Sarah and Solomon

by Roberta Kagan

  “It’s all right,” he said, indicating the other two men. “Samuel and Issac are Jewish. I’m not, but some of the others with our group are Jews. Some are Gypsies too. It seems we're all united against a common enemy, huh?”

  “Yes,” Solomon said, nodding.

  “Is Artur your real name?”

  “No, I’m Solomon. My sister is Sarah.”

  “Bible names. I grew up a Catholic in a small town in the outskirts of Warsaw. I was even a choirboy when I was your age. I thought about becoming a priest. Does that surprise you? By the way, my name is Luke.”

  Solomon nodded a greeting. “Well, now that you have the letter, I have to go. I must get back to my sister. Can I please have my gun back,” he said.

  “Listen to me. Go back and get your sister, and bring her back here with you. You can stay with us until things settle down, then you can go back to work on the farm. Believe me, you don’t want to be on the farm when we attack the Nazis there.”

  Solomon was skeptical. But for some odd reason, even though he’d just met him, he found that he believed Luke. “I’ll go and get Sarah. We’ll come back here tonight.

  Chapter 18

  “Sarah,” Solomon whispered, “wake up.”

  She was sleeping so lightly that she woke easily. “What is it? Is everything all right? Is Mama here? I thought I heard her voice.”

  “No,” he said. “I’m sorry, but Mama’s not here. You must have been dreaming.”

  “Oh,” she said. He could hear the disappointment in her voice.

  “Come on, you have to wake up and follow me. We have to leave here before dawn.”

  “Solomon, where are we going?”

  “I’ll explain later. Just get up.”

  “I have to pee.”

  “Hurry up. Go outside and pee. I’ll wait for you. But hurry. We have to go as soon as possible.”

  She nodded and got up.

  “Be quiet,” he said, “very quiet.”

  “I’m scared. I hate to go to the outhouse at night all alone. That’s why I was holding it until morning.”

  “Fine. I’ll follow you and wait right outside while you go.”

  “Thank you, Solomon.”

  He shook his head. Sometimes she drove him crazy with frustration, but she was all he had in the world.

  While he was waiting for Sarah, Solomon filled his pockets with potatoes from the bags that the farmer had packed for the Nazis who would come to collect their share the following day. He was careful to take only a few from each bag so no one would know they were missing. Then he turned around to see Sarah as she ran toward him.

  “Ready?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Where’s your doll?”

  “Oh no!” She let out a loud shriek.

  “Shhh, it’s all right. We haven’t left yet. Let’s go back to the barn and I’ll get her.”

  “Oh, Solomon, thank you. I would have been so sad if I left her behind.”

  “I know,” he said, ruffling her hair. “Come on, follow me. We’ll go and get her right now.”

  Once he had the doll, Solomon led his sister by the hand back to the clearing where he’d met the partisans. They were welcomed by a young woman of about twenty years, with long auburn hair. She introduced herself as Ewa and then gave Sarah and Solomon each a heel of hard bread and a cup of water. Once they’d finished eating, she gave each of them a blanket and showed them where to sleep.

  “It’s dark out here,” Sarah said, “and there are wild animals.”

  “You’ll be all right,” the woman called Ewa said.

  “I’m scared,” Sarah said as she glanced at Solomon.

  “Why don’t you set your blanket up right next to mine?” Ewa offered.

  Sarah nodded. “All right, I’d like that.”

  “And don’t be afraid. Look over there. Do you see that man hiding in the shadows?”

  “I don’t see anyone.”

  “That’s because he is very good at hiding,” Ewa said, and she winked at Sarah. “But he is on watch tonight. Do you know what that means?”

  Sarah shook her head.

  “It means that he is watching out for all of us. Protecting us. He has a gun, so if any Nazis or wild animals come near here he can shoot them.”

  “But what if he falls asleep?”

