“Rachel. Rachel Henschel.”
“Is that the silversmith?”
“Yeah.”
“How old is she? The truth.”
“Seventeen next month.”
“Go on.”
“We want to get married when she’s eighteen and to wear a ring until then.”
“You been to bed with her?”
“No.” Ivan shrugged. “Not all the way.”
“And you want to marry her so you can bed her.”
“Well, I guess … no, it’s we like one another. She likes me and I like her.”
“Like or love?”
“Hard to say. But I know she’s the one for me.”
“And what does the old man say?”
“He says I’m a no-good. After his money.” He shrugged. “The usual stuff fathers say.”
“You’ve had a lot of girl-friends since we’ve been here. What’s so different about Rachel?”
“She don’t want to change me. She likes me as I am. The others all want some fellow with a car and money to spend on them. Rachel doesn’t care about all that.”
“OK. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.”
The man the family all referred to as “old man Henschel” was, in fact, just short of his fortieth birthday and was about to close for the night when Andrei tried the door. It was locked already but when Henschel saw who it was he slid back the top and bottom bolts and then unlocked the door, opening it cautiously.
“Mr. Henschel. My name’s Aarons. Could I have a word with you?”
For a moment the man hesitated and then he opened the door, locking it again when Andrei was inside. They both stood by the counter where some small pieces of silver-ware were on display under the glass cover.
“I came to speak on behalf of my brother, Ivan, Mr. Henschel.”
“You’re wasting your time, mister. Not him nor anyone else is gonna turn my little gal into his tsatske.”
Andrei smiled. “I don’t think that’s what he has in mind. He wants to marry her when she is old enough. And he wants to do it with your blessing and mine.”
“He should live so long. He don’t need anyone to speak for him, he’s got chutzpah for ten, that fellow.”
“That attitude could give us both problems, Mr. Henschel.”
The man shrugged. “So I got problems. Who cares?”
“Maybe you could tell me your objection to him?”
“He’s got no regular job. He’s had a dozen girls before my Rachel. Who needs a guy like him?”
“He has got a regular job. He works for me.”
“Doing what?”
“He works at the bookshop I own and he helps me in many directions.”
“It’s you with the bookshop then?”
“Yes.”
“A bookshop in this place? How to throw away money.”
“We already make a small profit and we’re building up.” Andrei hoped that the exaggeration was excused in the circumstances.
Henschel said, “Let’s go in the back.”
Andrei followed him into a small workshop crowded with cupboards and work-tables. Henschel pulled out a chair for him and perched himself on the edge of the main work-bench.
“How much he make, your Ivan?”
“Just over twenty dollars a week. He’ll get more when he’s a married man.”
“All the time she wants to go dancing with him. Not here in Brighton Beach but up there in the city. And her not yet seventeen.”
“There’s nowhere to dance in Brighton Beach but they could certainly go to Coney if you think that would be more acceptable.”
“They do what they want, not what I want.”
“I think if they felt you would be on their side then they’d do what you want.” Andrei smiled. “I think Ivan would do anything to get your approval. He’s quite genuine about Rachel.”
“So why don’t he do it now?”
“I guess because he thinks you’re against their friendship.” Andrei paused. “It becomes a struggle for the girl between you and him. That’s bad for both of you. And for Rachel too.”
“So what instead?”
“Let him give her a ring. Let him be part of your family and Rachel part of mine. My wife and my sister would make her very welcome.”
For long moments Henschel stared at the grimy back window then he said, “OK. We try it, my friend. See how it goes.”
The night of 29th of December 1940 the skies over London were red with the flames of burning buildings as the Luftwaffe set about fire-bombing the almost defenceless city. From the docks, through the banking area to the West End, London was burning, and centuries old buildings were collapsing into heaps of rubble.
At the same time President Roosevelt was giving one of his fireside chats to the American public. He was describing in every-day language the essence of what Washington insiders designated HR1776 which was officially described as “A Bill to Further Promote the Defense of the United States, and for other purposes.” One clause in the Bill provided for aid to “any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States’. In his chat he also renewed his pledge to keep America out of the war.
In the next few days the polls reported that 71 per cent of the people backed him and 54 per cent wanted lend-lease to start immediately. The Bill became law three months later and Roosevelt asked Congress for nine billion dollars, and got it.
American shipyards were opened to damaged British ships and US warships were providing an escort service to British merchant ships in what was called “the chastity belt,” roughly 1000 miles of the Atlantic. Under great secrecy the US Navy was ordered to keep aggressors from operating west of the 1000 mile line.
The First Brigade of the US Marine Corps relieved the British troops in Iceland and were ordered to ready themselves for unspecified operations.
All this was as far as the President was prepared to go. The US was almost certainly going to be involved in the war against Hitler but he was aware that the first blow would have to come from the other side. The loss of an American warship was the least it would take.
In Berlin Adolf Hitler recognised the trap and despite the protests of Admiral Raeder he gave orders that every precaution would be taken to avoid
