Yesterday Was Long Ago: Part Two Page 6

Victoria followed without being asked; but then she was a Reinhardt and poor Marlene would need moral support. Now both sat facing the two doctors who had notepads on their laps, while scribbling and asking Marlene questions.

  “Were you walking at an unusually fast speed?”

  “Yes. Very fast. I was surprised that my mistress was even capable of going that fast without pausing at all until now.”

  “And the reason for it?”

  “She didn’t want to worry her family, as time just slipped up on her and it was getting dark.”

  “Were you shopping?”

  “Oh, no. Mrs. Reinhardt decided to pay the von Waldens a visit.”

  “Oh, God! No wonder her heart beats at this rapid pace,” one doctor uttered, being aware of their long family feud.

  “From what Marlene told me, they had a most pleasant visit, with tea and cake and a promise to see each other again,” Victoria interceded.

  “Now that would be a miracle.” The attending doctor smiled, with all present agreeing wholeheartedly.

  “My mistress even said to me that she will make some drastic changes to better their impoverished lifestyle. She felt very guilty,” Marlene added, causing another surprised stir, when the ambulance halted as they reached the hospital. The doctor ordered both ladies to take a seat, while planning to get a hold of the Baroness as he was sure her companion was not present when the conversation took place.

  “I imagine Mrs. Reinhardt told you about her guilty feelings on the way home.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And we thank you for the information as it gives us something to go on,” he finalized, following the arriving stretcher to the Emergency Room in a hurry.

  “Mrs. Reinhardt,” Marlene said, still shaking. “I am so grateful you came with me. Otherwise I would have been even more nervous. I don’t like to talk to doctors.”

  “You haven’t done one thing wrong, Marlene. I will stay here until we all drive home together, as I am sure they called my husband, too.”

  Marlene’s face reddened. A few minutes later, the head physician approached Victoria in a very professional manner, though he was a family friend of long standing. “My dear Mrs. Reinhardt… what a surprise for all of us at the hospital. And hearing about the out-of-the-ordinary visit your mother-in-law took. So far, we detected a slight stroke, but that is not our only diagnosis. We put her in complete isolation as all her other symptoms point to pleurisy. Her extremely high fever and difficulty in breathing are two reasons. We put her on oxygen but hope it won’t develop into pneumonia. As I stated, the stroke was slight; let’s hope there are not more following. It’s still a puzzle to all of us, as her heartbeat, too, is unbelievably fast,” he sighed, somewhat worried. “My colleagues tell me she went to see the von Waldens. Why on earth would she do that?”

  “Oh, I can answer that question,” Victoria said hurriedly. “Her favorite grandson, Paul, sprained his ankle at the new skating rink. Unfortunately, the little von Walden girl was strongly suspected to be the reason for his fall. I imagine she went there to settle a score. Isn’t that right, Marlene?” The doctor shook his head wordlessly.

  “Well, it started out that way,” Marlene replied. “but then she liked the Baroness, had tea with her, and believed the little girl.”

  “Thank you,” replied the doctor with a fixed smile. He left again, but not before turning around and verifying that the Baroness and Philip were already on their way.

  “And all that commotion before Christmas Eve,” Victoria mumbled.

  “Mrs. Reinhardt said that this year would be a very different Christmas anyway. Nothing much to celebrate with every young man gone and many of the servants grieving,” Marlene remarked as Astrid von Walden appeared, almost out of breath, walking straight towards Marlene and Victoria.

  “And again, a good evening,” the Baroness addressed Marlene before she introduced herself to Victoria. “What a terrible shock that we should meet under these circumstances. Mrs. Reinhardt and I had a surprisingly good time together, considering the circumstances of why she paid me a visit to begin with.”

  Now they noticed a small group of doctors talking, as a visibly upset Philip came rushing through the emergency door. The phone call came just as he was about to leave his factory after wishing each and every one a happy holiday, looking eagerly forward to a few relaxing days himself.

