Page 69 - LEIBY

Chapter 8 69

Chapter 8

A train packed with refugees approached the station with an
earsplitting whistle. It was grossly overcrowded, with no room
to stand let alone to sit, and as far as Mama and Chava were
concerned, they would not even attempt to get on board. But
Leiby persuaded them to at least try. When the train came
to a complete halt, several passengers alighted in order to get
themselves a hot drink, and Leiby took advantage of the small
space they left in the carriage and jumped onto the train. After
he managed to find a tiny piece of floorspace to lay his feet
on, he helped Mama, Mirushka, Chava, and Yosef to get on
too. Fortunately, the passengers in the carriage were polite
and considerate, and did not express any complaints about the
family who had chosen to sit in their already packed carriage.
Just the opposite – despite the tight squeeze, they tried moving
their packages to make room for the newcomers.

Leiby was tense as a coiled spring. He, Mama, and Chava
had Polish ID cards, but Yosef and MIrushka had no identity
papers at all. He told himself that hopefully, in all the post-war
turmoil, there was bound to be chaos at the border and they’d
be able to cross over without mishap.

“Crossing the border today is child’s play,” one of the Jewish
refugees declared.“My brother crossed just last week, with all his