Page 131 - LEIBY

Chapter 16 131

restless and uneasy; his pale eyes darted around nervously, and
in the end, he buried his face in a newspaper that he had found
thrown on the floor, effectively building a barrier between him
and the other passengers.

The train left the station with another loud hooting, and slowly
picked up speed. In the quiet suburbs that they passed, there
was barely a hint of the war that they had endured. Unlike in
the cities, here entire streets had remained intact. It was hard
to believe that in the last few years the world had been turned
upside down and totally shaken up, and things would never
return to be what they once were.

As the journey went on, the number of passengers on the
train decreased. Suddenly, the train came to an abrupt halt.
The carriages rattled and shook, and the lights went out. The
carriages were plunged into absolute darkness.

A group of armed Poles approached the train and began
pounding on the door.

“Open up! Open up immediately!” they roared menacingly.

The carriage doors were opened and three young Poles barged
in.

“Are there any Jews here?” they howled. “All the Jews – get out!”

Leiby sat petrified as if glued to his seat. The intruders lit up
the carriage with a powerful flashlight, and scrutinized the
passengers, who for the most part were paralyzed with fear.
Alexander fidgeted anxiously with the eagle-shaped pendant
that he wore around his neck. One of the Poles shone his torch
right into his face and let out a triumphant shout. “Here! He’s
a Jew!” He grabbed hold of Alexander and together with his
friends, dragged him out of the carriage. There were more
gangsters outside, and Leiby watched tremulously as they led
him to a small field not far away. Noting their military gait,
he realized that they were probably members of the Polish
underground movement. Collecting his wits, Leiby jumped off
the train and hurried after them.