  “I drove as fast as I could thanks to the clear weather. What happened to Mother?” he asked while shaking each doctor’s hand, addressing each other on a first name basis.

  “You may want to give your wife a deserving wave, or better yet bring her along to the office.” He gave a slight nod to Baroness von Walden, though he was puzzled as to why she and Marlene would be in an intense discussion. Upon entering the office, the head physician spoke first. “Philip, I hate to tell you, but your mother undertook a so-called visit to the von Waldens.” Philip looked stunned, unable to give an answer. “But from what we hear, both women seemed to have had a very pleasant time together; at least that’s what we were told by her companion. Of course, we haven’t had a chance to speak to the Baroness, as she too just arrived.”

  “We’d better call her in, in your presence,” said Dr. Breuner.

  “As you wish,” Philip answered.

  The Baroness explained in few sentences the reason for her unexpected visit, pertaining to her grandson’s sprained ankle and who should be made responsible, and ending by agreeing that they would meet each other the day the school resumed. Philip only shook his head, knowing the skating rink story only too well. His first thought was that she had wanted to give them a miserable Christmas, and it had backfired.

  “That trip could have waited until school began, providing there was any reason to begin with,” Philip replied, until he suddenly thought of Kurt’s death. “Good Lord, we just buried Kurt Essler. I will never understand her obsession with that little incident, which my son Paul and myself explained to her all over again.”

  The doctors bowed their heads in sorrow, knowing how much his uncle was loved by anyone who had the privilege of knowing him. With an “excuse me doctors, I know you will do your best,” he was ready to leave.

  “Philip, don’t be too upset. Maybe some good will come out in the long run. Maybe it’s the end of this long running feud,” Dr. Breuner mumbled while the two women tried to get better acquainted.

  “That will be the day,” Philip whispered, still furious when he left, followed by Victoria and Astrid, who ventured to ask the Baroness’ hometown before moving to Lindenfels.

  “Baden-Baden,” she replied, and Victoria and Philip exclaimed in delight. “Baden-Baden? We are frequently there during the school vacation with our children!” It sounded like it was rehearsed in unison.

  “You are?” she replied, equally enthusiastic. “Then we will have to talk about it, as I am very homesick.”

  Philip offered her a ride home, both apologized for the inconvenience, and promised each other visits as soon as their households settle down, as Astrid expected her sister and brother-in-law for a two-week visit. Though Marlene in the back seat felt very relieved, all the questioning coming at least temporarily to a halt, she forged a plan to leave the Reinhardt household as soon as possible. For one reason, the unpredictable ‘Bertie the pimp’ might show up again, but the main one was if her mistress in her delirious condition revealed his name! Then what? Since she mentioned several times that her sister was expecting her first baby shortly, and with her husband in the war, it would be a great comfort to her sister if someone was there to help out. Philip agreed wholeheartedly, knowing she would be back as soon as her mistress improved and was in need of her. As far as Marlene was concerned, Tyrol was far away and the perfect solution. She would write the Baroness von Walden about how guilty Mrs. Reinhardt had felt, knowing it would make her feel much better. The Reinhardts were, however, very surprised at her fast departure but, since their household was in an extremely gloomy state, they felt she would b
e happier with her sister and let it go at that, expecting her prompt return.

  It was New Year’s Eve of 1914, and there were no joyful gatherings anywhere, let alone a New Year’s party. However, when the bells started their usual ringing, Philip entered with three glasses and a bottle of champagne. “I don’t know if you two even heard the bells,” he said, noticing Victoria and Anette very engrossed in conversation pertaining to Paul, who was in an extreme state of depression.

  “It may sound crazy, but let’s drink to a happy New Year anyway. Maybe the war will come to an end and all our boys will be home.” He omitted that his mother was still in complete isolation and had not spoken a word. She had suffered a second stroke and the doctors expected more to come.

  Bertram von Walden was already in uniform and on the train to an unknown destination; Astrid and children were deep asleep.

