As Maximilian was walking out of the building, Louis ran to catch up with him. The conversation lasted only a few minutes. When he returned, Eli said, “What did you do, Louis? Tell me you did not ask him to move Chava into his house.”
“Don’t lecture me, Eli. I can’t send Chava to some faraway labor camp from which she’ll never return. You’d do the same thing.”
“He preys on young girls. He’s a monster. A lecher. You can’t let Chava move in with him. Who knows if he’s even telling the truth?”
“Leave me alone, Eli. Don’t you dare stand in judgment of me. You’re not facing this problem.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
LUBLIN, POLAND
APRIL 1941
MONTH 19 OF THE NAZI OCCUPATION
“Sylvia is beside herself, Eli,” said Esther as she placed the dinner dishes on the table. “Louis announced that he was moving Chava into Maximilian’s house for her safety.”
“I’m dead set against it, Esther. I told Louis it was a mistake, that Maximilian is a lecherous snake, but my brother is desperate. He’s concluded that it’s necessary to prevent Chava from being shipped to a distant labor camp. He might be right. But I will have a talk with Maximilian first, and I will make it perfectly clear that he is not to touch her.”
Esther shook her head. “I don’t have much confidence in Maximilian. I talked to Myrna Schlossberg. You remember that her daughter Sophie, also fifteen years old, was living at Maximilian’s?”
Eli nodded. “I asked Maximilian about her. He said she’s not there anymore. I assumed she was now back at home.”
“No, Eli. Sophie is now living with some Nazi. Myrna went to visit Sophie last week and she was gone. Maximilian told her that Sophie didn’t want to live with him anymore, that she had caught the fancy of a German officer and preferred to live with him instead. Maximilian said he was sorry to see her go, but it was Sophie’s decision.”
“And Myrna doesn’t believe that?”
Esther put her hands on her hips. “Eli! I know Sophie Schlossberg. She’d sooner lie with an alligator than a Nazi. She’s a young girl. Myrna said she’d never been with a boy before moving in with Maximilian. Maximilian gave her to that Nazi, probably as a gift in furtherance of his sycophantic relationship.”
“Maximilian doesn’t give anything away. He sold her.”
“You can’t let Louis do this. Maximilian’ll take advantage of Chava. She’s an innocent young girl. You have to stop him, Eli.”
Esther and Eli were interrupted by a knock on the door. Jakob stood there with a suitcase. He was shaking like a leaf. “They came an hour ago. Three mamzer Nazis. They pushed their way into my house, looked around and said I have until tomorrow morning to move out. ‘Take all your Jewish shit, but leave the furniture,’ they said. They want a furnished house!”
Esther put her arm around him and brought him into the kitchen. “Please, sit down,” she said gently and placed a cup of coffee on the table. “We’ll help you, Papa. Don’t worry. You can move right into our spare bedroom. Eli and Louis will help you move your things.” She pointed her finger and commanded, “Go, Eli. Get Louis, and while you’re at it, you can relieve him of his insane idea of putting Chava in Maximilian’s home.”
Eli picked up the brickyard truck and drove to Louis’s house. As he approached the door, he heard screaming and crying from within. Louis answered the door, looked at Eli and said, “Whatever it is, this is not a good time, Eli.”
“What’s happening here, Louis?”
From the other side of the door, Sylvia’s voice boomed. “What’s happening, what’s happening? I’ll tell you what’s happening, Eli. My little Chava is now living in a man’s house.”
Eli shook his head. “Oh, Louis, you can’t do that. We have to go and bring her back.”
“Listen to him, Louis, he’s your older brother. He knows best. Chava shouldn’t be in a man’s house.”
Louis stuck his hand on Eli’s chest and started to push him backward. “This is none of your business, Eli. You have no right to interfere with my decision. I am the father, and I will decide what is best for my daughter.”
Eli, much stronger than Louis, pulled his hand away. “We’ll find a better solution, Louis. Sylvia’s right. Chava doesn’t belong at Maximilian’s.”
Tears were rolling down Louis’s cheeks. “You don’t know, Eli. They came today, the ORPO. They grabbed Chava, told her to take a change of clothes and go to the city center. There would be a truck waiting to take her and others. They were sending her away. I was frantic. I ran to Maximilian. What else could I do? God bless him, he went straight to the ORPO, rescued Chava and brought her back. He waited while she packed a bag, and Chava left to live with him. What could I do?”
Eli gently put his hand on Louis’s shoulder. “I will talk to Maximilian and make sure he treats her properly. In the meantime, we need to help Papa move his belongings. They took his house.”
* * *
Early the next morning, Eli knocked on Maximilian’s door. “Do you know what time it is?” Maximilian said, standing barefoot in the doorway.
“Six o’clock. Where’s my niece?”
“Sound asleep, I presume, in the guest bedroom. Would you like to see for yourself?”
“Thank you for rescuing her.”
Maximilian bowed. “You’re welcome. It’s nice to hear a ‘thank you’ from a Rosen once in a while.”
“I would like to visit Chava from time to time. Louis and Sylvia would like to visit as well. I’m sure Sylvia would bake you a cake in deep appreciation for your kindness. But if I ever find out that you acted inappropriately with my niece, I will put a permanent end to Maximilian’s future romantic endeavors. Get it?”
“Jesus Christ, Eli! What the hell? She’s safe and sound in my house. Give me a little credit.”
“I have nothing but gratitude for your hospitality. As long as you behave yourself.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
LUBLIN, POLAND
MAY 1941
MONTH 20 OF THE NAZI OCCUPATION
Commandant Zörner decided it was time to talk about building the new brickyard, and he sent for Jakob, Eli and Maximilian. As they walked to Nazi headquarters at City Hall, Maximilian said, “I have come to know Zörner a little better. He is a hateful man, and he has no love for Jews. I think our best approach would be to let me do all the talking.”
A three-block perimeter had been established around City Hall. Any civilian who intended to approach the building was stopped, searched and interrogated before entering the perimeter. Maximilian was clearly familiar with the guards and greeted them with a wave and smile. “I am taking these two men to the commandant on urgent Reich business,” he said. “You may verify if you wish.”
Zörner sat behind a polished desk. A large red-and-white Nazi flag was posted on either side. His gray uniform was neatly pressed but strained at the buttons to cover his corpulent frame. A stone-faced sentry stood at attention to his right. Though his side chairs were empty, he did not invite any of the three to sit. “So these are the Jews who are operating the brickyard?” he said.