War Torn Love (61 page)

             
As sick as this all was presently making me feel. I had to remember what both my loving husband as well as my darling sister both unselfishly asked of me. And why it was they both made me promise, I could see for good reason, it was all for my own good, I guess I just had not really seen that until just now. Not fully understood it - they both knew that I would be tested in the days, and months to come.

             
I now had their children to think of, that was much bigger than just me. I was not about to let either of them down, they were both counting on me to come through. I looked down and suddenly it dawned on me that I had two little girls that needed me very much and that other than me they were both all alone now. And If I was scared, then I could be sure that both these girls were doubly scared as I was -they were confused what was happening to us. I also realized that if Marym does not survive this all, than a huge wonderful piece of her lives on through her beautiful daughter, she looks just like her Momma at this age, so as long as her daughter lives, than my sister does live as well. I will tell her all the stories of her mommy I could recall. That is what Sis would had wanted me to do, no, no, I had to stop thinking as if she is already gone, and that is what she wanted me to do!

             
We walked straight into a long warehouse, where the clothes were beginning to finally
dole
d
out to each of us. Growing up in the clothing business, you could be assured that these striped camp fatigues were not much to look at, the pair that were being handed to me were two sizes two big, more made for a man’s body than a
woman’s, I do not think they care. Not even asked our size. With these pajamas we were not given any undergarments what so ever of any kind what so ever, a pair of wooden shoes, and no socks. The shoes proved uncomfortable. Each of the girls pairs of camp fatigues were the same thing. I had to roll up the legs, and arm on both their pair just so they could walk without tripping. There was nothing I could do about the shoes; there were not a whole lot of options in sizes available. The clothing had clearly been  worn before us.

             
It was so good to have some clothing finally, on - I was so, so cold, so this definitely helped. Once we were all dressed, we were then promptly marched into what was going to become our new camp, a massive facility, a prison to lock us in.

             
Another officer then showed up - he clasped his hands behind his back, paced back and forth. He had an air of arrogance about him, then he began to speak, “Ladies please listen up! This is a
work camp
, make no mistake about this, what you will be doing from here on in is aiding the “Third Reich” win the war! Which I ensure you we will be victorious.  If you work, then we can all get along. With hard work comes recompense. However, let me warn you all! If you do not pull your weight here and do exactly as you are told
, then
the punishment for this is hanging! No trial will be held.  If you try to escape, you will be shot! Along with ten randomly picked out individuals again there are no trials for this crime. You work
then you
eat, it’s all as simple as that.

             
You will be awakened every morning at 4:30 am; you will be given a half an hour to get ready each morning.  Were you will assemble in the courtyard to be counted -You will be fed twice a day; your workday will end work at 7:00 pm. Eat at 7:30, and lights out at 9:30. We work seven days a week here. If you are not meeting your quotas then you will stay and work until you have caught up!

             
You will be afforded barrack housing.  As you will noticed at all times you will behind all the double barbwire fencings, there are several guard towers located all around this camp, with very well-armed capable trained guards that would love to shoot any of you where you stand,”

             
The commander raised his arm. Suddenly a shot rang out from the nearest tower. Hitting a woman right square in the head, she fell backwards to the ground, dead. He shot the poor woman just to make a point, thinking nothing of it.

             
“You see there is no escape from here.  Pleas observe the spotlights for my men to see you at nighttime, as well as very mean well-trained dogs. You will notice row after row of barracks.
These houses
all the Jews being held here in this camp, the soldier coming by will assign each of you to a
building.
The number now placed on your arm is to be used as your name from here on. It will also indicate were you will be working. Once you are given your number, you will be free to go. As a way of saying welcome, you will be given the rest of the day off. I will see you all at 4:30 tomorrow morning.” Soon as the German officer was done talking he met up with his junior officer, they then talked a minute, the senior officer pointed
over in my direction. They looked at me I think me a minute then he left - maybe I was just being paranoid.

