Siblings of War: A Captivating Family Survival WW2 Novel Based on a True Story by Chanochi Zaks

Author:Chanochi Zaks [Zaks, Chanochi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-08T16:00:00+00:00

MISHA ARRIVES SAFELY

Misha’s journey from Ludwigsdorf to Blechhammer was relatively short. For about half a day, he bumped along in a truck with several dozen other men. The disparity between his current status at Blechhammer’s forced labor camp compared to the privileges he’d enjoyed in the previous camps was vast.

He sat in the truck, bent forward, head resting on his hands. In his pocket was Haiya’s note to her husband, which he hoped to hand over quickly. He fingered his pants pocket: he’d sewn several hidden compartments into them, and slotted tiny diamonds inside. He had no clue whether they’d come in useful but it certainly didn’t hurt to bring them.

The truck pulled up. Misha drew in a deep breath of the camp’s suffocating smoke and nausea-inducing stink of burning human flesh. Never in his life had he encountered such a gut-churning stench.

“Off the truck. Schnell! Schnell!” came the shouted commands. “Now.” The Germans yelled. The prisoners obeyed. Some fell on the ground. The guards never gave them time to straighten themselves up. Right away they set to beating them cruelly.

“Fives!” the Germans yelled. “Stand in fives. Schnell!”

The men Misha had arrived with were used to this requirement and moved into place without thinking much about it. They were prisoners, and as such had no rights. They were simply required to follow orders. Misha had no idea what “fives” meant but quickly caught on, moving to join a few men forming a line. A prisoner like everyone else, he thought, that’s what I’ve become, and tonight I’ll go to bed hungry.

The men stood in the yard waiting quietly for their orders. German guards wielding batons walked around them constantly. No one said a word. Misha felt his legs barely able to keep him up. He knew that if he fell, he’d be shot. He looked around, then whispered to the man on his left.

“Friend, help me, please. I have trouble standing on my legs.”

The man ignored him, kept his eyes straight ahead, and his mouth shut. Other prisoners heard Misha but did nothing. The realization dawned: he was indeed completely alone in this world. Even the treasure sewn into his pockets wouldn’t help now. He shut his eyes and repeatedly whispered encouragement to himself: don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall...

He began to cry, silently at first, but slowly tears started to pour down, beyond his control. He trembled and cried. Prisoners more experienced than he glanced at him, some with pity, some with disdain.

“Look at him,” one whispered to his friend. “He’s got some good flesh on his bones. Clearly, he’s been eating well. But what’s all that fat going to help him now? He may not even survive the night.”

And so, they stood for another hour at least until night fell. The German commander strode out towards them. Misha noticed all the men straightening up. Only he remained bent over. Other prisoners glanced at the helpless man. Misha didn’t understand what they were implying, but the baton coming down with a loud thwack on his shoulder quickly brought him back to reality.

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