.
“What’s that?” Jutta asked, glancing at her sideways.
“The confirmation for our hotel in Philly, courtesy of Mrs. Gathers.”
“I’m so glad she’s putting us up.”
“We lucked out. She’s in Philadelphia this week, covering the call to desegregate Girard College for The Philadelphia Tribune.”
Sophia didn’t envy those students fighting for integration, not after the school year she’d had among the first at Forest. The violation in the girls’ locker room, malicious rumors, monkey chants, derogatory name-calling: Look, it’s Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima had stained her.
Jutta cracked her window, and a sweet-smelling breeze rolled in. “That’s a relief. I had reached out to an old boyfriend who lives in East Falls. He said we could crash on his sofa, but I had been worrying about it being awkward. Since I technically broke up with him.”
“So, you’re a heartbreaker,” Sophia teased.
“Not hardly. But he was way too needy. Stay away from possessive men.” Jutta laughed and then told Sophia about the new guy she was dating, and her job at the Ox and Fox Tavern, where she worked as a hostess and sometimes as a waitress.
“It’s not bad, my boss is fair, and it pays the bills. ” She reached for a cigarette.
While she fumbled with the lighter, Sophia asked the question that had been nibbling at her since she’d received the tin canister. “The letters from my father. Did Jelka ever write him back?”
Exhaling the smoke, Jutta responded, “No.”
“Why not?”
“She never spent the money either. I’m sure it’s all there in the envelope that she saved for you.” Jutta tipped the ash from her cigarette in the metal ashtray.
“When she got to America, why didn’t she try to find him? I don’t understand why she wouldn’t spend the money. Didn’t she need it?” Sophia turned toward her.
“It was because she was ashamed that she gave you away to the orphanage. You were her pride and joy and the light of your father’s world.
” Jutta’s eyes glazed over. “He used to come to our little cottage every weekend and would barely let you out of his sight. Jelka thought he’d hate her for giving you away, even though she was trying to keep you safe. ”
Sophia looked out the window at the passing cars as Jutta’s words sank in.
Jelka had given her up to keep her safe.
Her mother had thought she was doing the right thing.
Even though her life on the farm had been miserable, and Ma Deary didn’t have a mothering bone in her body, she had grown up with her brothers relatively secure, however unloved.
Jutta replaced one eight-track with another and then tapped the steering wheel. “I love this song. Do you know it? ‘A Fool in Love’?”
“Of course.” Happy for a change in mood, Sophia stretched her arms in front of her and mimicked the swinging dance she’d seen Tina Turner’s backup singers do on the show Hollywood a Go Go.
“Look at you. You’ve got it.” Jutta bobbed her head and rotated her shoulders.
When they reached the Delaware line, Jutta offered her a sandwich. “It’s called Stramme Lotte, which is basically ham with a fried egg on top.”
Sophia took a bite. “It’s good.”
After they finished the food, Sophia shared the sugar cookies that she had packed from the cafeteria at school. The folded map was slung against Sophia’s lap, and once the road split and they merged onto I-495, Jelka stopped at the filling station to top off the gas.
They passed the Philadelphia Airport, and as they drove over a bridge, Sophia caught a glimpse of a tall skyscraper with the letters “PSFS.” The city streamed through Sophia’s car window like a picture show, vibrant and loud.
Jutta turned the car down Dickenson Street, and they passed by a park square with young brown-skinned teens on the court, playing basketball.
A stray cat meandered around the corner, and Sophia spotted the sign for Ringgold Street.
“That’s it,” and Jutta made the right turn.
At the nose of the one-way street, Jutta parked the car behind a blue Chevy. Before she turned off the engine, the driver’s-side door of the Chevy opened, and out stepped a woman in a belted polka-dot dress. Sophia blinked several times. “Oh my goodness.” She brought her hands to her mouth.
“Who is that?” Jutta asked.
“Mrs. Gathers, the woman I was telling you about.” Sophia scrambled from the front seat.
They all met on the curb, and after a quick introduction, Sophia threw her arms around Mrs. Gathers and squeezed. “I thought you were meeting us at the hotel.”
“My first interview ended early, and it was only ten minutes from here. I’m so glad I thought to ask you for the address.”
“Me too. I’m really scared.” Sophia looked down the block at the tidy row houses. “What if he turns me away?”
Mrs. Gathers looked Sophia in the eyes. “You’ve worked extremely hard to get to this moment. Trust yourself.”
“I’ll be right there with you.” Jutta took Sophia’s hand.
Sophia was thick with feelings as she looked from Mrs. Gathers to Jutta. Just nine months ago, she’d been stuck on the farm with no future, and then Mrs. Brown had helped her get into Forest, and now Mrs. Gathers and Jutta were here supporting her through this major life event.
“Okay, let’s get this over with.” She turned and then stopped when she realized that Mrs. Gathers hadn’t moved. “Aren’t you coming in too?”
“Why don’t you and Jutta do this part together. I imagine it will be healing for both of you.” Mrs. Gathers touched Jutta’s arm. “And I’m sorry about your sister. I bet she’s pleased that you are here for Sophia.”
Just then a flock of birds flew overhead, and Jutta smiled with her eyes on the sky.
“I’ll meet you back at the hotel. Good luck.” Mrs. Gathers turned toward her car, and Jutta gripped Sophia’s hand.
As Sophia walked across the sidewalk and up the limestone stairs, a warm feeling caressed her cheek. She heard gospel music and smelled the savory scent of fried fish.