gowns. Then we can decide colors and fabrics, and
Jacob will place the order.”
It was the biggest
job Rebekah had undertaken and she was concerned about meeting the deadline. But
Mrs. Weiss, who had already become attached to Samuel, assured her that she
would help. “What else do I have to do?" she asked Rebekah. “So little Sammy
and I will play, and I will cook for us. You will sew!”
Rebekah did a
spectacular job, and that was the beginning of her career.
CHAPTER 15
It had been almost
eight months since Misha discovered that Rebekah and his son had disappeared. He
had gone to get him as planned right around his second birthday.
When he told
Catherine about Samuel and of his plan to bring the boy to live with them, he
didn’t get the response he had hoped for. She had been furious. “What would I
want with the son of a Jew pig?” she had screamed. “And how will you explain
that your son is circumcised?”
“We will have him
baptized,” he told her. “And nobody will know of the circumcision. We can say
it was a medical necessity if we have to.”
While it had taken
a while to soothe her anger over his infidelity, she had finally come around. She
began to fix up a little boy’s room for him and had seamstresses making little
outfits for him to wear. “We will have to tell my father,” she told him one
evening. “What will you say to him?”
“Just enough to
get by,” he replied. “He need not know the mother was Jewish, just that he is
my son, and we are going to raise him as our own. Do you think your father has
never had a dalliance of his own? Misha will never remember any other mother
but you, Catherine, and he has my eyes and hair so everyone will know he is
mine.”
Her father took
the news well. He knew how unhappy Catherine had been not being able to bear a
child. “This will be good for her, Misha,” he told his son-in-law. “But
please, have some control. You don’t need to go around leaving little bastards
all over the countryside!”
Misha smiled. “Where
have you left yours, Captain?”
His father-in-law
glared at him. “If there are any,” he declared. “They are far from interfering
with my wife’s contentment!” Misha left it at that.
He was excited as
he approached Rebekah’s home, anxious not only to claim his son, but to see her.
In reality, she was everything that Catherine was not: intelligent,
fun-loving, sexual, and free-spirited.
When a young woman
answered the door he assumed it was a friend of Rebekah’s.
“Is Rebekah in?” he asked.
“Rebekah doesn’t
live here anymore,” the young girl replied nervously, wondering what this
soldier was doing looking for Rebekah.
“What do you
mean?” Misha asked. “Has she moved to another house?”
“I do not know
where she has gone,” she said. “I am Esther. My husband Schmuel and I live here
now. Rebekah’s husband Michael died about a couple of months ago. Schmuel has
taken over the cobbler shop and we have bought this home.”
“Where has she
gone?” Misha shouted at her, pushing his way into the house. He shoved her
aside and ran through the little house. It was obvious that they were gone.
He grabbed Esther
by the shoulders. “Tell me where she is, bitch,” he yelled.
Esther was
terrified. She began to cry hysterically. “I don’t know where she and Samuel
have gone,” she managed to say between sobs. And, in realty, she really didn’t
know. Rose had been very careful not to tell anyone why Rachael was leaving or
where she was going. Knowing that Misha was going to show up, she had made the
arrangements with Schmuel to take over the shop and buy the house. Stomping
out of the house Misha threatened to burn her home and the damn cobbler shop if
he didn’t get some answers.
When he calmed down,
he remembered Rose. Rebekah had told him about her parents and the
Jacob will place the order.”
It was the biggest
job Rebekah had undertaken and she was concerned about meeting the deadline. But
Mrs. Weiss, who had already become attached to Samuel, assured her that she
would help. “What else do I have to do?" she asked Rebekah. “So little Sammy
and I will play, and I will cook for us. You will sew!”
Rebekah did a
spectacular job, and that was the beginning of her career.
CHAPTER 15
It had been almost
eight months since Misha discovered that Rebekah and his son had disappeared. He
had gone to get him as planned right around his second birthday.
When he told
Catherine about Samuel and of his plan to bring the boy to live with them, he
didn’t get the response he had hoped for. She had been furious. “What would I
want with the son of a Jew pig?” she had screamed. “And how will you explain
that your son is circumcised?”
“We will have him
baptized,” he told her. “And nobody will know of the circumcision. We can say
it was a medical necessity if we have to.”
While it had taken
a while to soothe her anger over his infidelity, she had finally come around. She
began to fix up a little boy’s room for him and had seamstresses making little
outfits for him to wear. “We will have to tell my father,” she told him one
evening. “What will you say to him?”
“Just enough to
get by,” he replied. “He need not know the mother was Jewish, just that he is
my son, and we are going to raise him as our own. Do you think your father has
never had a dalliance of his own? Misha will never remember any other mother
but you, Catherine, and he has my eyes and hair so everyone will know he is
mine.”
Her father took
the news well. He knew how unhappy Catherine had been not being able to bear a
child. “This will be good for her, Misha,” he told his son-in-law. “But
please, have some control. You don’t need to go around leaving little bastards
all over the countryside!”
Misha smiled. “Where
have you left yours, Captain?”
His father-in-law
glared at him. “If there are any,” he declared. “They are far from interfering
with my wife’s contentment!” Misha left it at that.
He was excited as
he approached Rebekah’s home, anxious not only to claim his son, but to see her.
In reality, she was everything that Catherine was not: intelligent,
fun-loving, sexual, and free-spirited.
When a young woman
answered the door he assumed it was a friend of Rebekah’s.
“Is Rebekah in?” he asked.
“Rebekah doesn’t
live here anymore,” the young girl replied nervously, wondering what this
soldier was doing looking for Rebekah.
“What do you
mean?” Misha asked. “Has she moved to another house?”
“I do not know
where she has gone,” she said. “I am Esther. My husband Schmuel and I live here
now. Rebekah’s husband Michael died about a couple of months ago. Schmuel has
taken over the cobbler shop and we have bought this home.”
“Where has she
gone?” Misha shouted at her, pushing his way into the house. He shoved her
aside and ran through the little house. It was obvious that they were gone.
He grabbed Esther
by the shoulders. “Tell me where she is, bitch,” he yelled.
Esther was
terrified. She began to cry hysterically. “I don’t know where she and Samuel
have gone,” she managed to say between sobs. And, in realty, she really didn’t
know. Rose had been very careful not to tell anyone why Rachael was leaving or
where she was going. Knowing that Misha was going to show up, she had made the
arrangements with Schmuel to take over the shop and buy the house. Stomping
out of the house Misha threatened to burn her home and the damn cobbler shop if
he didn’t get some answers.
When he calmed down,
he remembered Rose. Rebekah had told him about her parents and the
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