Sarah and Solomon

by Roberta Kagan

  Finally, they arrived at the familiar place where Solomon and Wiktor always met. “We have to wait here until it’s totally dark outside,” Solomon told Sarah.

  “Do you think he’ll come here?”

  “I don’t know. He expected me days ago, and I never came.”

  “He might not come. If he doesn’t, what are we going to do?”

  “I don’t know. I will have plenty of time to worry about that if it happens,” Solomon said, and then he ripped off a piece from the loaf of bread and handed it to Sarah. “Eat this.” Then ripping a smaller piece for himself, he sat down and waited. The trees shifted in the gentle but chilly autumn breeze. Sarah shivered from the cold as Solomon broke the silence of the night with the call of the night bird.

  There was no answer. In desperation he tried again, this time louder. Then he waited for several seconds. When he heard the coo-coo echo through the darkness, his stomach lurched with fear but also with relief.

  “Wiktor?” he said.

  “No, it’s me Majec. Is that you, Sol?”

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  Majec stepped out of the shadows. Then another bird call came from somewhere in the area. Majec answered it with a call of his own. A man Solomon recognized from the ghetto appeared. He was a small, slender fellow, short enough and thin enough to be able to get through the crack in the ghetto wall. Solomon assumed that since there were no more children in the ghetto, this man had taken over the business of buying goods from the Polish for the black market.

  “Is that you, Heimy Blumenthal?” Solomon asked.

  “Solomon Lipman? Zelda’s boy?”

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  “It’s good to see you,” Heimy said. “The children are all gone from the ghetto.”

  “I know. My sister and I ran away the night before that Judenrat, Rumkowski, sent the children on the transport.”

  Heimy just nodded and shuffled his feet.

  “Do you happen to know how my mother is doing?” Solomon asked.

  Heimy hesitated. “Yes. I know.”

  “Well, Nu? Tell me?” Solomon was anxious, but he needed to know.

  “Oy, Sol. She was sent away on the transfer with the children. Except for the real old folks, she was the only adult on the transport. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this.”

  “Are you sure?” Solomon asked, his heart in his throat.

  “I’m sure. I saw it with my own eyes. I couldn’t help her. No one could.”

  Until now, Sarah had been silent. But when she heard the news about her mother, she let out a small cry of pain. Solomon turned to look at her. His heart ached for his mother, and for himself, but most of all for little Sarah who looked so small and helpless holding the dirty rag doll as she sat on the pavement in the darkness.

  “Does anyone know where they sent the transport?”

  “No, no one knows. People speculate, but no one really knows,” Solomon answered, but he had to turn away. Even in the darkness he couldn’t hide the tears that had begun to form in his eyes. Mama? he thought. My mother is gone. They’ve taken her away. They might even have killed her. The idea was so painful that he pushed it out of his mind.

  “I’m sorry, Sol,” Majec said. “I really am.” He patted Solomon’s shoulder. Solomon just nodded. Then Majec turned to the other man and took out a potato sack with a few items inside. “Here are the things you wanted me to get for you. Do you have the money?”

  Heimy nodded and took a bunch of coins out of his pocket. He placed them in Majec’s hand. Then he turned to Solomon. “If I hear anything else about your mother or the transport she was on, I’ll let Majec know.” He nodded at Majec who responded with a nod.

  “Go in peace and good luck to you,” Majec said.

  Solomon nodded again, but his shoulders were slumped. At nine years old he felt like an old man. There were things he wanted to say, but his throat was closed, and he found that he was unable to speak.

  Heimy took the sack that Majec had given him and ran off toward the ghetto wall.

  Majec turned to Solomon. “Bring your sister and follow me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To my home, of course. I’ll explain everything to you there.”

  Solomon was still unsure if he was making the right choice, but he motioned for Sarah to come, and together, hand in hand, they followed Majec through the shadows to an apartment building on the poor side of town.

