Yesterday Was Long Ago: Part Two Read online

  They encountered immediately two Russians in their high buttoned tunics, blue breeches with thin red stripes, and riding boots. Approaching them together, they got the nicest smile from those look-a-like Privates. The difference was that one had a mouthful of golden teeth. It was a first for all of them.

  William motioned to go upstairs, and they happily obliged, taking them to the beautiful grilled iron door with a copper ‘R’ on it. They rang the bell and when two uniformed soldiers answered, both Russians said in unison, “Amerikansky”. The servant asked them to come in the hall, which was over-crowded with hospital beds. “They are all leaving tomorrow,” he said, before looking for Peter Reinhardt.

  All wounded soldiers smiled in their friendliest way, with some waving and calling out cheerfully, “Amerikansky!” William suggested they shake each hand. They were possibly former mistreated prisoners seeing Americans for the first time. Some even took both their hands, getting quite emotional repeating ‘Mir’.

  “That means peace,” the nearby doctor said. When Peter Reinhardt appeared, she introduced him as ‘Doctor’ before going back to her still flabbergasted patients.

  William excused himself for his unannounced entering and explained the circumstances. William spoke in German and was answered in English again. Peter asked all of them to come in his dining room, offered a seat, and explained that he had lived two years in New York City, taking his internship at the Angel of Mercy hospital.

  “I am so happy to practice my English after many years, if that is what one still can call it.”

  “Better than mine,” Brad responded. “Except for Captain Brown, we are all New Yorkers, though from different neighborhoods.”

  “And your city?” came from Peter with interest.

  “Sacramento, California,” she smiled.

  “I was in San Francisco. I actually toured your vast country for two months before returning home.” He rang for a servant who came in a great hurry. “Please bring us some wine glasses, and do we still have sandwiches?"

  “Yes, Doctor.”

  “Thank you, Sophie. These people look hungry for good Austrian food,” he smiled.

  “You are a mind reader, Doctor Reinhardt,” Sheila said gratefully. “We only had coffee at a nearby café, whose waiter gave us your address.”

  “Coffee?” he laughed, leaning back. “And you drank it?”

  “No… we brought our own.”

  “That sounds better. Even I buy America’s instant on the black market.”

  “You won’t have to anymore,” Joel assured him with a grin.

  “The poor doctor has worked sixteen hours straight and now he entertains Americans. Very good-looking ones too. All officers in their splendid looking uniforms. I hope they will be the ones moving in. I like them already,” one servant said elatedly.

  “As long as we don’t get any French men,” another servant replied in disgust, having spent some time in their prison.

  Peter was more than happy to let them have the place as their headquarters. He invited their General and staff for the next morning’s breakfast, and to get to know the Russian General and his staff. “Those doors slide open to make five large rooms,” he explained. “And thanks to the Russians, there is plenty of food.”

  “We are in supply and will bring some more,” William assured him. “especially once we are in this place.”

  Peter ordered a servant to give them a closer look at the place so they could get some idea. But he had to leave, as he had sixteen hours of surgery behind him in his own hospital, as his two converted places lacked the proper equipment. With a friendly handshake and an “Until tomorrow at 7 AM,” he departed.

  The headmistress, Fanny Hirt, was now in charge to show the place she was born in fifty-six years ago. She was one of the most devoted servants of Czech descent, like her parents, and stayed purposely in Vienna to act as interpreter in Russian. She was determined that no harm would come to any Reinhardter in her presence, but Peter never took a chance.

  She started at the fourth floor, explaining the many hidden antiques, also emphasizing the panels which served as doors which only a very few people knew how to open. She was, of course, one of them. Also, the Baroness and her horse’s hideaway was pointed out among many young girls’ and women’s’ too from Reinhardt’s large circle of friends.

  “I stood my ground,” she added in pride, but no one could imagine that anyone had a desire to get her in a bedroom except to put it in order. But then again, the Americans were frequently told that all Russians loved those big women, never mind their age or shape.

