Sarah and Solomon

by Roberta Kagan

  Chapter 28

  When Solomon opened his eyes, it was early morning. Sarah was not beside him. He jumped to his feet, his heart pounding. “Sarah, Sarah!” he called out. He was so distressed he forgot the danger of making noise in the forest. There were enemies lurking everywhere. He spun around searching frantically in every direction not knowing what to do. Was she taken by a wild animal in the night? He felt the bile rise into his throat. Sarah, my baby sister, she could be dead, killed by a wild animal. Or who knows what? She would be too afraid to leave my side when it was dark. Even if she had to pee, she would have woken me up. He didn’t realize it, but he was tearing at the hair over his temples.

  Then he saw her walking hand in hand with a man in his midtwenties. The man was a stranger. He was tall, very tall. Solomon assumed he was over six feet. His light brown hair was wavy, and although he looked weathered, he was handsome in a rugged way. But the most shocking and unnerving part of it all was that he wore the uniform of a German soldier. Solomon pretended to be asleep as he watched his sister talking animatedly with the soldier. I have no doubt that he plans to turn us in and get the reward money, Solomon thought. As quietly as he could, Solomon reached under the blanket and found his gun. The metal felt cold in his hand as his fingers wrapped around the trigger.

  “Solomon, are you awake? I want you to meet our new friend. His name is Gunther.”

  Solomon felt his arm twitch. I must be quick, very quick. He’s a soldier, so I’m sure he has a gun too. Even worse, he’s been trained to use it and use it well. He’ll be faster and a far better shot than I. I have to wait until he gets real close, so I can be sure that I’ll hit him with the first shot. It’s so hard to have patience. I’m so afraid that I’ll miss, and Sarah is right next to him. Solomon swallowed hard. His chest hurt, and it was hard to breathe. His throat was dry and scratchy.

  They were approaching quickly, his sister and the Nazi she called Gunther. “Solomon, it’s late. You never sleep this late. I want you to meet someone.”

  Solomon sat up quickly with the gun in his trembling hand pointing directly at Gunther. Gunther put one hand in the air. But he still held Sarah’s hand with the other one. “Be careful with that thing,” he said.

  “I know how to use it. I’ve used it before. Let go of my sister.”

  Gunther took his hand away from Sarah’s and raised it in the air.

  “Come over here, now, Sarah.”

  “He’s nice, Solomon. Don’t shoot him,” Sarah said.

  “I said get over here.”

  “Go on and do what he says,” Gunther told Sarah. Then in a calm voice he said to Solomon, “Please put the gun down. No one needs to get hurt here. I am not the enemy.”

  “Your uniform tells me you are my enemy,” Solomon said.

  “I was a German soldier. I am now a deserter. I know you’re Jews. Your sister told me.”

  Solomon glared at Sarah.

  But Gunther continued to speak. “Please listen to me,” he said. “I recently found out how the Nazis are treating the Jews. That’s a big part of the reason I am deserting.”

  “You’re worried about Jews? You expect me to believe that?”

  “You can believe what you want. It’s one of the reasons I no longer chose to fight for the German army. The biggest reason is that Hitler is insane. He has gone mad with his need for power. He’ll destroy Germany and every German if he has the chance.”

  Solomon studied Gunther. He certainly seemed sincere, but this could be a trick.

  “What do you mean destroy Germany?”

  “He doesn’t care about the German people. He only cares about power. He sent German soldiers to Russia without adequate clothing to weather the bitter cold of the Russian winter. I was among them. We lacked adequate food and weapons. In short, Hitler sent his own men to die, and for what? For his lust for power? I am no follower of this man.”

  “And you don’t hate Jews?”

  “Why would I? I grew up with Jewish friends. I had a Jewish dentist, for heaven's sake. I don’t hate Jews. I don’t hate anyone. Except maybe Hitler.”

  Something in the man’s voice made Solomon believe he was sincere. “Sit down,” Solomon said.

  Gunther sat.

  “We are hungry. I want to know if you think you can help me steal food for all of us?” Solomon asked, his eyes fixed on Gunther’s face. He was searching for any indication that Gunther could not be trusted. But what he saw was a man with clear eyes who was not afraid to look directly at him.

