moved closer. His teeth were yellow, his skin gnarled and peeling like an old tree. 'I felt your presence there in the fourth row, it gave me comfort.' He looked hard and long into the child. 'There is trust in those blue eyes and pain too ... You speak without words ... Words are such an impediment to feeling ... Music is the only truth ... ' He broke into a laugh. 'Did you see the roof beams tremble?'
'Yes.'
'Was it not magnificent!'
'Yes.'
'Da dada dada dada dadada da dada ... ' And the man sang and the child sang ... And a fist started banging on the door ...
'Herr Umlauf, to tell me again how brilliant I am.'
The child slipped on her coat.
'We shall go to the woods and look for dragons and eat snowdrops, and dance among the lilies, yes?'
'Yes!'
• • •
At the gate her mother was waiting. She ran to her daughter and clutched her hard. ' Liebling , I have wonderful news. Wonderful, wonderful news –' She started to cough and felt for the rag. Her cheeks were pink, unnaturally so ...
'What?'
'Papa is coming home!'
'Papa, home?'
'Is this not happy news?'
'Yes!'
The woman sat at the table, her head in her hands, 'I've been so worried. I thought ... But he has left the army for something better – something much better.' She pulled herself up, took the child's hand. 'You see, he has a friend –'
'Fritz.'
'Manfred. And Manfred's papa is a farrier, a blacksmith, like our papa, but Manfred's papa is old and is wanting someone to work in his forge, and to be in charge of it too ... This work is exactly what papa loves ... And there's more. With the forge comes a house! Yes! Manfred's papa is to live with his daughter ... '
'Oh, Mutti !'
'I knew my Liebling would be happy ... '
'When?'
'I am packing already.'
In her trundle bed the child traced patterns of moonlight and dreamed. Life was beautiful. She was the happiest, the luckiest, the bluest of the most beautiful little blue flowers that ever grew – and her papa was coming home.
This would change everything ...
Twenty-eight
The child thought, it's the music that has brought him back. I sent the sounds of joy from my head to his and he heard and he's coming home ... The teacher tapped with her ruler and frowned. The child worked on, the letters and numbers far from her thoughts ...
The man was not at the house in the Reinerstrasse that afternoon. Nor was he there the next, or the next ...
Where was he? Thinking aloud, the child made her way to the factory gate.
'She's gone,' a woman remarked.
By the giant conifer beyond her window, her mother was waiting. 'I've got a surprise,' she said.
'Papa!' The child leapt, was gathered into strong arms.
A hand stroked her head. 'Your papa has come home to his sweet girl – is she not happy?'
'Yes.'
'We shall be a family again, the three of us. What fun we'll have ... We'll go fishing and picnicking – and sing loudly in the street ... '
'Papa!'
'We can, Liebling . The forge is far from the town square. It's where the factories are and a certain cafe that makes very excellent coffee, I hear –'
'But –'
'Is it not wonderful, Liebling ?'
'Is Mutti's factory near?'
'Goodness me, no. Mutti 's factory is here. Did she not tell you? We are going to Wiener Neustadt –'
'What?'
'It's a whole day's journey from here.'
'We're going away?'
'Yes!'
'Leaving Baden?'
'Didn't Mutti talk about the house? Liebling , it is big. You will have your own room. Think of that!'
Silence.
'And better than anything – Mutti will not be working ... Not in any factory.'
'No –'
'Yes. There is only one forge in the town and there is much work –'
'No – NO ... '
The man paused. 'Forgive me, Liebling , I know this is a shock for you. But a change will be good for all of us.' He lifted a box from the floor. 'We must help Mutti pack,' he said.
The child grabbed his arm. 'When?'
'Soon.'
'What's soon?'
'The cart will be here at five. We will travel at night.'
'What day – ?'
'Today. '
Statue-like the
'Yes.'
'Was it not magnificent!'
'Yes.'
'Da dada dada dada dadada da dada ... ' And the man sang and the child sang ... And a fist started banging on the door ...
'Herr Umlauf, to tell me again how brilliant I am.'
The child slipped on her coat.
'We shall go to the woods and look for dragons and eat snowdrops, and dance among the lilies, yes?'
'Yes!'
• • •
At the gate her mother was waiting. She ran to her daughter and clutched her hard. ' Liebling , I have wonderful news. Wonderful, wonderful news –' She started to cough and felt for the rag. Her cheeks were pink, unnaturally so ...
'What?'
'Papa is coming home!'
'Papa, home?'
'Is this not happy news?'
'Yes!'
The woman sat at the table, her head in her hands, 'I've been so worried. I thought ... But he has left the army for something better – something much better.' She pulled herself up, took the child's hand. 'You see, he has a friend –'
'Fritz.'
'Manfred. And Manfred's papa is a farrier, a blacksmith, like our papa, but Manfred's papa is old and is wanting someone to work in his forge, and to be in charge of it too ... This work is exactly what papa loves ... And there's more. With the forge comes a house! Yes! Manfred's papa is to live with his daughter ... '
'Oh, Mutti !'
'I knew my Liebling would be happy ... '
'When?'
'I am packing already.'
In her trundle bed the child traced patterns of moonlight and dreamed. Life was beautiful. She was the happiest, the luckiest, the bluest of the most beautiful little blue flowers that ever grew – and her papa was coming home.
This would change everything ...
Twenty-eight
The child thought, it's the music that has brought him back. I sent the sounds of joy from my head to his and he heard and he's coming home ... The teacher tapped with her ruler and frowned. The child worked on, the letters and numbers far from her thoughts ...
The man was not at the house in the Reinerstrasse that afternoon. Nor was he there the next, or the next ...
Where was he? Thinking aloud, the child made her way to the factory gate.
'She's gone,' a woman remarked.
By the giant conifer beyond her window, her mother was waiting. 'I've got a surprise,' she said.
'Papa!' The child leapt, was gathered into strong arms.
A hand stroked her head. 'Your papa has come home to his sweet girl – is she not happy?'
'Yes.'
'We shall be a family again, the three of us. What fun we'll have ... We'll go fishing and picnicking – and sing loudly in the street ... '
'Papa!'
'We can, Liebling . The forge is far from the town square. It's where the factories are and a certain cafe that makes very excellent coffee, I hear –'
'But –'
'Is it not wonderful, Liebling ?'
'Is Mutti's factory near?'
'Goodness me, no. Mutti 's factory is here. Did she not tell you? We are going to Wiener Neustadt –'
'What?'
'It's a whole day's journey from here.'
'We're going away?'
'Yes!'
'Leaving Baden?'
'Didn't Mutti talk about the house? Liebling , it is big. You will have your own room. Think of that!'
Silence.
'And better than anything – Mutti will not be working ... Not in any factory.'
'No –'
'Yes. There is only one forge in the town and there is much work –'
'No – NO ... '
The man paused. 'Forgive me, Liebling , I know this is a shock for you. But a change will be good for all of us.' He lifted a box from the floor. 'We must help Mutti pack,' he said.
The child grabbed his arm. 'When?'
'Soon.'
'What's soon?'
'The cart will be here at five. We will travel at night.'
'What day – ?'
'Today. '
Statue-like the
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