Part 9 (1/2)
”That is good,” Kubota muttered. ”Very good.”
”Is there something wrong, Colonel?” Franz asked.
Kubota gazed up at the ceiling while his left hand trembled silently on the desk. ”I find myself more directly involved in the affairs of the Jewish refugees than ever before, Dr. Adler.” His eyes then locked onto Franz's. ”And yet, ironic as it may sound, I have never been in less of a position to advocate on behalf of your people.”
Franz was still mulling over the conversation as he approached the ghetto checkpoint at Wayside Road. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman hurrying across the street, holding a bamboo sack at her side. Turning his head, he was surprised to recognize Sunny. As a refugee, Franz was unable to go beyond the sidewalk that represented the boundary of the ghetto without one of Ghoya's pa.s.ses, so he stood and waited for his wife at the curb.
Face flushed, Sunny greeted him with a kiss to his cheek.
”Where have you been?” Franz asked.
Sunny raised her bag but avoided his eyes. ”Joey and I went to the market for supplies.”
”So where is Joey?”
”He stayed behind after we left the market.” She lowered her voice. ”He is confident he will return with more ether.”
Franz forced a chuckle. ”He is our Chinese Simon.”
”We could use the real Simon. More than ever. Those black marketers . . . I worry for Joey.”
”Joey is shrewd. When it comes to the black market, he's more worldly than either of us.” Franz laid a hand on her elbow. ”Sunny, Colonel Kubota has returned.”
Her mouth fell open. ”You saw him?”
Franz described his summons by Ghoya and the subsequent meeting with Kubota. ”It's more than just how aged he looks. His spirit is broken, too. He was very clear that he would not-that he could not-offer us any a.s.sistance. Even when it comes to Ghoya.”
”The colonel has done enough already, Franz.”
Franz closed his eyes and nodded. ”When Ghoya's men came for me, I was certain they knew about Charlie.”
Sunny laid her hand over his and squeezed. ”Oh, Franz, I must tell you-Joey already recognized Charlie as the Boy General.”
The warmth of Sunny's touch evaporated. ”So easily?”
”From photographs in newspapers and magazines.”
”So it's only a matter of time until others recognize him, too,” he grunted. ”The wrong people.”
”What else can we do, Franz?”
”We can let him go home.” He p.r.i.c.kled with shame even as the words left his lips. ”After all, that is what he wants.”
”But Franz, you said . . .”
”What I said was correct. To send him out now . . .” He rubbed his temples and avoided her eyes. ”But there is an entire community to consider.”
CHAPTER 14.
A throng of students, ranging in age from seven to eighteen, lined up at the door of the Kadoorie School, anxious to escape the airless old building. Hannah didn't mind the jostling. She barely even noticed how overheated she felt in her wool tunic. She'd hung on to it from her days at the Shanghai Jewish School, though her new school had no uniforms.
Freddy Herzberg had that effect on her. Hannah had not felt as excited in months. He had invited her to his home. She still couldn't believe that a whole Hershey's chocolate bar was waiting there for them. Hannah had not seen, let alone tasted, chocolate in over a year. Her mouth watered every time she thought of it, but just as importantly, it also meant that Freddy didn't mind her meeting his parents. The small offer had revived her crush. Perhaps Leah Wa.s.selmann won't be Freddy's girlfriend forever?
”Herzberg grat.i.tude,” Freddy had labelled the promised chocolate during lunch break, as it was still called, though few students had the luxury of a regular noontime meal. ”For the hero who put food back on our table.”
”It was nothing. Just a short walk.”
”Yeah, but smack through the heart of enemy territory!”
”You make it sound a lot more impressive than it was.” She brushed off his praise, through her chest fluttered with pride.
Hannah had told Freddy about her run-in with Ghoya but downplayed her panicked reaction. She could hardly believe that the hysterical little man had let her leave the ghetto after the grilling he gave her. Once she cleared the checkpoint, she had to walk over a mile to reach the address on Avenue Joffre that Freddy had made her memorize. He need not have bothered to give her directions, though; the building was a block away from the flat where she used to live with her aunt and father.
Along the way, she had pa.s.sed numerous j.a.panese soldiers on the streets. The sight of them terrified her, but aside from a few curious glances and one vicious scowl, Hannah went otherwise unnoticed. A Russian man with a few days' worth of stubble on his cheeks met her at the door to the apartment. He swayed at the threshold, reeking of alcohol, while trying to persuade her to join him inside for lunch. Resting a hand on her shoulder, he offered her something he called ”plain shchi,” which as best she could tell was some kind of meaty soup. Hannah wriggled free of his grip, handed him the brooch and, explaining that she was late to meet a friend, hurried away.
Hannah returned home feeling exhilarated. She was not a helpless cripple after all. She wouldn't mind doing it again, she told Freddy. He a.s.sured her that more missions awaited her. ”There's a lot more than just food money involved, too,” he added in a conspiratorial whisper that thrilled her. With her new-found sense of purpose, and Freddy's attention, her months-long melancholy dissipated like a rising fog.
Hannah was so eager to head home with Freddy now that she didn't notice her father among the crowd of students and parents-a few of whom wore the traditional black coats and hats of the Hasidim, despite the heat-until he called to her from the sidewalk.
”Papa, why have you come?” she asked as soon she reached him. ”Is something the matter?”
”Who is your friend, Hannah-chen?”
Hannah flushed. Before she could say anything, Freddy thrust out his hand. ”I am Freddy Herzberg. It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Adler.”
Franz returned the boy's handshake. ”Will you excuse us, Freddy? I must take Hannah home.”
”Can it not wait an hour or two, Papa?” Hannah pleaded. ”Freddy and I were going to his apartment to open the-” She caught herself. ”We have homework to complete.”
”No, Hannah. This cannot wait.”
Though her father spoke quietly, Hannah could tell from his tone that something had upset him. Still, she persisted. ”Please, Papa. I will be home very soon.”
Freddy held up his hand. ”It's all right, Hannah. We can do the homework tomorrow. I will not touch it until you are free.”
”But, but . . .” Hannah was dying to sink her teeth into a chocolate bar, but she was equally upset about missing the chance to accompany Freddy home. She doubted that either opportunity would wait for her.
”You will come home now, Hannah,” Franz said with cool finality.
Burning with embarra.s.sment and disappointment, she did not even make eye contact with Freddy as she mumbled her goodbye.
Franz did not speak for several blocks as they headed along East Yuhang Road. Once they turned off onto quieter Ward Road, he stopped abruptly and placed his hand firmly on her shoulder. ”Hannah, did you leave the ghetto without telling me?”