Authors: Roberta Kagan
Chapter 78
“Anna, banana…” Benny said as he approached. “So, how have you been?”
“I’m fine.” She hadn’t meant to sound so curt.
“Well, that’s sure good to hear.” He smiled “How are you two girls doing?” he asked Bette and Alice.
Alice nodded, and then Bette nodded too.
“This is sure some strike. I think they’re gonna cave pretty soon. Old man Broido is starting to realize that he better take this labor union seriously.”
“Well, that’s good. I hope he agrees to the five-day, forty-hour week,” Alice said.
“He’s gonna have to. We just won’t let up until he does.”
“Yes, but a lot of these men are the sole supporters of their families, Benny. Who is going to feed their children, you?” Anna asked.
“Anna, why do you dislike me so much?”
“I don’t. But I think that sometimes you are far too idealistic.”
“That could be true. But if we don’t stand together as one force, the management will always be able to do whatever they want to the workers. Is that better? Should people work so hard that they end up in an early grave?”
Anna folded her arms across her chest. She understood, and even agreed with what Benny was saying, but she didn’t want to let him know that he was right.
“Come on, don’t be like that. We are all in this together,” he said, flashing his white-toothed smile.
“And I suppose you are taking a cut in salary, too, while all of this is taking place?” Anna said.
“Actually, yes, I am. And I would gladly do so for the principle of the thing,” Benny said.
“Hmm…” Anna crossed her arms over her chest.
“Can we stop arguing? You look far too pretty today to fight,” Benny said.
Alice gave Anna a questioning look.
Anna shrugged.
“Have you had lunch?”
“No, she hasn’t. We tried to feed her, but she won’t eat. Pretty soon she’s gonna get so skinny that if she stands sideways you won’t be able to see her,” Bette said.
“Come on, let’s walk over and get a hot dog. You know how much I hate to eat alone,” Benny said.
Anna glared at Bette, who shrugged her shoulders.
“Oh all right.” Anna handed her sign to Alice and picked up her pocket book. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time.” Bette smiled. “We aren’t going anywhere for a while.”
Anna and Benny turned the corner away from the picket line. A hot summer sun glared down at them from a royal-blue cloudless sky. Anna felt her blouse sticking to her. She pulled her hair into a knot at the nape of her neck and secured it with a few hair pins from her handbag.
“Now, how is it that you looked beautiful before, and now that you’ve pulled your hair up, you look even more stunning?”
“Have I told you lately that I find you infuriating?” Anna said.
“No, you haven’t told me. But I am kind of beginning to get the picture.”
“What is it you want from me? You know I am a married woman.”
“I want a torrid love affair.”
“That’s vulgar. I am leaving.”
“Hey, hey, I was just kidding. Can’t you take a joke? Why are you so serious all the time?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I guess because I have been through a lot of bad things in my life,” she said.
“Well, then, just let loose for a few minutes and let’s just enjoy a hot dog. I’m not asking you to forgo your morals or anything. Will you just do that?”
She nodded.
Benny bought two hot dogs from a vendor, and he and Anna walked as they ate.
“How about the turnout for this strike?”
“It’s bigger than I thought it would be. I thought it would be just Gimbels,” she said.
“When I see a group of workers coming out and picketing for the laborers’ rights, it reminds me that all the work I’ve been doing has been worthwhile.”
“Do you really think they’ll give us what we are asking for?”
“Eventually they are going to have to. You see that’s the beauty of a union. Anna, the world is changing. The labor force is becoming strong, powerful. We have a voice. Not just in this industry, but in every industry. The rich company owners can’t take advantage of us anymore. And believe me, it took a hell of a lot to get to this point. Heck, when I first started I faced such resistance from the workers. I was a young kid fresh out of college. Nobody trusted me.”
“You don’t look that old now. How old are you?”
“Now you know a man never tells his age…” He winked. “I’m going to be thirty-five in April.”
“You don’t look your age. You went to college?”
