A Wolff in the Family by Francine Falk-Allen

Author:Francine Falk-Allen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: She Writes Press

Chapter 29

Ogden, Utah

January 1929

Marie Palmen had no qualms about refusing to have marital relations with her husband. After the way he’d left her in the lurch in New York, this seemed to her to be completely appropriate. Especially now that she knew why he hadn’t shown up.

Her arrival a month prior had not been the cheery Tannenbaum gift she had anticipated. Within a day, they had the comeuppance conversation about what had transpired.

“Why did you not meet me in New York as we agreed?” she asked in German, knowing Walter was fluent enough that no aspect of her meaning would be lost on him.

He cleared his throat and looked away, then at the floor as he spoke, stealing quick glances at her blue eyes, which were riveted on him.

“Marie . . . I don’t know how to say this. I guess the best way is to just blurt it out. My parents were angry with me for marrying in Germany, to someone they hadn’t met, to a woman who didn’t speak English . . . It didn’t matter how much I loved you. They told me to just drop it, and it was not likely you’d ever come and find me. I didn’t want to lose my family.”

The blood rose in her cheeks. “Walter. I am your wife. Your WIFE. I am Frau Palmen. This is legal. This is a fact. Did they think I would just stay married to you in Germany? You knew I had booked passage to New York.”

“I know, I know . . . I felt bad about it.” He hung his head while he spoke. “But my parents convinced me you would just give up and stay in New York or go back to Germany. I am sorry. I really am.”

“I came here with twenty-five US dollars! Did you think I had some fortune I brought with me to make a life for myself? You know my family is not wealthy and things are not so good in Germany right now. Just a loaf of bread costs too much. You know this. And did you think this was a good Mormon thing to do? To just leave your wife stranded in New York City, not knowing even how to speak English? Just saying please and thank you? No one I met at immigration knew ‘Bitte’ or ‘Danke,’ or even ‘Guten Morgen’! I was lucky there was a home for women immigrants, and that a German couple at immigration translated for me. Can you imagine how afraid I was? I cried bitter tears!”

“I’m sorry, Marie. I said that. But can’t you see?” he pleaded. “I didn’t want to displease my parents . . . and I didn’t want to lose my family over one person. I was too young to make this romantic decision that far from home. Can’t you see?”

“I see that I am married to you. I see that your parents are more important to you than I am. The woman you said you loved.

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