Recap: Hope was hiding in a cave from the KKK men who were chasing her. She wasn’t feeling well, and she was there all night. She spotted Rivkah’s brother Avraham walking the neighbor’s dog and called for help. The Jacobsons come and bring her to their house. She is very ill, and when she is better, she confides in Rebbetzin Jacobson that she is in trouble and running from the KKK. She doesn’t want to get the family in trouble. The rebbetzin says it’s their mitzvah and they are happy to have her.
The days and nights blurred. When I was better, Rivkah told me I’d been sleeping for three days and only drinking some soup and water.
I woke up ravenous one day. “I’m so hungry!”
Rivkah smiled at me. “I’m so relieved, baruch Hashem. You look better. There’s a little color in your cheeks. I’ll bring you some real food now.”
“I can go downstairs myself.”
“Are you sure?”
I sat up and rose up. I fell back down onto the bed. I was too dizzy.
“You haven’t eaten in over three days. Don’t worry. You’ll feel better soon. I’ll bring you the food.” Rivkah hurried out of the room.
I glanced around the small room. There were two sets of bunk beds. Had I pushed all the girls out of this room? I felt terrible.
I noticed my backpack was next to my bed. I reached down and pulled out my siddur. I davened as much as I could. I was too weak to stand, so I did the davening sitting down. A strong feeling of calm enveloped me. I just knew Hashem was right here protecting me. The storm, the anxiety from the other day, all melted away. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my journal. I wanted to capture that feeling of calm in words. I began writing a description of the rainstorm and the cave. Then I started a poem. The rain had felt like a storm at sea.
“Wild Winter Waves”
By Tikvah Henner
Waves crashing to the shore.
Flail and dance a maniacal roar
Pounding foaming in constant disarray
Crested mountains of ocean spray.
Sunlight sparkles on winters cold gray.
When will children return to play?
When waves settle in with soft playful breezes
And the angry purls and curls of winter decreases.
…
I heard Rivkah clamoring up the stairs. She’d brought me a bowl of oatmeal and some cut-up peaches and a cup of hot tea.
“Do you want to see the poem I wrote?” I asked shyly.
“Sure.”
Rivkah read it and clapped her hands together. “It’s amazing,” she said.
Sunlight streamed through the open window. The sun warmed my face and a delicious breeze sifted through my hair.
“How can I ever thank your family? They’re amazing.”
After the meal, I was able to get up; standing and going to take a shower all seemed like a luxurious delight. Things I’d taken for granted now seemed so precious. I hadn’t appreciated them before.
For a second, I hesitated. Was it right to just impose myself on the Jacobsons? They had so many children to take care of already. Should I just go back to the Bowerses? I could still hear the echo of Mr. Bowers’ voice in my head. “Go. It’s dangerous to stay here.” I couldn’t go back to that house. I could never go back there.
Rivkah brought me a fresh skirt and blouse. “I think these will fit. We’re about the same size.”
“Oh, thank you.“ I thought of my closet back home, filled with beautiful dresses and skirts and shirts. Another life, another me.
“Mommy said you shouldn’t do too much today. You have to slowly regain your strength. Stay up here and do what you like. I know you like to write in your journal. I’ll bring you some books to read and, when you’re feeling better, we’ll play some games together.”
I lay down in the soft sheets and hummed a Shabbos melody, Shalom Aleichem. The song filled me, and I thought of a dance in my head that would match the words perfectly. I was visualizing the steps, so I didn’t notice someone whispering my name.
Suddenly, I saw Diana standing next to the bed with Bonnie in tow. “Hope, are you okay?”
“Thank G-d. I’m doing better. I was really sick.”
“I heard. Mrs. Jacobson just told me. When did you come?”
A terrifying thought flashed across my mind. “Did anyone see you come here?”
“No. Hope, please come back to our house. Please come back. What my mother did was wrong. I know you would never steal anything. Can’t you forgive and forget?”
She thought I’d left because of her mother’s accusations. If only that was the case.
“It’s fine. I know that. I can’t come back right now, but I so appreciate your asking me.”
Diana’s sincere words felt like a balm for the deep pain in my heart, but I couldn’t go back there. It was too dangerous, and I couldn’t tell her that.
“I brought another visitor.” Bonnie peeked around the corner of the door frame.
“Bonnie, come in!” I motioned her to come sit in my lap. She jumped into my lap and flung her arms around me. “Please come back. I need you!”
“You’ll come visit me. Diana will bring you.”
“Are you planning to stay here now?” Diana asked.
“Yes, I am. But please come visit when you can, and bring Bonnie.”
As I said it, I hoped no one would see them coming here.
Well, even if they did, they wouldn’t know they were coming here to see me.
Bonnie was sobbing.
“I’ll bring you to visit her,” Diana said, as she dragged her away.
To be continued…
Susie Garber is the author of the newly released historical fiction novel, Flight of the Doves (Menucha Publishers, 2023), Please Be Polite (Menucha Publishers, 2022), A Bridge in Time (Menucha Publishers, 2021), Secrets in Disguise (Menucha Publishers, 2020), Denver Dreams, a novel (Jerusalem Publications, 2009), Memorable Characters…Magnificent Stories (Scholastic, 2002), Befriend (Menucha Publishers, 2013), The Road Less Traveled (Feldheim, 2015), fiction serials and features in Binah Magazine and Binyan Magazine, and “Moon Song” in Binyan (2021-2022).
