Page 21 - LEIBY

Chapter 2 21

when they came, he took their packages without a word and
began walking.

“Leiby, where are you going?” his mother asked. “Let’s go
inside.”

“No,” Leiby replied glumly. “This house is no longer ours.”

Mama and Chava stared at him uncomprehending and
Leiby explained. “The house has been confiscated. The police
have taken it over for themselves.” At their look of horror, he
hurriedly added, “but don’t worry, I’ve found us a new place to
live.”

He led them to the neglected house at the end of the street. He
had worked hard to try and give the house a more welcoming
appearance – he had cleaned the floor and boarded up the
broken windows and had somehow managed to obtain some
straw mattresses that he placed on the rickety chairs. He was
chagrined at the makeshift beds, but that was all he had to offer.
Mama and Chava, totally exhausted, lay down and fell asleep
immediately.

They had spent the last two days traveling around the nearby
villages, where the Soviet authorities had not yet arrived. Gangs
of armed Polish nationals7 roamed around, on the lookout for
any Jews, whom they would not hesitate to shoot. A number of
times, Mama and Chava had been forced to hide, their hearts
pounding in terror, and the fact that they had returned home
unscathed was miraculous.

Leiby arranged their belongings in the small closet that stood
in the corner, then sat by the window and looked at the street
outside. He wanted to be sure that he would not be taken
by surprise by any uninvited guests that may come snooping
around. He had to be prepared before letting intruders into the
house.

7 ƌŵĞĚ ŶĂƟŽŶĂůƐ ʹ ĂŌĞƌ ƚŚĞ ǁĂƌ͕ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ŐĂŶŐƐ͕ ŵĂŝŶůLJ hŬƌĂŝŶŝĂŶ
ĂŶĚ WŽůŝƐŚ͕ ƌŽĂŵĞĚ ĂƌŽƵŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƚĞƌƌŝƚŽƌŝĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŚĂĚ ďĞĞŶ ůŝďĞƌĂƚĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ
^ŽǀŝĞƚ hŶŝŽŶ͘ dŚĞLJ ĂƩĂĐŬĞĚ ƚŚĞ ƌĞƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟǀĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŶĞǁ ƌĞŐŝŵĞ ĂŶĚ
also murdered Jews whom they found had returned to their homes.