  “I’ll help you, but I think it’s best if we wait until nightfall. Someone must stay with Sarah; I think it should be you. Once the sun sets, I’ll go and see what kind of food I can find. Sarah here is too small to be left alone in the woods.” Gunther smiled at Sarah. She returned his smile.

  “You are going to go alone to look for food? How do I know you aren’t going to go and turn us in for reward money?”

  “You don’t. You’re going to have to trust me,” Gunther said. Then he continued, “You know, I have a niece Sarah’s age. She’s my older brother’s daughter. Sarah reminds me of her.”

  “It’s hard to put my trust in a stranger. I can’t help but think you would want the reward for turning in a couple of Jews.”

  “Actually, I didn’t know there was a reward, but it doesn’t surprise me. Not with what I have seen Germany doing. However, you needn’t worry. I’m quite certain that there is a pretty substantial reward for turning in deserters, so I would not take the risk.”

  Solomon studied Gunther, who was calm and confident. A strange sense of relief spread over Solomon. Although he was afraid to trust this man, for some unexplainable reason, he did. And it felt good to have an adult take control of things, at least for a while.

  “All right,” Solomon said. “I suppose I will have to trust you.”

  “I suppose you will.”

  Chapter 29

  That night, Gunther left Solomon and Sarah hidden deep within the heart of the forest while he ventured out to find food. As Solomon watched the back of Gunther’s frame disappear into the shadows, a moment of doubt and fear set in, and he considered taking Sarah and running away before Gunther returned. But he was cold and tired, and even more importantly, he was hopeful. He longed to believe that Gunther would keep his promise. Sarah lay down beside her brother and fell asleep, but Solomon couldn’t sleep. In his mind, he continually replayed the conversation he’d had with Gunther. I am trying so hard to trust him. I have to believe that he is telling the truth about there being a reward on his head just like there is one on ours. I must believe he will keep his promise. Several times he glanced over at Sarah and considered waking her up and escaping deeper into the forest. But he didn’t.

  Gunther returned just as the sun began to rise. He wore different clothes. He’d abandoned his uniform for the simple civilian clothes of a farmer. In his hands he carried a basket brimming with potatoes and carrots and a pile of heavy blankets.

  “How did you get all of that stuff?” Sarah asked as she nibbled on a carrot.

  “Let’s just say I did what I had to do.” Gunther smiled at Sarah and pinched her cheek affectionately.

  Solomon’s eyes caught Gunther’s. Gunther smiled an easy smile. He seemed so genuine, but the time Solomon spent on the street buying and trading for the black market had taught him to be cautious of everyone. The older boys always said that a sweet smile could hide an evil heart. And Solomon had learned it was true. In the early days, there were times that he’d trusted someone only to have them run off with his money or goods. Now he stood looking at a man who he knew for certain had been one of them, a Nazi, and he wondered how this man had gotten his hands on the food and blankets. Had he killed a family, or threatened them, in order to steal these things? I won’t ask any questions, but I’ll keep my guard up. Right now, Sarah and I need food and warmth, and he has brought us both. So for now, I will keep my mouth shut. We’ll eat his food, and I’ll cover myself and my sister wit
h his blankets. And because of his generosity, for whatever reason he may have, Sarah and I will live another day.

  Solomon watched Gunther carefully. He scrutinized the German’s every move. But, so far, he could not find any fault with him. Gunther was a man of his word. Gunther had promised he was not planning to turn them in, and up until now the Gestapo had not appeared. Could it really be possible that a man who fought for Hitler turned out to be a good man?

  “I hate eating raw potatoes,” Sarah said as she sat beside Gunther. “They taste terrible.”

  “I know, but it’s the best we can do at least for right now.”

  “We could make a fire and boil them. Solomon and I made a fire yesterday after Solomon caught a fish in a pond that is right near here.”

  “I know you started a fire,” Gunther said. There was a warning tone to his voice. “Fire sends smoke up into the sky. You see, that’s how I found you. Lucky for you it was me and not some Jew-hunting Nazis. I don’t think we should start another fire.”

