Page 177 - LEIBY

Chapter 23 177

back of the cart and traveled along with them, just as the boys
on the farm had done.

A pleasant wind tousled her hair. The darkness didn’t frighten
her anymore – the Jews and their behavior were far more
frightening to her. Suddenly, the cart drew to a stop behind the
local tavern, and Mirushka almost fell off. At the last second, she
jumped down and hid behind the overgrown, thorny shrubbery
at the side of the road. She watched how the two Jewish boys
threw her benefactor onto the grass and disappeared.

For a moment she stood there, frozen in fear, but then shook
herself firmly and ran ahead, scanning the roofs of the nearby
buildings. After wandering about for a few minutes, she spied
what she had been looking for. Eagerly, she ran forward, crossed
a busy street, and found herself standing in front of large,
imposing building, surrounded by a neat garden. She glanced
up at the roof, noting the steeple, topped with a massive cross.
She smiled to herself in satisfaction and looked around for the
entrance. She noticed a man dressed in a dark monk’s cloak
walking in her direction. He opened the arched iron gate and
went inside. Miriam hurried after him.

“Father, Father,” she called in fluent Polish.

The monk whirled around in surprise and stared at the child.
“Child, where’s your mother?” he asked in Slovakian. When he
received no reply, he switched to broken Polish.

“The Jews kidnapped me from Mama.”Mirushka was frightened
but managed to explain herself. “A man came to save me, but
the Jews hit him. He’s lying on the grass over there, behind the
inn, and he’s bleeding a lot.”

The priest looked at her, deliberating whether to believe her or
not. Perhaps she had dreamt it all?

“Come with me and I’ll show you,” the young girl insisted.
“Come quickly, he needs help.”

A portly nun in a long, gray, stiffly starched dress came towards