  1916

  4

  Ever since the unfortunate accident on Christmas Eve of 1914, Victoria had had to take over the chore of keeping up with their diaries, a tradition dating back to 1509. She, however, had her own idea of entering the daily boring accounts, and so far as she was concerned, barely anything noteworthy happened. For most people around her, it became a struggle with many a husband, a father, or a son at the front-line. And today, while half of Vienna was watching their more-or-less beloved Emperor’s funeral, she took the opportunity to read those few pages of 1915 and to catch up with 1916, as she had numerous notes locked in a small leather box, a gift from Anette, who took over the reins with Philip’s and Victoria’s full consent to run the Reinhardts’ large household by keeping everything as it was and as it should be.

  Looking back at her scribbled pages since Christmas of 1914, it showed that Verena suffered several more strokes which left her soon afterwards paralyzed. Then she fell in a coma, and so far, had never recovered. Victoria was very sympathetic towards her condition, paying her a daily visit and stroking her face when leaving. But Philip and Anette showed very little compassion and added after each inquiry that, after all, she was seventy-two, ‘while our young soldiers are living and dying in their mudholes’. Verena was laying in her mansion in Vienna with three nurses taking their shifts just watching her, and then changed the rather embarrassing subject, knowing the war was still going on.

  Lindenfels castle was not being occupied, as all the firewood and coal was used for every purpose involving the war. With all young male servants gone, it was not hard to find a place for any woman servant, as men’s work had to be done by them. No one seemed to mind as long as they were employed at the Reinhardts. Philip, too, worked many late hours. He was still more angry than sorry about his mother’s condition, feeling that it all could have been avoided.

  Elisabeth’s letters from Berlin sounded more and more like medical reports, and she also had a nice boyfriend from Holland. Both vowed not to take any trips until the war was over. Gisela graduated on July 3, 1915, and entered a school to become a kindergarten teacher. “It will take three years of hard studying,” she would answer harshly whenever one of her brothers teased her about it. Both claimed she needed only mediocre qualifications.

  Peter, the most happy-go-lucky of all the Reinhardts, was very much like his father in younger years, but promised to follow in Elisabeth’s footsteps in becoming a doctor. So far, no one believed him! Paul was absorbed with technology, visiting his father’s factory and foundry whenever time permitted. Very much on the serious side, he was the only one who cared about Verena’s well-being and came to see her on a daily basis, mostly trying to lessen his own guilt. After all, she went to the von Waldens for his sake, and he still considered that ‘ugly brat’ responsible for his grandmother’s condition.

  As for Victoria herself, she became close friends with Astrid von Walden, both spending a great deal of time at Vienna’s military hospital, helping not only with rolling the freshly washed bandages, but also writing letters for any wounded soldier who was incapable of doing it himself. Letters to or from home were as important as their daily food rations.

  All parties came to a complete standstill. With many of their husbands or sons at the western front, only an occasional after-hours tea was taken. The Linden trees of Lindenfels took great pride in supplying its inhabitants with their tasty leaves, which needed only hot water. After all, the town was named in the trees’ honor.

  That was all Victoria had put on the pages of her next diary for the year of 1915, as anything else mattered to her very little. However, arriving at the Spring of 1916, it would become quite a different story.

  ∼

  By now, every newspaper had finally refrained from referring to the heavy battles on the western front as ‘skirmishes’ with no victories or defeats. Also, the phrase ‘trench warfare’ was eliminated. Millions of lives were lost already with the Russians taking the heaviest toll. Though their army and cavalry fought to their utmost, they were poorly equipped to counter the well-prepared Germans and Austrians, as Russia fought on Serbia’s side. At present, Verdun was the main battleground between the German-Austrian army and the French, with each side equally determined to win at all costs, though it had consumed the lives of hundreds of thousands already, and all that only for the sake of gaining a few miles. Parisians once more began to barricade themselves, just in case.

  Victoria received a letter from Irma Kronthaler, proudly stating that both of her sons were looking forward to marching in the streets of Paris; it was just a matter of time. Victoria was too upset to answer and asked Philip how her friend could even entertain such a cruel thought! Didn’t she realize how many lives were already wasted just to satisfy a few stupid and heartless emperors?

