Warshaw Ghetto

 

 

Sahbra Markus Surviving The Holocaust Part 7- Feeding The Hungry

 

Summary:

Sahbra Markus continues sharing her amazing story. In Part 7 we are once again on the military train with Sahbra and her family. She details the amazing bravery and strength of her father. The generosity of the men on the train. On the train, they finally get to eat without worrying about later which Sahbra is constantly thinking about. Of course, they eventually have to disembark and their journey to and in Poland continues. They walk many miles when they arrive in Poland and are forced to witness some of the terrible toll that the war has taken. If you have been following the series I am sure you can’t wait to hear what happens next. This episode reminds us how strong we can be and to always help those in need. You won’t want to miss it!

 

Episode Transcription

 

Intro Plays

 

Ari: And they were on the way to the front. They were discovered in the bathroom actually. And when the soldiers were needed to use the bathroom they banged on the door and they said they’re going to break the door down unless they open up so they had no choice they opened up. And what happened from there? I’m gonna let Sabra cont inue her story, Sabra. How are you today?

 

Sahbra: Hi, thank you. I’m fine.

 

Ari: Okay, so I know. I know everybody is sitting on their on the edge of their seats. They’re, they’re, you know, they’re waiting for these episodes. So please let us know what happened on that train.

 

Sahbra: Well, the men in charge started to distribute the children. So high was given to one Jacob was given to another, and a soldier from about the middle of the car, sitting by the window. Yes, give her to me. He’s looked so much like my little girl. I miss my little girl. I may never see my little girl again. Let me hug this one. And so I’m being pesto over the heads of older soldiers. And until I get to him, and he, he takes me and he hugs me so tight. And you can feel the love coming from his heart. No sooner that he settles me in his lap. What is your name? So I sat down and he says, oh, no, Scott. That’s endearment through. It’s so much love. Oh my gosh. I mean, my mom and dad called me and asked about this man. He said Anushka and there was an enormous amount of love and, and in a beautiful Russian accent and he was gorgeous. And he had a beautiful big blue eyes and I was totally mesmerized by this gorgeousness. And now I’m almost sore, and I’m falling in love. Are you kidding? This was a big day for me. And I am falling down. He says how are you? And I said, we will very frightened pushing us in the Windows the way he did. And people outside was screaming. We so they used a very vulgar, horrible, ugly word for jus the people on the in the train station. We saw ZD Zuiderzee there’s another word derogatory word for the word Jew. The word should be re meaning a Hebrew. And he said, You are a beautiful girl. Don’t listen to stupid people. Are you a Hebrew? A you’ve re I said I don’t know. What is it? And he said, You look hungry. I look hungry. I was hungry. The word the moment I was born and I haven’t stopped being hungry even though right now as we speak. I am hungry. 24/7 And he says I think you look hungry. I said yes. Yes. And he takes that bag of his that backpack from next to his feet and do you want a nice big piece of all nevermind mind. He breaks off a big piece of bread. The heel on the street. So I take it and I take a tiny little bite now and I’m waiting for him not to look at me so I can hide it under my dress. You see so I can give it to mama? Cuz she has no food. Papa has no food. That’s such a big piece. So I took a little bites I wouldn’t feel guilty giving all of it away. And he looks at me still still a fish. What are you doing? I said, Oh, I ate enough. I will keep this for later. He says you always have things for later. I said oh Always, because what if later comes in there is no bread? He says Anushka I have a lot of bread. I’ll give you more. Right now. I want to see you eat most of it. And I said to myself, Oh, I couldn’t I would get sick. I never eat that much. He says, because we have more to eat. He takes out a knife and I’m saying, oh, nine. Why does he need a knife? He toward the bread? Why does he need a knife? outcomes at gigantically long lone salami. Big Fat salami. He cuts off a chunk and again, push shy, eat. who’s shy? I didn’t know what to do with the salami. He says in his night, do you not know what to do? answer’s no. I’ll show you.

