Romance / The Day the Flowers Died (Analysis)

-The Day the Flowers Died-

Friday, September 25, 1931

Autumn in Munich is always the most beautiful time to her. The leaves change colors and fall beneath her feet. She loves to walk over the orange, yellow, and brown irregular shapes on the cobble stone sidewalk near her home and listen to the sounds of the leaves crunching. The skies are filled with chalky white clouds and streams of variant blues. She hops off the sidewalk and onto the wet patty grass, lowering to the rose bushes aligned around her apartment, plucking a few off them off with the pruning scissors she has in her brown generic purse. Her long brown skirt dangles over the grass and moistens around its seam. Her black button up blouse is missing its top button and the blouse ruffles out of her skirt as she bends.

‘Rebecca! Rebecca!’ A man’s voice yells down to her from five stories above. She puts the flowers into her bag and looks up with her eyes against the sunlight, raising her hand to her head to protect her eyes. She doesn’t recognize his voice. She squints to make out his face, his shape, anything, but no one she knows comes to her mind. She hears the sound of the window above closing and then the sound of boots clogging against the hard cement steps as he races down to greet her. A man a foot taller than her with eyes chocolate brown and hair dark, short and a bit wavy stumbles out of the door. His beige wool trench coat catches in the door’s latch as he fumbles with his silk embroidered pale blue tie which sways over a crisp white shirt. ‘Rebecca.’ He says warmly. His eyes are kind and his face is soft. His chin is well shaven and his eyebrows are thick. He reaches his hands out to untangle his coat from the door and rolls his eyes at himself. ‘I always get stuck here. They ought to do something about this latch. It’s a hazard.’ He says clumsily. Rebecca looks up into his brown eyes and giggles, holding her hand over her mouth to keep from being impolite. After a couple minutes of awkward acquiescence, he reaches into his trench coat pocket and pulls out an envelope. ‘I meant to give this to you. It came to my mailbox by mistake.’ Rebecca reaches her worn out hands with miniscule amounts of dirt underneath the fingernails towards the envelope and brushes across his soft, manicured hands.

‘Thank you.’ She says surprised and then relaxes. ‘I don’t think we ever formally introduced.’ She smiles. Her sky blue eyes widen and her honey touched brown curly hair drops over her shoulders.

‘I’m sorry, my name is Eli Levin.’ He reaches his hand out to shake hers and she politely reciprocates. She steps back, allowing him room to walk away from the door and like children with lanky arms dangling and not knowing what to do with them, they walk together over to the sidewalk.

‘How did you know who I was?’ She asks. The sounds of the cars and buses from the street vibrate through the busy city.

‘I’ve seen you around. I live, ‘Eli points up to the fifth floor, ‘right above your room.’ He clears his throat.

‘I think I’ve seen you, ‘Rebecca thinks back in recollection, ‘yeah two nights ago, you were coming in holding a brown briefcase.’ She says.

‘Yep, that was me.’ He brushes his fingers through his hair. ‘I tend to get home late from work. I think I remember seeing you heading out that night.’ He smiles.

‘Yeah, I was meeting some friends for dinner and drinks. It was a rough day.’

‘What do you do?’ Eli says with curious interest.

‘I’m a waitress at,’ Rebecca speaks with her hands, ‘the local diner. Do you know the place?’

‘I’ve seen it.’ He says with a stressed smile.

‘Never eaten there?’

‘Can’t say I have,’ He squirms with those words, ‘but my friends tell me the food is good.’ Rebecca straightens her back, and wipes her nails with her fingers.

‘You don’t like the food there.’ Rebecca catches him.

‘Well, it’s not my favorite. I’ve eaten there once and let’s just say I won’t be going back. Except now that you work there, perhaps I have a reason too. ’ Eli smiles

‘It’s not my life long dream or anything, but it pays the bills.’

‘What do you want to do?’ Eli emphasizes the word want.

‘I’m going to the University of Munich for nursing. I want to help people.’ She says hopefully.

‘That’s great.’ He fidgets with his tie. ‘Are you about finished?’

‘Just two more semesters to go and I’ll be done.’ She looks away into the street and notices the cars rushing to get home from work. Then she turns back towards Eli and brushes her fingers through her hair. ‘What about you, what do you do?’

‘I’m helping the family business.’ He makes his sentences short. ‘The only son.’ He rolls his eyes. ‘The eldest. My father wants me to learn the business. I finished school at the university of Ludwig Maximilians a year ago, business school. Didn’t have much choice in the matter.’ He clears his throat.

‘Don’t you hate that, parents choosing our lives for us as if we have no say in what we want to do.’ They look at each other and smile. Rebecca flutters her eyes upward towards the sky and Eli stares at her.

‘What about you? How are your parents? Did they force you to go into nursing?’ Rebecca laughs and with habitual politeness, covers her mouth with her hand.

‘No, no. I fought skin and nail to convince them I was not destined to be a house wife and that my true destiny awaits through those college gates.’

‘At least you convinced them. I can’t even get a word in edge wise with my father.’ They laugh until it fades into a comfortable silence which they rest in before Eli clears his throat again and speaks. ‘So, I guess you were on your way upstairs before I rudely interrupted you.’

‘No, no intrusion. Thank you for the letter. I don’t know what’s wrong with the postman these days. This is the second letter I haven’t received. At least this one found me.’

‘Let me walk you back to the door. It looks like it’s about to rain.’ Eli takes out his grey umbrella from underneath his beige trench coat and opens it. As the umbrella cascades around them, the rain begins to pour and the sound of rain pellets drop and slide off the grey canopy. Eli keeps most of the umbrella on Rebecca’s side and walks her to the front metal door where the apartment ledge offers another kind of canopy from the rain. Rebecca reaches for the door knob and then turns around briefly.

‘It was real nice talking with you. At least now we won’t be strangers.’

‘Yeah, now we can say hi to each other in the halls,’ Eli smiles, ‘and if I get any more of your mail, I’ll drop by your room.’

‘Or you could just drop by?’ Rebecca smiles flirtatiously.

‘I could,’ Eli says with a humorous tone, ‘perhaps later when we are both free?’ He pauses for her reaction. She smiles and her eyebrow rises. ‘I have a meeting to go to now.’