  “No, Victoria, both of her sons were trained for war and they are in the middle of it. She doesn’t even permit herself to think of defeat or that it will affect either of her two sons,” he sighed. “Let’s hope… well, never mind.” He left without finishing his thoughts.

  Astrid, too, kept Victoria up to date on all arriving letters, be it from her husband or stepson Bertram. She was especially pleased about his beautiful drawing and poetry. “Maybe the war will make him a better young man,” she stressed after each letter. “But then again, why would it have to take a war?”

  “Let’s hope for the best in any case,” Anette replied, though she was doubtful.

  The greatest surprise came the following day when Lt. Colonel von Walden sat at home, hidden with Andreas, Jr., and tomboy Gaby, with Hermine opening the door, not giving to Astrid the slightest indication of her husband’s sudden arrival. Hermine had put one more plate at the supper table, but it had escaped Astrid’s attention, as the von Waldens had changed their lifestyle by taking all meals in the kitchen.

  “You are fifteen minutes late for supper, Madame. Where have you been?”

  With a most astonished look and loud shriek of “Andreas!” she flew into his outstretched arms. “For how long?” were her first words, still in awe.

  “Four weeks, dear Astrid, including a few days of travel time, of course. They couldn’t spare any of us during the holidays, though nothing of importance was going on. So, you see the first of April turned out to be ‘April Fool’s Day’. Our two children who played on their seesaw, and Hermine behind the plow were equally startled. Only our ox showed indifference. I imagine they already took all of our horses?”

  “Except mine,” answered Gaby in delight. “The Wertheims keep him hidden until the war is over, but I can ride whenever I want to.”

  “How very generous.”

  “Mrs. Wertheim said they never came to them, never expecting Jews to have a horse with no grounds to plow.” Somehow it made sense, as their well-manicured garden and riding path was well hidden behind tall trees and shrubbery.

  Though Astrid kept her husband well informed, there was still so much unsaid. After hours of discussion, she fell asleep in his arms and he carried her to bed. It was almost dawn. He, however, was still wide awake noticing all the many changes with many more
to come. Hermine behind the plow was one sight he was not likely to forget, though many poor families had farmed this way for years. But how will they harvest with no male help around? What was left was either too young or too old. This war may continue until the last man has died, he himself included, and then what? A young widow with two children, and an unpredictable stepson who will continue to be evil should he ever make it home. There was also the small pension to consider, which will be almost worthless with the usual inflation after every war.

  He decided right then and there to sell this troublesome place, as his relatives were paid off when they left a long time ago. Astrid and the children had always loved the city of Vienna, its good schools, and nice parks. Lindenfels and its wealthy inhabitants always snubbed them anyhow. And with this prolonged war going on, it was as good a time as any to leave. He would present his idea over breakfast before his children left for school. He was not even able to finish the sentence before Astrid and the children roared a loud and joyful “YES”! Only Hermine asked, “What about a food shortage? Berlin is already having one.”

  “We will have an agreement with the new owner and make sure to have a garden.” Hermine was glad to hear. “After my bath, I am paying Isaak Wertheim a visit.” He related his plan to his overjoyed wife, who had already written a note to Victoria, giving her a reason for a visit, which seemed to be important enough as far as she and the Reinhardts were concerned. By the time Andreas was dressed and ready to go, Hermine had returned from her mission, claiming to have been lucky enough to catch the oncoming trolley within seconds.

  Victoria, in turn, suggested a luncheon the following day at the Reinhardt place with both husbands present. Andreas was amazed at their swiftness and remarked that if they had generals who acted that quickly, the war might be over.

  “I was terribly afraid you would change your mind,” Astrid replied with a hug and a kiss.

  Isaak Wertheim was extremely surprised about the visit and request, but regretfully declined to accept any commitment until he spoke to the Reinhardts first. “After all,” he thought to himself. “the long-standing feud was always about those few meager acres.”