 

He takes it from my hand. Takes a big bite now. He is having a wonderful time. Oh, cool shade. It’s edible. Yes, it’s Oh, so I take a bite and it is delicious. I believe me I didn’t ask him to surplus kosher. Know About kosher. All I knew is about mama kept saying if you don’t eat, you’ll die. There’s food here. So you have to eat. And so there I am. I am enjoying it. But I’m eating tiny pieces because I need it for later you say so you eat a few tiny pieces now. And then you hide it on the your skirt for your mama for later. And again is watching me says I’ll be doing for later again. I said a little bit. Toy con him last only a little bit for later. He says no. You eat everything you have in your hand. And then I give you two bit more pieces. You can give your mama and papa for later. Oh, he was he was on to me in two seconds. Wow. And I said but what will you eat for later? You need for later also. He says I have lunch. I have a lunch for later. He helped me and he made sure I ate and he made sure don’t not only kept saying don’t eat big pieces, because he promised me more you see, but I didn’t believe him. And I said if I finished all this and you don’t give me for later, what will my mind Papa do. So he realized the only way to have me eat is given me two big chunks of the same again. So I can hide it under my skirt. And then I’ll be able to eat my own stuff. I in all the years that I have lived since I can promise you this array. I have always made sure that if I found offered above anyone that is hungry. There is a need of food than need of clothing. Any anyone are their families that need anything. I was the first one on line to hand it out. I have people that I know here in town. part time job three children mom and dad, mom not working dad working part time. I go out shopping, I buy groceries. I fill it out for both for the family and for myself. I’ll tell you why. It makes me so happy inside. To know that these three little children who want from nothing. It’s God gave me life and kept me around all this time. And every time I ask why. And I have an answer in my mind. So that others wouldn’t go hungry as you did. Wow. feed people sobre feed people sobre we were on the train for some time when I heard that. Oh big officer that allowed us to live and remain on the train. Yelling Hey, you, Marcus. Come here. We’re coming near a small village. And we’re going to take a break because we are all very hungry. How long will it take you to make us food? Papa said what do you have? He says Not much. He says well what do you have? So papa found out they’ve got a sack of rice. They’ve got sacks of potatoes. They’ve got a whole bunch of chunks of bacon, you know, big size of bacon, and they’ve got salt. And pepper said give me a generous portion of rice. Give me a big chunk of that bacon. Give me a bag of salt. He says what four? He says, so I can barter with the farmers. He says, No, this is an army train. We travel in our stomach. You cannot be giving away food. He says, Well, I’m not going to go and steal it from them. This is a war. They’re barely surviving. He says you’re forgetting you have your family here. We can drop you off right here and inform the military that you have sneaked into the country.

 

My father said Go ahead. And in the meantime, you’ll all start. Wow. Oh, pop by had Gunson. Oh, yeah. And he looked at him. He says you’re a Jew. He said yes. He says I thought Jews were weak and quiet. He says I can outbox anyone on this train. You bring them in, I’ll show you. And he said, What do you mean you can out box in the universe? He says okay. You insist, I’ll tell you a story. He said every Sabbath. When we finished a services in the synagogue, every Saturday after the service, we were making our way, taking a shortcut through one of the fields. And of course, the poll likes to go into Gentiles who are working the fields is suffered. It’s got nothing to do with them. They’re waiting for Sunday. And every time he walked by that particular small field, they came out to beat us up. And every time they beat us up, none of us ever got home on Sabbath without the bloody face, or parts broken or torn. And the clothing feel fair and torn and disarm disarrayed. So I decided one day that this has gone on long enough. I went into town into the portion where they have the restaurants and the theaters, you know what we call downtown. And I found a place and they saw two men boxing picture a big big poster. I went inside there said what do you do here? Who are you? And they said we teach boxing. This is where boxers come to become champions of Poland. We have had several good ones. And my father said good. I will be the best you will train me. I will be the best. You have money. I have money. Papa topper started taking boxing classes. No one. In Poland. No Jew has ever seen the inside of a boxing arena. It’s unheard of unthinkable. Here a nice Jewish boy you go to yeshiva or you become a professor if they let you. But you don’t go to a boxing match you crazy. He was there for months and months and months. And it became a year and became two years. No one you were saying no one knows his family, not his brothers not since there’s no one knew anything. And only the owner of that gym know about it. He told no one else he says they’ll beat you up. He says give me give me two years, then tell them and then tell them to come and beat me up. I’ll take care of them. Well, this one time those home against came out of the fields and they came to beat them up. That was their Saturday afternoon fun. Don’t murder the Jews if you can. And my father said to them, instead all of us brawling around like children are like little girls. Why don’t we do this? Give me your best fighter, your strongest fighter who is in charge. You can and will go one for one

