A Family in Crisis

Otto was surprised at Han’s friendly attitude even after he’d declared they were no longer to be friends. After a pause while he thought about this he spoke.

“Where is my son Hans?”

“I honestly don’t know Otto. He didn’t confide where he was going to me.”

Otto gathered up the things needed for the business and left confused. He was feeling foolish and knew he was in the wrong, but Hans had overstepped in allowing his son to seek refuge in his home after being punished and had to be taught not to interfere in family business.

Clandestine contacts between the families continued despite Otto’s warning to his family but those contacts continued when they knew for certain Otto wouldn’t be around to see them. A coldness entered the Krause household. Mia continued to accommodate Otto’s wishes in the home but the obvious love that had previously been between them was now a formality. The children respected their father’s commands while he was in the home but secretly longed for the time when they could leave home and be independent of their father. They had deeply resented the beating their brother Ben had received in their presence and determined never to inflict such punishment on their children when they eventually married.

Otto understood the change in family dynamics and the guilt he felt began to eat away at his health. He knew he’d have no peace until he made it right with his eldest son and quietly shut down the interests he’d developed with extended family in a marriage proposal for his son Ben. He could see that was not going to work. It had been six months since he’d indicated to his former friend Hans there should be no contact between the families and still no word from Ben. Otto feared the rift was now unrepairable and he knew he was responsible for that.

His sixth sense told him Mia, and the children were still in contact with the Hoffmann’s though he never saw it in evidence. The evening sharing times all had previously looked forward to when father came home were now replaced with silence at the eating table and a quick exit to rooms. Mia sat with him in the lounge evenings silently sewing or knitting but there was little communication between them.

This was wearing Otto down. One evening he suddenly found himself in the grip of severe chest pains as they sat together in the lounge and Mia alarmed asked Leo to run and get help from the doctor. Leo ran next door to the Hoffmann’s to borrow Hans’ bicycle and sped off to get the doctor and Hans and Emma rushed over to see what they could do to help. Emma had some nursing training in her experience and perhaps there was something she could do to keep Otto alive while the doctor was summoned. Mia let them in anxiously and Emma rushed to check Otto’s pulse and breathing routine; she’d be prepared to work on him should he need to be on his back for the usual procedures to try and keep him alive.

Fortunately, the symptoms eased, and they sat waiting for the doctor under Emma’s watchful eye. Otto said nothing. He knew his foolish actions had been the cause of high stress over the past few months.  Eventually the doctor arrived with a breathless Leo, and he immediately began arranging for Otto to be moved to hospital where he could keep Otto under observation. Diagnostics available to doctors were very limited in that era so doctors prescribed rest and a stress-free environment as the best service they could offer and hoped the patient survived. Otto protested as income was needed to keep his family supplied with necessities and what would happen if he was now unable to work.

So, under pressure from Otto the doctor agreed to let him go home after a few days and he was released from hospital and went back to work but now very cautious not to engage in heavy lifting he’d previously helped with in the past. Fortunately, his job in administration did not require him to do that. The doctor had advised he should be active with light exercises and long walks each day as his body slowly healed and he should avoid stress. If he didn’t do that the doctor said the next attack would be fatal.

After Ben’s departure three months had gone by before his whereabouts were disclosed. He’d written a letter to Clara which took a month to reach her, and, in that letter, he expressed his love for her. He mentioned that the work was hard and for the first month he’d been too exhausted to eat of an evening but soon toughened up and was now earning excellent wages for his work. Even after paying for his board and keep to the company he was generating a lot of savings and expected that in two years he’d have enough saved to present to Hans as evidence he could support Clara. Clara slept on his letters which she read repeatedly .and did not share any of this news from Ben with her parents or siblings.

After that help the Hoffmann’s had given when Otto had his heart attack Mia told her husband it was foolish to blame Hans and Emma for Ben’s own choice and Otto’s fault in brutally dealing with his son. The Hoffmann’s had not encouraged him in that choice but only cleansed the wounds Otto had inflicted on his son. She told Otto she’d be openly visiting with Emma and wouldn’t prevent her children from seeing their Hoffmann friends either.

Otto said nothing. He knew he was at fault and should apologize to Hans for his foolish actions over this long time not talking with him. He remembered Hans had stated Otto and his family would always be welcome in his home and knew it was now up to him to admit his foolishness to his friend. Otto fought with his pride all through the next day and finally with a sigh realized it was time to put this foolish one-sided fight to an end. He finished his work early that day and briskly walked over to the company where Hans was an administrator. He stood outside waiting for Hans to finish his work for the day and eventually Hans appeared holding the key to the padlock that would shut the establishment down for the evening. He didn’t see Otto who was standing some distance away and placed the padlock in place on the front door then turned to make the journey home on his bike sitting padlocked in the bicycle stand. There was a voice he recognized behind him, and he turned in surprise. Otto advanced uncertainly.

