War Torn Love (44 page)

             
I unquestionably found I was so sad, so completely numb that I could not do anything – not cry, not scream. I couldn’t even move. I peed myself, I think. I was extra afraid when the gunshots had awakened and scared Abiela. She then on
cue
began to crying loudly. Abram, frightened for the safety of both of us, looked over at me to try to do something. I did my best to try quelling her crying, in desperation coming just short of smothering her to try to stop her. I began to panicking when she would not stop. The only thing that had saved her was we were not that far into the war, he had not quite sunk to a level of killing children, over time he would. Nevertheless, it was not on this night.

             
It would seem the bloodletting was finally finished. The German officer holstered his gun once again, took a handkerchief out, and wiped the blood from his face. Ignoring the cries of Abiela
altogether
, thankfully God protected us - protected her. I was very thankful. It was at that moment I understood my Momma’s own sacrifice. I realized to protect Abiela I truly would have given my own life in order to save hers. That is true unconditional love. Our God protected her.

             
Then he began speaking to us, "let this be example to all you Jews. I simply will not tolerate any one of you attempting to escape - if anyone does, then they will be shot, along with ten others. At this time, you will all going to be marched over to the waiting transport trucks. Where
upon I have absolutely
wonderful news! To show you all, goodwill from the Germans since you have voluntarily donated you homes and business to the Nazis. We will be transporting you to Warsaw, where we are currently relocating Jews, to specially set up Ghetto’s. You will all enjoy it, all be able to live and comingle together, and govern yourselves. You will be provided everything that you will need to survive.  Now as far between now and then, I do not expect to hear any of you talking to one another while we our traveling, is this agreeable?”

             
We all answered, but did not like what he was saying, “Yes!”

             
He smiled coldly back; with his gloves off, he slapped it in the palm of his hand, producing a snapping sound. “Very good than, let’s move out, shall we?”

             
Could you imagine, after what he had just done, acting as if he suddenly was our friend, and like they were doing us some big favor? But in our tired states, we hoped that actually, this would be better.

             
I gazed around as we began moved out, soldiers were surrounding us with machine guns all pointed directly at us - escaping would be a sure death sentence. It turned
out to be about a three-mile walk back to the waiting road. A road we had been purposely avoiding for days. Once we arrived at the gravel road, there were waiting transport trucks, Parked in rows. Once on the road, we were lined up, and then brutally separated - men in one direction, and women in another.

             
And then we were loaded onto the back of the trucks. One of the soldier’s, butt of their guns hit me. “Hurry it up! You’re too slow!” He yelled at me.

             
He had struck me in the mid of my back, right between my shoulder blade. By I was trying to get up in the truck with Abiela in my arms, making it quite difficult. If I had not handed up Abiela to my cousin who was already loaded up, I would had surely dropped my daughter. Anyone of us getting onto the truck too slowly was shot in back of the head. I had heard a shot coming from the truck up ahead. We all did our best to help one another get up in the bed of the truck. We were supposed to act as if it had not even happened. There was no measure of humanity or mercy shown towards any of us, there was pure hatred in all their eyes. We were being treated like nothing more than a herd of animals rather than humans. Two soldiers climbed in the back of each of the trucks and quickly then pointed their guns directly at us, as if we were not scared bad enough. As we drove off, the last of my freedom was taken away from me. I wanted nothing more than my husband to hold me, not live in fear ever again. I looked around I did
not even know from which truck he may had been loaded up in, it scared me. I had never been forcefully separated from him before.  We traveled in the cold through the night. Where we were driven to a train station.

             
Then the soldiers said, “Get down, schnell, schnell!”

             
We were marched over to a waiting railroad, where there was thousands of other Jews probably being taken to the same place. Our group was united once more. We were loaded onto a boxcar, I saw Abram, and Poppa once more, I felt so relieved. By the time, they loaded us, and maybe twenty others into the car I was in, it was quite cramped, barely more than standing room. We were not supplied any food, or a place to got the bathroom. Once those doors had finally shut to the car, we finally felt it was safe to talk to one another, once more. Abram came to me and swept me up in his arms!

