Wartime Romance

These letters have survived the test of time. The summer of 1939 was actually the last summer many Latvians would feel at ease and at peace. The last golden days as in the cities the threat of occupation was already felt and with September would come the shadow of WWII and Latvians would begin fleeing for their lives and going into exile. My mom was a young woman of 28. Her name was Elvira Grunte and she had many suitors especially a young man who would become a famous and to this very day well-known Latvian poet. His name was Andrejs Eglitis and he was 27. Unfortunately for him it was a one sided romance and the war separated them although once in exile in Sweden Andrejs had hoped that Elvira would choose him and decide to travel from Germany to Sweden to be with him but instead she chose my dad Eriks Raisters who was a poet and writer himself. However my mom and my dad did not get together in Riga. It was only in Germany that they fell in love but they did meet now and then at social gatherings in Riga. My dad Eriks at this time was 34. I explored the compatibility side of this triangle through the horoscope. It says that a Gemini woman (Elvira) and a Libra man (Andrejs) are a couple who would be great for marriage, raising kids and living happily ever after. Whereas a Gemini woman and a Taurus man (Eriks) may or may not have a long-term relationship but the Taurus man is drawn to the Gemini woman. Elvira and Eriks made it work.

So Andrejs writes to Elvira in the summer of 1939 while she was visiting her aunt and uncle in Austria. They had an inn just outside of Vienna.

At Birini (this is the name given to the country house Andrejs was staying at) July 21, 1939 Elvi (what he called my mom) – Here the rye in the field is growing and the scent of the linden trees is in the air. What can I say? I’m living along with the blossoms and I’m becoming as heavy as a honeycomb from all the beauty here. Here at Birini there is plentiful sunshine, the hurt in my heart is easing and I’m feeling good. It’s strange that distance can’t seperate souls and Elvi this is true. I’m not able to write letters anymore because I’m so tired of it all but I think that things will get better soon. Speaking about myself I can say that I feel alright. I’m writing a lot of poetry and trying to read as well. I’m being good in all ways. The sun which shines over my country does a lot of good for my soul and the sky is clear – come home. I know you will come here. I’m just telling you what I feel. Why aren’t you writing to me? How are you feeling living among the Viennese? What are you thinking about? I can’t tell you anything about Riga because I will be here in the country until August 7th. I must end this letter here because it is late and I want to give this letter to someone who is going to Riga so they can send it to you. I will write more soon. With my dearest hellos, A.

At Birini August 2nd, 1939 Elvi – I think you must be in Riga. You should have given me some notice that you are breathing the air of our homeland again but you must have become proud like a lady from Vienna. However you must still know how to speak Latvian a little. At Bierini it is coming toward the fall and soon I will be returning to the city as well. I will be arriving in Riga either August 7th in the evening or August 8th in the morning. I have to be at work on August 8th. You could have at least called me here at Birini. Only call me if you want to and if you haven’t forgotten me. Don’t take it to heart. I always write nonsense when I’m not feeling well. In the nights the moon by my window looks red and something hurts deep inside. In the gardens owls hoot. I’ve become more melancholy. I’ve been thinking about what it will be like when I’m no longer living. The lake has silver ripples upon it. Why don’t you write to me? All the best, Zelta Valodze (Gold Oriole, as he called himself)

They met now and then in Riga but mom’s heart wasn’t in it. She just didn’t feel drawn to Andrejs and he was always the loser. When the war started Elvira was working at the Riga Film Studios and for some reason she was on a list to be sent to Siberia. What her crimes were can only be guessed. There was something the militia didn’t approve of. She and some of her colleagues from the film studio left Latvia in the dead of night in boats and eventually reached Germany. Elvira first came to a DP (Displaced Persons) camp in Detmold and later moved to a camp in Augustdorf. Eriks at this time was also on the move. He and three other journalists and writers were on a list that if caught to be hanged immediately. They had no choice but to flee. The picture of Eriks sitting on a wooden box was taken on a train in Germany. This left only Andrejs in Latvia.