 

So one of them steps out. He’s the Big Shot. He’s the big hole again. He already is in charge of everything. He says I’ll fight you. And he said, Fine. Father said, no rocks, no stakes, none of your storm equipment, you know that you’re carrying, like, shovels and rakes and this and that. He says, Just hence. Just your hands. And that poll like was hysterical. He was laughing so hard. He said, You, you’re stupid daddy Jaden, you’re going to fight me? And Papa said absolutely. Yes. And he said, and what is the winner get is asking that polish that boy. And Father said, If you win, you’ll go back and beat us up, as he says you always have. But if I win all of you here and everyone you know, you will make sure they never lay a hand or a finger on another Jewish boy or girl in this city. Ever. You find out that one of them is beating up a Jewish child. You go and beat him up and they can stop. So they shook hands. Papa gave him a lesson he never forgot. He absolutely terrorized that young man. His space was bleeding. His nose was broken his clothing were totally just shoveled. buttons were everywhere. And his his own whole against wanted to help and he kept screaming No. We made an honorable deal stay away. Which was not a very honorable thing amongst them to do to a Jew. But he decided to keep his word. He wanted to be a man of his word. Wow. And so Papa one. And never again, was a Jewish boy or girl harassed, molested or raped in that city. Ever. So now, my father is on the train. And the polls come and Dan says, Hey, you will go in, take steel, Rob, whatever, from those poor Russians that are hair starving. And you’ll bring us everything you need. And you’ll cook and you’ll feed my people. And my father said, No. Idiot give me things they need to barter. I said Papa says I am sure they need soap. I am sure they need bacon. I am sure they need this that. And what about cold? Do you have called I need give me a sack of coal. And give me 20 men. And we’ll go shopping. The train was stopped and Papa and his 20 soldiers went shopping. Those soldiers who are in all of my father, if he told them to jump off a bridge, they would ask at the exact moment. How soon do you want it done? They were totally enamored of the man. They admired himself. i You really? You really worked at it as the star the Big, Big Jim was called the star at was famous all over Poland. And he said yes. He said Why did you leave? He said I didn’t want to leave for the war. I left just before I was able to go for the big, big fights. Papa was a middleweight. And he was excellent and he won all the fights. A Jewish boy a fighter. Are you kidding? But he wants so they get to the farm. And the poor farmer sees all those sorts of soldiers and he says anything you take from us. We’ll make a start. We’ve got so little and Father said Dad, you need salt. And his eyes lit up. He said do have some Can you give me some is says I have a big bag of salt. What can you give me for the salt? Let’s let’s do some business.

 

He said two, maybe three chickens are perfect. No, I need more than that. What can you give me for the salt? And he was thinking and thinking you, you know that expression, you could hear the wheels turning in someone’s mind that they said I couldn’t hear it. I couldn’t hear it. And he said finally, no more than 12 when he saw the size of that sack of salt, salt per set, okay, bring the 12 chickens in looked at the soldiers, and he said two of you. And two of you get all these chickens to the child? Yeah, no, sorry. Yeah, you have to slaughter the chickens, you have to kill the chickens, and get a few other people and all these sit down and pluck them clean. Do nothing else. Just pluck them out quickly, and try and move away as much as you can. Otherwise all of you will be covered in lice. So so we shake the chickens. He says shake them as much as you can before you kill them. And then again after. So a few men left with 12 chickens. They were ecstatic. Singing, laughing running.

 

Papa said What else do you have? He says I can’t give you my car. He says no. Do you have any pieces over cow that you already slaughtered?