  Once they were inside, Solomon saw two young boys playing on the floor, and although the place was small and sparsely furnished, there was a warm glow.

  “Irena, I’ve brought some company home with me,” Majec called out.

  A pretty, slender blonde woman came out of the kitchen. She wore a simple yellow cotton housedress. Her hair was finger waved around her face. Majec leaned down to kiss her quickly.

  “I was just straightening things up. Your dinner is on the stove,” she said. Then she looked at Sarah and Solomon. “What have we here? Two children?” Her eyes opened wide as she looked at her husband.

  “Yes, two Jewish children.”

  Irena frowned and shook her head. “Oh, Majec, it’s not safe for us to have them here. Think of our own children. If we are caught . . .”

  “They’ll be gone in the morning. I am going to help them.”

  “I don’t know. I am afraid.”

  “Look at them, Irena. Look at their faces. They are only children. The Nazis have it in for them. If we throw them out, will you be able to live with yourself if we find out that they are murdered?”

  “How can you ask me that?”

  “I ask you that because I know your heart. What if our boys were wandering around alone without us to protect them? Can you imagine something so terrible? These children are hungry. So although we don’t have much, let’s do what is right. We’ll give them something to eat. The poor things have been out sleeping on the street for a week at least.”

  Irena’s face softened. “I’m sorry. I agree with you; we should help them. But I am scared.”

  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I do.”

  “Then don’t you worry about anything.”

  “I am constantly worried,” she said, “with you being in the Resistance . . .”

  “Shhh . . . enough. I’m starving, and let's scrounge up some food for these two.”

  Irena obediently went into the kitchen. There was some noise, then she called all of them. “Come on into the kitchen. I have some food ready for you,” she said.

  It had been a long time since Solomon and his sister had eaten anything that was hot. So when Irena placed the bowls of soup in front of them, they ate quickly and sloppily. Irena and her husband watched them eat with pity in their eyes. But once they’d finished, Solomon saw Irena look at Sarah’s torn stockings and the dried blood on her thighs.

  “What happened to this little girl?” she asked Solomon accusingly.

  “We were hiding from the Nazis. I had to leave her under a stairwell so I could go out and find us some food. While I was gone a man came and . . .”

  Sarah looked away.

  “Is this true?” Irena asked her.

  “Yes, ma'am,” she managed to say.

  “Well then, let’s go and get you cleaned up.” Irena tried to sound cheerful, but her voice was filled with sympathy.

  Once Sarah and Irena left the room, Majec pounded his fist on the table. “I am sick to death of the Nazis and what they have done to our beloved Poland.”

  “Yes, so am I,” Solomon said.

  “Wiktor told you that he wanted you to go to work on a farm that is out in the country. Is that right?”

  “That’s what he said.”

  “It’s only partially true. He and I have discussed this. We want you to join us in the Resistance. You’re a savvy, smart boy. You are quick and agile, but you are also mature for your age. We could use your help.”

  “The Polish Resistance?”

&
nbsp; “Yes, of course.”

  “And you want me to do this while I am working on a farm?” Solomon asked.

  “Exactly. You and Sarah would work on the farm. Both you and your sister would receive food and a place to sleep. In return, you would help the Resistance by delivering messages between groups of partisans who are hiding in the forests. If the Nazis come to the farm, we will make sure that you have papers that claim you are a gentile. But if you can, you should try to hide when they come. Better if they don’t see you at all. Take your sister and run into the forest. Watch from there. Wait until they’ve gone before you return.”

  Solomon listened closely. He was feeling better about this meeting. He was starting to trust Majec and Wiktor. Not because he believed that they were necessarily helping him and Sarah as an act of pure kindness but because he could see how keeping him alive might be of help to the Resistance.

  “Are you interested?” Majec asked.

  “Yes, of course I am.”

  “Then I’ll go to Wiktor’s flat tonight and tell him to have our forger make your papers. You can sleep here in my children’s room tonight. If all goes well, we can leave in the morning.”