“Hans I’ve come to apologize and ask for your forgiveness. I’ve been very foolish and this whole disruption of our long-term friendship from childhood has been entirely my fault. I know you were right to treat my son for the wounds I wrongly inflicted on him and for offering him shelter for the night. I know I was wrong for punishing the young man for wanting to marry your daughter without my permission and that Clara would be more appropriate as a daughter in law than the one I’d chosen for Ben. I want to make things right with you first and then seek your help in finding my son so I can beg his forgiveness too. I bought that heart attack on myself from the guilt I suffer and want to be there to support my family and win back their respect. I’m in a real mess and need to have your help to fix what I created.”

Hans moved toward his friend and embraced him and Otto the proud German shed tears of gratitude for this act of forgiveness.

“Otto, I’ve missed you my childhood friend and am glad you’re back. Why don’t you bring your family over to our place to eat together like we’ve always done since as far back as I can remember. Let’s go home and share this happy reunion with our wives and family. I’m sure both Emma and Mia have been preparing something grand for each of our families, and we can put it together and eat as we always used to do. You have made me very happy as I’ve been mourning the loss of my closest friend very much.”

The two of them walked home together Hans pushing his bicycle. Emma was the first one to see the two men walking home together and rushed around the back through the hedge that separated the two houses to give the news to Mia. It was a well-worn path through that hedge by that time. Then she rushed back home the same way to act innocent when her husband arrived at the door. She smiled broadly as Otto entered with Hans and rushed to plant a kiss on each of Otto’s cheeks. Otto smiled broadly in appreciation. He’d missed this customary welcome from Emma very much as he viewed her as a sister. Hans revealed he’d invited the Krause family to put their meals together to share as they’d done in the past and Otto had agreed. Emma disappeared quickly to consult with Mia again and help her move her serving pots over to their home in response.

Clara and Gisela had walked home from work together as far as Fraser Street then Clara lingered at the end of the street to let her friend appear at her home by herself as they’d been doing for many months now. When Gisela saw her whole family pouring into the entrance of the Hoffman’s she stood in surprise trying to comprehend what was going on. Then realizing that there’d been a rapprochement between the families she ran back to meet Clara and tell her the news. The two young women ran home together excitedly to join those entering the Hoffmann home.

When Clara and Gisela entered the home, Clara was surprised to see Uncle Otto there and he beckoned her over to where he and Hans were sitting talking. Otto indicated she should sit beside him, and she looked at her father inquiringly. Hans nodded his approval, and she sat. Otto spoke.

“Clara, I want you to know that I think my son has excellent taste in choosing a young woman who I know would be an ideal partner to share life with and you’d be a much better choice than the young woman I had an interest in choosing for him. I’ve done wrong in punishing him for loving you and hope you continue to have that interest in each other. I’d like to find a way to apologize to my son Ben for the unjust treatment I gave him. If you have any information that would help me to send that apology, I’d really appreciate that.”

Clara could hardly believe what she was hearing and looked at her father for support. Hans spoke.

“Otto has apologised to me Clara and would like to make it right with his son. I’d appreciate it if you could help him locate Ben so he can offer his apologies. Do you have any information that would help?”

Clara sat for a moment trying to think if Ben would feel comfortable in her sharing where he was living. She looked at her father again and he nodded so she nodded back and got up to go to her room where she retrieved her precious letters. She held them to her heart. Then sat at her desk and wrote an address on a slip of paper. She returned to the lounge room and handed the slip of paper to Otto and then left to join the other young adults helping to put the food out on a table for self-serving.

Otto sat studying the address given to him. He was not at all familiar with the place described on the address and would have to inquire from the company where Ben had previously worked then decide if he was able to make that trip personally to face his son or whether this had to be accomplished by mail.

There was a call to attention from Mia.

“Everything is ready on the table, so the young ones are anxious to eat. Hans can you pronounce a blessing on the food so we can get rid of the kids. They can eat down the back yard and enjoy each other’s company while we adults can eat peacefully here. It’s so good to be back together after such a long time.”

Hans indicated they should all stand as he pronounced a blessing on the food and there was a mad rush to the table by the young adults afterward while their parents looked on with laughter. How nice it would be to have that kind of appetite and energy now.

Otto made a trip to Ben’s former workplace the next day with his now precious address and the workers there indicated it was far away from Vancouver and the journey to go there was at least a week away by horse and very arduous. Otto went to the doctor and inquired if he thought he’d be able to make that journey as an at-risk heart patient and the doctor strongly advised him not to attempt it. He was not used to horses which would be a requirement to get there or the discomforts along the way. So that left a letter as the only option to apologize to his son and ask Ben’s forgiveness. The next few days in the evening Otto tried to put his apologies and request for forgiveness together in a letter and discarded many drafts he considered unsuitable. Eventually satisfied the letter expressed his genuine sorrow over what had happened to send Ben away he went to the postal service and sent the letter on its way. There was no response for a month and a half.  Just when Otto grieved the rift was unrepairable a letter came.

To be continued.

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