‘I’d like that.’ They move in close together as if they are about to kiss and pull away just as quickly. Rebecca turns around to go inside and her long hair bounces with her. Eli takes a deep breath in of her and turns towards the street. Rebecca runs up four flights of stairs to her apartment room. The door squeaks as she opens it. The room is musty with a variety of room deodorizers. She pulls the roses out from her brown bag and takes out a clear crystal vase to fill with water. She places the roses inside the vase and sets it on her kitchen table.

‘There, perfect.’ She moves the vase a bit to the left and it sits in the center. She uses a wash rag to wipe down the table and dusts off her small vanity and dresser chest against the living room wall. She wipes off a picture resting on the dresser, a picture of a blond, blue-eyed dotting father and dark haired, blue-eyed mother holding their hairless blue-eyed baby wrapped in a yellow quilt.

‘I’ll see you guys soon.’ She says and walks over to her bedroom. The one bedroom apartment is small, but the furnishings are minimal and Rebecca prefers this, allowing more space to move about. After showering, she pulls out a plate of chicken with veggies from the fridge, sits on her white sofa with a pink robe tied around her body, and eats it cold while watching her British 1928 Baird Model ‘C’ television set her father, with adamant resistance from her mother, had bought her as a birthday gift a couple years ago after his business trip to London. She sits with her legs curled up underneath her, admiring the mahogany detail of the wooden rectangular shaped television styled in bureau like fashion propped up on four long wood legs. At the high left and right hand corners clear circles covered with glass ornate and help operate the rare mechanism her friends were envious of her to receive. In the middle of her entertainment her eyes droop and then widen as she hears a knock on the door. She pulls her hair to one side, dangling over her left shoulder and tightens the tie around her robe. She hops off the sofa and walks to the door. The safety latch keeps the door barely ajar as she peaks outside to see who it is. She smiles as she recognizes the face and unleashes the latch.

‘I freed myself up.’ Eli jesters a breaking of cuffs around his wrists.

‘Freed from your business plans.’ Rebecca jokes.

‘From parental expectations. Besides it’s almost evening and my father doesn’t like me to finish up my work on Sabbath time.’ Eli finishes the last word as he walks through the opened inviting door into her apartment room. ‘So this is what it looks like in here.’ His eyes absorbedly gaze around the room.

‘My home.’ Rebecca closes the door behind her as she follows Eli into her room. ‘It’s not very big, but its mine.’

‘You’ve made the space very accessible. It’s nice.’

‘Thanks, would you like some milk, tea or coffee?’

‘Please, I’ll have some coffee.’ Rebecca brews a cup of water in the kitchen behind the sofa.

‘How long have you lived here?’

‘For three years, since college. I left when I was nineteen. My parents live outside the city and I didn’t want to commute. It makes it easier for me this way.’

‘My mom would never have allowed something like that for my sisters, staying away from home while going to college.’

‘I’m an independent girl. I had to fight my mom on it, but my dad was on my side.’ Rebecca nestles herself between the sofa cushion and a pillow sitting next to Eli.

‘Daddy’s girl?’ Eli says.

‘My mom got used to the idea of me being away. It was difficult for her the first year, but now she knows I’m alright. I had my mind made up and I wasn’t going to change it.’

‘How are your parents doing since the depression?’

‘My father saves a lot and has been able to take care of tuition for me, but it has hit them too, even with their successful business. We can’t buy the luxuries we once did.’ Rebecca’s voice stresses the last sentence, ‘My mom is still not used to that.’ She turns towards Eli with her leg moving closer to him and smiles.

‘Why do you work then?’ Eli laughs in his question.

‘I told my parents I wasn’t going to take their money for living expenses, only for tuition. My dad did not want me working. But I want to make my own way and I found a job. What about you?’

‘I went in ‘24. My parents do well and we haven’t had to worry about money. As long as I followed my father’s plans for my life, he paid my way. So even after the depression hit in ’29, my last two years of law school were taken care of for me. I have been working for the last two years in 1930 and ‘31at my father’s firm.’

‘And you are a successful lawyer now.’ Rebecca smiles at the fulfillment of Eli’s duties to his family.

‘I handle business law at the firm.’ He says. Rebecca meets Eli’s eyes with her apologetic sensual gaze and Eli’s long lashes flit as he approvingly watches her in return. Eli reaches his hand out to touch hers and softly caresses her hand until the kettle on the stove whistles –tooooot. Rebecca jumps up off the sofa, forgetting herself and walks behind the sofa to take the kettle off the burner. She feels Eli’s careful eyes on her as she moves. She pours Eli a cup of coffee and herself a cup of tea and places them on wooden coasters on her coffee table in front of the sofa. Eli sips a few times and then stands up anxious. ‘I should be getting back to my room now.’

‘I’ll see you later then?’

‘You can be certain of it.’ Eli walks himself to the door and Rebecca slowly follows him out, waving goodbye as he scurries upstairs to his room. Eli takes out his file of papers from inside his trench coat and lays them on his table. It is a big teak rectangular table in the middle of the living room. It is covered with books and papers resting on top of place mats for eating. He walks over to his fridge and takes out his cup of juice and swallows it in one gulp. His phone rings and he races over to pick it up.

‘Eli?’

‘Yes, mom it’s me. Who else would it be?’

‘Are you going to make it to the feast this year? You know its just two days away. I don’t like it when you’re not there. It’s not the same.’

‘Yes, mom, I’ll be there.’

‘It’s going to be real nice with lots of food and all your relatives.’

‘Should I bring anything?’

‘Don’t worry about it, son.’

‘Your place again?’

‘Yes Eli, of course.’

‘What time?’

‘Try to be here by six. I love you.’

‘Love you to mom.’ He hangs up the phone and races to the shower.

Rebecca cleans up the cups from the table, snuggles back onto her sofa finishing her favorite shows before falling into bed and wrapping herself up in expensive quilts bought by her mother. The alarm goes off when the sun has barely opened in the sky. Rebecca lifts herself slowly out of bed and rushes her bath before dressing in two beige shirts layered over each other and a long white skirt. She dresses her neck with a black scarf and then heads out the door, fastening the double locks, walks outside the street and hails a cab. The streets are saturated with busy workmen, homeless and fathers struggling for their families to survive. Rebecca, born into an affluent family with luxuries in her grasp when most can’t afford food, sympathizes with the struggle, never flaunting her wealth and never fully understanding the sacrifices each man and woman walking down her streets has made. Though her upbringing was rigid in keeping polite mannerisms and social expectations, she remains as free as the flowers she picks blowing in the careless winds. She carries a crisp white lace apron inside her brown generic bag for the job she has procured and will attend after nursing classes at her university.

