Page 175 - LEIBY

Chapter 22 175

arrived at a Slovakian train station. The platform hummed with
life; young robust workers who were making their way to the
nearest city, and industrious farmer women who were traveling
to the weekly farmers’ market with their produce in large straw
baskets. The train drew in with a rattling of its wheels, its lights
almost blinding Leiby, and within moments was full to capacity
with farmers and produce.

Leiby sat himself down nonchalantly behind an enormous
straw basket filled with clucking chickens. He buried his face
in the daily newspaper and motioned to Hersh to do likewise.

The train moved on agonizingly slowly, but eventually they
found themselves standing on the platform in the train station
of a nearby town. Leiby persuaded a farmer to take them to
their destination, and in no time, they arrived at the Hardoff
Hotel. The place was desolate, the rooms silent and deserted.
Various articles were strewn all about, and it was evident that
the previous group had left in a hurry.

Suddenly Leiby noticed a lone figure among the debris. “Yosef !
What are you doing here? How’s Mirushka doing? Where is
she? And why didn’t you go away with everyone else?”Leiby was
astounded to see the young boy there all alone and showered
him with questions.

“Mirushka disappeared,” Yosef replied tonelessly.

“What?”

Yosef ’s eyes were filled with abject despair. “I was sleeping…
when I got up, Mirushka was not beside me. She just vanished
as if the earth swallowed her up. I didn’t take good enough care
of her.” His entire body shook with his desperate crying.

Leiby had no words with which to comfort him, just a firm
promise. “We’ll find her, Yosef, we’ll leave no stone unturned
until we discover her hiding place, b’ezras Hashem.”