  “You don’t have to worry. You see, we thought about that possibility, and so there are two men over there; they keep each other awake.” Ewa smiled at Sarah and Sarah smiled back. Then Ewa continued, “Come on, now. I think it’s best if you get some rest.” She took the blanket she’d given Sarah and spread it out on the ground. Then she lay down and motioned for Sarah to lay beside her. Sarah did as she asked. Ewa took her own blanket and covered them both with it.

  “Now we will both stay warm through the night,” she said.

  Sarah looked at Solomon. “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “I’ll be right here,” he answered, laying down on the cold, hard ground and pulling the blanket over him.

  Solomon lay awake long after Sarah and Ewa had fallen asleep. He glanced over at them to find his sister wrapped in the arms of this beautiful and gentle stranger. As he gazed up at the sliver of a silver moon that hung overhead, he began to think about what the future might hold for him. He wondered if life would ever go back to the way it was before Hitler invaded Poland. Will I have a chance to grow up and get married to a girl like Ewa? Or will I die at nine or ten years old? When Solomon looked at Ewa he was smitten. This was the first time in his life that he’d actually found himself truly infatuated with a female.

  When he was dealing on the black market, he’d been propositioned by plenty of prostitutes. They wanted the food he was selling and were more than willing to trade their services for a hunk of bread or a bag of potatoes. He understood, even at nine years old. He understood everyone had to find a way to survive. But when they had shown him their bare breasts, although he was curious about sex, he found them repugnant. But not this woman, Ewa, with her sweet, gentle smile. She made him think of home.

  As he lay beneath the dark sky unable to sleep, his mind began to wander. Will I have children and a wife someday? Will I ever be a man, or will Sarah and I die here in these dark woods? I wonder what it feels like to die. I wonder if it hurts much worse than it hurt when I cut myself on the barbed wire in the ghetto last spring. That cut stung so badly, and Mama was so afraid it would get infected. Mama. I miss her so much. I miss her gentle hands and the way she made me feel that everything would be all right. I sure don’t miss my father though. He didn’t care about any of us. He never cared. All he cared about was drinking. Dear God, how I miss my mother. When I think that she might be gone forever and that I’ll never see her again I can’t believe it.

  I wish Sarah wasn’t such a baby. If only I could talk to her and tell her how I am feeling. I need someone to talk to, but I can’t talk to her. She would get so upset and she would cry, and that would only make things worse. Right now, I’m not sure she realizes that we might never see our mother again. The truth is, as hard as I try, I somehow don’t believe it. Sometimes I think this is all just a nightmare and I’ll wake up and I’ll be back in my own bed. Not the one in the ghetto, but the one in our old house. The house we lived in before the Nazis. I’d even be willing to see Papa again if it meant that this would all have been a dream. Truth is, I wish Ben had been our father. He was always so kind and easy to talk to, and once Papa was gone, I could tell that Mama started to love Ben a lot. So if I could make just one wish, it would be that Sarah, Mama, and me were back in our old house and that Ben was our father. Make it two wishes. For the second wish, I would wish the Nazis were not real, that they were only monsters from my imagination. I wish . . . I wish . . . Dear God, if it could only be true.

  It was a chilly night, but once he saw that Sarah and Ewa were fast asleep, Solomon took the blanket he’d been given and covered Sarah and Ewa. Then he lay back down and rested his head on
his arm like a pillow. For several minutes he watched his sister sleep, and he didn’t realize he was crying until a tear fell from his cheek landing on his hand.

  Chapter 19

  The following day, the partisans' camp was alive with excitement. Guns were distributed to the members. Solomon and Sarah were told to stay out of the way and not to follow when the others went out to attack the Nazis.

  “Stay here. Keep your sister close. You should be safe here. Can you fire a gun?” Luke asked Solomon.

  “Yes, can I have my gun back? The one that was taken from me by your group?”

  “Of course. I’ll get it for you.”

  “Thanks. I promise you I know how to shoot.”

  “I must say that is impressive for a boy your age.” Luke smiled. “I don’t think that any Nazis will find you here, but one can never be too careful.”

