would want a bastard to take over the farm. Maybe you should leave the farm to Albert. He’ll probably have a son. Knowing him, he’ll have ten sons.”
“This farm has been left to the firstborn son for five generations,” Ludwig declared. “I won’t be the one to break tradition, even though I have doubts about you running it. If this farm is still a going business when I die, it will be yours. Under the ground, I won’t care who follows you on this farm. You know, you’ve still got a lot to learn about dealing with people, but I see you working and I can give credit where credit is due. No doubt you’ve got all the strength you need. There’s no one better with their hands. So, all you need to do is learn about the finances. Then if you can learn that not everyone is your enemy, maybe the farm will be a success.
“People tell me how smart I am, but I was stupid to keep records in my brain. I should have prepared you a long time ago. I’m going to speak to Mr. Weiss in town and tell him what I’m trying to teach you about finances and bookkeeping. He promised me that he’ll help you with any advice you need after I’m gone. We’ll see him together one of these days. He knows everything there is to know about such matters.”
“You’re still pretty young and healthy. You’re going to be around a long time,” said Werner.
“I hope you’re right. Now back to this bunk of my not wanting a bastard to inherit the farm. That’s ridiculous! First, it’s none of my business. Second, if you adopt a son, I’m sure you’ll love him as if he was flesh of your flesh. You and Brigid will nurse him and care for him, and that’s what’ll make Brigid a mother. And maybe it’ll make you a father. Anyhow, I don’t count here. There’s no problem with adoption as far as I’m concerned. That’s your decision to make together. It’s none of my business.”
It took a week for Brigid to feel the finality of Dr. Bloch’s diagnosis, but when she did, she became depressed again and decided that it would be best if her husband divorced her. Then Werner surprised her when he said, “We have to keep the appointment we made with Pastor Braun to talk about what the doctor told us.”
Bridget said, “You didn’t say anything for a while, so I wondered. Yes, we have to go.”
Braun stared at them as they sat with dual frowns in front of his desk. “I can tell that you got bad news from Dr. Bloch. You’re both sitting there moping. Either you can let that news ruin your marriage, or you can confront it head on. The choice is yours.”
The pastor paused to see the reaction of the two of them. While Werner was frowning, Brigid was staring at the pastor, and Braun wondered whether he perceived a glimmer of interest in her expression.
“As I see it, you have three choices,” he continued. “You can divorce. You can stay married and childless, or you can deal with the problem and adopt a child and become parents. Have you talked about these options yet?”
“Only one. My wife talks about divorce.”
“I see. Well, don’t act upon that right away. Brigid, you could still be in shock over Dr. Bloch’s diagnosis. You need to take some time to let the facts sink in. Don’t make a hasty decision that you both will live to regret. It’s important for you to talk about this and let some time pass. In the meantime, I can at least give you some things to think about. Very few people know that I’m active in arranging adoptions, but I have, and I know a lot about it. There’s no shortage of unwed mothers, and there’s no shortage of people like you who aren’t able to have a child. I work with the Angel Sentinel home. Have you ever heard of it?
“No,” they said with surprise.
“It’s located in a suburb of Munich. There’s no publicity about it. But they take in unmarried pregnant girls who have no place to turn. Most of those girls are in a terrible bind, and they’ve agreed that the best option for them and their future born is to give their baby a good home. We’ve placed many children this way, and we know from experience that what we do has been a blessing for everybody concerned.”
“What about the girl? Does she know where her baby’s gone?” asked Brigid.
“No. That’s part of the agreement they sign. They’ll never know. We believe it is best for everyone.”
“Do the people who adopt know who the real mother is?”
“They never know the real mother. We give some generalities about her, but that’s all.”
“It’s hard for me to believe that anyone could just give up their own baby,” said Brigid.
“I assure you they do, but there are a few who change their mind at the last minute. So we make it clear to the prospective parents that there’s no guarantee because, if the mother does change her mind, then it’s possible the future parents will be very disappointed.”
“Does that happen a lot?” she asked with increasing interest.
“No. It’s rare.”
“How many people are trying to adopt?”
“More than we have pregnant girls. We have a waiting list. That’s why we urge the parents to do their best to make a decision as fast as possible. But, they have to be sure about the decision they make.”
“Thank you, Pastor,” said Brigid, glancing at Werner.
“By the way, Werner, did you talk to your father about this?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“What did he say?”
“He said it’s none of his business.”
“I knew he would. He’s too intelligent to say anything else. I take it that your silence during my talk just now with your wife means that you’re considering adoption. Is that true, Werner?”
“All I know is that the doctor told us that my wife can’t get pregnant. I got a lot to think about.”
“God be with you as you wrestle with this decision.”
Brigid and Werner, each with their own private thoughts, went home to ponder their dilemma. Werner’s silence left Brigid guessing. On the one hand, she thought, at least Werner wasn’t expressing opposition to what Pastor Braun was saying. She knew that Werner was never at a loss to express an opinion, and this was the most important matter in their marriage to this point. On the other hand, she wondered whether he was just being polite in front of the pastor. Either way she would soon find out his true feelings. She had decided on adoption. Would Werner come to the same decision?
CHAPTER 8
Werner did not make a move. His continued silence led Brigid to believe that he was not
considering adoption. It took Ludwig to break the logjam. After almost two months had passed since the meeting with Pastor Braun, Ludwig came to dinner at Werner and Brigid’s house. He came right to the point. “What happened to the idea of adoption? How long does it take you two to make up your minds?”
Brigid responded hoping that Ludwig’s initiative would resolve the issue. “My husband hasn’t said anything. I’m waiting to find out if he’s going to divorce me?”
Ludwig turned to Werner and stared into his eyes. “Is that true?
