It Couldn't Happen to Sonia
by
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Sipping a cup of strong coffee in the kitchen, Sonia began her daily obsessing about the unhappiness that dominated her emotions. Many unresolved problems continued to take their toll. As a survivor of the Holocaust she had experienced more than her share of difficulties–the loss of all her family and friends, as well as everything she owned. She had endured a necessary but dangerous clandestine emigration to America; and an arduous assimilation process in a new country. However, all of that was nothing compared to the thought of growing old and still feeling like a helpless child. Although she wanted to live her remaining years to the fullest, she realized she was not succeeding. Sitting alone at the kitchen table, the only place she felt safe and warm, Sonia decided to put to an end the preoccupation with her emotional problems. She would return to her hometown to confront the ghosts and realities of her past. Sonia hoped to exorcize the lingering self-doubts and reestablish her identity. This was the toughest decision she had made in forty-five years. Having been so entirely dependent on her husband all this time, it was hard to imagine taking a trip without him. This was the only way to prove to herself that she was a capable adult who could manage on her own. She sat by the window motionless for hours, gazing at the Hudson River below and contemplating her plans. Sonia knew that this time she could not vacillate or conjure up the usual excuses. She also realized that she had to act immediately or she’d lose her nerve. The prospect of the journey suddenly filled her with such excitement that she couldn’t wait to call the airlines. She looked around the familiar kitchen with newfound energy. It contained, (besides the necessary cooking implements): a tape recorder, television set and most of her favorite art books. She also used this area as a studio to paint, write poetry, articles and call friends. Each time they had moved to a new residence, Sonia spruced up the kitchen in contemplation of spending a good part of her day there. She adorned it with paintings, artistic plates and unusual mementoes she and her husband had acquired during their travels. In many ways it served as a family room. The kitchen in their New Jersey home had a double oven and a microwave to allow ample cooking space for entertaining. When friends dropped in for coffee, she served them in the kitchen alcove. Greg enjoyed coming home to the smell of freshly baked cookies and his favorite meals. When he was busy, dinner was sometimes his only meal, and Sonia never disappointed him. Having made such a momentous decision, Sonia’s greatest worry was how to tell her husband. She was always truthful and open. She could never keep a secret–and did not believe in withholding anything from him. Marriage, she felt, was based on honesty, and anything short of that disturbed her. However, she was also aware that Greg did not believe in wasting time to "find oneself." A practical person with a lot of common sense and insight, Sonia was also spiritual and communicative. Early in their marriage, she had tried to develop a thread of communication between them. But after a few years she gave up trying, and resorted to writing and painting to fulfill her need for emotional expression. Fortunately, Greg never discouraged her undertaking of a new hobby or avocation. In fact, he seemed to enjoy her artistic endeavors. Why then was she so fearful of telling him about her trip? Maybe it was her traditional European upbringing that held her captive and caused her to feel guilty about leaving her mate behind.
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About the Book
Sonia never believed in her heart that her mother died during the Holocaust. She didn’t see her dying, nor was there a grave to mark her prior existence. Intellectually, she understood that her mother was not among the living anymore, however, emotionally she was unable to accept it. In order to forget her past and help her to move on with her life she wrote It Couldn’t Happen to Sonia. The author gave Sonia and her mother a make-believe life before she finally was able to bury her. The characters in this novel are fictional, but some of the sentiments expressed in the book are the author’s.
About the Author
My name is Sophie W. Miklos. I was born and raised in a small town in Transilvania, Romania. In 1949 my husband, Andrew, and I immigrated to the United States. For a few years we worked in a factory along with the other immigrants. After learning how to speak English my husband opened his own furniture factory in Bronx, New York, from where he retired. I have a married daughter with two children. I was a stay-home mom till my daughter finished high school. Shortly after, I joined my husband and worked with him until my retirement. Presently, we are residing in Hilton Head Island, SC. My husband and I are very grateful to the United States for giving us a second chance and for the opportunity in having choices and control over our lives. Prior to writing It Couldn’t Happen to Sonia, I wrote and published successfully the Paper Gauze Ballerina. I just finished my third book and it should be in print soon. America is the most wonderful country on earth, where an immigrant like me is also granted a chance to realize her dreams. The freedom to express my feelings in writing and sharing it with the public, is the greatest gift I have ever received.