  “My brother killed a bad man with a gun,” Sarah offered. “I saw it happen. It was very scary, but he had to do it.”

  “I see.” Luke nodded.

  Solomon gave Sarah an angry look. “Nobody asked you to say anything,” he said.

  She turned away and sat down on the ground. Then she curled up with her doll.

  “I have to go now. Keep your eyes open, and when I return, we’ll talk about your future missions.”

  Solomon nodded.

  Ewa walked over holding a rifle. A man who was tall and slender with deep-set dark eyes and a long, thick nose had his arm across her shoulders. “It’s a shame that our children have to learn about war and hatred at such young ages,” Ewa said.

  “It is,” Luke said, “but these are bad times. And they must if they are to survive.”

  Ewa nodded. “Be safe, you two,” she said as she walked away with the others.

  Solomon watched Ewa and his heart swelled. He wondered if that man who had his arm around her was her husband. I know I am too young, and she would never be interested in me as a boyfriend, but I think I am in love with her, he thought.

  It was almost nightfall when the partisans returned. Solomon had been anxious all day, worried about Ewa. At first the men dribbled into the camp slowly, and as each one arrived Solomon became a little more anxious, and his heart sank a little further because he didn’t see Ewa. Sarah, he noticed, was watching for her too. Finally, about an hour after the sun had set, Ewa arrived. Her face was dirty and her hair was matted. She looked very tired, but she mustered a smile for Sarah and Solomon.

  “How are you two?” she asked with a look of genuine concern on her face.

  “We’re all right. We were worried about you,” Solomon said.

  “I’m fine. It was a difficult mission, but we didn’t lose anyone. So I can’t complain.”

  “That fellow you were with earlier?” Solomon asked. “Is that your husband?”

  “Oh no, he and I have been friends for a long time. I knew him from the village where I grew up. I used to be a teacher for young children.”

  “You did?” Sarah said.

  “Yes, I did.” Ewa smiled.

  “Perhaps you might be willing to teach Sarah and I. We went to school until we were sent to the ghetto. Then our mother tried to keep up with our lessons, but she had to work and then things happened. Anyway, it’s a long story, but we had to run away from the ghetto and . . .”

  “Never mind about all of that. I know the story of what happened to the children in the Lodz ghetto. The way they were all sent away on transports. Thank God you two got out in time,” Ewa said, sighing. “And, of course, I would be happy to give you lessons, but I don’t know when there will be time. I am sure you have to return to Borkowski’s farm, don't you?”

  Solomon couldn’t hold back his smile. He didn’t really care much for school, but the idea of spending more time with Ewa, even if it was to study, made him want to shout with joy from a mountaintop.

  “Do we have to go back to the farm, or can we stay here with Ewa?” Sarah asked. “But then when would I see Jula? If I stay here I’d never see her again.”

  “We can't worry about Jula. We have to do what’s best for you,” Solomon said.

  “But maybe I could stay here with Ewa and go and visit Jula every few days.”

  Solomon bit his lower lip. Sarah was trying his patience again. He didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned and spoke to Ewa. “I have a job to do. I’ve promised to work for the Resistance, so I figure I am going to have to go back to the farm. But do you think it’s best if Sarah stays here?”

  “I am not sure. She is so young, and it’s very dangerous. But let me see what I can arrange,” Ewa said. "Come with me,” she said to Solomon. “You wait for us, Sarah. All right?”

  Sarah nodded.

  Ewa took Solomon and went to talk to the man who was the leader of the group. He was middle aged but surprisingly handsome with a thick gray beard and a head of heavy gray hair.

  “Cereck,” she said, “I know you have seen this boy. His name is Solomon. He is the one who brought us the information about the Nazis for the last raid.”

  “Yes, I know all about it. Nice to meet you, Solomon. Don’t you also have a little sister? I’ve seen her in the camp.”

  “That’s right,” Ewa said. “His sister’s name is Sarah, and I have a request for you. I would like to teach them to read and write. If they survive, they will need to be literate.”

