Page 126 - LEIBY

126 Leiby – Border Smuggler

transformed from a hotbed of violent hooligans, to an empty,
tranquil boulevard.

“Where are they, the fascists?” One of the soldiers called.

“They ran away so fast, it was impossible to catch them…”

The soldiers guffawed and slapped each other on the backs.Leiby
distributed cigarettes and they climbed back onto the trucks,
highly satisfied with the deal. Two trucks began patrolling the
area, while the third made its way to the police station.

After a short time, two policemen appeared and accompanied
Leiby into the building. They looked around and asked a few
questions, but Leiby just looked at them with disdain and
did not deign to reply. The cowards, who had not bothered
themselves to arrive on time, and just left the residents to their
fate, were not worth his attention.

The committee building, which always hummed with noise
and activity, was now silent, as the people there huddled in the
corners, still traumatized. Some of them tried to fall asleep, in
the hope that tomorrow they’d be able to leave the building
which had almost become a death trap for them, but where
could they go? No one had an answer.

A different question troubled Leiby. Where was Alexander?
He was nowhere to be found in the building. Was he alright?
Had the thugs injured him? Leiby wanted to go and search for
him, but his fatigue overcame him and he lay down for a few
minutes on a pile of old clothes that stood in the corner of one
of the rooms. To his chagrin, the few minutes turned into a
whole night…