“Away, dear Zoltan, away! Before I forget, there is something I want to ask all of you. When are you going to get around to closing the T? I freeze my ass off—sorry, ladies—in this weather, give me something! A heater? Anything!”
All the strudel had been eaten, all the coffee drunk, being a weeknight, it was time for bed. Hannah hit the table to catch everyone’s attention. “Boys, here de setup for tonight’s sleeping arrangements. John goes in mit Zoltan, I sleep mit Jane, so Ebbely get our bed by himself because Fritz on de settee tonight will be sleeping!”
Nobody laughed, although they all knew why and wanted to.
“Dear Lady, in that great big bed of yours? I shall get lost!”
“You need good, peaceful sleeping, Traveling Man. No discussion—orders!”
Climbing the stairs, Zoltan asked his roommate for the night, “In the morning, John, shouldn’t we give it a quick once-over?”
Peter joined in. “Yes—I want to have a good look at the tire frames.”
John agreed. “Ebbely, how about if before we all leave in the morning, we check out your Lizzie? Okay with you?”
“Much obliged. Nothing like being gone over by Ford’s crème de la crème. She’ll love it!”
“Okay. But first get Hannah to give you some blankets. We’ve got to cover her or she’ll be frozen by morning!”
Early the next day, long before their usual rising time, Rumpelstiltskin, still snoring peacefully cocooned in Hannah’s featherbed, eight eager men were fondling his automobile like a bunch of love-struck swains. Oblivious, one was under the car, Zoltan was cranking, Peter checking the wheels pinched her tires, inside Fritz was stroking the upholstery for any loose threads, John and Carl had their heads buried in her engine. Stan, after making sure the body had no scratches, was inspecting the gear-box, tightening pedals, Jimmy had taken on the lights.
They were so happy, they forgot all about breakfast until Jane called them in. Afterwards, good-byes were swift. Reminding Ebbely he had promised to return in time for Hannah’s Passover, the men rushed off to work.
Ready to reconquer the open road, Rumpelstiltskin pulled Hannah’s face down to receive his devoted kiss, presented Jane with the promised frilly garters and was off.
Ignoring the cold, Hannah stood on the front porch, waving good-bye. “Be careful, Ebbely. Come back soon!” As his Lizzie wobbled away at the breakneck speed of ten miles an hour.
8
Icy rains swept down the streets, rattling windows as though knocking to be let in. Jane wondered if spring ever came to Michigan.
She had so much to learn, so much needed to be absorbed, and understood.
The child within her stirred, waking her. The pungent aroma of brewing coffee tickled her nose. Hannah was already downstairs, busy in the kitchen—she had overslept! Jumping out of bed, she washed, dressed, hurried downstairs to help with breakfast.
Zoltan poured the syrup onto his stack of steaming flapjacks, then handed it on to Stan.
“Nearly Easter and Passover, Hannah. Got any feelings of our Ebbely?”
“No.” She poured him coffee. “My bones don’t say nutting about him. Must be still far away.”
“Bones?” John helped himself to sausages. “What about your heart?”
“Yeah, Hannah, what’s your heart saying?” Peter spooned sugar into his cup.
“Quit de teasing. Is possible dis year our Ebbely won’t say de Seder for us, so Fritz will have to. Now, quit de talking. Finish and get to work.”
Rudy, anxiously waiting for Frederika’s answer, half in hope, half in trepidation that he might have been in too much of a hurry to propose, got up, pushed his chair into the table. “I’m going crazy. Hannah, you’ve got to ask that mailman again. Frederika must have answered—something! Her letter should have been here by now!”
“Rudy, don’t worry. Every day I ask, ‘Now, today you finally got a letter for my Rudy Zegelmann?’ Believe me, Mr. Henry he knows for sure how much you are waiting. Now go already!”
Still, no letter for Rudy that day, but there was one for Jane.
Dear Giovanna, wife to Giovanni,
I hope you remember me. I hope you do. I am the Bela from the boat cabin. A good friend of my Lotar knows how to write the English so he is writing down the words I am speaking for me. I speak good now. My Lotar says he is proud I do so good but the reading and the writing I cannot. Here in this mine camp is hard life. Everybody live in shacks, get so cold when new babies born in the night many they freeze and die at their poor Mama’s breast. Many so sad things happen here. Frozen babies just some of it. My Lotar say soon we will leave. When enough dollars saved for train, we go far to where the sun shines to find gold. Lotar say that better than dying here in Missouri iron mine. Here we hear much talk of bad, bad trouble. Strike in copper mines. Many killed, even children, by stomping on when they run to get away when someone cried fire. Hope this place they call Calumet is not where your Giovanni works. The friend who is writing this down says I have to stop. Strike talk he don’t want to have anything to do with it—even when writing down words only I am speaking. So, thank you for address you give me. Now I give you mine after my name that I do in my own hand.
Your friend,
Bela
Jane shared her letter with John, then composed her answer. Aware that someone would have to read it out loud, she wrote it in print, giving Bela her news in simple terms, leaving wordy embroidery aside for clarity. In the hall the next morning, John offered to take her letter to work with him, saying he would give it to Evangeline to frank, put it with the outgoing correspondence. This casually familiar reference to the ever-intriguing Evangeline raised a few eyebrows amongst the boarders but none ventured a comment.
Mr. Henry had become so involved in Rudy’s suspenseful romance that only a letter delivered by his very own hand could solve, that when it finally arrived, he rushed to the Geiger house, not even stopping to put on any of his mittens.
“It’s come! I’ve got it! It’s here!” Hannah snatched the envelope, pulling him inside. “No, no—can’t stop! Must get back. Left everything behind! Let me know what she answered—yes—or no!” And waving, he sprinted down the street.
That evening, Hannah stood by the front door, waiting for Rudy to get home from work. As he stepped inside, she pounced. “IT’S HERE! Quick, open! … So? She say ‘yes’ to you?”
Giving him no chance to escape upstairs, read in private, she watched his face as he skimmed the lines, caught the beginning of a grin and, clapping her hands, cried, “She say—‘yes’! Clever girl!”
As the others came through the door, Hannah pointed to Rudy holding Frederika’s letter, mouthed an ecstatic yes!
“I’ve got to find a house—buy furniture …” stammered Rudy in a daze.
“Easy, my boy … don’t go crazy!” Fritz cautioned, hanging up his coat.
“Congratulations!” The men shook Rudy’s hand. Hannah gave Fritz a fast hug.