  “I have to agree with him, Sarah,” Solomon said.

  Sarah shook her head and puckered her lower lip. “I still hate the taste.”

  “Then we’ll make a game of it; what do you say?” Gunther offered.

  “What kind of a game?” Sarah perked up.

  “Well, let’s see.” He smiled. “How about we play hide-and-seek.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Well, it means that we close our eyes, and you go and hide, then your brother and I come looking for you. If we find you, you must take a bite of the potato. If we don’t, we must take a bite. But you mustn’t go too far away.”

  “Hmmmm . . . it could be fun.”

  “It will be! But remember, now, don’t go too far away. Do you understand?”

  “I understand.”

  “All right. I am going to close my eyes, and you are going to go and hide. I will count to ten slowly. By the time I finish, you should be hidden.” Gunther smiled at her and winked.

  Sarah giggled.

  “I think I’ll sit this one out,” Solomon said. He kept his eyes open, watching his sister to be sure he knew where she was at all times.

  “All right,” Gunther said. Then he closed his eyes and began to count.

  Solomon took a bite of a potato. He was glad for the nourishment even if the taste left a lot to be desired.

  “. . . four . . . five . . . six . . . seven . . . eight,” Gunther counted aloud.

  Sarah giggled.

  Solomon watched his sister playing with Gunther.

  It was getting colder every day. A light snow had begun to dust the ground. And even though the idea of winter struck fear into Solomon’s heart, it also brought back memories of his family before the ghetto. How he’d delighted in the lighting of the Hanukkah candles for eight wonderful, magical days. And each evening, playing dreidel with his cousins while waiting to eat delicious latkes, which were a mixture of shredded potatoes and chopped onions fried to a golden brown in freshly rendered chicken fat, which the Jewish people called schmaltz. This was a very special treat that his mother made for the entire family during Hanukkah.

  Sometimes, when they were able to get apples, his mother made apple sauce, thick and chunky, to spread on the potato pancakes. His heart ached with longing. Oh, how he missed that life. He missed it so badly he could weep. Had he known then how good his life was, or did he just take for granted that it would always be wonderful? It was hard for him to recall. He couldn’t remember how he’d felt or what he thought. All he could remember was the food and the warmth and the love . . . and his mother. His poor mother. A tear fell from his eye, and he turned away just in case Sarah or Gunther might see him. But they weren’t paying attention. They were busy playing. Sarah was laughing and then Gunther was laughing too.

  Just then a man stepped out from behind the trees. “What’s going on here? Who is this man?” It was Luke from the partisans' camp. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you two,” he said to Solomon. “We had to move camp. Do you know what happened at Borkowski’s farm?”

  “Yes, we saw it. Sarah and I. Sarah saw the Nazis coming, and we ran into the forest to hide. They killed everyone.”

  “Yes, we know. We heard.”

  “Is everyone at the partisan camp all right? Did you get away in time?” Solomon asked. “Did they find your camp too?”

  “They didn’t find our camp, but the whole thing was very unexpected. No one had any idea they were coming. We were lucky. We moved the camp as soon as we heard what happened.”

  Solomon breathed a secret sigh of relief. Ewa is all right. “It was terrible Sarah and I saw them kill everyone, even the other children who were working on the farm,” Solomon said.

  “They killed my friend too,” Sarah said as she came closer. “Jula, the farmer’s daughter.”

  “Who are you?” Luke asked, turning to Gunther. He was holding his gun pointed directly at Gunther.

  “I’m a deserter from the German army.”

  “A Nazi?”

  “No, not a Nazi. I am a man who sees the Nazis for what they are: a group of fiends bent on destroying our beloved fatherland.”

  “Hmmm.” Luke studied him.

  “He knows we’re Jewish, and he likes us anyway,” Sarah offered, smiling.

  Luke didn’t look away from Gunther. He didn’t acknowledge Sarah or say anything for several minutes. Then he said, “How do I know I can trust you?”

  “Because if I were a Nazi, I would have already turned these children in to the Gestapo. Apparently, there is a reward for turning Jews in. Obviously, I haven’t done that. That should tell you something about me.”

