Page 58 - LEIBY

58 Leiby – Border Smuggler

The farmer nodded in assent. The Germans had punished any
slight offence with death. What would the Russians do? He
didn’t know, but he did know that it was in his best interests to
demonstrate loyalty to his new masters.

Night fell on the area, a full moon smiled down at the people
still out and about, and stars glowed from up on high. Under
cover of darkness, the group entered their car. Mirushka, who
had never been in a car before, was fascinated by it and her
crying calmed down to an intermittent low sniffle. “But…
but… where are the horses?” she asked, astounded, when the
car started to move.

“Mirushka, you’re a very smart girl,” Yosef smiled at her with
paternal pride. “We’re riding in a special cart, without horses.
Isn’t that fun? And when we get to the city, you’ll see lots of
carts just like this one, and you’ll travel in them sometimes, and
maybe even in a train!”

“But I want to go home, to Mama.” All at once the small girl
remembered where she was, and her tears started falling again.
She looked at her helpless brother with a hostile expression,
then turned to the soldiers, as if hoping that perhaps they would
be willing to help her.

“In the city I’ll buy you a huge doll, Mirushka,” Yosef hastily
promised.

“And when will I go home?”

“We’ll see,” all the passengers in the cart responded quickly.

Mirushka calmed down a little. Gazing out of the window at
the darkness outside, she stuck her thumb into her mouth and
fell silent. Slowly her eyes closed, and she fell asleep, her head
resting on the barred car window.

Leiby looked at Yosef. His face was glum. He had been sure
that Mirushka was pining for him, at least as much as he was
pining for her, but she was so belligerent, and didn’t remember
him at all. Why had Mirushka been taught to hate the Jews?
She was a Jew herself ! And why did she love the farmer woman