Read Online Dancing Under the Red Star by Karl Tobien - Free Book Online

would exchange casual pleasantries in the village now and then, we had separate activities and groups of friends. Victor eventually became an aviator and sky diver, was dubbed “the Lindbergh of Russia,” and later broke the world free-fall record. In 1936 he was sent to Spain with the Russian military to participate in their civil war. One year later he returned to the Soviet Union, where, less than thirty days after my father’s arrest, he was arrested for treason and anti-Soviet propaganda.
    We also met two American brothers, Victor and Walter Reuther from Detroit, who lived temporarily in the apartment above ours. I developed a younger-sister, older-brother friendship with Walter. We took a liking to each other from the very beginning. He was an extremely kind and thoughtful man, and I always enjoyed his company. Mama and Papa spoke with him quite often too; they thought he was a wonderful man.
    Walter always looked as if he knew something below the surface of things, something no one else knew. It was clear he was a man of forethought, with something definite in mind. I could tell he always had a secret or knew something out of the ordinary. His eyes had a certain gleam about them.
    We often ice-skated together in the village. And before he returned to America, he gave me his skates because they were better than mine.
    “And since I’m going back to the States anyway,” he flashed a warm-hearted smile, “keep these skates until you no longer need them, and then you can return them when you get back to Detroit. Call me when you come back home, and we’ll go skating.” But I recall the look on his face that day; Walter never really expected to see his skates, or me, again.
    Many friendships in Gorky during this time formed quickly and then ended abruptly. One day life was normal, and in the following weeks and months, people literally disappeared. Just like Papa, many were arrested for no apparent reason. Even as a child, I realized that Gorky had too many abrupt changes. Many times there would be no warning before a person, or even an entire family, simply moved under cover of night, sometimes escorted elsewhere with no explanation. I lost many friends this way. There were too many people, too many human tragedies to adequately detail them all. But I will never forget.
    We had been in Gorky for a year when my father was granted a one-month vacation in 1933. We were allowed to visit relatives in Austria and Czechoslovakia. And Papa would see his mother for the first time in twenty-one years. We were all excited to have a break in our drab routine. Joyfully we packed and left Gorky by train.
    A stop in Moscow provided time for us to purchase a few small gifts to take to our relatives. Papa chose a beautiful filigree antique vase for his brother, a well-known collector of antiques. But the vase was confiscated at the border and held until our return because the export of antiques was strictly forbidden. Papa silently rolled his eyes in disgust. Nevertheless, the trip renewed our spirits immensely. Mama was exuberant, Papa was revitalized, and I hoped this time would last forever.
    We finally arrived in Vienna, home to my father’s sister, Eva, his other brother, Richard, and their families. For the only time in my life, I got to meet some of my aunts, uncles, and several cousins. I immediately felt at home, relaxed and comforted. I was too young to remember everyone. Although I have no records left, and the names have escaped me, I vividly remember the happy, loving faces. I could play the memories back right now, as if they were scenes from a heartwarming movie.
    With a new joy in his heart, if but for a season, my father proudly gave us a grand tour of his beloved city. We visited a very famous amusement park called The Prater, which also had a museum of natural history. We were thrilled by the wonderful food and pastries, for which Vienna is known. The whole city was breathtakingly beautiful, radiating majesty