Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma

Author:Liz Tolsma [Tolsma, Liz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2014-05-06T00:00:00+00:00

Audra settled on the couch. She didn’t know if she had ever seen such a nice home. It was small, much smaller than her family’s cottage, but so lovely inside. Colorful rugs covered the wood floors. What a blessing in the winter. She longed to remove her shoes and dig her toes into the pile.

And when she became as famous as Marlene, she would have an even nicer home. Just think of it. Some of those movie stars had swimming pools in their yards. Imagine that.

A coal stove warmed the room. Such a pleasure not to be cold, not to be jostled, not to be moving. A picture of a little girl in front of the strangest-looking house Audra had ever seen sat on the polished round table beside the couch. There was no mistaking the girl was Gisela. She stood under a kind of tree Audra had never seen before.

Kurt sat beside her on the couch and she felt him relax. “Interesting. Josep speaks both English and German. Gisela’s mutti knew nothing of their marriage.”

“What are you saying?”

“That I question everything they have said.”

“And why would it matter to you?”

He hesitated, chewing his lower lip.

“Never mind.”

But the question plagued Audra.

“Keep talking to Josep. See what you can find out.”

Audra shrugged. Her stomach rumbled as she smelled sausage and potatoes. Her mouth watered.

A short time later, Annelies bounded into the room. “Oma says essen kommen. It is time to eat.”

Bettina was the first to shuffle to the kitchen. “If the food here is half as good as the apartment itself, we shall have ourselves a fine stay, Sister, a fine stay.”

Frau Cramer showed Audra her chair, one of several mismatched pieces crowding the small table. A narrow stove and oven and a small counter with a shelf above it took up much of one wall. “Danke for having us.”

A smile lit the woman’s lined face, marred by the hardships of the years. “It has been quiet in this house far too long. And to what other place would you go? It is a miracle we have no others living here. With so many losing their homes to the Allied bombs, families upon families squeeze in together.”

While not a huge meal, it was better than any they had since leaving Heiligenbeil. Even while growing up, Audra would have been happy with a meal with meat like this. And she would have many more like this to come.

The two old ladies dug in even before grace had been said. “Sister, what a wonderful meal.” Bettina pulled Frau Cramer to her level. “Waitress, please give our compliments to the chef. Excellent in every way. You French have a way with food. Don’t they, Sister?”

Confusion filled Frau Cramer’s eyes until Gisela explained. The women had still been in their right minds the last time she visited her vater. She played along with them. “Danke, I shall tell the chef you are pleased.” She choked back a laugh.

The ravenous crew devoured the meal in short order.

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