Chapter Sixteen

                           
       
“Tuliszkow”

The Germans did not seem to know what else to do with the immense Jewish population situated throughout Poland, and for the reason that my family, and the people with us were Jewish were sent to settle in a camp. No, the Nazis just could not simply let us go - I thought
the Nazis
liked setting examples. Seeing just how close to the border we presently were, they could have let us cross over the border, and we would be out of their hair, all together. The German solution however was transporting us and the others captured with us to “Tuliszkow.” A brand new Ghetto. It was set up exclusively to deal with the Jewish population. Out of sight out of mind, I think was their philosophy. Or at least, I hoped.

             
We were all loaded up, overloaded into the boxcar – I think we were about five boxcars down from the engine. We were locked up tightly in the very overcrowded, confining boxcar, the whole thing, sticking of human
excrement
, and sweat smells, filled with none moving air having nowhere else to go but linger around inside this boxcar like a thick cloud of smoke from a fire, on a cold winter day. All this was mixed in with the smell of fear. I discovered that in one corner of the boxcar a crude, small hole had been cut – and that
we had to use that as our lavat
ory
. I t wasn’t big enough to escape from and was soon lined with all manner of unspeakable detritus. 

             
For two days, we endured the horrible smells. Which only mounting to be most awful smells as an hour turned in to a day, then two. There just was not an adequate amount of room for any of us to be lying down, but rather we were being forced to sit on our butts, leaning precariously back to back for support.

             
Voicing my concerns, I told Abram, “No human should be treated like his. There is not even a window to look out.” This made the ride odd, as the car rolled back and forth, and the constant clang of the wheels rolling over the tracks.”

             
Abeila's cough was not letting up; sounded very fluidly, quite congested. The poor dear also had a mild- fever. She looked quite pale, not her usual color. Not acting like her normal playful self. She needed water in the worst way, but the German’s could not be bothered with such mundane things as keeping some Jews alive. All I could do for her was to breast-feed her. However, without access to food and water for myself, I would not be able to keep it up.

             
Abram held onto her the whole time. He did not want to let her go. I had never seen him so concerned about anything as he was towards his precious little daughte
r. He sat up all night with her
he wanted me to sleep. I watched on as - with a lovely compassion his hand gently and slowly through her hair. He would softly sing to her, tell
her stories to keep her entertained. She listened to what her Daddy was saying. She looked up at him with interest. I know in her own young way, that she appreciated what it was that her Daddy was doing. Nevertheless, the attention from her father was helping her remain tranquil, less unsettled. Sleeping the majority of the time was almost certainly best for her. I just wished I could break her fever. Until this happened, she would not improve.

             
On our second day, our assemblage as a whole lost a dear sweet child, who could not had been more than eight years old. The poor girl - so pretty had been burning up with fever for the last three days, so out of her
mind,
she was mumbling gibberish - her body was practically limp before even coming aboard the train. She had to be close to death by then most likely by that time she was
too
far-gone
, but we had hoped she would pull through. I know she had not eaten, or drank anything in days; her body had been shutting down, she must had suffered. Her right side had been extremely sore. We think it was a ruptured appendix; she could had probably been saved if she was in a hospital at the time, where they could had removed the appendix, so when it ended up rupturing, and infection quickly set in. There was nowhere to put her little body, her mother held onto her girl morning her, and cried. My heart was broken listening to her mother’s emotional wails it reminded me of what my own sister went through, with
the recent
loss of her daughter, if anyone understood such pain it was her. Marym went and sat with her. They both talked, cried.

             
Between the awful smells, no access to drinking water, and the utter lack of food, and being trapped in the cramped quarters, I was getting somewhat
claustrophobic
.  It felt of though the walls were slowly crashing in on me. My nerves were nearly shot. Not having much sleep in at least three days, I had not eaten. I did not think I could take another minute aboard that train. My legs were cramping up so badly.  I really needed to stretch.  About all I could do was occasionally
rubbing
the muscles in my legs.

             
I knew better, I did not dare grumble to anyone aloud, we were all in the same boat, all suffering. Marym had it much worse than I. With the loss of her child, I could only imagine how painful that must be on her, I know it is taking a horrible toll on her, and her husband.