Winter Passing by Cindy Martinusen Coloma

Author:Cindy Martinusen Coloma
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: World War II, 1941, Mauthausen Concentration Camp, Nazi-occupied Austria, Tatianna, death-bed promise, healing, new love, winter of the soul, lost inheritance, Christian Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction
Publisher: eChristian, Inc.
Published: 2012-08-13T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Mauthausen stayed with Darby. It followed her like a cloud around a mountain, covering, blocking, shielding rays of light. What she’d left with was an increased determination to find answers, and to find Bruno Weiler. But as days turned into more than a week of searching in Linz and back in Salzburg, Darby’s determination wavered. Her newfound love for Austria grew weary as her eyes turned toward documents, museum information, book research. She returned to Salzburg with more untied ends than when she’d left. She didn’t return to the Salzburg Cozy Hotel, but instead found a quiet place on a back street in the Old City. Time clicked toward her departure home and she found little success, some due to her language inability, some to lack of knowledge in seeking her answers. How could she find a man sixty years after he was last seen? Her biggest help had been Professor Voss, but he was in Dublin and wouldn’t return until after she was due to leave for home.

Darby considered staying longer. She felt so close, but so close to what? What she’d come for now seemed unclear. Her focus had been to find Tatianna or a way to fulfill her promise to Grandma Celia, but now she wanted more answers.

She wondered about Celia’s family, her family, and what their exact fate had been at Mauthausen. Darby also wondered about her grandfather, Gunther Müller. Where had he died in Austria? Was there a grave for him?

Inquiries into the Mauthausen Camp did yield some information. She learned that a woman named Celia Lange Müller, along with a group of other prisoners, had been killed by firing squad on the date of August 11, 1941. Then she’d been put into the ovens.

A few days before going home, Darby called her mother to pose the idea of remaining in Austria. Instead, she found the old life drawing her back. Her business partner, Clarise, had called in hopes that Darby had returned early. Her mother was marking the days on the calendar until her return. It looked as if her time was up. Darby consoled herself that in a way she’d done as her grandmother wished. She was certain Tatianna had died at Mauthausen. She had taken Celia’s name and her place. Sure, there wasn’t any hard evidence. But without solid proof, she couldn’t get any records changed to Tatianna’s name. And was that what mattered? She knew the truth and so did Grandma Celia and Tatianna. And Grandma’s God knew. Did the actual names really need changing? Suddenly, Darby felt tired throughout her body, mind, and spirit. Home sounded even better than when she’d gone to youth camp and cried every day until they let her go home early.

With her heart turned toward home, Darby made a final phone call in Salzburg—one she’d avoided for weeks.

“Hello, Darby,” Brant said when he picked up the line. “I’ve wondered how you are doing.”

She didn’t like the jumble of emotions she felt when hearing his voice.

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