Desperado Dale (Scenic Route to Paradise) (8 page)

Dale thought there was little conviction in
Sam’s words of comfort. He asked, “You’re Jews?”

Nodding, Sam went on to relate the long standing
relationship of the Jews to the island. Eighteen hundred years of history
included a prominent Jewish presence. The most recent Jewish population had
settled the
Ionian
Islands
,
including Kerkyra in the 1500’s. Although spread throughout the islands, the
families and businesses had strong ties to one another. Much of the time, the
gentiles lived peacefully with their Jewish minority and looked upon newcomers
with sympathy when they arrived after being persecuted in other lands. When
Mussolini and then soon after, Hitler’s troops took Kerkyra, island life unraveled
once again for the Judaic brethren.

On Kerkyra, the rest of the islanders watched
helplessly as their fellow citizens were herded into a type of ghetto with a
morning and evening roll call. The Jewish household goods and businesses were
plundered by the invaders and soon after, all the Jews on the island were
transported to mainland
Greece
where they were then transported to
Auschwitz
.

Bethania finished Sam’s account. “Upon arrival
1800 Jews were taken immediately to the showers. They were gassed... murdered! Such
evil!” She thumped a weathered fist on the table top.

Dale was mesmerized by their graphic historic
sketch. As a child, he had seen the prison camp numerical tattoos on several
elderly Jews while living in
Cape Town
,
South Africa
. Many Jews settled there after World War II. He had visited
the excellent holocaust museum there – many times.

Sam was up making tea. At the table, looking at
the woman in awe, Dale asked in a reverent whisper, “And you? You must have
been very young. What happened afterward?”

Bethania reach across the table top to place her
empty bowl on top of Dale’s dish. She said, “I
was
young but I remember.
Don’t misunderstand. Many Jews escaped. There was a deliberate scheme arranged
to funnel the Jews from mainland
Europe
through these islands and then on to safety...
Many went on to
Israel
. I did not live on Kerkyra then... No, I came back to these
islands some years later. I lived south of here. The Jews there all survived.
We had a very shrewd governor. He and his good friend finagled with the Germans
until we all escaped.” She laughed her soft laugh once more.

Sam said, “It’s true. No one mentions what
happened but the Jews of Zakynthos were saved by the compassion and wits of
just two men.” He set down hot tea in front of Dale and Bethania before picking
up the dinner dishes.

Nodding, Bethania said, “We were close to our
brethren who lived here. I had many family members in this community. Some left
but many stayed on hoping that we would be overlooked. We humans rarely learn
from history, eh?”

With eyes downcast as if examining his tea, Dale
asked, “What happened? How did two men save all of you who were still here on
the islands when the Nazis showed up?”

As she continued to rock her head up and down
reassuringly, Bethania said, “The Germans arrived in 1943 and they appointed
Lucas Karrer as mayor. It wasn’t long before they demanded a list of all the
Jews living on Zakynthos... Ah, the Germans enjoy their lists; so methodical.
Anyway, the church sent a wire imploring Hitler to leave us... the Jews alone.
I suppose a sort of house arrest was being put forward. I’m not sure but
nothing came of it. In the meantime, the local bishop, Dimitrious bribed the
German commander. He ignored us for awhile but the inevitable time arrived when
he demanded again the list with our names on it.” Listening intently but with
eyes averted, Dale blew on his tea. Sam had sat again with his own cup of tea
and some papers before him. The dogs were stretching as if preparing for a long
walk. Bethania sipped her brew loudly.

She said, “
Ne
, we were so grateful for
the support given us by the gentiles of Zakynthos. The delay they caused was
enough for all of us to escape. There was hiding and tunnels and a boat. Yes! I
remember. It was cold and I felt so important carrying my little portmanteau.”
The small dog Dale called Toto, began to whine at the kitchen door. Dale
thought Sam was going to let the little fellow out, as he pushed from the table
and headed toward the back of the kitchen.