 

And so it went on and on and Papa got a chunk of a cow. This one had to live because she gave milk and he had four children. So he had to keep the cow. And he said I harvested a lot of vegetables. Do you need vegetables? Papa said yes. Give us onions give us carrots. Can you spare potatoes? Yes. He says okay, it says what can you give me? Papa showed him that big side of a pig. Have that bacon this side of pagan, huge, huge, must have been a monster of a sow to get that done. And he looked at him he says all of it. He said Papa said all of it. I will give you plenty I will give you he says well how many say are eating and Papa so you see the train over there? Yes, he says, everybody. I don’t have enough for everybody. So don’t worry about it. And Papa said, Look, can you give me four bags of rice? Rice and gold were the same thing. Same price. And the farmer said to what my wife and I started laughing Do you want my wife to top I said no. She’s to breastfeeding. Now and I already have one on the train. You have a wife on the train. And three children and three to Anna military train. I don’t believe you and the soldier is saying traveler traveler. It’s true. It’s true. Wife with three children and what are you going to do with all this? He says I’m going to cook meals. I said yes I need water. Can you spare water he says I have a good well bring bring buckets, I’ll give you water. So they did good business. Papa bought all kinds of vegetables and all everything he needed. And he tells the commandant Okay, so now Yes, and he gave them also a bag of coals. A big bag of call back man was just in heaven. Well, they made fires and they positioned huge huge colegas popper had those 20 soldiers they became his they became his helpers. They were cutting chickens. They were cutting pieces of bacon. They were cutting potatoes and carrots and and peeling numerous onions. I mean they were going to town. And then Papa said Now bring me the the rice and bring the bacon and bring the salt and Papa was Putting it together, putting you together. And finally, he waits an hour and keeps mixing and mixing. And then he takes the taste. And he looks at the commander, he said, remember our agreement? And he looked at me says, How soon do we eat? He says, Do you remember my agreement? He said, Yes, your wife and children get to eat first. Nobody gets a bite till they have their bowls in front of them eating. He says, right? He says, well, then bring me both, I can give food to my wife and children. Well, the soldiers brought them. And Papa filled them up to the brim. And then my mother looked at him and said, This is hazard. He says, not in your goal. Your goal is only chicken, the kids bows are only chicken. But what he didn’t remember to mention is that in that same gigantic part, there was a half a pig cooking. But all he remembered to mention is chunks of chicken of 12 chickens that were in those big cauldrons. You don’t need to say everything. You don’t need to tell everybody everything. If you want to keep them alive, sometimes not saying too much is better. Less is more was the first time we had a hot meal and ages. A good meal. It was so nourishing, lots of rice, lots of meat, lots of vegetables. I was a fantastic meal. And the commandant was that soldier was that

 

we ate again, and again. And again. I’m sure that if mama was trying to keep a lovely figure, she would have to be very careful. From all the wonderful food we will all all of a sudden be where we have more food than you can imagine. It was phenomenal. It was fantastic. And then I don’t remember how long we were on the train. You weren’t there for a while. And it kept moving. Because don’t forget you have you have to wait for other trains that are carry ammunitions. And other things to the front. And so the soldier trains had to wait. And then we waited and and then we moved another few, maybe several 100 kilometres and then we have to wait again and then wait again. Because we’re coming all the way from Uzbekistan. We told you about 1000s of kilometres to get to the front. And so it took quite a while. And then one day after who knows how many weeks that commanding officer comes and says I said to my father, Marcus, this is going to be a very sad day for all of us. And purposes, well, why? I’m not going anywhere. We’re all eating well, where he says, Oh, yes, you’re leaving. Why am I leaving? We brought you the furthest point we could. He says that we crossed the river. Now he says there’s not much of a river. There’s just maybe a puddle and becomes a river a few miles down. There’s some kind of I didn’t know. As if a road had been carved, or somebody threw gigantic rocks and diverted the water from a certain point, you were able to go through. And he said Papa said how are you getting into Poland? And Soldier The officer said, You cannot go with us that far. More than likely we will be bombed more than once or twice or five times. Before we actually get to that point. We’re hoping to be able to make it I heard that conversation and all I kept thinking of is my beautiful friend. My Russian that keeps giving me food. And I heard his officers say we may or may not make it. I was horrified. What do you mean you can’t make it? You’ve got my friend on this train. So I asked my father if we can take him with us. Please my friend and he’s giving me food I mean how better affect you You get up every five minutes, which is cool shape. Do you want to eat something dead? Would I ever say no? Are you I have a hell of a leg and a hollow stomach, I had to fill those. We had to disembark and we left. And again, we do the same thing like we did on the way there when I was a very, very tiny little child. Now I have to walk everywhere. I am walking everywhere. I’m a big girl. Now you see, I’m four. And we’re in Poland. I don’t remember the details how we get in there. But all I remember is we are hiding all day long. And walking and running at night. And what I am sad to say we had to go into farmer fields and steal a few carrots. You just see what is my mama knew what, whichever was what? And she would take it then you rub it all over yourself to get rid of the dirt. You spit on it and you wipe it? Well, you have to get rid of the dirt of the soil. Are you going to eat a carrot that’s covered in dirt? Hygiene, hygiene, nothing, you just didn’t want to swallow so much mud pies. So we made it in there. And it was such a interesting. I don’t know. I don’t know whether it was an A couldn’t have been on purpose because he had no clue where we were going. And I really didn’t know how we wanted to get into this is to Poland and as close to Warsaw as possible.

