4
Jack stretched luxuriously as the morning sun streamed through the window, bathing everything in a golden light. He moved his arm to caress Rose Just to find empty air. He sighed, remembering that they now had separate rooms until they were wed. He definitely missed waking up to her beautiful face and warm body pressed to his in the morning. No matter what he had trouble falling asleep the night before. Glancing at the clock, he got up and out of bed and went down to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. It has been a difficult couple of months for him. Meeting and falling in love with Rose, hiding from the Nazi’s, escaping Germany, the Hindenburg crash…if it wasn’t one thing it was another. But finally he was home and could at last, truly rest. No more worrying about his mother’s Nazi husband laying a hand on him. No more worrying about the woman he loved being shipped off to a concentration camp or marrying a Nazi that she didn’t love. It was all smooth sailing from here.
He rose out of bed and headed for the
kitchen to place a pot of water on the stove to boil. Jack glanced at the kitchen table to see the box that contained
his father’s ashes. His inner smile
immediately faded as he went over and lightly touched the box. Closing his
eyes, he remembered how life was before his father’s disappearance. How it used to be w hen he was a child, oblivious of the Nazi’s and
fear. When his father was alive, he had
felt like the luckiest boy in the world.
Nothing could hurt him as long as his father was around. He could still hear his own childish
laughter as h e remembered how his father used to pick him up and spin him
around. He remembered how it felt to be
a crying child and how his father’s arms were there to comfort him. For just a second, Jack had gone back in
time. He was that little boy once again
wrapped in his father’s strong embrace.
“Jackie boy?” The fantasy dissipates at
his grandmother’s inquiry as she entered the kitchen to find Jack staring
blankly at the box that contained her poor son’s remains. Her heart went out to the poor boy as he
looked at her, his eyes feeling with tears.
It was obvious that he was taking his father’s death hard. Without a second thought, she went to him
and wrapped her arms around his shaking frame as he started to sob.
“He’s really gone Granny. I had this belief that he had gone into
hiding and would come back when it was safe.
When the allies had won the war.
But now I know that’s never going to happen. The Nazi’s made sure of that,” Jack sobbed, not noticing Rose and
Emma entering the room.
“Shhh Jackie. Your pa may not be living anymore, but he’s here with you
now…with all of us. In your heart and
that’s where he’ll stay. Forever.”
“She’s right Jack,” Rose walked up and
took his hand. “Your father will always
live on in your heart and memories.”
Jack forced a smile and pulled away
from his grandmother to embrace Rose.
“I wish you could have known him Rose.
You would have liked him and he would have adored you. I know he would have.”
Rose wanted to make everything better
for her fiancée right there and then.
Do something to take away his sorrow.
But what could she do to make Jack smile again?
That was when Nathan came in humming a
very familiar tune. “It ain’t what ya
do, it’s just how ya do it!” He sang, oblivious of his cousin’s somber mood.
“Hey are there any dance halls around
here that play swing music?” Rose grabbed his arm, an idea taking form.
“That’s all the dance halls play. There are two over in Eau Claire. Why you ask?” Nathan arched a brow. He didn’t even know that his German
relatives knew anything about swing music.
“Jack…how do you feel about going Swing
dancing tonight?” Rose squeezed Jack’s hand.
“Do you guys know how to swing?” Nathan
asked.
“Do we know how to swing?” Jack stared
at his cousin in disbelief, his grief momentarily forgotten. “Do we know how to swing? My dear cousin, you’re looking at Germany’s
number one hepcat. Do I know how to
swing.”
Nathan looked at Rose confused. She only smiled and shrugged. So far her plan to lift Jack out of his
depression was working
“Ok cousin. Show me how good you are tonight at the dance hall in Eau Claire
tonight. Come with us. Bring Rose if you like.”
“Why that’s a good idea,” Myrtle
clapped her hands excitedly. “It’ll
give Jack and Rose a chance to meet more people their age.”
“Count us in,” Jack grinned. It’ll feel good to dance again. Maybe this was the thing he needed.
~*~
That night, the club was full of excited swingers, all dancing in the carefree frenzy known as swing dancing. Jack’s eyes widened at the pure energy coming from the music. Pushing all thought of his father to the back of his mind, he tightened his hold on Rose’s hand and entered. It was like coming home.
“This is so different from the dance
halls in Germany,” Rose gasped, looking around at the brightly lit room, full
of dancing people.
“So they have Swing halls in Germany?”
One of Nathan’s friend known as Jason eyes widened in disbelief.
“Sure.
But the dances are held in secret.
Swing music was forbidden by Hitler,” Rose explained. “Because the music was by Jews and blacks.”
“Plus we swing kids couldn’t stand the
government. Swing music was a rebellion
against the Third Reich,” Jack sighed, wondering how his friends were holding
up back in Germany. He hoped the HJ or
the Gestapo hadn’t busted them yet.
“Helga would have loved this,” Rose
once again looked at her surroundings as she was led to a table in the far
corner.
“Nathan!” A pretty blond waved, quickly
approaching the table. “You made
it. I thought your cousin from Germany
was visiting.”
“They wanted to check out the club,”
Nathan grinned. “Jack, Rose, this is my
girl Katie. Katie, this is my cousin
Jack and his fiancée Rose.”
“Hi,” the girl happily greeted. “Welcome to America.”
“Rose instantly took a liking to the
girl. Katie sort of reminded her of
Helga. “Believe me, we’re very happy to
be here.”
Katie just smiled and turned to Nathan
again as a new song started up. “How
about it? Jitterbug with me?”
“Not now. I don’t want to be rude to my cousin here,” Nathan shook his
head.
“Don’t worry about us Nate. We were just about to get up and dance
ourselves,” Jack got to his feet, pulling Rose up along with him.
“You two know swing?” Katie looked at
them in disbelief.
“Sure we do,” Jack grinned before
leading Rose out onto the dance floor.
Once there, they began the familiar, free steps of swing dancing. Neither of them noticed the people stopping
to watch until the song was finished and applause rung out all through the
club.
“Wow!
You two were smoking!” Katie ran up to her new friends, Nathan was close
behind.
“I used to do this all the time in
Germany,” Jack smiled.
“Sadly, I’ve been swing dancing for a
couple of months,” Rose blushed.
“Seems like longer then a month to me,”
Nathan replied.
“I just follow Jack’s lead.”
“But you’ve come a long way sweetie,”
Jack kissed her forehead. “You’ve come
a long way.”
After three hours of dancing and
reliving happier moments in Germany, Rose, Jack, and Nathan head for home. When they return to the house, they decide
to turn in as well with the carefree swing music still ringing in their
ears. It’s been a night that no one
would forget.