Eli tightens his button down blue shirt and fastens his dark blue tie around his neck before heading out to his office. The dark brown car he parked in the lot is still wet from last night’s rain. He wipes his window off with a towel and opens his door, laying the small towel into his glove compartment. The streets are busy with vehicles and people rushing to get to work in the very early morning. Anyone who has a job is happy for it and employers are not taking excuses for tardiness. Everyone can feel the tensions carried on the shoulders of every citizen of Germany, carried like heavy rocks. Families are falling apart, children are going to bed hungry, and more layoffs are on the way. The future of the country is uncertain, except for the promises made by eager politicians. Eli pulls up to his building a few streets away from his apartment home. It is like a second home to him, filled with family and friends. He walks in with a big smile and a beige brief case swinging in his hands.

‘Eli! Just the man I wanted to see.’ A tall man with a short brown beard scurries up to him and hands him a few papers. ‘We need these checked this morning.’

‘I’ll get on it.’ Eli walks through the hallway passed a few doors and stops at the door with his name embroidered into the tag latched onto the door. He walks into his office and sits down comfortably in his cushioned chair.

Rebecca’s cab drives up to her university and she hops out while handing the cab driver the fee. She frantically runs to her first class and then her next two classes until her academic day is finished and she takes another cab to the local diner. She rushes inside to take over the afternoon shift, pulling her hair into a bun and fixes it in place with a few bobby pins. She walks quickly to the counter, smiles at the cook with his head bobbing behind the pots and opens the cash register. She fiddles with the change and cash, counting it twice to make sure its all there. Then she pulls her apron out of her bag, throws it over her head and tightens the thin string apron around her waist. She puts her purse into a locker underneath the counter and the owner of the dinner walks in through the front doors. His pin striped shirt dangles out over his black pants and loose belt.

‘Good to see you Rebecca. How is everything today?’

‘Good sir. Very good, thank you for asking.’ She politely lowers her head back to the cash register and tends to her morning duties. The owner walks with a limp caused by his heavy set stomach up to the counter and then behind it into his small office and shuts the door.

The day passes usually long for the both of them until they find there way back to their apartment building just before the sun is beginning to set and fall back into their sofas on their living room floors. The next day is almost as un-notable until Rebecca finds her way into her apartment room after another long day of work and sees an envelope waiting for her on the other side of the door. Eli? She thinks to herself and with innocent unbridled enthusiasm opens the envelope and reads the letter.

 

Dear Rebecca,

If you are not otherwise engaged tonight, I would be very happy if you would accompany me to dinner. I will be waiting for you outside our apartment building at five-thirty.

Looking forward to seeing you,

Eli
 

A smile spreads across Rebecca’s face as she reads the letter and than places it on her coffee table. She showers and changes into a long white and pink dress with flower prints. She looks out the window and sees Eli waiting below with his hands to his face, blowing in them to keep warm. She pulls on a pink jacket and skips down the steps to meet him.

‘Eli!’ She says with giddiness. He turns around not expecting her so soon.

‘Rebecca!’ He walks over and wraps his arm around her to usher her off into his 1925 bluish Chevrolet parked on the curb. He opens the door for her and then walks over to his side. They drive down the street, past a few blocks and then over a road that inclines over a hill to a radiant restaurant with elegance of high lightening and extended windows which lets Rebecca know this dinner will be expensive. Eli pulls his car into the parking lot and escorts Rebecca with his hand over hers into the five start dining facility. The hostess glares at them under an elegant smile which hides the façade of propriety. She walks them to their table, careful not to linger too long, irritated in her movements, glares a moment, turns around and walks back to her position in the front of the restaurant. Neither Eli nor Rebecca notice the discourtesy which has been so carefully hidden while wrapped up in each other’s own glances and emotions. Eli brings his hands up to his chin as if in prayer.

‘I must confess something.’ He whispers loud enough for her to hear and quiet enough for the nearby tables to remain undisturbed by his presence. Rebecca moves in closer to him, leaning over the table, stretching her hands out to him.

‘What?’ The light from the high ceilings sparkle in her eyes.

‘I have had my eye on you for some time and have been trying desperately to find a way to talk with you.’

‘I’m flattered. But what kept you away so long?’

‘Humility? Fear? Bashfulness? Take your pick.’ Rebecca laughs, picking up the menu and reading over the items.

‘So, I think I’ll have the ham casserole.’ The waiter notices Rebecca across the room preparing to order and before she can ask for him, he is beside her. ’Yes, I would like to order this,’ she points with her forefinger ‘and this to drink.’ She moves her finger to the red wine list. The waiter jots the order down skillfully and walks beside Eli. He clears his throat while waiting for Eli to decide. Rebecca notices the impatience of the waiter and flips her menu open facing Eli. ‘How about this?’ She points to the German sausages with sauerkraut.

‘No, no. I can’t eat that.’ He says mostly to himself. The waiter flinches at his remark. Rebecca looks at him confused. ‘Pork.’ He clarifies. ‘I’ll just take this.’ He points to the sautéed chicken with vegetables and then moves his finger up to his favorite white wine. The waiter briskly moves away to fulfill his orders.

‘You don’t like pork?’ Rebecca asks naively.

‘I try to keep kosher. My father would kill me if I didn’t.’ Rebecca smiles not fully understanding what it all means.

‘Do you mind if I eat ham in front of you?’

‘Go ahead. Enjoy what you like. This is your night out on me.’ Eli smiles big and touches her hands, resting close to him across the table, hands steady and unwavering. An older couple at the next table stares at the two of them in their unfettered mingling and then the look of disgust appears just before they turn away and whisper in quiet. The wine is placed in the center of the table, one red and one white with glasses beside the bottles. The food is brought on chic white plates. The chicken is placed before Eli and the ham is placed before Rebecca. The waiter winks at Rebecca as he places the plate before her with his back to Eli and then folds his hands over and stands beside the two of them before departing.

‘Will there be anything else?’ The waiter asks.

‘No, thank you. That will be all.’ Eli confirms his departure and the waiter turns around and leaves.

‘This looks delicious.’ Rebecca begins eating and Eli smiles, watching her enjoy each bite.

‘I’m glad you like it.’ The room is quiet except for the sounds of light chatter and glasses clinging. The music is soft and sounds French. Eyes circles around the room, over at them and then away again: eyes curious, eyes confused, and some with distain.

As they are nearing the end of dinner, Eli gasps surprised. ‘I forgot the feast!’