  The third floor was for the servants who lived in Salzburg with the Reinhardts who had fled last October. “My poor master was taken to Russia because he owns factories and is an engineer. We are told he will be back, but we pray, doubting their promise,” she said quivering, wiping her tears, taking the Americans to the second floor. “Those rooms are my master’s and the family bedrooms and their salons and dressing rooms.” She even opened one of the large bathrooms. “The place is now in a mess, but will be put in order very soon. All paintings and portraits will be back. We were afraid they may have used them for target practice when drunk, but we were lucky with the rigid General and his obedient staff.”

  Now they descended to the converted entrance hall again and she mentioned that about fifty patients on the average were to be taken care of. There were four nice Russian doctors and about eight to ten male nurses. She gave a fast glance and pointed at the grand parlor, music room, library, and five adjoining dining rooms which could be made into one.

  William had the joyful task of translating until they reached the downstairs kitchen. Captain Brad Torreli gulped. “We own a restaurant in New York and our kitchen is half this size!”

  “The Reinhardts have belonged for centuries to Vienna’s great society,” Fanny Hirt said extremely proudly. “They entertained several hundred guests depending on the occasion. But the two wars changed everything.”

  They stood in the hallway now, outside the kitchen near their pantry when William uttered, “I smell a horse. Is there one in the room to be possibly slaughtered for a meal? I heard and know the Viennese eat horse meat.”

  “Not in this place! Reinhardts would rather starve. Their many thoroughbreds are in Salzburg. This one you smell is the Baroness’ horse and she sleeps next to it for fear of being stolen.”

  “We have to see the pantry too,” William demanded kindly.

  “It’s almost the same size as the kitchen and you will see it tomorrow when the Baroness is gone. She is asleep and may be in a short slip, being too tired to fetch a nightgown.”

  William, Brad, and Joel only smirked. “We’ve seen women in slips before and lived in Salzburg in villas of old baronesses. They remind me mostly of old relics who belong in the Austria’s past.”

  William laughed. “I’d rather take a look at the horse any day. But we have to see the pantry to give us an idea how much food we can store, as we plan to be in this place for quite a while.”

  Sheila paid no attention to William’s insistence. She knew only too well that he hated to be refused by anyone, let alone a servant. She gave Brad a wink and said, “Come on. Let’s take a look at the ceilings, which were doubtless done by Italian painters.” They also admired the intricate wrought iron staircases, having never seen such beauty in every corner.

  “Must be nice to be rich,” she lamented with a sigh.

  “Not according to McAllister. He always envied me for my good-hearted parents.”

  “How does he know them?”

  “Went on a visit to our restaurant on his last furlough. They never thought of him as rich, but rather plain and friendly, never mentioning his family.”

  “That’s him all right. And yet they are arriving tomorrow afternoon.”

  “I know, and he is not even looking forward to it, except for his Uncle Bill.”

  Sheila was amazed that he would visit anyone below his own status. The devote
d headmistress was quite disturbed about William’s assumption that her Baroness was an ‘old relic’. “I’ll show that handsome devil,” she thought to herself, admiring his imposing figure, bright blue eyes, and pearl white teeth. He put those two dark, hairy, comely Italian-looking officers in a shadow any day, as she always preferred blonde men in general. Possibly because she herself was headmistress of many servants who still belonged to families of Italian background when Austria owned a big part of their country. But at present, she was one of the cunning employees her country was famous for. She would teach him a lesson of utter embarrassment while taking proper revenge. “Alright Major, you win. If you promise to be quiet, I’ll open the door,” she whispered. “But I have to go in first and cover the Baroness properly.” William and Joel smirked again. “It’s alright now,” she smiled sheepishly. “She is still in her uniform. Poor thing was too tired to get out of it. Don’t touch the horse. It neighs very loud.” Both gave a nod as Fanny opened the door while watching William, whose face changed colors.