 

Well, the word battle was raging. There is no such thing as civilians in a place like that. You didn’t even see soldiers because most of them with deadlines laying down dead. We saw corpses everywhere. houses that have been burned down. It was absolutely the most horrific sight. Whether it was a Jew or a Gentile lined dead. All you saw were people of all ages. There was no sign on their forehead saying Jew or Christian or anything else. They were people, children. And I saw children my age and my brother’s ages that kept saying But papa, why would anyone hurt little people like us. And he says no Java scam, little girl. In a war, nobody cares. Whether it’s adult or child during a bomb falls at doesn’t know where the shrapnel is going. They go wherever and if you are in the way. Unfortunately, you are hurt. And Mama knew where to go. Mama knew mama knew it was her part of the country. And she kept directing. And we had to do all this by night. And the landmarks were gone. Here landmarks were gone. The landmarks were bombed. There were no landmarks. You had to figure out. And Papa said, Well, do you know where we’re going? And she said, Well, there was a big church right here. And there’s no church, it’s gone. It says and when you saw the church, when you remember it, which way would have been the farm? That village that you’re looking for? And she was she closed her eyes? And he stopped she’s kept trying to picture from this point do we go left? Do we go right? Do we go straight? She said Well, there was a road a little further up. And then there was a ravine and then you had to go to the left where the wagons were going. And she kept describing and explaining percent. Every few minutes we will stop. You’ll close your eyes and picture what you remember in your mind. And when we’ll follow your memory and that we did. We did that most of the night. And sun was coming up. We have to try and find a place to hide. Where in the heart of the war. Nobody cares. If you have children. They are a burden. You shoot them to arrest them burden and they eat so Mama said, I know this place we go in there and she goes straight for a door and she no knocking. She could have been shocked What if the Nazis were in there they come and do everything. Mama she she didn’t actually actually bend and open the door and throw it open and somebody inside shrieked donate Sky dot each guy is the word Dora. Dora is from Deborah or designer. The old woman came around my yard shiver scarred all my ACL. She kept talking because she’s so close. From the Russian border she kept fixing Polish and Russian and getting excited. You’re alive? Who is who these people push the door open again. And he marches in with three children. Soto Yes. Now she’s talking polish? Not Soto Yes. What is this? What is this? She keeps repeating. And Mama introduces her. This is my husband. These are my children. And the old lady says I remember when you were that age, and they used to hug you and kiss you and feed you.

 

Mama said we survive. Wherever you wherever you can hide it. There’s no July then you are in 1000 kilometre radius around the How can you be? Does anyone know you’re a Jew? And Mama said we were dropped off by a military train. Doddridge Ka, military train. Your silly. No military train will take a woman and a man and three children babies. We were on it for months.

 

That’s impossible. I’ll tell you this story. Well, first of all, everyone get in close the door.