Dale’s third surprise occurred as Bethania
finished her rendition and pony-dog hurried after Sam. “You might wonder
whether or not those orderly Nazis received their demanded list. Well, they did
all right.” She chuckled quietly, triumphantly as the door was opened and three
men and a young woman piled in before Sam shut it quickly behind them. Bethania
said, “
Ne
, the mayor gave the commander the list of names and there were
just two on it; Mayor Karrer’s name and the bishop’s.”

Chapter 11  Potato Soup

“Bean dear, Grandpa Bernie got the map but what
was that note the woman from the
Inn
gave you?” asked Anna. The rental car wound
down the hill and stopped for a gaggle of geese being escorted along the dirt
drive by two barefoot boys. After a moment, Anna eased the vehicle forward.
There was some shouting as she continued down the hill but she saw in the
rearview mirror only the tiny figure of a child waving wildly. Window down,
Anna waved a farewell to one small boy and his geese.

In the meantime, Grandpa Adams was replying to
Bean’s answer which Anna had missed as she concentrated on skirting without
injury, the geese and the children.

“Sylvia gave you a recipe?” They had all had a
bowl of warmed soup and bread with soft cheese the evening before.

“Yes. I was so hungry last night when we arrived
and her husband... What’s-his-name served us that potato soup. I’m going to
include it in my heirloom cookbook,” Bean responded with a sniff. “Besides,
Anna is Greek and I think we should have a few Greek dishes in my book to honor
her.”

Anna, her mind at ease with no one in sight on
the narrow dirt road before them, replied. “Grandma Bean, you are so
thoughtful. I love the Greek potato soups! My cousin will make us a pot no
doubt when we arrive.”

She relished potato soup although her parents
never made the popular dish. Her father remembered months on end after World
War II when
Greece
was experiencing
deprivations due to crop failures and their civil war. As a boy, many times his
mother and older sisters would put stones – smooth rocks that resembled
potatoes into the boiling gruel and then, serving it as a meal for the family.
The memory of the counterfeit soup of his youth kept Anna’s family in
America
from ever making Greek
potato soup. Compared to the watery rock stew served during the Greek Civil
War, the tasty and hearty soups of modern
Greece
were a savory feast even with the difficulties
that had overtaken the nationals as of late. It appeared to Anna that most
Europeans were hungry but no one was starving... Not yet.

Bean read the handwritten recipe out loud.

Kerkyra
Potato Soup

6 medium potatoes - grated (red
potatoes are nice)

2 medium onions or leeks, chopped

6 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)

2 or 3 cups mushrooms, cleaned &
sliced

1 - 2 tbsp olive oil

dried parsley

salt and pepper

First, chop the onions. Next, heat the
oil with the dried parsley and some pepper. When you smell the parsley add in
the onions stirring to coat - let them cook for about two minutes then add the
potatoes a little at time while you continue to stir. Let the potatoes cook
(keep an eye on them and stir regularly) when the potatoes and onions are soft
but not browned add the stock (this is usually after five to ten minutes). Let
the soup simmer until the stock is more substantial and bit thick on the back
of a spoon.

Finally, about 15 to 20 minutes before
serving add the mushrooms. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve.

As Bean concluded her instructions for the
making of potato soup, she tilted her head back against the passenger seat
headrest and began to snore.

Chapter 12  Life Saviors

A carpet of water was propelling the
Serendipity
at breakneck speed toward an oceanic cliff that arose several miles to the west
and north. The sensation was similar to riding an escalator or the walking
sidewalks at the airport, only much faster.

Merry didn’t have the leisure to study the
event. Her brain was screaming at her feet, hands and eyes.
Slow motion...
I’m moving in slow motion!
Forcing her face away from the horizon, she
looked to Mac and made her legs obey. Out of the corner of her eye, Merry
caught Junior moving to cross her path. She thrust out a life jacket as he
approached. Without missing a beat he grabbed it, continuing across the deck
toward his goal.