  Captain Joel Respini took a fast look too and, thinking of William’s remark whispered wistfully, “Some old relic! This is a sleeping beauty if I have ever seen one. It’s the first time I ever wished I was a prince!”

  Isabella laid sideways with her hands folded like in a prayer, her long black hair falling over her shoulder. Her cap with a red cross was laying on the floor. William was taking a look at the horse, as well as a basket of kittens with their watchful mama giving a quiet “meow.”

  Fanny closed the door, convinced he never noticed the size of the pantry. He only looked very confused. “Are you satisfied Major? You could see for yourself I was speaking the truth!” said Fanny with a sly look.

  “Very,” he answered curtly, biting his lips. “Now you all can have a good laugh about us crazy Americans,” he smiled.

  “We are not permitted to gossip, and I never know where it begins or where it ends. Among the servants we talk; we trust each other. Aside from that, we never repeat a thing we heard or saw. It’s an old rule in the Reinhardt household.” She smiled proudly.

  “I will apologize personally,” William replied with a mysterious wink. Somehow those two understood each other quite well.

  Returning to the main entrance hall, Sheila and Brad were in the process of giving their cigarettes away to the extremely grateful Russians, who were grinning from ear to ear and repeating, “thank you.”

  “Brother, this palace is really something else,” Sheila uttered, still taken aback. Just take a look at the chandeliers.”

  Joel looked up and replied, “So is the lady … she is something else too. She slept in the pantry with her horse and a basket full of kittens.”

  “It’s a Palomino,” William replied. “We have several of them in Virginia.”

  “I love cats and dogs more,” Joel replied. “And I may ask for a kitten for company.”

  “Then you never had a horse,” said William again.

  “Who has one in New York City?”

  “William does,” Sheila whispered, with a tinge of sarcasm.

  “It’s near New York and is called Westchester County,” he replied mater-of-factly.

  “You got some cigarettes left, William?”

  “Why?”

  “We gave ours to those poor souls. They nearly cried for joy.”

  He reached in his pocket and found an unopened pack. So did Joel, who had about half a pack left. “Here, Sheila,” he said, throwing Joe’s and his in her direction. “It will make your day. I already had mine.”

  She replied only, “thanks a lot,” with a smile, not knowing what he was talking about. Since they were ready to leave, she handed them to the doctor, who slightly bowed and thanked her in perfect English.

  “Don’t let me forget to send some cigarettes too, when we get some food ready as soon as we reach home,” William said determined.

  “Today?”

  “That’s what I said, Sheila,” he snapped, thinking of his sleeping beauty.

  31

  They arrived at their temporary headquarters, which was an oversized villa from a former Nazi official. Sheila did all the talking, including the invitation for breakfast with some Russian staff who were residing there. The General was impressed that they came up with the ideal place and location in just a few hours’ time. William, Brad, and Joel went right to work looking in their reserved boxes for needed goods. “Any one of you can take the jeep and be back and forth in no time. I have to talk to the General, as my furlough starts officially in two days.”

  “I honestly forgot all about it, William,” General McCain replied in surprise.

  “I miss you already,” William smiled. “but I’ll be back in two weeks, eliminating Scotland. One week with my family in Vienna and another one in Salzburg is all I can take anyhow.”

  “I thought of soap and bandages,” Sheila interrupted. “They may all be leaving by tomorrow and God knows they need them badly. It seems they had torn pieces of linen wrapped around.”

  “Good idea,” said Brad, who carried with Joel all the jeep would hold to the mansion. The servants seemed to be assembled in the hallway and overjoyed by what they saw.

  “At seven sharp,” Fanny Hirt repeated after each servant shook their hands, being extremely thankful for the valuable cartons of food and cigarettes.

