A Meal to Remember

Yesterday was a big day. After all these months of going to the stitching group meetings (or as I like to call them “Grandma Vetting”) I finally got invited to go out with some of them to lunch….at the IHOP. This is a big deal…they don’t just ask anyone to IHOP. I nearly got kicked out because of my dislike of mayonnaise and peanut butter (gasp!) but saved myself with some quick humor on the merits of bacon. Because really who doesn’t like bacon?


Anyway… I was sitting next to one of the oldest members of the group Maxine, born in 1928 and across from my surrogate of choice Erna (MUCH younger…you know like my parents age!).  Both of these women were born in Germany and came to live in the United States in the 60’s. Quite suddenly, over the remains of our breakfasts, Maxine and Erna begin to talk of the war, WWII. Sleeping in barns in the country each night, and only going home in the day, or if they did stay sleeping in the basements using shutters and clothing to cover the windows so no light would get out. Watching their town and the towns around them leveled. Erna recalled to me what she and other children used to call the “Christmas Trees”. White phosphorus spreading out as it neared the earth like a shinning tree, only to burn what it touched... Erna said, “we were children…we didn’t know…”

“They were hard times…but there were nice times too.” Erna said, “After the Americans came.” Maxine recalled seeing German soldiers walking down the hill outside town, followed by American soldiers, and the relief of surrender. Hershey bars…Erna’s friend was given one, and to this day, this friend swears that no Hershey bar ever tasted as good as that one. Maxine talked about the package of flour given to them from the Americans; they used it to make a cake…the first they’d had in 6 years. They were happy when their towns and bridges began to be rebuilt.

Then later coming to the US and speaking no English, fearing every time the door bell rang. Maxine said it was dangerous for her to speak German in the early 60’s in the US, I can well believe the anti-German sentiment at the time.

I feel that yesterday’s meal was a once in a lifetime experience for me. “No more war-talk” Maxine said through tears.  I couldn't agree more.