‘Are you alright?’ Rebecca asks concerned.

‘Oh, I’m so sorry, but I’m going to have to make a call. I completely forgot my mom’s Sukkot feast tonight. She is going to be so angry with me. I missed last years too.’

‘Oh, dear.’ Rebecca empathizes with a bit of sarcasm.

‘No, this is serious. My mama makes a big deal of it every year. Oh, and my relatives were going to be there expecting me too.’

‘Maybe you can just stop by after dinner.’ Rebecca recognizes the gravity of distress on Eli’s face, ‘there sure to all still be there till late, right?’

‘Maybe you’re right.’

‘We can finish up now. I’m just about done anyway and then you drop me off and head to your parents tonight.’

‘You don’t mind. It’s so rude of me to have forgotten and place this on you.’

‘I don’t mind. It’s no big deal. I’m getting tired anyway. We can go out again when you have more time.’ Rebecca slides out of her chair, eager to encourage Eli to return to his parental expectations and Eli follows her dutifully to his dark brown car.
 

 

 

Saturday, October 17 1931

The light of the day radiates through the city of Munich and to Eli and Rebecca in an inconspicuous way, it somehow shines brighter over their apartment building. Rebecca wakes up to the daylight shining through her window with drawn curtains. She opens her window and smells the fresh air blowing into her room. ‘Munich in the fall.’ She smiles and loves how she feels at this moment. She clips the white baby tulips she bought at the shop on the corner of the street and lays them gently into her crystal vase, taking care of them maternally with fresh water daily and nutrients to help them grow healthy. She hurries to clean up the mess on the kitchen counter and coffee table, expecting Eli early this morning. Saturdays gives them more time to spend together then the busy weekdays. She tosses the dirty plates into the sink and lets the water soak them as she soaks in a bath of fresh orange soaps. The white satin dress she has chosen for the day unapologetically emphasizes her womanly shape.

Eli eagerly skips steps in his brown trousers with a black belt and blue shirt tucked in and buttoned to the top as he makes his way down from his apartment room to hers. He hasn’t put on a tie, but has clad himself with his trench coat. He knocks, calling her name intermittently. Rebecca opens the door with her white satin dress and for a moment, too quick of a moment, the sunlight from the kitchen window shines through, settling over her, and her delicate female silhouette underneath becomes visible to him for the first time. Eli blushes and then the sunlight vanishes as quickly as it had come. Rebecca walks out into the hall, clasping her arm around Eli’s arm and turns to lock the door behind her. Eli’s other arm is cleverly hidden behind his back and before Rebecca can lock the door, he reveals the one single red tulip to her.

‘It’s beautiful.’ She grasps it and he lets it go from his hands and back into her room to be joined with her other tulips. Rebecca locks the door upon returning. ‘Thank you, Eli.’

‘I noticed you loved them.’

‘I do. My second favorite flower next to Gerber Daisies.’

‘I’ll have to get you one of those next time.’ The weather is chilly and for October it is colder then it was last year. Rebecca tightens the black scarf around her neck and Eli blows into his hands as he rubs them and they walk side by side over the sidewalk and up the street.

‘Where are we going?’

‘It’s a surprise.’ He tells her, trying to keep a secret he desperately wants to share. ‘How was your week?’

‘Busy, but I’m almost done with nursing and soon I’ll be able to leave my diner job and work at what I really want to do.’ Eli notices her nose is reddening and takes her hand into his as he rubs his together. And you?’

‘Always a long work week with clients needing too much attention.’

‘Have you ever worked on a big case, you know an important one?’

‘Every client believes his case is the big, important one.’ Eli laughs, ‘so I guess I have.’ Eli walks Rebecca a few more blocks until reaching a park filled with flowers and kids. The kids are bundled up in heavy winter coats and knit hats to keep their fragile ears warm, and worried mothers sit on the benches watching nervously as they try to let their children play without them over their shoulders.

‘It’s beautiful here. I’ve never been to this park.’

‘I thought you would like it. You said you never have enough time to smell the roses. So, I thought I’d take you to them.’ Rebecca pulls her hand out from his clasped hands to lift it to his shaven face and pulls him close to her to kiss him unbridled once on the lips before frolicking away into the park. She blows away like the flowers in the park with graceful movements and twirling about reminding Eli of a dancer until settling on an empty wooden bench where Eli quickly finds a seat next to her. He sits, crossing his legs and she crosses her ankles with each of their legs facing the other and their hands interwoven on top of their legs such that it is difficult to make out which is her set of hands and which is his. Eli takes one hand to brush his short wavy dark hair back and then places it back again softly over Rebecca’s small hands. The laughter from the children running permeates the park and nothing but their innocent sounds intrudes the quiet morning.

‘How did I get along in life before meeting you?’ Eli asks aloud not really expecting an answer. Both their bodies move closer with each breath they take as if touch alone could make them warmer in this cold weather. Eli lifts his finger to Rebecca’s face and brushes off a few of her hairs dangling over her mouth and nestles them behind her ear. Rebecca inspects his chin with her eyes and then her finger.

‘Ah…I think I’ve found a hair you’ve missed this morning.’ She lets her finger linger on his chin.

‘Really?’

‘Ah huh, a stow-away.’ She says, convincing him. He lifts his hand up to his chin to feel the hair of the conversation and a knit hat flies across the grass, getting caught underneath the bench. One of the children in a tight fitting blue wool pant and top without his bonnet, runs up to the bench and bends down to grab the knit hat. Eli picks it up for him, handing it to him with a childlike smile.

‘Here you go.’ Eli says. The child nods, grabs it and runs off quickly.

‘So much for a thank you.’ Rebecca remarks graciously.

‘Never mind, he is just a kid.’

‘Who’ll grow up to be an uncouth adult.’ She says.

‘We’ll hope for better.’ Eli says with a hint of humor. They watch the child of six or maybe seven run back to his friends in the park. He pulls his knit hat back onto his head and the eyes from his mother leaves the bench and returns to her son. Eli pulls away from Rebecca in the most miniscule of measurements so much so that even he does not know he has done it.

‘If my father knew I was here in the park on Sabbath instead of synagogue I think he would come here himself and pull me there.’

‘He is very traditional?’

‘You could say that or you could say an unapologetic dictator.’ Eli says in sarcasm. Rebecca giggles. ‘Ok, maybe he is not that bad, but he could give me a little more room to breathe, to spread my wings and live my own life.’