Turning from Mac after thrusting a vest before
him, Merry noticed shadows crisscrossing the deck. A strange longing to look up
to see perhaps several wide-winged albatrosses overtook her but she resisted
the impulse. Ahead of her was Zeff and Tino pulling and pushing frantically on
the mainsail. Mac wanted no sail in case there was a freak wind accompanying
the approaching tsunami. Already the sloop was moving at 40 knots or more along
with the rushing water being drawn toward the enormous wave.

Not only did Merry sense she was moving
frustratingly slow, as if through gelatin, semi-gelled but there was an absence
of sound. Mac’s lips had been moving when she gave him his life vest. The wind
rustled the sails as they sped west and yet, Merry heard nothing. Her mouth was
open and she seemed to be speaking or even, yelling but her words emptied into
a void. When she left the jackets with Tino and Zeff, Merry began to pray as
she headed for Mac’s side. To her amazement, her prayer came forth crystal
clear. Her voice had an authoritative tone not unlike the operatic singer in an
Italian opera. She loved to sing! Smiling widely, she continued her sing-song
praying. Mac and Junior hesitated in their concentration on the wall of water
growing high before them, to glance back at her.

Instantly, Merry stood by her husband. A shift,
and
now
the sky and the water moved exceptionally slow but not Merry.
Turning forward, Mac once again confronted the water giant and then he began
praying too. Large fleeting shadows continued darting across the deck. Merry
shifted her gaze to Junior. He was praying; his face skyward. She looked up.

Merry’s song like prayer faltered but a moment.
Above them, maybe a mile or more were dozens of foreign looking aircraft. If
Merry didn’t know better, she would have guessed that an alien air battle was
taking place. The guesstimation didn’t firm up in her mind. Instead, Merry
decided quite confidently that she was indeed dreaming.

The music that she, Mac and Junior were making
together with their loud melodious prayers was angelic. She didn’t want the
dream to quit! Singing, praying and looking aloft she felt Mac’s hand on her
arm.

Oh, no! If Mac wakes me up now I won’t get to
see how this great adventure ends. Our music will stop!

Evidently, she didn’t wake up. Merry pulled her
eyes from the battle above and looked over the bow toward the mountainous wave
with a churning mist above and its wide shadow before. Comprehending that it
was a dream and God, Himself seemed to be present speaking through her as she
sang and prayed, fear was absent. Merry sensed only God’s presence and Mac to
her right as he harmonized with Junior.

Oceanic mountain peaks were uncovered by the
tsunami suction. Fish, large fish and small could be seen swimming crazily just
beneath the water about their boat. Exploding from the ocean current, a
seashell covered peak appeared to rise up near them as they sped on but in
reality, seawater was being sucked up into the oncoming wave revealing the
normally submerged world. Still fearless, Merry was in awe of the detail she saw...
The widening black shadow of the monster wave was racing to meet them. Never
had she dreamed so lucidly!

Everything is color! I can feel the wind on my
face...

Mac’s hand continued firmly on her arm. The
prayer coming from him drew her attention. He was rebuking the wave! How could
he? Hadn’t God set everything in motion; the stars and the heavens, the earth
and the sea?

Understanding their words – her words, Merry
realized the three prayer warriors were singing and praying and reprimanding
together.

The sun would soon set behind the rising cliff
of water as the
Serendipity
drew near the dark ocean face that stretched
before the wave as shadow. At the edge of her mind, Merry was conscious of an
increasing din coming from the sky but now the sound grew noisy and fiery
debris tumbled down into the gloom in front of them, extinguished when the
flame hit the water.

When the bow touched the shadow of the tsunami
and it seemed all would be momentarily lost (if it hadn’t been a dream, was
Merry’s thought) the chaotic scene before them stopped. The landscape was like
a photo snapshot catching the action. The wall of water, the shadow making the
ocean black before them and the massive peaks poking out from the seabed with foamy
streams pouring forth like waterfalls, went absolutely still. One
meteorite-like UFO was frozen in view where it had hit a protruding rocky peak
and deflected off toward the water; the flame, the smoke seemed a camera still
shot. Nothing moved but the breath of their voices. Heavenly sounding voices
rising and dropping like a divine choir led by an invisible master choir
director.