Page 231 - LEIBY

Chapter 30 231

Russian soldier who stood behind her in line, hoping to get
information about relatives of his who had lived in the city
before the war, lost his patience. He stepped forward and
brusquely terminated the discussion.

“Five thousand zlotys and the boy stays here! Give me his
details, and go away, unless you want me to send a squad of
policemen to your house to take the boy by force, and then you
won’t receive a rusty penny! The boy’s worked for you enough,
you’ve earned thousands of zlotys from him…” The soldier
slammed his fists down on the table.

“Who is the boy, and how did he get to you?” Ya’akov asked.

“He came to me in the springtime and introduced himself
as Pavel. I had plenty of work for him and I accepted him as
farubak.34 When the season was over, I wanted to send him off
on his way, I was afraid to have him staying with me, but the
Vassil35 told me that I could get money for him. Every month
I received payment from the zhegota and afterwards, when the
war ended, I went to the Jewish committee and they paid me
for his monthly upkeep. They said they couldn’t afford to buy
him off me.”

“But don’t you have any details about him? His name, his
parents?”

“I already told you, his name is Pavel,” the woman repeated.

Greedily, she grabbed the bundle of notes that Ya’akov held out
to her and hurried to gather up her belongings and disappear.
She was afraid that the soldier would try to steal the money
from her and she’d be left with nothing at all.

“Be a good boy, Pavel,” she said before she left.

“But Stefanya, I want to go back with you to the farm,” the boy
begged.

34 Farubak – employee
35 Vassil ʹ ǀŝůůĂŐĞ ŚĞĂĚ