  ∼

  The following morning, General McCain and his staff of five came, as he felt six were enough, having no idea how many Russians he would be facing. Aside from Sheila, he took William, Brad, Joel, and Captain Philip Feingold, known as ‘Phil the Jew’. Other than William, he was not only the smartest in his staff of thirty, but felt overlooked, by being a German Jew with a heavy accent. His family left Stuttgart for New York very soon after Hitler’s arrival in 1933. They had money and opened a jewelry store on Madison Avenue, similar to the one they left behind. While he loved America, he was spoiled in a peculiar way and complained a lot. He went to Cornell University, claiming it was superior to all others. It didn’t go over too well with the rest of his buddies.

  As all six walked up the steps, General Gromov walked down to greet them halfway. One would have thought he welcomed these officers to his own home. His English sounded perfect in comparison to Phil’s and he claimed to be a self-taught man in French and German too. “I am a determined man,” he told them before the door was opened.

  Arriving in the main hall was another story. Except in a field hospital they had never encountered more activity and noise. Ian McCain asked the overly bemedaled Russian General if they shouldn’t wait outside.

  “It’s this way every morning,” he assured them. “and the table is already set. They will close the dining door if the noise bothers us.”

  “No, no,” General McCain said truthfully. “We only thought we might be in the way.”

  “So good to see you again,” interjected a refreshed Peter Reinhardt. “Make yourselves comfortable. You will have your breakfast in a few minutes.”

  “Nothing bothers those men,” Sheila thought, finding the Doctor extremely sexy.

  Now William got the first good look at the Baroness, who was in a blue and white striped uniform, white apron, and an unstarched cap, bandaging the lined-up Russians, either on crutches or in a wheelchair. “Even more beautiful,” he thought. They were still in the hallway and each American was introduced by Peter as he read their nametags. Isabella gave each a smiling nod and continued with her duty.

  “Thanks a million for those new bandages,” she said cheerfully to General McCain, who humbly replied that it was his staff who visited the hospital the day before.

  Since Peter introduced his niece as “My assistant, Miss Reinhardt,” Sheila lost no time in asking if she was his daughter. “Unfortunately, only my niece. The family lives in Salzburg.”

  “They fled from us Russians!” General Gromov replied smiling, showing them the way toward the dining room. As soon as they were seated, five servants appeared with huge silver
trays filled to the rim with delicious-looking food.

  “It even smells good,” said Brad, who was a connoisseur of fine food.

  While they all took their seats, Peter gave a short speech about the situation, which had somewhat changed since the previous day. General Gromov went right to the phone, demanding all available transportation to have his wounded taken to the Reinhardts’ two other hospitals.

  “German prisoners will arrive whenever the doctors are ready. They will fold the beds to bring them to our other places.”

  “We have also beautiful writing tables and chairs at your disposal.”

  “Sounds great,” Ian McCain replied, turning to Sheila. “Have you seen their office?”

  “She couldn’t have, as I have the key,” replied Peter

  “What did the Russians use?”

  “Our dining rooms, believe it or not.” General Gromov entered with Colonel Niemev who smiled and greeted each American.

  “We were starved!” McAllister replied, smiling.

  “I had to make sure that we got the P.O.W.s on time and the right ones for the job.” Then both Russians helped themselves to breakfast.

  The Americans were surprised at their good English, but didn’t know these two officers were the exception. Captain Torreli and Respini prided themselves on the fact that their Major McAllister spoke French and German. He was their ‘Harvard man’ and Phil Feingold’s English was considered his second language.

  General Gromov looked now at Peter and demanded in his forceful voice, “Where are our nurses?”

  “Working very hard to get the patients ready.”

  “They’ve got to eat, especially ‘Stringbean’ Isabella.”

  “I’ll get them.”

  “No, Doctor. I will. You worked since three in the morning. I have more energy.”

  “All right,” he smiled, when the General got up and screamed, “Dr. Leonova, Selinova and Miss Reinhardt! Come here and I mean now!”