the Jew, too! A few seconds later he bolted from his bed and hurried back to his transmitter. The SS needed to be notified immediately of this. Black Dog was going to be back in their good graces.
CHAPTER 10
“ Sambousseks, boyos , and pasteles ,” Joe Levi exclaimed as he proudly pointed out some of the appetizers, or mezzes , as Allegra called the huge assortment she’d placed on the living room coffee table. “This one has cheese, this one spinach, and this one ground beef.”
Maya wasn’t very hungry, and she knew that the lunch that awaited them was a bigger meal than dinner in this household, and it would be at least three courses. Why was Allegra always overdoing it? She knew that Maya was a light eater, and it was apparent that Erik, despite his attempts to hide it, despised Middle Eastern cuisine. Only Vati indulged himself at mealtimes, particularly since Joe had reassured him that the meat in their home was kosher.
Feeling obligated, Maya tendered her blue porcelain plate to Joe, who had just arrived and was still wearing his seersucker suit jacket and his tarbush. “Just one of each,” she requested.
A short man with a friendly face and twinkling, warm brown eyes, Joe had greeted them at the train station in Cairo when Maya and her family first arrived with a big “S’aalam alekoum,” his arms wide open. He had indicated that he was only peripherally involved with the people who were helping them obtain their papers, but he was honored to open his home to the family. She had liked and trusted himimmediately. He’d been nothing but generous and had even taken a day off from work to drive them past the pyramids.
“The children are washing their hands before sitting down,” Allegra announced as she joined them. She was a good six inches taller than her husband, which made for an endearing sight when he rose on the tips of his toes to greet his wife with a kiss on the cheek.
“I saw the news in the paper,” she said to no one in particular as she prepared a plate for herself and sat down next to her husband, who habitually brought the newspapers home at lunch for her to see. “Kiev has fallen. How terrible.”
“Kiev?” Vati repeated, swallowing hard.
“The Russians admitted taking a heavy blow, but there are no official details,” Joe said, removing his jacket and hat. “There are reports that the SS murdered twelve hundred Jewish women and children there.”
Vati’s face turned ashen.
“My father still has family in Kiev,” Erik explained.
“But I thought you were German,” Joe said.
“Vater was born in Russia. As a child he fled the pogroms with his family and took refuge in Germany,” Maya offered.
“Maya,” Vati said as he reached for her on the chair next to him, his hand shaking slightly. “We must go to the synagogue to light candles for the dead.”
Joe stood up and kneeled in front of her father, taking his hands in his own. “We Jews are safe here in Egypt, monsieur,” he said firmly, his eyes slowly sliding to Maya and Erik. He was addressing them, too.
Joe had made that point several times, and from the way he filled the house with Maurice Chevalier’s happy tunes, such as Y’a d’la Joie , (All Is Wonderful), he must truly believe it, Maya thought.
Vati nodded slowly like an obedient child, a meek smile on his lips.
“That’s better,” Joe exclaimed with enthusiasm. “Now, what about trying some of these mezzes?”
Allegra sprang to her feet and took Vati’s plate, filling it with a choice selection, while Joe returned to his seat.
Whether he’d suddenly forgotten about his cousins in Kiev or was just humoring his hosts, Vati took his plate and proclaimed, “This is the best food I’ve had in months .”
“Monsieur Blumenthal, I know you told me you didn’t like to talk about your days in Germany, and I don’t mean to press you,” Joe said, “but we can be better friends if we can understand a little more about you.”
Maya threw a
CHAPTER 10
“ Sambousseks, boyos , and pasteles ,” Joe Levi exclaimed as he proudly pointed out some of the appetizers, or mezzes , as Allegra called the huge assortment she’d placed on the living room coffee table. “This one has cheese, this one spinach, and this one ground beef.”
Maya wasn’t very hungry, and she knew that the lunch that awaited them was a bigger meal than dinner in this household, and it would be at least three courses. Why was Allegra always overdoing it? She knew that Maya was a light eater, and it was apparent that Erik, despite his attempts to hide it, despised Middle Eastern cuisine. Only Vati indulged himself at mealtimes, particularly since Joe had reassured him that the meat in their home was kosher.
Feeling obligated, Maya tendered her blue porcelain plate to Joe, who had just arrived and was still wearing his seersucker suit jacket and his tarbush. “Just one of each,” she requested.
A short man with a friendly face and twinkling, warm brown eyes, Joe had greeted them at the train station in Cairo when Maya and her family first arrived with a big “S’aalam alekoum,” his arms wide open. He had indicated that he was only peripherally involved with the people who were helping them obtain their papers, but he was honored to open his home to the family. She had liked and trusted himimmediately. He’d been nothing but generous and had even taken a day off from work to drive them past the pyramids.
“The children are washing their hands before sitting down,” Allegra announced as she joined them. She was a good six inches taller than her husband, which made for an endearing sight when he rose on the tips of his toes to greet his wife with a kiss on the cheek.
“I saw the news in the paper,” she said to no one in particular as she prepared a plate for herself and sat down next to her husband, who habitually brought the newspapers home at lunch for her to see. “Kiev has fallen. How terrible.”
“Kiev?” Vati repeated, swallowing hard.
“The Russians admitted taking a heavy blow, but there are no official details,” Joe said, removing his jacket and hat. “There are reports that the SS murdered twelve hundred Jewish women and children there.”
Vati’s face turned ashen.
“My father still has family in Kiev,” Erik explained.
“But I thought you were German,” Joe said.
“Vater was born in Russia. As a child he fled the pogroms with his family and took refuge in Germany,” Maya offered.
“Maya,” Vati said as he reached for her on the chair next to him, his hand shaking slightly. “We must go to the synagogue to light candles for the dead.”
Joe stood up and kneeled in front of her father, taking his hands in his own. “We Jews are safe here in Egypt, monsieur,” he said firmly, his eyes slowly sliding to Maya and Erik. He was addressing them, too.
Joe had made that point several times, and from the way he filled the house with Maurice Chevalier’s happy tunes, such as Y’a d’la Joie , (All Is Wonderful), he must truly believe it, Maya thought.
Vati nodded slowly like an obedient child, a meek smile on his lips.
“That’s better,” Joe exclaimed with enthusiasm. “Now, what about trying some of these mezzes?”
Allegra sprang to her feet and took Vati’s plate, filling it with a choice selection, while Joe returned to his seat.
Whether he’d suddenly forgotten about his cousins in Kiev or was just humoring his hosts, Vati took his plate and proclaimed, “This is the best food I’ve had in months .”
“Monsieur Blumenthal, I know you told me you didn’t like to talk about your days in Germany, and I don’t mean to press you,” Joe said, “but we can be better friends if we can understand a little more about you.”
Maya threw a
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