Page 161 - LEIBY

Chapter 20 161

“You’ll receive some advance payment, so that you’ll be able to
cover the costs of your journey,” the priest said. “The rest of the
money, you’ll get when you hand the child over to her mother.”

6 With a flourish, the priest handed the pile of notes over to
Yozek, who stuffed them into his sock and left the house.

The silence in the farm seemed strange to Leiby. When he
had last been here, the place had been bustling, every inch of
space taken up by packages and suitcases, and a cacophony of
Yiddish, liberally interspersed with Polish and Russian words,
had constantly buzzed in his ears. Night and day, the kitchen
had been enveloped in steam rising from the huge pots and
the flames on the stove burned all the time. Now, the farm
was totally empty. The floor was littered with empty food cans
and broken dishes, and the kitchen was cold and dismal. Leiby
hummed a lively Russian march to himself and began to tidy
the main entrance to the farmhouse. He worked quickly; a new
group of refugees was due to arrive at any moment and he had
to make the place ready for them.

A sudden insistent, loud pounding on the door startled Leiby,
and he dropped his broom and hurried to open up. On the
threshold stood an elderly man dressed in Chassidic garb, with
a hat pulled down low over his eyes. Leiby looked at him in
surprise.

“I’m looking for my daughter…” the man stammered. “I was
told that she was here but that she left a few days ago for
Czechoslovakia.” He spoke a perfect Yiddish and seemed tense
and panicky.

Leiby tried to help to the best of his ability. “Another group is
due to arrive here shortly, you can join them when they cross
the border and then you can meet up with your daughter in