             
I was told we were being housed in building number thirty-three. We were finally released to our own to go to find barrack #33.

             
As we were walking I felt lower than low, I wanted to cry and scream out all at the same time, I had so many emotions coursing through me. I have never hated something, or someone, or a group of people as I do now. But I did – the Germans for doing all this to us, we never deserved this.

             
I could not stop thinking about my husband, my Poppa, my sister, my mother-in-law, cousin and also her kids, and how exactly was I now suppose to carry on, keep the girls alive in such a brutal place as this.

             
The girls and I followed the other many women, no one was really talking,
and the
women that went through this today well I would say were in shock. As we made our way down to our assigned building.

             
Both girls were still whimpering to themselves, for the family they could not be with no longer, they were just too young to comprehend what was really going on in this place. I was not going to tell them the truth about the concentration camp. I think that they would eventually figure it out.

             
I just was not sure I could do this, so I silently prayed to our God to give me the strength I was surely
going to need to save these girls, as we walked I just hoped The God heard me!

Chapter Twenty-One

                             
    
“The Fight”

             
The three of us, all it would seem that is what I believed to be left of my ever-dwindling family.  We walked inside the barracks, which proved to be completely wretched, so quiet, but I was determined to make the absolute best of it, in front of the girls. My eyes could not believe what I was seeing. There were row after row of bunks, stacked four bunks stacked high, my God! There was no mattresses, or blankets, or pillows. The place stunk something fierce, a smell of urine, mixed in with sweat, saturated into the wood. I have smelled a lot of horrible things over the last couple of years - this smelt just like the train had. Trust me, once you have smelled this smell, you will never forget it.

             
Oddly, there was nothing left behind in any of the bunks, I knew people were staying here, if there was anything which would had personalize the place but there was nothing left behind by all the people staying here. It was very sterile - other than Nazi propaganda hanging on the walls.  It looked like maybe a couple of hundred women bunked together here at any one time, it got horribly crowd when the place was full with people. There was only about two feet between the rows of bunks.

             
The whole place was emptied-out as we began walking inside - eerie of sort, you could hear the floor squeak as we walked over the wooden planks. About half the women we came to this camp with, walked in right behind the girls and I, none of us had a clue what we were getting ourselves into. I had to say I was a little relieved knowing we would not be the only ones, I had experienced chills the moment I stepped inside.

             
Knowing of the women and I were quite sure whether or not if there was previously assigned bunks for us to sleep or not, there was no way of actually knowing just from glancing around. Therefore, we just temporarily took a couple of the nearby bunks close to the door behind us. All the bunks were stained with all assorted things, I do not care to mention. 

             
There were a few other kids that came in along with these women - the kids were slightly older than my girls were.  But when the girls spotted the other children, their faces actually lit up, not having any other kids to play with for so long, excited them both, for a short while they could put all the worlds troubles away, and just be kids. I was relieved to see this, it got their minds off of their parents - I knew this was only a temporary fix, I just did not had the strength in me to deal with it at the moment, I wanted to just break down. Something this war had robbed from all of us. It had been so long thinking back, since the girls had an opportunity to have played with any other non-family children. So sad, speaking of my daughter, she did not even remember a time without war in her life. Therefore, she had only seen a warped, evil side of the world, yet I had to say
about her, she still could see the good in people, even when I cannot, even after all that she had been through.

             
My daughter asked, “Mommy can we play with those other kids, oh please Momma, can we?” Her whole face was lit up. She had a great big smile, how could I possible resist that cute look of hers.

             
I thought this would be good at temporarily lifting for their little spirits.

             
“Sure why not girls, go have some fun would you, oh but girls, both of you, mind yourself.”

             
“Yes Momma!

             
The other mother and I just let them run wild; kids needed that once in a while. Their childhood was being robbed from them. I think it was very unhealthy. What
they had
to experience in those last couple of days was just tragic, experiencing things even adults should not have too. What they had seen gives them nightmares almost every single night.