  Luke nodded. “All right, go then. Go on your way.”

  Gunther nodded and turned to leave, but Solomon said, “Wait.” Then he turned to Luke. “This fellow is a trained soldier. He knows how to use a gun. He might be of help to us. Perhaps we should bring him back to meet Cereck.”

  “Do you want to join us?” Luke asked Gunther.

  “Yes, I want to join any group that is working against Hitler.”

  Luke turned to Solomon and shrugged. “All right, let’s bring him back to speak to Cereck and see what he says.”

  They all followed Luke in silence, walking for at least twenty minutes until several people Solomon recognized from the partisan came out from behind the trees. They nodded to Luke.

  Solomon watched as Luke motioned with his head for Gunther to follow him.

  “Where are you going with this man?” one of the partisans asked.

  “We are going to see Cereck,” Luke said. But before they could walk away, Ewa came running up. She put her arms around Sarah and lifted her high in the air. She was laughing and crying at the same time. Then she put Sarah down and embraced Solomon. Turning to Luke, she said, “Thank God they are all right. Where did you find them?”

  “In the forest, wandering.”

  “I was afraid you two had been killed during that terrible raid on the Borkowski farm.”

  “We’re all right,” Solomon offered.

  “I was afraid too, but they are fine. They escaped in time. Thank God,” Luke said.

  Then Ewa noticed Gunther. Solomon saw a strange look pass between them, and he didn’t know why, but he felt a stab of jealousy run through him. “Who’s this?” Ewa asked.

  “He’s a deserter. He’s been helping the children,” Luke said.

  “A Nazi deserter?” Ewa asked.

  “Yes,” Gunther said. “A man who stands against the Nazis as strongly as you do.”

  “I highly doubt that. We’re Jews,” Ewa said.

  “Come on, we have to go and speak with Cereck. You can’t stay here with us until Cereck approves of you,” Luke said. “So follow me. I’ll take you to meet him now.”

  Ewa took Solomon's and Sarah’s hands and led them back to the camp.

  Solomon smiled up at her. “I was worried about you,” he managed to say shyly.

  She squeeze
d his hand. “I was very worried about the two of you,” she said. “When I heard that the massacre happened at the farm where the two of you were staying, I was sick with worry.”

  Is it possible she cares about me like a girlfriend? Could it be possible? Solomon’s heart skipped a beat. He managed to smile at her shyly.

  “You and Sarah will stay with us from now on. I don’t care what Cereck says. I am not going to let you go off on your own.”

  “He doesn’t want us to stay with you?” Sarah asked.

  “It’s not that, sweetie,” Ewa said. “It’s just that he is afraid because you two are children that having you stay here with us might put all of us in danger.”

  “How could we do that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps by being too slow to keep up when we are forced to hide. It doesn’t matter, anyway,” she said as she took Sarah’s hand. “I am going to talk to him. He’ll listen to me. And you and Solomon will stay with us. Would you like that?”

  “Yes, very much,” Sarah said. “You know Jula? She was Borkowski’s daughter. She was my friend and the Nazis killed her. I saw it happen. I saw a lot of blood. I was scared, Ewa.”

  “I know.” Ewa bent down to hug Sarah. “I am sorry you had to see such a terrible thing happen to your friend.”

  “I don’t want to die. I didn’t know what it meant to die before but now I do.” Sarah was hugging Ewa tightly. “Please, please don’t let that happen to Solomon or me. It was horrible, and I think it hurt a lot.”

  “Shhh, it's all right. I will protect you as best as I can.”

  “But what if they get us? What if the Nazis get us?” Sarah was shaking.

  “You will be all right. You’ll be here with me and with the rest of the group. I’ll keep you safe. Do you trust me?”

  “Yes,” Sarah moaned.

  “Good, I am glad to hear it. Now don’t you worry about anything except learning. We’ll start your studies tomorrow.”

  “All right,” Sarah said.

  They began walking again. A few minutes later, Ewa turned to Solomon and asked, “Solomon, how do you feel about all of this? Would you like to stay with us?”