Page 147 - LEIBY

Chapter 18 147

“Here’s a group of real Greeks, with Red Cross certificates…”
the guard pointed at Leiby’s group. “You’re just trying to cross
the border under false pretenses. Get away from here or we’ll
arrest you.”

The Greek didn’t understand a word, but the guard’s violent
hand motions and the sight of the rifle that he pointed at his
head were clear enough and he bolted.

“Dovidos,Pesachos,let’s continue,”Leiby called light-heartedly.

He shook the guards’ hands amicably and gave them a few
bottles of vodka as a parting gift.

The guards looked at the bulging sack of watches that their
colleague had taken from the refugees and nodded in approval.
They lifted the barrier and allowed the procession to pass
through. Slowly, the weary refugees inched their way forward
toward the Slovakian side of the border.

Only a few meters divided the Slovakian side from the Polish
one.The same sun shone above both sides, and the winding path
was the same path on both sides, too, but the jubilant survivors
felt as if they had entered another world. They had left behind
the land whose earth was soaked with their brothers’ blood and
could already taste freedom.

At the end of the path, Leiby stopped and bid farewell to the
rest of the group, who continued onwards. “We’ll meet again in
Eretz Yisrael, in Tel Aviv,” they wished him warmly.

“L’shana haba b’Yerushalayim – next year in Jerusalem,” Leiby
replied. He shook hands with Dovid and Pesach.

“You did good, Leiby,” they patted him on the shoulder.

They gave him a note to deliver to Alexander, waved goodbye,
and joined the group in the green pine forest that lay just ahead.

Leiby turned and went back the way he had come. Alone, he
had no problem getting past the border watchpoint. He crawled
cautiously through expansive corn fields, and wended his way