  “I don’t know if this matters at all, but I’ve already given my sister a false name to use, and she has started to get used to it. Since she is only five, I think it would be very difficult for her to get used to changing our names again. So I don’t know if it is possible, but if it is, then perhaps we can use the names we have been using. I have been going by Artur and she by Maria. Our alias surname is Zajec.”

  “I’ll see what can be done,” Majec said. “I can’t promise anything."

  “Thank you,” Solomon said.

  Chapter 12

  Majec woke Solomon in the middle of the night to give him the papers.

  “I was able to use the names you gave me. So, from today on, you are Artur Zajec, and Sarah will be Maria Zajec. Never, under any circumstances, are you to use your real names. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you must be sure to stress the importance of this to little Sarah. Because one mistake, just one mistake, could cost all of us our lives. Do you understand?”

  Again Solomon answered, “Yes.”

  “Good, now wake your sister so that we can get out of here and on the road.”

  They left before sunrise, heading right out of the city. Irena packed them each a small bag of food to take with them. Sarah whispered into Solomon’s ear. “I wish we could have stayed there. The lady was nice. She reminded me of our mother.”

  Solomon was exasperated with Sarah. He knew she was just a child, but it was hard for him to make her understand anything. She held her doll close to her chest. He remained quiet, but he patted her hand.

  Sarah fell asleep with her head on Solomon’s shoulder as they rode for over an hour through wooded areas. Then just as the sun began to rise they came to a clearing where they saw several farms lined up. Majec drove another twenty minutes until they found themselves in front of a well-maintained farmhouse with two horses and three cows grazing in an open field and crops growing in neat rows.

  “This is it,” Majec said.

  “Does the farmer know we are Jews?” Solomon asked.

  “No, he knows only that you are a part of the Polish Resistance. Make sure to use the names on your papers. You don’t want to draw any suspicions. Trust no one, Solomon. Tell no one the truth. Keep wearing that cross you have around your neck. Remember that you and Sarah are Catholic children who were living in a Catholic orphanage because your parents died. Don’t forget that, and make sure you never drop your guard. No one can be trusted to be a friend to Jews these days.”

  “Is there anything else I should know?”

  “Probably, but I don’t have time to go over things with you. Just keep to yourself. Be quiet. Keep your sister quiet. The less you say the better. You’ll get more instructions from the partisans as time goes by. They will find you and tell you what they want you to do.”

  “Will I see you or Wiktor again?”

  “Perhaps. Who knows? We are in the city most of the time, but things could change. For now, may God be with you and just be careful.”

  “Thank you, Majec.”

  “Good luck, Solomon.”

  Before they went inside to meet the farmer, Solomon held Sarah’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. “Do you remember your name?”

  “Sarah . . . oh no . . . Maria, right?”

  “Yes, but you must never use the name Sarah again.”

  “All right. Maria Zajec. And your name is Artur.”

  “Yes. That’s good. You remembered.” He mustered a smile. “Now you must never forget this. You must never use your real name again. If you do, something terrible might happen.”

  “I’m scared, Solomon.”

  “Call me Artur.” He tried to keep his voice calm and have patience.

  She started crying. “I don’t want to play this game anymore. I want to go back to Mama.”

  “Maria!” he said. “You must do what I tell you.”

  Sarah nodded, but she put her thumb in her mouth.

  Chapter 13

  The farmer was a middle-aged robust man with a sun-wrinkled red face. There wasn’t much of an introduction. But from the conversation between Majec and the farmer, Solomon learned the farmer’s name was Hubert Borkowski. His wife was Aldona, and they had a teenage daughter named Jula, who stood in the doorway of the room staring at him and Sarah.

  “All right.” Majec finally turned to Solomon. “He accepts the two of you to work here for him. Every morning you and a group of other children will go out before sunrise and dig shallow pits where you will bury potatoes. You must never tell anyone what you are doing. Ever! Is that understood?”

