Part 11 (1/2)
”Not a priest, Rosita, a minister.”
”It is his job to not to talk about himself.”
”That's not the only reason, Rosita. He would be the same kind of person even if he was a...a miner. Robert shows interest in other people.”
”Oh.” Her eyes started to twinkle. ”Oh, oh, oh, oh. Now I see.”
”You're misunderstanding me. I only meant that not all men are so...so...consumed with themselves.”
”Well, there are lots of fish to fry in the lake. We try again,” she said cheerfully.
”No! Rosita, listen to me. You are not to try and find me a boyfriend. I am not interested. Do you understand?” I scolded. ”It's not that I don't want to fall in love and get married one day. I was in love with someone once.”
Her eyes glittered with interest. She sat down on the porch steps and patted the spot next to her so I would join her. ”So? What happened?”
I sat down beside her. ”War. It divided us.” That was one story I did not want to share with Rosita. ”Someday, when the time is right, I hope to find someone and even have a family. But back in Germany where I belong.”
”But you always say that our future belongs to G.o.d.”
”Well, yes, but-”
”So maybe G.o.d wants you to stay here.”
”Oh, no, Rosita, I don't think so. I think G.o.d wants me to go back to Germany. I'm sure He does. Germany needs me.”
”But maybe G.o.d thinks we need you more.”
That comment astounded me.
”What about William?” she asked.
”What about him?”
”Does he know you plan to leave someday?”
”Yes, of course.” Did he realize that? ”Well, I guess I don't know,” I admitted.
”That little boy loves you. And his own mama is gone. Don't you think it will be hard on him if you just up and go?”
I stared at her, speechless. I didn't know how to answer her. I had never even given it a thought. Of all of the preconceived ideas I had about living in America, it never involved becoming attached to anyone.
”Well...even still, that Stuart...he looked like a movie star, no?” she asked, meekly.
I tried to scowl at her but then we both ended up giggling like schoolgirls. ”Rosita, why are you so determined to find me an American boyfriend?”
She leaned her head to one side and looked at me with frank, brown eyes. ”If you fall in love and marry an American boy, then you will stay. I don't want to lose you when the war is over.”
I put an arm around her and squeezed her shoulders. ”You'll never lose me.”
She went back home, but I stayed out on the porch, watching the sunset, nettled by her remark about William.
After a while, Robert came out to join me. He leaned against the porch rail, hands in his pockets. ”Still don't want to talk?”
”Not really.”
He sat down next to me on the porch steps. ”Louisa, did that fellow frighten you at all?”
I looked at him, touched by his concern. ”No. He just had different ideas about...well, things...than I did.” I smiled at him. ”Any idea why William is upset?”
”He'll be fine.”
”That doesn't answer my question.”
He waited for a moment before answering. ”I think it bothered him to see you go off with a stranger.”
I looked down at my hands in my lap. ”Rosita was just saying something like that. She wondered if I had thought about how William would feel when I go back to Germany, especially after...” I stopped myself, realizing what I was just about to say.
”Especially after his mother left? It's true. He has grown fond of you.”
I looked at him. ”And I of him.”
”I know.”
”Rosita told me why she's been working so hard to find an American boyfriend for me. She doesn't want me to leave after the war.” I glanced down at the ground. ”I didn't expect this.”
”Expect what?”
”I came to America for safekeeping. I didn't expect...I didn't expect to...” I just couldn't finish the sentence.
”Didn't expect to find people who cared about you? I guess we didn't think about that either when I told Dietrich I would sponsor someone.”
”I just hope...I hope I haven't made things difficult for William.”
”Just the opposite. You've been part of a miracle for him.” He gazed out at the sun, watching it disappear behind a ridge. ”Louisa, when you go back to Germany, if you go back, it won't be like when his mother left. Let's worry about that when the time comes.”
The sky turned a beautiful rose color.
”Alpenglhe.” My eyes locked on the reddish glow on the summit of the mountains.
”Alpenglow?” he asked.
I nodded. ”Look! The first star.” I pointed to the sky. ”I think it's your copper star.”
Robert looked up at the emerging star. ”Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name.”
”Is that a quote from Scripture?”