Triumph Over Tears by Nava Chernoff

Author:Nava Chernoff [Chernoff, Nava]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-07T05:00:00+00:00

UNCLE FRED. There is a reason for everything in life. My ten years of searching had finally come to an end. My cousin called to say that she had found Gerda's daughter. By the time that was one hundred percent confirmed, I had also received a letter from England stating that Uncle Fred was located. Soon afterward, Ofer found Jeanne, Gerda's daughter. Was it the right time? Probably. After ten years of searching, we found Uncle Fred three times in one month. I could not stop smiling at the immense thrill of finding Uncle Fred and my cousins.

I called Tom, “Tom, we are flying to England!” I said before he could say hello on the phone. “When are we flying and why?” “To see Uncle Fred,” I said casually, and then I screamed into the phone, “We are going to Uncle Fred— Uncle Fred in England!” Two weeks after the end of the search for Uncle Fred, Tom and I were at the airport on our way to British soil. When Tom gave me the boarding pass, he said, "Here you go my little firecracker."

I had a big smile, sparkling eyes, and disbelief all at once. I could swear that if I were to walk the streets of England and see this man walking toward me, I would know exactly who he was. My Uncle Fred looked exactly like my father. I would later learn that they shared a very similar personality. Later that day Ofer landed in England. His response was the same as mine.

"They look the same," Ofer said.

At five-foot-five, Uncle Fred is a little taller than Dad But they have the same green eyes and the same "worker" hands. As Uncle Fred says "Not the hands of a concert pianist." They sit, walk and even curse the same way. We met Gerda's daughters and grandchildren that weekend, along with Uncle Fredʼs close friends and neighbors. Tom, Ofer and I felt like part of the family as if we were never separated for all these years. It was just so natural. I finally understood the true meaning of the phrase "blood is thicker than water.” While it was a joyous occasion and a happy reunion, sadness permeated the occasion since my father was not present to see his big brother. And also for Fred. For his life was filled with abuse and terror. The Kinder Transport was, for the most part, a good solution for the children. However, as I learned, my uncle was in the horrific minority, where verbal and physical abuse were an everyday part of his childhood life. Tom and I flew back home, with the face of my uncle engraved in my brain. His hands felt just like my Dadʼs. It had been a long ten years. A weekend visit in England was not enough. Tom hugged me and as if reading my mind, said, “You will see him again soon. I will make sure of it.” On the way back home, I had

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