  “Yes.”

  “In the afternoon, the horses must be groomed and fed. You’ll have to shovel the path clean of manure. Things like that. You understand? Yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “I know you are a smart boy. I have seen you work your magic negotiating with the underground. Keep to yourself. Remember, like I said before, don’t talk too much. I don’t know when it will happen, but you will be asked to deliver messages between partisan groups. Do as you're told. And with God’s help, you should be all right. By the way, my wife likes your sister. Would you two consider separating? My sister recently died, God rest her soul. She had a daughter who also passed away from typhoid. None of my neighbors know anything about this. I could easily say that my sister passed and Sarah was her daughter. I could tell them that the child lived and that Sarah was the child she left behind.”

  “Separating?” Solomon said. “I don’t know. I made a promise to my mother that I would take care of Sarah.”

  “She would be safer with us. She’s a little girl, Sol. It’s a dangerous world out there for anyone, but it’s worse for a little girl.”

  Solomon thought about what happened to Sarah when he’d left her alone. What the stranger had almost done to her. “Let me think about it. I can’t agree to this without giving it lots of thought.”

  “Of course.”

  “I can’t always come out here to the country. But I’ll try to drop in on you. In the past when I came out here, the farmer gave me some extra potatoes. I sold them on the black market. If all goes well, I’ll see you again. You can tell me your decision about separating from Sarah then.”

  Solomon nodded. “Thank you for helping us.”

  “You’re helping us too. We have a fancy name. People call us the underground, but we are really just Polish men and women who hate the Nazis. We hate what they have done to our beloved country and we want them out. We want Poland back the way it was before they invaded us.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  “Come on, let me show you where the workers sleep. It’s in the barn, but it’s clean and comfortable. I know it will still be cold in the winter, but it will be better than being outside, and the farmer will make s
ure you have plenty of blankets. He’s a good person, but it’s still best that he doesn’t know you’re Jews. It’s hard to tell how people will respond if they find out that you are Jews.”

  Chapter 14

  There were five boys, including Solomon, who lived in the barn behind the farmer's home. They ranged in age from nine to sixteen, Solomon being the youngest. The two oldest were brothers; their names were Peter and John, and they had run away from an orphanage. They were working their way back to their hometown somewhere near Krakow. Vadik, a painfully skinny fourteen-year-old with blond hair and a huge nose, had lost his parents when his father was arrested for being part of the Resistance. In order to keep him safe, his mother had traded his labor for room and board with the farmer. Kade, a twelve-year-old had left home to find work when his widowed mother died, leaving him to fend for himself. Little Sarah was the only girl. And even though she was just five years old, Solomon watched her like a hawk at least at first. Until he got to know the other boys, he wasn’t sure if they might be a danger to Sarah. Once he got to know them, he allowed himself to relax if only a little.

  The barn was drafty, and the work that was expected of the children was physically demanding. But as Majec promised, they were fed enough to get by and given plenty of blankets to keep warm. If the farmer or his wife came across any used clothing at the church, they brought it home for the children. During the day, the children were doing regular chores, but at night they were aiding the farmer and his wife in the act of stealing food from the farm which would technically have belonged to the Germans. If they were caught, the farmer, his family, and all of the children would face certain death.

  In one corner of the barn was an old horse and an equally old cow in the other. Piles of hay filled the area where the children slept. At night, after a long day of work, Sarah curled her small body into her brother’s and fell asleep. He often watched her and wondered if she would not be better off if he sent her away to live with Majec and his family. After all, Majec’s wife, Irena, liked Sarah. And to prove it, over the past two months since Sarah and Solomon had arrived at the farm, Irena had sent a dress she’d made for Sarah with a matching dress for Sarah’s doll. Sarah told Solomon that she would like to see Irena again, but whenever he asked her if she wanted to stay and live with Irena and Majec for a while, Sarah’s answer never wavered: “Only if you are coming too,” she said.