“Yep, I’m an attorney. Benjamin Lewis Berman, attorney at law. But I decided to give up practicing law in order to do something important with my life. My father was a transit worker. He posed as an Irishman. They didn’t hire Jews, but like me, he had the black hair and blue eyes, so he passed for Irish. That’s where he met Michael Quill. Quill was an Irish immigrant. Smartest man I ever met. Fair too.”
“You mean Quill from Quill TWU? That’s the union that’s out on the picket line helping us.”
“Yep, that’s right. Michael Quill is the founder. He is one hell of a nice guy, with a heart as big as New York. In fact I met him when I was just a kid; my father brought him home a couple of times. He had a hell of an effect on me. Between watching my father face terrible abuse at the hands of the subway bosses, and the influence of Mike Quill, I became a union man.”
“How does your wife cope with the danger of your job?”
“It is dangerous, but it’s important. The same as the guys out fighting for America in our armed forces, I’m fighting a war right here on our home front, a war between the rich and the poor, between the owners and the workers. I believe in what I am doing. I know it is the right thing and in the years to come long after I’m dead, the work I’ve done will continue to make a difference in the world.”
She nodded…
“Oh yeah, I forgot… You asked another question.” He winked.
Anna felt her face turning red; she looked away so he wouldn’t see. Why had she asked about his wife? Why did she care?
“I’m not married. A man like me can’t be married. I’m traveling too much for that. It wouldn’t be fair.”
“It’s none of my business, but don’t you ever get lonely, and want a family of your own?”
“Sure, all the time, but I know that if I don’t continue this work, I’ll never forgive myself.”
“This really means a lot to you.”
“Yeah, I could earn at least three times the amount that I am making with the union if I were to work as a lawyer. But at the end of the day, I wouldn’t feel as if I’d accomplished anything important.”
“You’re a real idealist, Benny. When you’ve lived through what I have lived through, ideals go out the window. For me it’s always been about survival.”
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but I believe that we are all put here on earth with a purpose, something that we are supposed to do. Once we find that purpose, we must go forward until our job is complete. Does this make any sense to you?”
“Yes. I understand. But, I have no idea what my purpose might be. I’m not even sure I have one.”
“I’m sure you do. For some people it takes longer to find their purpose. Others never find it.”
“I would like to find mine. I mean, I’d like to know why I am here on earth. And just why I had to leave my family behind in Germany. I guess I am saying I’d like to know God’s plan. ”
“Are you religious?” he asked.
“No. I believe in God, and as you know, I am Jewish, but I wouldn’t say I’m religious.”
“I’m not either. I’m a Jew, but for me it’s more of a tradition than a religion. I don’t believe in religion. It’s just another reason for war.”
“You are a strange man Benny. I don’t think I have ever met anyone like you.”
“Does that mean that you’ll have dinner with me tonight?”
“Oh, Benny, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“You said you had to leave your family behind. What happened?”
“It’s a long story, a very long story.”
“Well, that’s all the more reason for you to have dinner with me. I’d like to hear your story.”
“You are insistent.”
“Yes, I can be. I like you Anna. I don’t expect you to be anything but a friend to me. But I could be a good friend if you give me a chance. Come on out for dinner tonight. Tell me what’s in your heart, what’s bothering you. I’ll listen. I’m a good listener. Come on…say yes.”
“Yes.” She couldn’t believe that she agreed. But there was something about him. Maybe it was his warmth, or his desire to do the right thing and help those less fortunate. Or perhaps it was the sparkle in his eyes, the way he made her feel full of life, full of dreams, full of possibilities…but what about Alex?
“Would you like to go to little Italy? I know an Italian restaurant that I think you’ll love.”
She nodded. “Yes, I’ve never been to an Italian restaurant.” Anna was realizing all of the things she’d missed over the years, and suddenly she wanted to experience every one of them. She wanted to be young, to go out dancing, to try different foods, maybe even to go to a movie theater. Benny brought the joy of living back to her.