Andrejs was always very patriotic and this is reflected in his work most of which was written in exile in Sweden where he lived the rest of his life until he was in his 80s and then returned to live in Riga. This next letter must have been very painful for a great patriot like Andrejs to write. The year before in 1943 one of his greatest poems „Dievs Tava Zeme Deg” („Lord Your Land Is Burning”) a patriotic poem about the fate of one’s homeland, the injustice done to its people was set to music as a sort of hymn of the people. The composer was Lucija Garuta. This same year Andrejs was called into the Latvian Legion and finally in May of 1945 Andrejs along with many other Latvians left their homeland from the port city of Liepaja in the Kurzeme region of Latvia. They reached the shores of Sweden and Andrejs settled in Stockholm.

October 15, 1944 Sending my hellos to you Elvi, Live your life like you know how to and are able to. Our paths have always gone separate ways and as of today perhaps they will never cross again. Be strong I have never been able to give you anything. You have earned the right to be loved but so far have gotten nothing. Be a Latvian with all your heart and soul and know that we will be able to get back to our cities. Forgive me for what I have done wrong. I didn’t mean to be cruel. Believe me all will be well! I met you mother on October 8^th (my grandmother stayed in Riga until she came to us in New York in the 1960s) and Riga fell on October 13^th. Write me and let me know what you may know of the fate of others. I will be at the front lines. Believe in Latvia! Give best wishes to other Latvians. That is what is most important. Andrejs

It was in Augustdorf that Elvira met up with Eriks again. They both worked for a newspaper which was set up to inform Latvians of what was happening in Germany and what was happening in their homeland. They got married on September 24. 1949. Elvira wore her national costume. Eriks wrote to Andrejs at this time informing him of the fact that they were married and not to expect Elvira to go to him in Sweden. He wrote back sarcastically congratulating them. He himself eventually married but he and his wife had no children.

For Elvira and Eriks it was no bed of roses. Life was tough in the camps. Elvira lost three children, two of which were twins. Then finally came the day in 1951 when they were able to set sail for New York. Eriks being a journalist had a position secured as an editor for the Latvian newspaper “Laiks” (“Times”) which became a news source for Latvians in exile to be informed of what other Latvians were doing, about all the social events and of all the Latvian associations which were starting to be formed in the U.S. It was of course also a source of information about what was happening in their homeland. This would bring both Eriks and Elvira so much farther away from Andrejs.

On March 1, 1957 they were gifted with a bundle of joy – a daughter (incidentally the one writing this article). They named her Rasma Sandra Zane. Who knows what they were thinking but Rasma is a typical Latvian name, Sandra because Elvira’s second name was Aleksandra and the third I have no knowledge of. That same year Andrejs had the chance to go to New York to visit the Latvians there. Unfortunately for Andrejs during this time he wound up in a car accident while some Latvians were showing him around town. He was staying in Brooklyn, New York at the home of the owner of “Laiks” Helmars Rudzitis who was not only Eriks boss but he and his wife Austra were also very close friends with Eriks and Elvira. So Elvira and Andrejs got to meet again. While he was lying in bed with his head swathed in a bandage Elvira introduced her daughter Rasma to him. I of course have no remembrance of this event but would have loved to know every detail.

The years rolled on and Elvira lost Eriks on November 15, 1967 which was a terrible blow to her. She never married again. It is interesting that Eriks funeral was on November 18^th which is Latvia’s Independence Day. In January of 1994 since Elvira was now 83 I decided if she wanted to return to her homeland this was the time to do it. Eriks himself had requested to be cremated so that eventually he could be reburied in Latvia in the countryside where he was born in Ranka. So it was an obligation to us to also take him home. It was a difficult time though especially having to go through a second funeral for Eriks. He was buried in the Ranka cemetery in June of 1994. Elvira found out at this time that Andrejs had decided to move back to Riga. I urged her to get in touch with him but as it always was in their younger days it just didn’t happen. Would it have made a difference? Who knows. Elvira left this world on March 24, 1996 and was buried with Eriks in Ranka. Andrejs didn’t attend the funeral as for such an elderly man it would have been difficult for him to make the journey from Riga to Ranka. He did send his condolences and I always wondered how he felt at this time. The ending to the whole story came on February 23, 2006 when Andrejs died. With his passing it was like a whole era had ended for me and the only comfort I had was to imagine them all meeting beyond the stars. It must have made for one interesting conversation.