“I wish there was more that I could do to help,” I said.
Doctor Mina opened her eyes and her gaze met mine. “You’re a brave girl, Krystia. I appreciate everything you’ve been able to do for us.” She looked down at the hacksaws in her hand. “Thank you for these,” she said. “Maybe they’ll make a difference.”
“You shouldn’t wait for one of those trains to Belzec, Doctor Mina. You and Dolik and Leon must escape now,” I said.
She nodded. “You’re right, Krystia. Now the ghetto is probably the least safe place. We need to escape soon, but the timing will have to be just right.”
I was glad that Doctor Mina had finally agreed to escape, but how would she know when the timing was right? And where could they go to?
Weeks went by with nothing happening. Could Mama have misheard what those Nazis said? Maybe Belzec didn’t really exist. Maybe the ghetto was the safest place to be.
More weeks went by without raids into the ghetto.
I was lulled into a routine of doing our daily chores, sneaking food and documents in when I could, and generally trying not to get noticed by the Nazis. Weeks stretched into months. But then in late July, the police stormed the ghetto.
Mama and I stood, numb with horror, as we watched them push forward a mother holding her screaming baby, and an elderly man bent over his cane. One young father held a toddler in his arms and gripped the hand of a slightly older boy. A policeman stood behind, nudging him forward with the tip of his rifle. There had to be a hundred or more men, women and children forced into cars at the train platform.
“So this death camp in Belzec really does exist,” Mama whispered. We watched, stunned, as the train chugged slowly away. The faces of terrified Jews stared out of every window.
I did not see Doctor Mina or Dolik or Leon. I could only pray they were not among these doomed people. But from one of the windows, Mr. Segal’s eyes met mine.
I felt helpless. And angry.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A Visitor
For days after that mass round-up, extra police continued to be stationed around the ghetto. I didn’t dare go there for fear of being caught. I felt like such a traitor to my friends.
But then in the wee hours of the morning, about four days after that train had taken the hundred Jews, our front door squeaked open.
I scrambled out of bed.
Mama grabbed her pistol. “Stand behind me,” she whispered, as she quietly pushed open the bedroom door and peered out into the blackness of the kitchen.
“Kataryna, Krystia, it’s me.”
Mr. Segal’s voice!
Mama put the pistol down and we quickly got dressed, then walked out to the kitchen. In the darkness we could make out Mr. Segal at our kitchen table.
“Michael! Thank God! How did you escape?” asked Mama.
“With this.” He held up one of the tiny hacksaws. “I sawed through the window bolt and shimmied out of the train car. A few of us made it out.”
“What about the Kitais?” I asked. “Were any of them on that train?”
Mr. Segal shook his head. “As far as I know, Dolik and Leon are both still in the ghetto. So is Doctor Mina.”
“Thank goodness,” said Mama, sagging down in her chair. “But what are you going to do now?” she asked.
“Could you…” He drew a deep breath. “Could you please hide me?” he asked. “I know it puts you at risk. But I can’t go back to the ghetto. I was selected for that train. If I’m discovered there, the Nazis will kill me. But that’s not what really terrifies me. They’ll also select others, even hundreds of Jews, as punishment for my escape.”
“Collective responsibility,” said Mama. “Ivan told me of a village that was burned to the ground because of one Nazi officer being killed.”
“Why were the Nazis after you in particular?” I asked.
“Forged documents were found in my coat.”
“If you stay here,” said Mama, “they will find you.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, Kataryna. There is a way to make a hiding spot that they wouldn’t find,” said Mr. Segal. “Your house is the same layout as our old house.” He gestured to our wood stove. “Beneath the metal sheet under your stove is solid earth. A hiding spot could be dug in there. The metal sheet would fit on top.”
Mama said nothing for long moments. She closed her eyes. I think she was praying, because I could see her lips moving. One tear rolled down her left cheek. She opened her eyes and brushed away the tear. “I need to speak to Krystia in private,” she said. “This is a decision that we need to make together.”
Mr. Segal stood up. “Do you want me to leave?”
“Stay here,” said Mama. “We’ll talk in the bedroom.”
Mama put her arm gently around my shoulders and guided me back into the bedroom. She closed the door and we sat side by side on her bed. “Tell me truthfully, Krystia. What do you think we should do?”
“It’s a horrible thing to have to decide,” I said, leaning my head on her shoulder. “If we don’t do this, Mr. Segal will die… and so will many Jews who will be punished with him.”
“But if we’re caught, the Nazis will kill Mr. Segal, and might also kill us,” said Mama.
“Would they kill just us?” I asked. “What about this ‘collective responsibility’? Who else might they kill in retaliation for our actions?”
“Sometimes they’ll kill families of people who have killed a Nazi officer,” said Mama. “I don’t know if they do that for hiding Jews.”
But who was left to kill in our family? Maria had escaped; my cousins and Uncle Roman had already been killed. And Auntie Polina was Auntie Iryna’s distant cousin by marriage, so not really family at all. I only had two relatives left who were at risk.
I raised my head from Mama’s shoulder and said, “Auntie Iryna and Uncle Ivan… would they be punished if we’re caught hiding Mr. Segal?”
Mama’s eyes narrowed. “Your aunt and uncle have been risking their lives, defying the Nazis, all along.”
I realized the truth of Mama’s words. And it wasn’t just Auntie Iryna and Uncle Ivan. Borys had defied them as well. And in our own ways, Mama, Maria and I had been defying them too.
“I think we should hide Mr. Segal.” My heart was pounding at the thought of this huge decision.
Mama leaned her head against mine. “If we do this, you must live with Auntie Polina for a while.”
In my mind I saw my parents’ wedding photograph. Tato wasn’t here to protect Mama anymore, but I was, and I would never abandon her. “I’m not leaving,” I said in a voice that I hoped sounded firm. “Besides, it would raise suspicions if you were living here on your own.”
“You are a brave girl,” said Mama. “I’m proud of you.”
We sat on the bed together in silence, letting the magnitude of our decision sink in. Then Mama said, “We should tell Mr. Segal.”
“One more thing,” I said. “If we dig a hole for Mr. Segal, can we make it big enough for Dolik, Leon and Doctor Mina?”
Mama reached out and grabbed my hand. She gave it a firm squeeze. “Since they will kill us for hiding one Jew, we may as well hide four.”
We walked back to the kitchen.
“We will do this, Michael,” Mama said. “But we’d also like to hide the Kitais.”
Mr. Segal’s shoulders shook with emotion at Mama’s words. It took him a moment to find his voice. “Thank you,” he said.
“Can you give me three days to prepare the hiding place?” asked Mama. “Meanwhile, you need to disappear.”
Mr. Segal slipped out.