A Secret to Shatter by Katie O’Connor
Chapter Thirty-One
Intending to get groceries after he ate, Ira walked the short distance from the grocery store to the corner of Spruce Street and 11th Avenue. His destination was Dahlmann’s Deli, a two-story building that sat adjacent to Frank’s Hardware, and featured a mortared slate front. A single cozy table sat outside, welcoming customers to rest while they ate.
Newly opened, the deli was fast becoming a popular place to eat.
He stood in line inside the front door, four people back. All six tables were filled. His mind was split between what he might order and Honey’s honesty. He’d been battling his decision to walk away from her for days and still wasn’t certain he’d made the right decision.
She had never lied to him. She’d been upfront about having a second job from the beginning. But her evasion of what she actually did was a lie of sorts. Could he live with the small evasion?
“Welcome to Dahlmann’s,” A fortyish man greeted Ira, his voice thick with a German accent. “I’m Anselm. This is my wife, Hawise.” He pronounced the name as Ha vees uh. “What can we get you?”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ira Castillo. It’s been years since I was stationed in Germany. I’ve got a craving for Wiener Schnitzel with boiled potatoes and fried red cabbage.”
Hawise smiled broadly. “My favorite and today’s special.” Her accent was thinner than her husband’s but no less apparent. It made Ira long for the people he’d met while stationed in Stuttgart.
“What part of Germany are you from?” He wasn’t well enough versed in German accents to distinguish one from the other.
“Berlin,” she answered. She jabbed a thumb toward Anselm. “He’s from Munich. Thank you for serving our Canada, and the world.” She was busy prepping food while she talked. She bagged an order and set it on the glass fronted counter where another customer took the package with thanks.
Her statement of “our Canada,” tickled Ira. Their love for their adopted nation rang in her voice. It made him proud to be Canadian.
Anselm rang up Ira’s order. “It’s not easy to soldier,” he said. “So many give so much for the benefit of everyone else. Do you still serve?”
“I’m retired. Ranching now. Do you make your own sausage?” He inhaled deeply. “Your deli smells divine. I could stand here all day and not identify the delicious scents.”
“Ya, we need organic meat, but in a town this small, it’s hard to find a good local meat source. Of course, we’re busy and not looking too hard.” He shrugged and grinned.
“If you’re looking for beef, I can talk to Robert Flint, a local rancher, and pass on your needs. He might be able to help.” He wasn’t sure Robert would sell direct to them, but for certain they could get fresh meat through his brother Jason’s butcher shop. He sold ranch beef to the public.
“We’d appreciate that, wouldn’t we Hawise?” Here’s our card. He plucked a business card from a holder on the counter and passed it to Ira. “Lunch is on us.”
“For offering you a potential beef source?” Ira shook his head, uncomfortable with the idea of taking free food for helping out.
“Nein. For serving in the military,” Hawise corrected. “I was a kinder when The Wall fell. But I remember.” She turned away and cleared her throat.
Ira was much too young to have been involved in the removal of the Berlin wall, or the events which led to it, but there had been a huge military presence. He understood her emotions. He accepted the courtesy meal with gratitude and ate it at the only open stool at the bar facing the front window. The schnitzel was a memory on his tongue. The veal tender, the coating crisp and flavorful. The delicious flavors carried Ira back to Stuttgart.
Hawise’s comments on the wall reminded him that the world contained many divisions and nothing was too great to cross or tear down. Maybe he could talk to Honey, get her to open up about her second career.