‘He is your father; fathers only want what is best for their sons. I’m sure he means well.’

‘He does, that is what makes it all the more awful.’ Eli smiles in his words and unnoticeable to himself, moves closer towards Rebecca.

‘Do you have to work later today? Rebecca asks, hoping the answer is no.

‘My father closes the business every Sabbath, from Friday evening to Saturday evening, the firm is closed. He wouldn’t hear of his son working on Sabbath.’

‘Then I get you all to myself.’ Rebecca reaches her hands back up to his china and with more brevity pushes her soft finger up his shaven jaw line and down over his lips. Eli blinks, forgetting himself in her eyes and leans in to kiss her. The instant is almost reckless among children in the distance with mother’s eyes peering upon the two of them. Eli lifts the side of his trench coat out in front of them, covering them up from the mothers in the distance as if now they are secluded from the rest of the world. Rebecca laughs, forgetting to cover her mouth and Eli enjoys seeing her teeth as she laughs for the first time. The eight becomes eleven and Eli walks Rebecca up the street to din for lunch. A panhandler sits squatting outside the dinner with a small pan in his dirty hands, with ripped black trousers that look like his only pair. Eli reaches into his pockets and pulls out some loose change, tossing it into his dish as he walks up to the dinner to open the door for Rebecca.

‘Thank you, dear sir.’ The panhandler says. Eli smiles graciously and looks away back to Rebecca. As Eli escorts Rebecca inside, a waiter from the diner is pushed forward out the door by the yells of the owner to ‘move that bum away from his place of business.’ The waiter reluctantly pulls the panhandler up and asks him politely to leave this street. ‘Can’t a man make a living anymore.’ He grunts as he stuffs the money from the pan into his pockets and walks away with a limp in his left leg. The owner behind the counter looks up at Eli and Rebecca approaching a table by the window and smiles. His tall stature dressed in common white pants and beige shirt with the diner’s logo on it makes its way eagerly to their table.

‘Eli, it’s nice to see you today. How’s business going for you these days?’

‘Well, thank you. I can’t complain. So many other people have been hit hard by the crashing stock market.’

‘Yes, yes. It’s a real shame.’ The owner clears his throat, ‘Here are your menus.’ He places one in front of each Eli and Rebecca. ‘Let the waiter know what you want and we’ll get it to you right quick.’ He smiles up into his mustache and heads back behind the counter.

‘A real compassionate guy.’ Rebecca remarks sarcastically.

‘Yeah, the sincerity oozes out of his every pore.’ Rebecca laughs in her eyes at Eli’s remark and looks over her menu.

‘How do you know him?’ She asks innocently.

‘I used to eat here a lot with my father.’ The waiter hurriedly takes their orders and returns to the counter to give it to the cook.

‘So, how did things go for you when you arrived late to your mom’s party?’

‘Well, the eating had wined down and the drinking had intensified. Many of my relatives were still there and so I slid in hoping no one would know I had missed anything, but I didn’t have any such luck with my mother who made it very clear I had better be there for the entire celebration next year or she may have to disown her only son.’ Rebecca’s face grows intense. ‘She doesn’t really mean it.’ Eli reassures Rebecca. ‘She says something like that at least once a year. -Eli, you’d better make it to Sabbath this morning or I’m going to have to disown my only son and you know what a heartache that will be for me.’ Eli moves his hands and wrinkles his forehead imitating a concerned mother, ‘–Eli, the Seder for Pesach is only a couple days away and you still haven’t gotten the bitter herbs, the eggs, or the lamb I requested, am I going to have to disown my only son. Don’t do this to your mother.’ Rebecca laughs at Eli’s authentic antics. Eli settles down as his order of chicken on rye is brought to him and Rebecca enjoys her ham sandwich. She lifts the sandwich up, ripping it apart into tiny pieces as she puts it into her mouth, savoring each taste.

‘The meal was delicious. Thank you so much, Eli.’

‘It was my pleasure.’ Eli picks up the tab and they walk back towards their apartment building. Rebecca lets go of Eli’s hands just before they get to the building.

‘So, I’ll see you later. I have to get going now. My parents are expecting me to visit them this weekend.’

‘Yes, of course. I almost forgot. I’ll see you later then.’ Eli reaches to her cheek and kisses her lightly. Rebecca turns away to hail a cab and before she jumps into it, she turns back around at Eli who is still watching her.

‘Thank you for the tulip. It was lovely.’ She says and then the door of the cab shuts and she disappears. As the cab pulls up to Rebecca’s home just outside of Munich she feels anxious to see her mother again. It has been several months since her last visit, before meeting Eli. A maid in black garb and a white apron comes running out of the front doors of a large and lavish home, waving her hands and calling out to Rebecca.

‘It’s good to have you back with us.’ She speaks with an Austrian accent. Her blond red hair is pushed back underneath her white bonnet and only strands of it escape around her face.

‘Mildred!’ Rebecca smiles big and hugs the approaching maid.

‘No luggage, Ms. Baum?’

‘Please call me Rebecca. Just because I’ve moved out, Mildred doesn’t mean you have to go back to formalities.’ Mildred’s wide full cheeks puff pink and she smiles.

‘Yes, Rebecca.’ She says with a servitude tone. A tall man with dark blond hair aging into grey on a receding hairline stumbles out of the front doors and embraces Rebecca as she is walking inside the house.

‘Father!’ Rebecca kisses him on the cheek and he takes her hand as they walk in together.

‘My daughter, whom I haven’t seen in ages.’

‘It’s only been a couple months.’ Rebecca assures him.

‘You are going to have to tell us all about your adventures in Munich and at University. Your mom is real excited to talk with you. She found someone for you she thinks you’ll really like.’ Rebecca grits her teeth.

‘Dad, I don’t need her setting me up with anyone.’ She declares, Besides, I’ve already found someone.’ She says softly.

‘Really, you are going to have to bring him home sometime and let us meet him.’ As her father finishes his last word, a tall, but shorter then her father, womanly figure with a long grey silk dress wrapped around her body and dark brown hair tied into a loose bun on top of her head walks through a swinging door and into the corridor where Rebecca stands.

‘Rebecca.’ She glides over to her and kisses her on each cheek once.

‘Mother.’ Rebecca tries to ease the tension in herself as she hugs her mother tightly.

‘I’ve found someone for you.’ She whispers into her daughters ears. ‘He comes from a long line a strong German ancestry. His family is well off and he is so polite and well mannered. You are going to love him.’