Chapter 79
“You’re going to eat with a man? Anna, are you crazy?”
“I don’t know, Wera. I might be.” Anna said as she carefully drew the red lipstick over her lips.
“Anna, you’re married. What are you doing?”
“Wera, I suppose I am being selfish. I want to go out and have fun. When Alex was here, I had to be so careful not to upset him, not to throw him into one of his depression fits. When we were in Cuba, at least he would go out dancing once in a while, but once we got to America he always seemed to be brooding, and I was always afraid of what he might do. Then he just up and left to go overseas. He never even discussed it with me.”
“But you’re still married, Anna.”
“I know.”
“If something should happen to Alex, you’re never gonna forgive yourself.”
“Don’t say that...” Anna snapped. “It’s bad luck.”
“I’m sorry.” Wera sounded sad. “I’ll go back to my apartment. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Wait,” Anna said. She went over and hugged Wera. “I’m sorry. I know you mean well, and you want what’s best for me. And God knows, you are probably right… This is probably a mistake. But, Wera, I’ve had far too little laughter in my life. I just want to grab a little bit of sweetness while I can.”
“Believe it or not, I do understand. I too have had far too little pleasure in my life. Go, Anna, enjoy yourself. But please be careful. Don’t get involved with this man. It will only make a mess of your life.”
“I know. You’re right.”
Chapter 80
Anna and Benny had agreed upon eight o’clock, and at five minutes to eight, Benny was ringing the downstairs bell. Anna grabbed her handbag off the sofa and ran down the stairs. Benny stood in the vestibule, looking handsome in his black pants and white cotton shirt.
“Hello there…”
“Hello,” Anna said.
“You look incredibly beautiful. But then again, you always do,” he said.
He took her arm and led her to the taxi he had waiting.
“From the first time I saw you, I said, ‘That girl is different, she’s elegant, like a First Lady.’ I don’t know what it is, I guess it’s something in the way that you carry yourself. But, Anna you should know it, you are special.”
Benny opened the car door and Anna slid into the back seat. Then Benny got in beside her.
“We’re going to Little Italy. A place called Alfonzo’s.” Benny told the driver.
Then he squeezed Anna’s hand. “And if you want to, tonight, you can tell me all about Germany and what happened.”
She wanted to tell him, to cry on his strong shoulder, to release her burden.
Anna looked over at Benny he was gazing at her. Their eyes met and locked. She felt a rush of desire, fear, and excitement all at once.
Chapter 81
The warning sound of the air raids blared so often that they became commonplace as the bombs fell over London. Germany bombed England, and England bombed Germany. But Hitler’s insatiable desire for power could not be stifled. He already occupied most of Europe, but his fatal error was greed, and he would not rest until he took England and Russia. Stalin proved a formidable enemy, and Hitler would soon learn that he’d made a mistake. Before America joined the war, Churchill had struggled to keep the Nazis at bay, and even with the planes and supplies from the United States, he had been in peril of losing Great Britain. However, now, with America and Canada allied with England on the west, and Russia allied with England on the east, defeating the Nazis began to look more promising.
Alex found himself running for shelter just a few feet from a blast. He’d not seen hand-to-hand combat, but the bombing had sobered him into the realization that war caused death and destruction, and had little to do with glory. Although he still wanted to kill Nazis and somehow right all of the wrongs that burned in his soul, he’d now come to know the terrifying sights and sounds of war. His memories of Dachau still lingered, and they were beyond terrible. But the deafening blast of a building bursting into rubble, and the splatter of blood or the flying body parts unnerved him.
For Alex, who was not outgoing by nature, the army was a lonely place. He had difficulty making friends, and spent most of the time he was not working reading books. Alex knew that his sergeant didn’t like him. Perhaps it was because Alex was too withdrawn, but he always seemed to be selected for the harder jobs.
He wrote to Anna and told her all that he saw, and all that he felt. The letters kept him from feeling as if he was all alone in the world, and he waited daily for the mail, hoping she’d written back.