  Cereck let out a laugh. “Read and write. Spoken like a teacher. We’re in the middle of a war, and you want to teach two children to read?”

  “Yes, I do. Education is important. This nightmare we are living can’t last forever.”

  Cereck smiled. “From your mouth to God’s ears,” he said. “All right, I suppose you can you teach them when they are here, but they can only stay with us for a few days at a time.”

  “I was hoping that the little girl could stay permanently. Solomon has to return to the farm so he can get more orders from the Resistance. But the girl . . .”

  “Ewa, I would love to let you have your way. However, in order for us to stay hidden, we must keep moving. And I am sorry, but we can’t have children tagging along. So when Solomon brings us a message, they can stay for a day or two, and then you have my permission to give them lessons. Of course, time permitting.”

  “Of course.” She nodded, then she added, “Perhaps it would be all right with you if they came every night for an hour or two? They could come when everyone is asleep and be back at the farm before daylight.”

  “Let me think about it,” Cereck said.

  Then Cereck took Ewa’s elbow and led her away from Solomon. “Do they know?” Cereck asked.

  “Know what?”

  “That we are Jews?”

  “I’ve never told them. I would assume they don’t know, but his name is Solomon. That’s a Jewish name,” Ewa said.

  They walked back to where Solomon waited. Then Cereck said, “Are you a Jew?”

  Solomon cast a glance at Ewa, then he looked into Cereck’s eyes to see if he could detect any malice or trickery. But he saw none. “Yes, I am a Jew,” he answered.

  “Good, so am I,” Cereck said.

  Chapter 20

  The next time one of the Resistance brought a message to Solomon to deliver, he didn’t bring anything written down.

  “You will have to memorize everything I tell you. The first time we sent you to meet up with the band of partisans, I needed to send you with some form of document, so they would believe that you were with us. But from now on there will be nothing written down. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.” Solomon nodded.

  “I will tell you how many Nazis they can expect to find, where they will find them, and how they are armed. You will deliver the message exactly as I give it to you. Can you do this?”

  “I can,” Solomon said with confidence.

  “Good. Get ready to memorize.”

  Chapter 21

  One evening, Solomon brought a message for Cereck from Wiktor. As he walked through the camp, Ewa came
over to him. She looked sad.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  Ewa told him that she was not going to be able to give lessons to Solomon and Sarah.

  “I tried, Solomon. I really did. I talked to Cereck for over an hour yesterday. He said he gave the matter a lot of thought, but Cereck is afraid you’ll be followed when you come here at night,” she said. “It is already enough of a risk when you come to deliver messages to us, but he doesn’t want you to come nightly. I am truly sorry. I was looking forward to teaching you and Sarah. I miss my profession. I really loved working with children.”

  Ewa didn’t know that calling Solomon a child had wounded him deeply. She was his first crush, and even though he knew that he was far too young for her to take him seriously, he hated being confronted with that knowledge. So instead of answering, he just nodded.

  “I really am sorry,” she repeated. He knew she thought he felt bad about not being able to better his skills in reading and writing, but that was not it at all.

  “It’s all right. I understand.” He forced the words out. The truth was he’d been looking forward to spending more time with her. And now that fantasy had been thwarted.

  Chapter 22

  Ludwig Beck had spoken to the townspeople, and from them he gathered several physical descriptions of the children who had robbed the baker. He felt sure they were the same children who had escaped the Lodz ghetto, but he could not imagine where they might be hiding. One of the women who he spoke with told him that she saw a very scrappy-looking boy and a little girl riding by in a truck with a man who she believed was a part of the Polish underground. He asked her if she had anything more to say. She smiled and told him that she could give him a little more information in exchange for a loaf of bread. He obliged her, and she told him that she heard this same man from the underground was known to have sold children to work on the farms. Ludwig knew that several of the farms in the countryside used child labor, but there were so many that he could not begin to determine which one the two Jewish children had been taken to.