‘Mom, slow down.’ Rebecca hesitates her words, ‘as I was telling dad…I’ve found someone in Munich.’

‘Ah!’ Her mother shakes Rebecca’s arm in giddy delight. ‘Courted by two men. Maybe there is hope for you yet, my darling. You are going to have to let us meet this stranger,’ she rushes in thoughts, ‘perhaps this Christmas. It is coming up quickly.’

‘Perhaps mother. I’ll have to see what he is doing first. He might be busy. He is a lawyer and you know how busy they can get.’ Rebecca offers up the detail of Eli’s profession eagerly, knowing it will soothe her mother’s expectations and she hopes to satiate her appetite for more details. But this information only teases her mother for more conversation about him and she walks with Rebecca holding onto her arm tight through the corridor and into the dining area to sit down and have a proper discussion. Rebecca’s father continues down the corridor, heading left away from the dining room and into his study to read, knowing the way his wife gossips and longing to avoid it until dinner where afterwards he can spend more time speaking with Rebecca.

The two of them wander onto the patio of the balcony while sipping tea. Rebecca’s mother keeps her busy with questions of matrimony and university well into the early evening and while Rebecca politely involves herself in the discourse as she bites her lip on details she knows her mother will not be happy to hear, her mind flutters back to moments she spent with Eli and somehow the time flies by without agitation and dinner is almost served. Dinner is a welcomed interruption for Rebecca and her father makes it known it is his turn to dominate the conversation at the dinner table with his only daughter with a loud clearing of his throat and a strong direction of questions.

‘So you are happy in Munich?’ He asks while filling his plate with the assortment of foods brought in by the chief and his help.

‘Yes, very much father. It is so busy all the time and there is so much to do. I am rarely ever bored.’

‘And your studies are going well?’

‘I’ve almost completed all my courses. By summer next year I should graduate.’

‘That’s good. So, what is this I hear about a new man in your life?’ Her father is always predictably direct and Rebecca knew she would have to answer the plethora of questions from her father and mother upon arriving and so prepared in her head the easiest and most accurate answers which were the truth, but not the entire truth.

‘He is a lawyer, working for his father and he graduated from Ludwig Maximilians one year ago.’ She emphasizes his university. ‘He is real smart and funny too.’ She laughs in thought of some of their conversations.

‘So when will we meet him?’

‘Soon, I hope. Mom wants me to bring him down for Christmas, but I have to see what his plans are then.’

‘Well, don’t keep him away too long or your mother might just make arrangements for your wedding with…what is his name…’ Her father looks to her mother.

‘Carl.’ Her mother says through her teeth in disappointment that no one can remember the name of the young man she has chosen for Rebecca. Rebecca laughs at her father’s remark, hiding her big teeth behind her hands.

‘Dear, you know it’s impolite to laugh at the dinner table while we are trying to have a serious conversation.’ Her mother is quick to point out Rebecca’s fault.

‘Yes mom.’ Her father looks back over at Rebecca and the two of them share a secret smile. Rebecca heads up to her room after dinner which has remained the same since the day she left it. Many of her old clothes still hang in the closet and many of her favorite toiletries still linger on the vanity and in the bathroom. She prepares for bed and lets her head fall to her thick pillow while pulling the Egyptian thousand thread count sheets over her body, happy to be hiding her face in comfort and having avoided all the anxiety ridden answers to their questions.

Sunday morning her mother makes her dress in her Sunday’s best to attend mass at the Lugwigskirche Catholic church. The dress is buttoned to the very top of Rebecca’s neck and drapes in length, covering her ankles. Her father sits next to Rebecca’s right and her mother sits to Rebecca’s left. She feels squeezed into high proper society between the two of them sitting in the second to front row seats, looking ahead to the tall brown wooden pulpit where the priest is about to give his sermon. Mass is long and Rebecca thinks to herself even longer then her work day at the diner. After mass her parents drive her back to their home up a long high hill and park their silver Ford Buick in the driveway.

‘Mildred!’ Her mother calls out to the maid who has always remained only the help since her hiring twenty years ago. Mildred runs up to the Buick dusting off her apron with her hands.

‘Yes, Mrs. Baum, may I do something for you?’

‘I need some help getting inside the house. My feet are swelling underneath me.’ Rebecca’s mother clings onto Mildred like a patient to a doctor and Mildred helps her step in her high heels over the grains of pebble and sand until she reaches the door. ‘Thank you, Mildred.’ She lets go of the maid’s arm and walks herself into the large house. Rebecca and her father walk arm clasped in arm over the bumpy walkway into the house and Rebecca kisses her father on his cheek and then announces her departure.

‘I’ve got to get going. I don’t want to get back into Munich too late.’

‘Certainly, dear.’ Her father smiles cordially and her mother scampers back into the corridor.

‘Leaving so quickly?’

‘I’m sorry, but with the traffic and all the errands I still have, I would like to make it back to my apartment before dark.’ Rebecca insists.

‘I’ll see you at Christmas then. Don’t forget to bring your special someone. We are looking forward to meeting him.’ Her mother kisses her again on both cheeks and then Rebecca heads out to the front of the gate where Mildred has called and already paid (with money from her father) the taxi for her to return her safely into Munich. In the cab Rebecca stares out the window as all the scenery of lush living fades and she enters her part of the city in Munich where there is a mix of life abundantly on the streets and inside the buildings.

The cab pulls up to her apartment and she rushes upstairs to get her list of groceries from off the fridge and her bag of laundry to be washed by hand in her bathroom. Normally, Rebecca would have more time to finish up her menial Sunday tasks, but since she had to keep a promise to see her parents and had to go with them to service Sunday morning, the day is offering less time then she hoped and her legs can't move her fast enough. She lays her apron out in the bathroom, knowing it won't be dry in time if she doesn’t wash it first and plans to wash it tonight when she returns with groceries. She hears a few steps in the apartment room above her and wonders if Eli is home yet from whatever plans or work he had for the day, but without a hesitation in her step from her errands, she smiles above at the ceiling and then heads out her apartment building to make it to the market before the evening begins to catch up with her.

