I had very little time to spend in my mossy little room, but when I was there I was very content. I was surrounded by my animals. This having pets and not having to be responsible for grooming and feeding them was a relief. At some point in time I would travel back in time and learn a lesson from my past. I was still reveling in what had been a wonderful life in the black Forest of Germany when I felt the room began to change and I felt myself propelled back and then forward. I was beginning to get the hang of just stopping and letting it happen. There was no way I could control anything so I had to just go with the flow and learn whatever lesson was on for that day. It was strange that the lessons were not always in chronological order. Actually, they were rarely in order. They just happened. I relaxed and let my mind follow wherever I was going.
I gazed at the high ceiling and then around at the teeming crowds. They were all going in one direction. We came to a barricade and had to stop. A loud voice boomed over a megaphone of some sort that was meant to amplify sound.
"Settle down! I will get to you all in due time. I know you had a rough crossing, but you are here now and if we all work together we will be out of here and you can start your new life."
I stared around and slowly realization came to me. I was in the building on Ellis Island! I had just gotten off the boat from Germany. I held the hand of my son Christoph Adam Haas. I realized then that I was my great grandfather. Christoph would marry Josie Miller and they would be the parents to my mother. It was then that I realized how this worked. Or at least I thought I did. Apparently I was a Haas before I was born and had the memories of my ancestors. But how could that be? Rompano had told me I worked in the ovens when the Jews were killed. Was I a product of other ancestors also? That could not be. But it could be that I was a product of several different lines, but they all began to coverge. Suddenly a voice boomed and a hush fell over the hall of Ellis Island.
"Johann Jakob Haas!" I grasped the hand of my son Christof Adam Haas and began to move forward into my new life. We were propelled forward by the teeming masses. We stopped several times to have our papers marked by some big man who seemed to be in charge of that area and then we were shuffled onward to another grisly looking man who mumbled something and then pushed us onward. Periodically one or another of the families were shunted off and out of sight. I did not know what that reasoning was about, but I was glad that we kept moving forward towards the high, heavy door at the far end of the room.
Finally we reached the doors and there was no one ahead of us. A kindly old man took my paper.
He looked at the children with me and said very solemnly, "Welcome to Amerika Mr. Johann Jakob Haas! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors."
I stepped forward as the heavy oak doors swung open and we stepped out and into our new country! I could feel a tear sliding down my cheek. We were no longer Germans, but we were now Americans. I raised my eyes to heaven and thanked my heavenly father for allowing me to see this beautiful world.
God was indeed good.
I gazed at the high ceiling and then around at the teeming crowds. They were all going in one direction. We came to a barricade and had to stop. A loud voice boomed over a megaphone of some sort that was meant to amplify sound.
"Settle down! I will get to you all in due time. I know you had a rough crossing, but you are here now and if we all work together we will be out of here and you can start your new life."
I stared around and slowly realization came to me. I was in the building on Ellis Island! I had just gotten off the boat from Germany. I held the hand of my son Christoph Adam Haas. I realized then that I was my great grandfather. Christoph would marry Josie Miller and they would be the parents to my mother. It was then that I realized how this worked. Or at least I thought I did. Apparently I was a Haas before I was born and had the memories of my ancestors. But how could that be? Rompano had told me I worked in the ovens when the Jews were killed. Was I a product of other ancestors also? That could not be. But it could be that I was a product of several different lines, but they all began to coverge. Suddenly a voice boomed and a hush fell over the hall of Ellis Island.
"Johann Jakob Haas!" I grasped the hand of my son Christof Adam Haas and began to move forward into my new life. We were propelled forward by the teeming masses. We stopped several times to have our papers marked by some big man who seemed to be in charge of that area and then we were shuffled onward to another grisly looking man who mumbled something and then pushed us onward. Periodically one or another of the families were shunted off and out of sight. I did not know what that reasoning was about, but I was glad that we kept moving forward towards the high, heavy door at the far end of the room.
Finally we reached the doors and there was no one ahead of us. A kindly old man took my paper.
He looked at the children with me and said very solemnly, "Welcome to Amerika Mr. Johann Jakob Haas! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors."
I stepped forward as the heavy oak doors swung open and we stepped out and into our new country! I could feel a tear sliding down my cheek. We were no longer Germans, but we were now Americans. I raised my eyes to heaven and thanked my heavenly father for allowing me to see this beautiful world.
God was indeed good.
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