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Chapter 5 The Shadows of a Dark Future Henry touched the mezuzah and stepped into their apartment. Allegra saw that his morning smile was now replaced with a tight jaw and serious eyes. “What is it, Henry?” asked Allegra, feeling alarm. “Hello, my love,” he said. “I’ve heard some bad news this morning.” Allegra took a quick short breath and then steeled herself to hear what Henry was about to say. “Where is my mother and father?” asked Henry. “Your mother is in the dining room and Avram is probably at the taverna. Myri- am says he’s been gone all morning.” Henry took his wife’s hand. “I want to tell you both what I’ve heard,” and Hen- ry led her down the carpeted hallway into the dining room where Myriam had moved from the table to the upholstered couch by the tall windows overlooking Tsimiski Street. “Hi, Mama,” Henry said when he saw his mother. He walked up to her, bent down and gave her a gentle kiss on her temple. “Thank you, my angel,” Myriam said, and then stopped short when she real- ized how serious Henry looked. ”What is it?” Henry and Allegra both heard the fear in her voice and knew she was thinking that something terrible had happened to Avram. Henry quickly said, “No, Mama, it’s not about Dad.”

“What is it, then?” said Allegra. Henry unfolded the morning’s newspaper and held it up for Allegra. Allegra quickly read the threatening headline as her hand flew up to her face in sur- prise and covered her open mouth. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed. “What? What?” Myriam asked. She could not read or speak Greek, but she saw the photos of the Greek king and Prime Minister Metaxas. Her first thought was that there had been an assassination. “The Italians invaded our homeland this morning, Mama,” said Henry. Allegra felt a chill on her warm skin and her mind suddenly filled with a rap- id succession of thoughts and half-formed questions that had no answers. She felt a hollowness in her stomach as she tried to take a deep breath but couldn’t. Henry walked over to Allegra and took her in his arms, holding her as Allegra experienced again the fear she had tried so hard for so long to deny. He felt his wife’s body tighten, and he held her until the moment passed. Allegra’s eyes filled with tears, and she pulled away to find a handkerchief. Henry did not know how to comfort her. www.google.com He looked at his mother’s face, and saw tears in her eyes as well. “Oh, son,” Myriam said, and she dabbed at her eyes with the end of the shawl draped around her shoulders. Henry went over to his mother and sat beside her, putting his arm around her. “I’m all right, Henry,” said Myriam. “Go. Be with your wife and son.” Henry gave his mother a quick hug and stood up to find Allegra. He walked down the hall to the nursery. Allegra was there, holding Andreas in her arms. She looked up from their son as Henry stepped into the room. There were



tears on her face. “What shall we do? Will we be okay?” asked Allegra. Daisyka looked at both of them with surprise, seeing the concern on their fac- es. “Everyone was so happy just a few moments ago. What could have hap- pened to change everything so quickly?” she wondered. “Yes,” replied Henry. “Everything will be fine,” knowing his words were feigned. Allegra felt in her heart that every happiness they had ever known was now in the shadows of a dark future they could not see. “The Italians invaded Greece this morning,” Henry said to Daisyka. She looked at him with surprise, and then looked away feeling scared and thinking about the fate of her family, and especially her brothers who might have to fight. “Where are they?” asked Daisyka. “The soldiers are coming in from Albania, into the Pindus Mountains,” Henry replied. “They are about 250 kilometers away.” “They could be here in a few days,” Allegra said. “Yes, that’s possible,” Henry answered, “and we should make plans right away.” “What kind of plans?” asked Daisyka. Allegra spoke first. “We should buy extra food and kerosene. And we should prepare to leave Salonika quickly with clothing and blankets in case we need to flee.” “I agree about the supplies,” said Henry, “but I don’t know about leaving Salon- ika. It won’t be easy living under the Italians, but if our army can’t stop them, there’s really no place to go.”





The three of them paused for a moment, thinking about this dismal potential. Henry’s first thought was about money to buy food and supplies. He remem- bered the bundle of Greek currency he and Allegra had hidden in the back of the bedroom armoire, along with a dozen or so gold coins. And then there was Allegra’s jewelry, and the silverware, and the silver candlesticks. “My baby,” thought Allegra. “Will he have food?” “I want to go,” said Daisyka. “I want to be with my mother.” “Of course,” said Allegra. “Henry, take Daisyka home.” To Daisyka she said, “You need to be with your family. Henry will take you.” “Yes, Daisyka,” agreed Henry. “I’ll take you back. Gather some things from your room and we’ll leave in a few minutes.” Daisyka got up and left the nursery to get ready. “We need to buy supplies tomorrow when the markets open,” said Allegra. “Let’s both go. We can leave Andreas with Myriam and Avram, and you and I will buy beans, flour, rice and corn, and extra kerosene.” “Yes,” Henry answered. “We need to have enough for all of us. Supplies will get tight, even if the Italians are pushed back.” “Henry,” Allegra said with a heavy voice, “we have to think of Andreas. Nothing is more important than taking care of our baby.” Cradling their son in her arms, she looked at Andreas, at their healthy, happy son, safe for now, safe in the safest place on Earth, in the arms of the mother who loved him. Allegra looked at his sweet face, and said a prayer. “Please, God, please pro- tect our son, please protect him from all harm and keep his body and spirit fed so he may grow and become a good and righteous man, a joy to his family and a blessing to his community.”

“Amen,” said Henry, looking first at his son’s face, and then at Allegra’s. Henry felt fear in his gut…not for himself…but for Allegra and Andreas. He had a wife and a baby child. What would be their fate? “Damn Mussolini!” he thought, as the fear changed to rage. “Damn that evil bastard!” Henry was surprised to find he had clenched his fists. He tried to re- lax his muscles, and when he did, he felt his leg shaking from the tension in his body. Henry took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and that helped calm the shaking. The front door at the end of the hall closed with a muffled sound. Henry left the nursery to see who it was. Avram had returned. “Hello, son,” he said, “have you heard the news?” Henry walked up to his father and gave him a warm hug. “Yes, Papou. I’ve heard. I just told Allegra, Mamou, and Daisyka. Daisyka wants to go home to be with her family; I’m going to take her back now.” “That’s a good idea,” said the elder Algava, taking off his hat and hanging it on one of the coat rack pegs. Henry was struck by how white his father’s hair was, and how worn this won- derful man looked on this terrible day. “How are Myriam and Allegra?” Avram asked. “Upset, of course. It’s easy to think the worst.” “I know. Where is your mother?” “She’s in the dining room. She’ll be glad to see you. Tomorrow we need to buy extra food and fuel, and decide what to do if we have to leave the city.”