Sunday, November 8 1931

Rebecca and Eli walk down the chilly sidewalk hand in hand, their bodies close enough to keep each other warmer than if they were walking alone. Rebecca fiddles with her rose colored knit hat her mother gave her to keep her warm in this frisky winter weather. Benches align along the sidewalk before entering the park and they sit on one in the middle cozy side by side. Eli wraps his arm around Rebecca and her nose is turning a fast red. He rubs her nose with his hands, laughing at her easy vulnerability to cold weather. Eli takes off his long strapped leather brown bag carrying a few books inside of it and lays it across his legs. He pulls out one of the books and looks up at Rebecca as he lays his head over her lap. Rebecca caresses his face with her fingers lightly touching his cheeks, and forehead and then circling back around to his chin.

'Feels like you've missed a shave today.' Rebecca remarks comfortably without feeling she'll offend him.

'You are a very perceptive young woman.' He smiles back at her. 'I'll have to remedy my error later.'

'No error,' She smiles wide enough for him to see her white long teeth, 'I kind of like it, all rough and manly.' She lowers her head towards his and Eli reaches his head up to peck her on the lips, yet after their lips touch he lingers there for more then thirty seconds and then retreats his head back to its warm, comfortable spot upon her lap garbed in a thick dark blue wool skirt. Eli lays the bag onto his legs and opens the book.

'Who are we reading today?' Rebecca asks giddy.

'Heinrich Heine, a German poet of Jewish origin.'

'Ooo.' Rebecca teases with caddy intonation.

'Are you mocking me?' Eli says half heartedly with the look of sensuality in his dark brown eyes.

'Ok, continue. I really do love poetry.' Eli flips through a few pages and reads aloud, loud enough for her to hear and soft enough for the words to travel right through the ears of the strangers briskly passing by them.

E'EN AS A LOVELY FLOWER
by: Heinrich Heine (1799-1856)
E'EN as a lovely flower,
So fair, so pure thou art;
I gaze on thee, and sadness
Comes stealing o'er my heart.

My hands I fain had folded
Upon thy soft brown hair,
Praying that God may keep thee
So lovely, pure and fair

 

'He's poetry captivates me.' Rebecca whispers. Eli is elated by her enthusiastic approval.

'He is one of my favorites. He blends the impression of French modernism with German sentiment.' Eli turns the page to Heine's bibliography and reads the line quoted at the top softly and without so much as a waver in his voice. 'where one burns books, one will, in the end, burn people.' Eli opens his mouth about to say something political, but before he can, Rebecca interrupts his thought.

'Read me some more of his poetry.' She asks like a child with a bedtime story. Eli looks down at her blue eyes matching the light blue sky above them and turns the pages to find another poem he favors. 'I really like this poet.' She says in her naïve age never hearing of him before today and not fully comprehending his significance.

'He is more than a mere poet. He is a writer, and political-religious thinker of the nineteenth century. He has influenced many with his words.’ Eli educates Rebecca and then whispers audibly the next poem he chooses.

MY DARLING, WE SAT TOGETHER
by: Heinrich Heine (1799-1856)
MY darling, we sat together,
We two, in our frail boat;
The night was calm o'er the wide sea
Whereon we were afloat.

The Specter-Island, the lovely,
Lay dim in the moon's mild glance;
There sounded sweetest music,
There waved the shadowy dance.

It sounded sweeter and sweeter,
It waved there to and fro;
But we slid past forlornly
Upon the great sea-flow

 

Rebecca rests easy with Eli on her lap. He wrestles to keep his eyes from shutting and falling asleep. Their intimacy from an embrace on this almost secluded bench in the middle of a cold winter is etched into their bodies, the way his head falls into her legs and the way she tenderly keeps his head afloat. She is like the frail boat and he the passenger, amidst a dim day with the sweetest symphony surrounding them, sliding upon a great sea flow. Eli thinks of the poet’s words as he tries not to wake from his gentle slumber.

‘Do you think it could stay like this forever,’ Rebecca whispers to him, ‘with us in each other’s arms, laying here in the quiet breeze of winter.

‘Nothing lasts forever.’ He says poignantly and honestly.

‘Well, then for at least a few more hours.’ Rebecca sighs, crumbling into his chest with her head against his stomach. Eli lifts his hands up to her nestled head and rubs her hair in the few moments left of pleasant retreat. Then he pulls himself up off the bench, lifting Rebecca with him. They walk, returning to their apartment, knowing they each have obligations to fulfill before the day is gone.

‘Prejudice and political unrest.’ Eli thinks aloud, wanting Rebecca to join him in on his thoughts.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Do you think they go hand in hand? When a country is falling apart it inevitably divides within itself. People cling to what they know and fear foreign ideas and differences.’

‘I think it takes a unique kind of a person to think or do something differently from what the majority of society is thinking or doing.’ Rebecca says, and Eli smiles proudly like he found his someone unique and kisses her on the cheek.

‘In these times, it’s important to think about these things.’ He says solemnly.

‘But it’s more important to laugh.’ Rebecca tickles Eli in the side of his stomach and he pulls away, holding his side grievously.

‘Rebecca.’ He laughs, hoping she won’t dare do it again. ‘I’m very sensitive on my stomach.’ Rebecca reaches out again, teasing him, testing him with her fingers to his side and he grabs hold of her fingers and tries to stop laughing. They walk up to the apartment building. But before they part ways outside where Eli is about to head off into his car to finish up work at his office and Rebecca is about to go upstairs and wash her laundry, Eli stops her for a brief moment.

‘Would you like to go swing dancing next weekend?’

‘That sounds fun.’ She nods her head eagerly with a twinkle in her eye.

‘Have you ever been before?’

‘No, my mother would never let me. But I’ve always wanted to go.’ She almost begs in her words.

‘It’s a date then. I’ll pick you up just after the sun goes down Saturday night.’

The crowds brought in by the music and dance of swing epitomize what the youth want the country to be -soulful and free, defining a counter sub-culture opposing the repression and work-bent society of their time, longing for everything that is not German, but English. The lights are bright and circle around on the high ceilings. Young boys wear checkered jackets, showy scarves, loud hats and swing their umbrellas as they go pass the doors. Young ladies wear excessive make-up and hair spread out over their shoulders, knowing this place, this bright, boisterous room is the only place they can truly be free. The room is packed with a high school crowd and a group of college youths who on occasion stand up on top their tables, shouting ‘swing heil,’ laugh and then sit back down in their seat. The colorful dresses worn by the young ladies sway side to side on the wood floor and then as their partner lift them up, for the briefest moment, their womanhood is exposed reminding everyone in the room this is a place like no other in Germany. The women cascade high over the heads of the men bracing them and then swing back to the floor to soon rejoin the conservative expectations of German culture. Feet move quickly, sliding from one side of the floor to the other and the sound of heels and toes smacking the wood echoes with each thud. The band on stage comprises of an anchoring rhythm section, loosely tied wind and brass players, and a soloist taking center stage.

