“Not yet. We’re going to talk it over on the boat. Anyhow, why would you want to know? You made it sound like we’ll never see each other again because of our little secret.”
“You’re right. It’s none of my business. But you’re my brother you know and I wish you the best of luck in America. I hope you have a lot of success.”
“Sure, Werner. I hope you can keep the farm going, too.”
They were quiet the rest of the way. Alfred looked out the window as the flatlands gave way to low rolling hills, forests, and small shimmering lakes. Then the train turned south, and Alfred could see the hazy, blue-grey mountains looming in the distance. It was an impressive sight. He was glad that he would be in Virginia where he had heard the mountains would surround him, although not as high and majestic as the Alps.
They arrived at Angel Sentinel and went to the administrator’s office where Werner signed some papers. The administrator told him how his act of charity today is God directed, and God will bless him and his sons as soon as the babies were in his grasp. After receiving full written instructions, Werner and Alfred went into another room where two nurses in white nun’s habits were sitting on rocking chairs holding two sleeping babies.
They were so tiny that Werner and Alfred stopped walking and looked at each other. But they soon regained their composure. They each were given one of the twins and stared into their faces. They looked back and forth at both of the children and were amazed at the extreme likeness. The baby’s heads were almost bald except for sparse light hair. At times their lips moved as if they were sucking. Looking first at one and then the other was no different from looking at one baby and then looking at the same baby’s image in the mirror. It was as if one had double vision. Even their movements were alike, and at times, their sucking would occur in unison.
“They both have similar birth marks,” said one of the nurses.
“Where?” asked Werner.
The nurse opened the blankets and lifted up their tiny undershirts and their right arms and showed Werner and Alfred a tan, pigmented area about two centimeters in length located on the back lateral chest wall just under the right shoulder blade.
“I don’t know how you’ll ever be able to tell them apart. They are the most identical twins I’ve ever seen,” said the other nurse.
“Do we have to do anything about this birthmark?” asked Werner.
“No. They can keep it for one-hundred years,” said the first nurse.
“Are they healthy?”
“The doctor says they’re perfect.”
They left with their children, and as soon as they got on the train, Werner opened his suitcase, took out the money, and handed it to Alfred. “This is yours. You kept your part of the bargain. Look at the instructions the administrator gave me and copy them down. You will need them. We will both need them. We are starting a new chapter in our lives. Let’s hope we’re up to it.”
CHAPTER 16
When Werner brought the baby home, Brigid was standing outside in the cold, her hands in prayer position, covering her nose and mouth. It started raining during the train trip home, and the air was brisk and cool. He handed the baby to his wife. She turned, walked into the house, sat down, peeled off the layers of blankets, took one look at the baby’s face, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She said nothing for almost five minutes.
He watched as his crying wife looked at, touched, and kissed the baby. “I can’t remember ever being so happy,” said Brigid, as she stared at her new son. “Look, he’s awake. He is looking right at me, don’t you think? I had to keep busy while you were gone, so I spent most of the time thinking of a name for our son. Remember, you left it to me?”
“Did you pick one?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Well. What do we call him?”
“Erich.”
“Erich. Okay. Erich Stegerwald. I like it. He took his son from his wife. He held him in front of his face. “Erich Stegerwald. You will be a famous man someday.”
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