Читать книгу The Twins - Sheldon Cohen - Страница 14

Werner had accepted the irony of his situation. He even began to view it with some humor. To think that he might have made his own future adopted child was an astonishing development. And the fact that it could be his own brother’s kid added to the irony. If this had happened to someone else, Werner would be inclined to laugh at what they had done, but in his own case, he kept an awed silence—God works in mysterious ways.

In one month, he could become a father. Time had flown by. Brigid was excited to the point of wanting to furnish a room for the baby, but Werner, remembering his grandmother’s admonition, told her to wait, since they had no idea whether they would become parents of a son or a daughter. “Be patient. We’ll fix up a baby’s room as soon as we know.”

As it turned out, they did not need much patience because the next day the pastor came to Werner and Brigid’s house to tell them that the baby had been born. He found Werner home, but Brigid was visiting her parents.

“But this is a month too soon,” said an alarmed Werner.”

“Mother Nature charges on. No force on earth can stop her,” said Pastor Braun.

“Werner fired off nonstop questions. “It’s too soon, no? How much does it weigh? Boy or girl? Is it okay?”

“Whoa, hold on; four and six tenths kilograms.”

“That’s so big for coming early,” said Werner.

“Werner, they are twin boys. Each one weighs about two point three kilograms. I’ve already got them listed in the parish register as being born May 6, 1907, father unknown.”

He did not hear the last part. He was speechless. Twins! Twin boys! No. No. We couldn’t take twins. His mind swirled like a hurricane. Twins were out of the question.

“Werner. I said twin boys.”

“Yeah, I heard what you said, and I’m sure you’re not making a joke. I have to think. I’ll get back to you.”

“The babies aren’t going anyplace. They’ll watch them to see how they do. Unless something unusual happens, they should be fine. Get back to me in a few days.”

Werner decided he would contact his brother. He asked Alfred to meet him at the beer hall. There were details to work out before he told Brigid.

When Werner arrived, his brother was already there. They sat in the privacy of a small booth. “What’s this all about,” Alfred asked.

Werner responded with a question of his own. “When are you leaving for the United States?”

“As soon as I finish with Sigmund and his cousin; it could be very soon.”

“Big move. You’re a brave guy. Braver than I ever thought.”

“Thanks, but you didn’t ask me to meet you here just to ask when I’m going to the United States. What’s on your mind?”

“There’s something you need to know.”

“What?”

“You know we’re going to adopt a baby.”

“Sure. What’s happening?”

“You’re involved.”

“Me? It’s none of my business,” said a confused Alfred. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about Frieda. You remember Frieda?”

Alfred sat upright slamming his back into the booth. “Frieda? Frieda from the beer hall?”

“That’s right. The girl you visited in her back room. What’d you do back there?” He watched his brother squirm. “We’re going to get her baby.”

Alfred’s mouth opened to speak, but nothing came out. With wide-open eyes, he said, “I thought you weren’t supposed to know who the pregnant woman was when you adopt.”

“We’re not, but I found out. It’s Frieda.”

“How the hell did you find out?”

“I did. That’s all I say.”

“Frieda!”

“Yeah, Frieda. You got that? I could be taking your kid. Understand?”

Alfred, his mouth open, stared at his brother.

“Don’t play innocent with me. I saw you walk out of her room that night,” said Werner.

Alfred’s heart raced. He gulped down his beer. “You got no proof I did anything.”

“That’s right. ‘No proof.’ I didn’t see what you did in there, but what took you fifteen minutes?”

Alfred stormed on the offensive. “Look who’s talking. You think I didn’t see you coming out of the outhouse and then sneaking back into the shadows when I walked out of Frieda’s room. Well I did. Then you didn’t come back to the table for about fifteen or twenty minutes. What did you do? Have a cup of tea with Frieda?”

“Alfred, I wasn’t going to say a word about this. You would never even know about it. You and Helene would be in the United States. Brigid and I would pick up the baby, and Frieda would go home, and that would be that.”

“So, why don’t you just do that? What are you talking to me for?”

“Because Frieda just had twin boys.”

Alfred closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously. “Twins?”

“That’s it,” said Werner. “I’m not taking twins.”

“So let somebody else take them. And that’s the end of that problem.”

“We’re only taking one.”

“So what’s that got to do with me?”

“I don’t think they’ll let me separate ’em. It’s a package deal.”

“Wait a minute.”

Werner interrupted. “You’re getting the picture, Alfred. Somebody knocked her up. I don’t know who. The kids could be yours. I think it’s only fair that we share the kids.”

Now Alfred realized the purpose of this meeting. He stormed back, “I’ll make my own kids!”

“Could be you already did. I want one kid, period. You got to take one. Otherwise, I’ll tell everybody what happened. My wife doesn’t know anything yet. Do you think Helene would like to know that her husband was out getting laid the night before the wedding?”

Alfred leaned forward and sneered at his brother. “You wouldn’t do that.”

“Try me.”

“You must be crazy. How do you think I could explain to my wife about wanting to take an adopted kid to the United States?”

“I don’t care what the hell you tell her, but whatever you say will be a lot better then what I tell her.”

Alfred stared at his brother, his mouth agape.

Werner continued. “As I said, tell her anything. It’s none of my business. In a few weeks, we’ll probably never see each other again. You live your life and I’ll live mine. This’ll stay a secret in the family.”

“I think you got a screw loose.”

“I thought you’d say that. Let me sweeten the pot for you. I’ll throw in three thousand marks. I don’t have to do that, but you’re my baby brother after all, and I know you don’t have a pot to piss in. Besides that, I kinda like you, Alfred. You got balls. Will the three thousand marks help?”

Alfred’s eyes opened wide. God, how I could use that money, he thought. I could buy a home. I wouldn’t have to have money taken out of my wages for years to pay back a loan. We would live like royalty.

Werner could see that Alfred’s mind was turning this over. He sat back, a smug expression on his face. “Think about it hard. I have to know in the next forty-eight hours. Those kids are already born don’t forget. They’re watching them for a few days, but then they expect me to get them. We’ll go there together, you and me. You’ll take one. I’ll take one. They’ll never know. You’re helping me pick ‘em up, that’s all. You pocket the cash. We say goodbye and go our separate ways. Everybody’s happy. When you get to the United States, I think it would be a good idea to change your name. Get a new identity. You and your family make a fresh start. Maybe some day we tell the boys we adopted them. We never tell them they’re twins. They’re our kids, that’s all. They live in different countries and never see each other or know about each other. Let’s leave it that way. Case closed.”

Alfred left the beer hall shaking. We’ve got no kids. Helene’s not pregnant. I took the advice of the old man for the first time in my life and didn’t get my wife pregnant. Now I’ve got no job. Kids are all the same as far as I’m concerned. We could take this boy. Three-thousand marks is a fortune and could get us set up for life. What the hell could I tell Helene? He slowed his pace as he walked home, his mind working nonstop.