 

You take off your coat. She yelled a few names. People came running. They came and she said okay. You bring her address. You give her one of your coats. You give him a coat. Those pants. They got to go. You’ll give him this. Everything was Russian. You knew we didn’t belong there. You had to become a local immediately. And she looked at us and she says jesca No, no. Anca Okay, so now I’m on Anca Anca is the same as Anushka. It’s foolish, right? CYMA Hi, monka. I looked at Mama. She says same as JavaScript. I said, Okay, fine. I’ll take it. And she was a little fat. And she was sweet. And you knew that if you hug her, you would sink into all that wonderful, soft, warm flesh. So she came over, she says Anca and she looked at my mother, why Anca? She says an actual name is Alma. Why? She says, Errol. You heard about her. And your woman starts to I love that boy. From the day he was born. He was like my son. They were the tenants that worked the land that belonged to my grandfather. And they and their families have been dead for several 100 years on that land. Just like my family was in judging and in hostels for over 400 years

 

as loyal citizens that nobody cared a time of war, shoot them all. I hand them over to the Nazis to do it.

 

We were there for quite a while. Kids were being hidden. And of course, I was her granddaughter, and her grandma’s daughter claimed me as her child. And she says, we have a problem. She doesn’t speak a word of polish. And then looked at my mom. And I said to her, I understand, understood what she said. She said, Well, you were so young. A child hears the brain records. And when, in case of an emergency, the brain does. What is the word? It replays the recording? And so all of a sudden, I looked at my mother said, I understand many words she’s saying. She said, Yes, but you know what? We are going to have you go through the same thing as we did. When we ran into that. Red pig phase. anti-semite, Russian communist at the Russian border with Poland, right there by the river. Remember, I told you, you’re not allowed to speak because you are mute. I said, I am mute again. But I speak Russian. I speak Yiddish. She says no, you don’t. You do not. You speak nothing. Till you learn some polish. That’s when now I realize I had a fantastic aptitude for languages. By the time was the war was over. I spoke five. Not because I wanted to, but because I had no choice and I wanted to live. So no, four because five didn’t show up to laughter. i We arrived to another country. Five and six came later. So here we are. And this week, grandma, she’s teaching me polish. Her daughters and grandchildren are teaching me polish. Everybody is speaking Polish only so my parents can re polish up their own language because we’ve been gone for quite some time. And Grandma said she’s too old. We can’t keep her. We need to find a safe place. There is a church. Not so far a Catholic church with kind, wonderful priests. And I heard that they’re taking in children, boys, girls, anybody that needs help, they’re taking in children. And I think what we’re going to do is harness those oxygens. by some miracle they haven’t been taken from them and butchered and eaten will harness the oxygens. It will take a long time to get there because everything is so slow and the roads are almost totally destroyed by the tanks. Well, we will take her to that church and they will keep her till the end of the war. Then you’ll come back and you’ll pick her up and the other two little ones they will stay here with my daughter took us for ever forever on that wagon. Horrible things happened on the road. Nazis came with trucks Nazis came with wagons with with jeeps and some wagons that they stole confiscated from the farmers loaded up with everything those people have left to survive on will stolen from Father Nazi Hitler. We were going to a church that she said would save my life. A church where all these wonderful kind of priests are helping numerous numerous children.

 

What they didn’t know. And what they didn’t tell was the fact that it was a place for Nazi officers, so r&r It was a place where numerous Nazis came and stayed for a week or two all pedophiles and I was left with the priest and after being there for weeks, and weeks and weeks, I managed to sneak out of the church and I went to the right

 

in the yard and made another right and then I found all the children that kept disappearing every few nights. There were piles and piles of little bear children of all ages.

 

The elders there was eight. That one I saw murdered myself, I was speaking out with one eye from under my blanket. And I saw that big fat priest raped her and then put a pillow on her head because she wouldn’t stop shrieking and screaming. And I found galena there, I found her on top of one of those heaps.

 

And, and I said to myself, I will get out, I will run away, I will run away. Every time I was able to get out, I went to a slightly to the left. I kept digging under the fence. I kept digging and digging and digging. And then one day I succeeded. The hole was big enough for me to run was just coming winter it was cold. And all I had was a long white. Some kind of sack it had a hole in the middle to put your head through and two holes on the side to put your arms through. And it was one of those one size fit all. If you’re a big it fit you if you were very little you couldn’t hardly walk because it was too long. And you kept tripping. And if you tripped somebody hits you over the head and yelled at you with bad words. And if you’ve stumbled again, then sometimes you didn’t get that piece of bread that you were promised to dinner.

