Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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'THE VOYAGE UR 2 9 0 SHORT STORY 0 Wlsaacw by CHARLES BEER IENNA IN MARCH 1938 was in a turbulent state. Nazis and Schuschniggs men glared wildly at each other and the country seemed on the verge of civil war. Disturbing rumours came from Germany. Many worried and anxious faces were to be found in Vienna. But one citizen of Vienna showed a cheerful, happy and carefree face this March morning. This was Isaac Rosemeyer, a jew and as good a man as may be found on the face of this troubled earth. Gay was the world for Isaac. No cares clouded his brow. The world looked rosy to him. His prospects were bright. Soon to be made partner of the firm he worked for, engaged to marry the girl of his heart, and with no cares or worries, Isaac was indeed lucky. As he undressed, whistling, it seemed to him his life had reached its zenith. A glorious future spread before him. He got into bed and went to sleep-probably one of the happiest men in the world. Next morning, Isaac rose to go to work as usual. He sauntered out in the streets with a smile for every man. He noticed a queer tension about the crowds tofday. Little groups of men stood on street corners chatf tering excitedly and flourishing newspapers. Suddenly away in the distance, Isaac heard a dull muffled noise. It grew louder and louder until a boomf boomfboomu filled the air. Crowds started running and lined the streets. Louder and louder grew the noise until Isaac recognized it as the marching tread of many men. Drums rolled out their accompaniment but little did Isaac know they were the drums of fate. Soon there entered the square a regiment of soldiers-not Austrians-but big, stolid Germans doing the goose step. Regiment after regiment strutted by, followed by sleek black tanks, armoured cars, pompous generals,-the armed might of Germany on parade. This display of force easily humbled the Viennese. To Isaac, bewildered at first, burst all at once the horrible realization of what this really meant. This was Hitler's stroke-the invasion of Austria. Hereafter Austria would be under the iron thumb of Der Fuehrer. No longer would freedom abound. Austria was doomed to Fascism. Isaac shud' dered as he watched the crowds shouting and waving happily. Little did they know what the future held in store for them. Suddenly he realized that this invasion affected him and his brethren. Was not Hitler the persecutor of jews, their tormentor, and scourge? Had not German jews endured hell under him? Isaac trembled. He must see his future partner, also a jew, and his fiancee and discuss the tragedy with them, He wended his way to Hoffmayer's, the big department store where he was soon to become partner. To his dismay he found it empty and boarded up. Across the windows, some Nazi had scrawled the words Njude! jude! jude! Despair and hopelessness seized Isaac's heart. With leaden footsteps Isaac retraced his way and went to the house of Sonja, his Hancee and a German. The house was empty but an old caretaker

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24 THE VOTAGEUR s A RTICLE 0 ff to the West Indies by EINYAIIID G. MA1'K UXVN THROUGH the hills of Pennsylvania and into the great metropolis of New York journeyed a small group of students and staff from Pick' ering. Some of them were hound for the West Indies, others were on their way to Baltimore and Vsfashington. In New York the time passed quicklyg a morning and an afternoon of sight-seeing mingled with tall huildings, dirty suhways, strikers, taxifeabs rushing madly in every direction, and the teeming crowds of Times Square could scarcely he termed dull. The SS. Berlin was docked at pier 86, not far from the Hotel Lincoln, neverfthefless there was the customary mad scramhle to get on hoard before the last wellfwisher had disemharked and the gangfplank was drawn up. Then the hoat slowly pulled away from its dock in full Harhour dress, crowds and Roger Strouse cheering, and the hand playing. New York slowly faded into the distance to he temporarily forgotten as the Berlin made her way through the slow river trafhc ani out past Amhrose lightfship, into a world of gaiety and excitement. Life on the hoat was uw to all due ex wectations, with 'ust one meal l l J fCU'llI1'lllLCd on Page SU Mita. V as Photo by E. Gi Mark l.U1'L'lf' Ptmidise Bcizclz, Ntisstizt

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26 'THE VOTAGEUR gave Isaac a note from Sonja. It said, briefly, that they were going away to live in Germany, and that, as Sonja's father depended on Hitler's favour in order to keep his position, he could not allow his daughter to marry a jew. Isaac sobbed in despair at the last sentence. All was over and Hnished. There was no use going on. Everything was ruined. A hideous misery gripped his tortured soul. His castle of dreams was destroyed. His fiancee and best friend were gone. He saw his future persecutions under the Nazis. Completely brokenfhearted, he went home and spent an unhappy but thoughtful evening. Suddenly he made up his mind what to do. Worry and despair left him. He saw the way out. At once he went and purchased a revolver. On the way back he read of the persecutions of Jews, already begun. He went up to his room and wrote two letters. He started as he heard the front door open. A gruif voice inquired if Rosemeyer, the jew, was at home. Soon afterwards, the tread and Clank of armed men could be heard on the stairs. A brutal voice shouted, Come, the scum's down here. Lets drag the rat out of his hole. Before Isaac flitted the vision of that single day begun so happily and with such good omen and concluded amid such despair and unhappiness. This morning Isaac would no more have taken his life than change his religion. Now, it was the only thing to do. 0 A SHORT, SHORT STORY 0 The Cllllrtih ill the Nigllf by ll0GEll s'rll0UsE HE CoLoUREo wmoows faded gradually out: only a twilight blue was left beneath the roof: and that died too. Then, only double rows of candlefflames gave light, pointing and floating above the shadows of the floor and the shadows of benches and the shadowed faces of old men and youths. Hushed prayer echoed, and the long rolling organfwaves rose and fell, half' drowning the singing and setting it free again. All was muffled. I sat there motionless and virtually unconscious, neither kneeling nor standing with the others, but leaning rigidly back. After the service was over the congregation emerged into the night and were swallowed up in the mist. White surprising faces glimmered and van' ished under the street lights. It was this kind of a night that I too was walk' ing inealone. Perhaps I deserved no better fate. My big brownstone house loomed formlessly in the dense sky, picked out by dimlyflit windows, and forlorn gate lamps. There were two figures standing there silently. As I approached they turned towards me but before either of them spoke I said, All right, l'll go quietly.