The room is loud, bright and free and Rebecca can’t take her eyes off of it. Eli grabs hold of Rebecca, swinging her around into his arms and then carries her off onto the dance floor. Rebecca hesitantly tries to escape at first, pulling herself back toward the direction of the wall unsure of her ability to dance at all, but Eli holds her tight, lifting her up into the air, rotating her body around and around high above the floor, placing his hands under her shoulders and then on her stomach, rising her high above his head as she smiles and gazes down at the swirling world around her. Her dark red dress, cut too low at her chest, swirls about as Eli who holds her with strong, sturdy hands. Rebecca catches her breath as Eli places her firmly back on the dance wood floor.

‘That was wild!” She shouts out to him over the sounds of reckless rhythms, keeping the four beat feel. Feet actively slide and jump and toes tap across the floors. A short robust young man with dark hair, a flashy thick scarf, long black and white checkered jacket and umbrella still in his hands walks over to Eli.

‘Eli! You made it!’ He shouts.

‘I did,’ Eli reaches his arm over to her and pulls her close to him, proudly displaying his affections, ‘and this is Rebecca.’

‘Nice to meet you, Rebecca.’ The short young man takes her hand and kisses it twice. ‘I’m Jacob.’ Jacob holds her hand and pulls her towards him by twirling her. Her eyes widen in surprise and Jacob grabs hold of her other hand before she smacks right into him. Jacob does a tapping of his feet and then a swing of Rebecca’s arms with his and he dances with her for a moment before returning her to Eli. Rebecca smiles as he lets her go and Jacob nods his head, grasping his short black hat and pulling it down in old fashioned politeness before tapping his feet across the floor to the other side of the room where his other friends await him. Rebecca whispers to Eli in intimate closeness while Eli holds her waist.

‘What a character.’ She says. Eli laughs at his friend’s antics and then mimics Jacob’s audacity by pulling Rebecca back onto the dance floor. Eli holds her hands, swinging them back and forth with his and moves his feet like everyone else in the room, slowly at first to show Rebecca how it’s done and then quickly like he has accomplished this many times. Rebecca tries to keep up with him, laughing at herself and then at Eli. The band on stage slows down the music out of a Benny Goodman swing style into a jazz-blues rhythm. The music beats like a heart slowing down until the floor is saturated with couples arm in arm. The lights dim and Eli holds Rebecca around the waist. Rebecca wraps her arms around Eli’s neck and rests her head on his shoulders. They sway in a naïve bliss forgotten by society outside the doors. As the slow jazz-blues music winds down, the band revives the quick stepping of swing and the room is loud once again, filling up with throbbing musical improvisations causing everyone to bounce around the room. The long night of dance tires their feet and they sit down at a table near the wall. Rebecca watches Eli laugh and smile as he watches the youth of his generation free and happy inside this room.

‘When am I going to meet more of your friends or your family?’ Rebecca asks him.

‘New Year’s Eve I am having a party at my house and I want you to come. Many of my friends will be there. They are looking forward to meeting you.’

‘You’ve told them about me?’ Rebecca asks surprised.

‘Well, not everything.’ He smirks. ‘What about your family. When will I get to meet them?’ Eli turns away from the spontaneity of swing around him and focuses intently on Rebecca.

‘I’m not sure, I mean if you have time, you could come up for Christmas. My parents were asking about meeting you.’

‘You’ve told your parents about me already. I must admit I am impressed.’

‘You haven’t spoken to your parents yet about me?’ Rebecca says with a hint of hurt in her voice.

‘Well, its complicated…with my parents. I will, but I have to find the right time. After the New Year, I promise.’

‘Ok, but I’m not waiting any longer.’ She says with firm belief.

‘I would never make you.’ Eli says, diverting the seriousness of it all. Eli takes Rebecca home in his brown car, opening the door cordially for her before tending to his own seat. Eli attentively looks over at her while driving home to make sure she is warm in the car. The weather has been progressively cooling from autumn into winter and snow is already visible, lumped up in corners of streets and trees. After they get out of the car parked in the lot behind the apartment, Eli walks Rebecca to the front door, bends down in her favorite spot of the grass and breaks off a single rose dressed in snow lace, dripping off its petals.

‘I think we ought to keep this a secret.’ Eli smirks while handing the rose to Rebecca.

‘Yeah, you could get thrown in jail or something.’ She teases, knowing the offense would only ever escalate to the paying of a fine to the landlord. ‘Then they’d thrown me in there after seeing all the evidence laid out in vases in my apartment room.’ She chuckles into Eli’s coat shoulder.

‘How are you going to keep all your flowers alive in this cold climate?’ Eli asks concerned.

‘I keep them close to the window for the morning sun’s rays and give them lots of tepid water and nutrients.’ She darts her head up in idea. ‘You know, you could help me next weekend. I’m going to change them into new pots and re-fill their vases.’

‘Next weekend?’

‘The twenty-first.’ She clarifies the date, knowing Eli is busy and keeps a tight schedule.

‘Ok, ‘Eli says hesitantly thinking of his a former obligation to attend synagogue. ‘I’ll see you in the afternoon.’

‘About two?’

‘Let’s make it three.’

‘Alright, it’s a date, a garden date,’ Rebecca smiles. Eli walks her to her room, politely kissing her on the lips and heads back to his room upstairs. Rebecca hears the door above her room shut and the latch lock and then hears Eli’s footsteps wander from the door to the other side of his room. She washes in her bath, filling it with an orange soap fragrance and soaks inside until her eyes droop to sleep and she knows she needs to go to bed.

The week is like all other weeks in Rebecca and Eli’s life, going to work, coming home and repeating the cycle all over again until the weekend arrives. Both eagerly wait for the weekends where they can spend time unadulterated. On the twenty-first of the month, true to his promise, Eli knocks on Rebecca’s door with a few pots, bags of soil and vases in a brown box he picked up from his apartment room after leaving synagogue. He purchased the items during the week in between his hectic schedule at work and stored them in the box in his room for the day he knew he would be seeing her again. The knock on the door rips Rebecca to her feet and she is happily interrupted from the re-potting of the flowers in her room. Eli walks in, lowering the box next to the wall. The room is untidy with pots and bags of nutrients sprawled about all over the floor and dining table. A small gardening shovel with a

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