 

So you have to learn how to walk and not fall. Even if they hit you, you still don’t have to fall.

 

I get out and a Yank tap that rag that white sack all the way up to my chest holding on to it tight. And I had a chunk of red in one hand that I stole from the priests room. I saw him bring a loaf in there. And they sneaked in I stole a big chunk of bread. And I was running in I was running and I remember I remember when we arrived there months ago, months ago, months ago that I saw woods. I saw a forest and you know who lived in the forest. Remember I told you, my friends the wolves. And since they love the moon and I love the moon and the moon gave them and the light at the same time and helped us cross into Russia for safety. So maybe I can talk to them and ask them to take me to my mama and papa. Papa said whoa I’m not so friendly. They’re not like the dog that I saw in Warsaw when I was very middle. I said that Papa, surely, if they are so sweet and they sing so pretty, and they love the moon, and Risca they’re not friends. They it’s nice to love them. It’s okay. And always make sure nobody hurts them. But but but they’re not friends like people. I said, Yes, they are. i There’s no way you’re going to teach me things I already know better than you do. I’m almost four and a half. We know I know everything. What makes you think you’re so smart? I know I have survived to before. So I remember that conversation with my father. And I sewed the forest. I saw the woods. I don’t know what it’s called in English. Is that a woods? Is that a forest? What is it? I don’t know. So I went in there. And I’m saying, Well, how am I going to find a horse? You can’t just say here was like the lady did with the dog. And the dog came running. But I didn’t know that they were so hungry. It’s lucky. They didn’t make a meal out of me. And so I go in there, and I’m going and I’m running. And I’m running because you see, I have nothing else to wear. And I’m in white. And White can be seen for miles. So I have to keep running. And I fold and I run and I get up and I told her I’m stretched. And I’m bleeding and I’m stretched and I don’t care and I’m and the trees and the branches are slapping me in my face and I keep wiping and I keep running and I keep running. Then I thought I heard somebody speaking. I said I heard somebody speaking. Tell me you don’t believe in miracles. You tell me you don’t believe the Holocaust had brought about 1000s upon 1000s upon 1000s of miracles. You’re looking at one. I am in the middle of a forest that is full of wolves. Nothing ever built there except some dead grass that started to wither. But I did hear a voice. So I became quiet. And instead of running like a crazy girl crawling on the ground sneaking out like I saw other animals do an inner Russia. So I’m crawling and crawling and I heard the voice again. You see ravines, water and silence of woodland, carry a voice, distances, distances. And I kept crawling towards this voice. The reason I kept crawling to the voice is because it was a woman’s voice. And then I listened even more carefully. And more carefully. I said to myself, That’s mama. It’s not a voice. That mama. I said that how can it be mama? You haven’t seen her in so many. Some came up and some went the way and then and then came new children and and more other officers. You don’t know how long it’s been? No. Once I get stubborn let me tell you. An army of Russians couldn’t stop me from saying I know I’m right. I understand. That’s mama. In that case, I better start moving faster, so she doesn’t disappear. And I heard the wolves and I’m saying well, if they’re singing, and you hear Mama’s voice, you must be right. How else would they be together? I asked my Wolf. So take care of my mama. And I keep growing and I keep crawling and I’m getting closer and the verses are getting longer. Not that they got darker. It’s just that I got closer. And then I said well, Mischka has only one thing you can do to find out is it’s really mama. Husker. Mama. T my mama Mama Yo my mama and silence to cover in somebody said very quietly don’t answer who knows who else is listening and my mom was scared gamma male ci d quiet be silent it’s my aid remained laying down on the ground. Listen, I have phenomenal phenomenal years phenomenal even today I was blessed here for survival and an ear for languages. Now we said the silent so I am silent I said to myself if she doesn’t show up soon I will speak louder. In batch everybody’s gonna come in those months that I was in the church

 

Ari: you been listening to whispers in bricks. And this is the end of Part Seven. In Sabra Marcus’s story. Until next time, listen to the whispers avoid the bricks and never ever give up on your dreams. Bye for now.

 

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