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The Promise of Freedom:
Meet a young Jewish girl in this stirring, historical Jewish novel as she leaves her beloved "shtetl" hometown and is forced to choose between two worlds.
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Rochele awoke to sunlight streaming in through white-curtained windows. For a moment, she didn’t remember where she was. Then it all came rushing back. The train journey. The German inn. The long boat voyage. And now she was finally at Uncle Shloime’s house.
But...what had happened? She remembered arriving and meeting most of her cousins. She remembered that they, like the people on the boat, used strange English names, much to her sinking disappointment. She recalled feeling very weak and faint and then not much else. She had collapsed into bed without so much as a glance at her surroundings.
Rochele looked around the room now, awestruck at its beauty and elegance. It was decorated in pure white, soft green, and lavender. Lacy white curtains fluttered over the big bay window, and a flowered rug graced the polished wooden floor. On her bed was the softest and finest linen in a similarly flowered pattern, and above her head was a lace canopy that matched the curtains. A white dressing table with a large, framed mirror stood in the far corner, with a white-painted wrought-iron chair in front of it. Another, full-length mirror stood opposite. Against the wall was a chest of drawers next to a white wicker bookcase filled with books. Having all this just for her own use took Rochele’s breath away. She was even more awestruck at the sight of the fireplace at the end of the room and the two inviting wing chairs upholstered in lavender and green brocade in front of it. One door in the room, Rochele later found out, led to a closet. Another door was slightly ajar, and Rochele could see, by craning her neck, a white porcelain washbasin and bathtub.
Rochele had never seen the likes of such a place in her entire life. She had thought only royalty slept in such rooms. Then she caught sight of the clock on the mantle over the fireplace. The clock read nine-fifteen. Rochele gasped. How could she have slept so late? Mama would be appalled if she knew! Except when she had been very ill, she had never slept past dawn. She didn’t dare think of what her aunt and cousins must be thinking of her.
Rochele struggled to get out of the bed. Before her feet even reached the floor, she felt the whole room spinning and she tumbled back in. Maybe getting up by herself wasn’t such a good idea. She sat there, pondering what to do, when she heard a light tap on the door.
“Rochele, are you awake?” her aunt called softly.
“Yes,” Rochele answered in a small voice, mortified that she had slept so late. She expected a reprimand or worse.
“May I come in?”
“Of course.”
Tante Raizel walked into the room with a kind expression on her face. Rochele sighed with relief. Apparently, her aunt wasn’t angry with her.
“I’m sorry,” she said before her aunt could get out a word.
“Don’t think I make a habit of sleeping so late. I am always up at dawn at home!”
Tante Raizel laughed. “Think nothing of it, my dear. I would never have even expected you up this early, but Gloria told me she thought she heard you moving around, and I wanted to tell you not to get up. Gloria will bring you breakfast in bed. The doctor will be here at one o’clock this afternoon, so you still have time to rest.”
“Breakfast in bed?” Rochele echoed in wonderment. “I’m sorry if I missed breakfast with the family, but you don’t have to go to any trouble. I’m used to taking care of myself at home. Mama is always so busy with the children.”
“I’m sure she is,” murmured Tante Raizel, then gave her niece a gentle smile. “Rochele, there’s nothing wrong with having breakfast brought to your bed in this house. I do it myself sometimes, even when I am feeling perfectly fine. Of course, once you are well enough, you are invited down to eat with the others, but feel free to eat up here whenever you like. Just ring this little bell next to your bed, and Gloria will bring it for you.”
Gloria, Rochele surmised, must be the hired help. “Where are the others?” she asked curiously. It was very quiet in the house.
“Julia is out calling on some friends, and Evelyn is taking a walk with her nursemaid. The rest are in school.”
“Oh,” said Rochele. She had wanted to meet them again, properly this time, but now she would have to wait until later. She was especially eager to get to know Leah. She vaguely remembered a pretty, dark-haired girl with a sparkle in her eyes.
Aunt Rose brought her a porcelain cup and bowl with a delicate lavender and green design so that she could wash. Rochele did so obediently.
“Where are my clothes?” she asked.
“Gloria took your clothes to have them washed, but you shan’t be needing them here. I’ve rounded up plenty of the older girls’ dresses for you to wear for now. Soon I will bring the dressmaker in, and we will have a whole new wardrobe made for you.”
“Oh no!” Rochele exclaimed, mortified. “I can wash my own dresses. I’m not as weak as I look. Really, you don’t have to trouble -”
“Nonsense,” cut in Tante Raizel. “We have a woman who does all of our laundry.” She added, in a softer tone, “Rochele, while you are here, you are going to rest and relax. I don’t expect my own children to do too many chores, and I certainly would not expect it of an honored guest. After all, that is why you came - to rest and recover from your long illness.”
“But my blue dress, it’s new! Mama made it so that I would have something nice to wear here. I know it may not be as fancy as those you and my cousins wear, but Mama is a fine seamstress.”
Secretly, Rochele was longing to try on the kind of dresses Lucy Wein had worn. Frilly dresses made of fine silks and satins with huge, full skirts and layers of petticoats underneath were quite alluring to the girl who all her life had worn only plain wool or cotton dresses, made simply, using as little material as possible. But she was a proud girl, and she didn’t want to play the impoverished beggar who appeared at the door needing to be fed and clothed.
Tante Raizel smoothed Rochele’s tangled hair. “Don’t worry about it, Rochele. We want you to have the best of everything while you are here. Baruch Hashem, we are quite comfortable financially, and it won’t be a burden on us at all.”
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