been condemned to death." An audible gasp went up from the crowd. Domokos raised an arm to calm them and continued. "Yet, here I am in front of you today. I am not worried and want you to stay calm too, to be patient." He paused and chose his next words very carefully. Raising his right arm high into the air, he cried out, summoning all the strength he could, "Our sufferings as a minority in this country will be over soon." With that, Domokos turned and started for the house, nearly collapsing before he made it to the nearest chair.
People continued milling about outside until noon, and then everyone was told to go home. Later that evening, Senator Karoly Hokky, a close family friend, came to visit. He didn't call ahead as he usually did, and apologized to Karola for arriving unannounced. He asked to speak to Domokos in private and had a request. He asked if one of the maids could put a few logs in the fire. The fall evenings were starting to get cool, he told her, and he had caught a bit of a chill coming over. Karola nodded her head and led him into the drawing room where Domokos was sitting.
The men sat quietly as the maid brought in the logs and lit the fire. When she left, Domokos began to talk but Karoly Hokky put his finger to his lips, directing the conversation to the weather. As he spoke, he walked over to the wireless radio, turned it on, and tuned it to a Czech station where the news was just being read. He turned the volume up as Domokos watched him intently. Then Karoly Hokky opened the desk that sat in the corner and pulled out a handful of stationery, drawing his pen out of his waistcoat pocket. He began to write something and handed the note to Domokos.
"This house is probably bugged," the note began. "Detectives have searched your home many times while you were away. They could easily have planted listening devices at any time. I have warned your wife of this as well."
Domokos read the note and nodded his understanding. He handed the note back to Hokky who threw it into the fire and pulled out a fresh piece of paper. Then he continued writing. "They have probably already issued a warrant for your re-arrest. This time they will undoubtedly not postpone the sentence." The senator handed the note back to Domokos and looked gravely at his dear friend. When Domokos gave him the paper back, he smiled sadly. Hokky continued. "Yesterday, a group of Rongyos Garda (Ragged Guard) sabotaged a train and ordered some three hundred Czech soldiers off. They burned their equipment and uniforms."
Domokos nodded knowingly as Hokky crumpled up the paper and threw it also into the fire. Domokos motioned to his friend to give him a piece of paper. "Was anyone killed?" he wrote.
"Only the station master," Hokky wrote back. "He happened to be an ethnic Hungarian." Hokky looked up at his friend and continued to write. "These groups worry me, Domokos."
Domokos read what he had written and nodded. "They nearly killed me yesterday," he wrote back. "They thought I was a Jew."
Finally, Hokky put his pen to a final sheet of paper. "I want to take you to the western part of the country tomorrow afternoon. Tell no one where you are going. I think it best you tell your wife you are going to Prague to appeal your case. We will cross the border at an obscure border crossing and you will be hidden in my car. My diplomatic immunity will prevent them from searching the car at the border." Domokos lifted his tear-filled eyes from the sheet of paper and nodded.
Karola Aykler and Domokos Aykler in the vineyard, circa 1937.
Hokky flung the final page into the fire and, as they watched their conversation go up in flames, erasing the evidence of their discussion, both men sat in silence as the edges of the pages curled up and were sucked into the fire. When Karola came into the room with a tray of tea and pastries, she immediately sensed that something wasn't right. The radio was blaring and the fire was ablaze, even though it wasn't cold.
People continued milling about outside until noon, and then everyone was told to go home. Later that evening, Senator Karoly Hokky, a close family friend, came to visit. He didn't call ahead as he usually did, and apologized to Karola for arriving unannounced. He asked to speak to Domokos in private and had a request. He asked if one of the maids could put a few logs in the fire. The fall evenings were starting to get cool, he told her, and he had caught a bit of a chill coming over. Karola nodded her head and led him into the drawing room where Domokos was sitting.
The men sat quietly as the maid brought in the logs and lit the fire. When she left, Domokos began to talk but Karoly Hokky put his finger to his lips, directing the conversation to the weather. As he spoke, he walked over to the wireless radio, turned it on, and tuned it to a Czech station where the news was just being read. He turned the volume up as Domokos watched him intently. Then Karoly Hokky opened the desk that sat in the corner and pulled out a handful of stationery, drawing his pen out of his waistcoat pocket. He began to write something and handed the note to Domokos.
"This house is probably bugged," the note began. "Detectives have searched your home many times while you were away. They could easily have planted listening devices at any time. I have warned your wife of this as well."
Domokos read the note and nodded his understanding. He handed the note back to Hokky who threw it into the fire and pulled out a fresh piece of paper. Then he continued writing. "They have probably already issued a warrant for your re-arrest. This time they will undoubtedly not postpone the sentence." The senator handed the note back to Domokos and looked gravely at his dear friend. When Domokos gave him the paper back, he smiled sadly. Hokky continued. "Yesterday, a group of Rongyos Garda (Ragged Guard) sabotaged a train and ordered some three hundred Czech soldiers off. They burned their equipment and uniforms."
Domokos nodded knowingly as Hokky crumpled up the paper and threw it also into the fire. Domokos motioned to his friend to give him a piece of paper. "Was anyone killed?" he wrote.
"Only the station master," Hokky wrote back. "He happened to be an ethnic Hungarian." Hokky looked up at his friend and continued to write. "These groups worry me, Domokos."
Domokos read what he had written and nodded. "They nearly killed me yesterday," he wrote back. "They thought I was a Jew."
Finally, Hokky put his pen to a final sheet of paper. "I want to take you to the western part of the country tomorrow afternoon. Tell no one where you are going. I think it best you tell your wife you are going to Prague to appeal your case. We will cross the border at an obscure border crossing and you will be hidden in my car. My diplomatic immunity will prevent them from searching the car at the border." Domokos lifted his tear-filled eyes from the sheet of paper and nodded.
Karola Aykler and Domokos Aykler in the vineyard, circa 1937.
Hokky flung the final page into the fire and, as they watched their conversation go up in flames, erasing the evidence of their discussion, both men sat in silence as the edges of the pages curled up and were sucked into the fire. When Karola came into the room with a tray of tea and pastries, she immediately sensed that something wasn't right. The radio was blaring and the fire was ablaze, even though it wasn't cold.
Similar Books
