Still Day Six, yet a different story:
I feel a cold hand embracing my own. My eyes flutter open and a blue tear escapes my dull lifeless chocolate brown eyes. “Elsibeth?” A squeaky and shaky voice exclaims loudly, obviously scared. “Shh. I’m here now, Nicolette. I’m here now.” I lean over, brushing lifeless shapes, shapes like my own, to embrace her in a hug. A small morsel of saliva hits my bare shoulder. We part, and my sister loses control of her emotions, sobbing and coughing endlessly. “Nico!” I shout as the soldier that spat on me swoops in and picks up my thin sister. I watch in fear as he puts a thick white cloth over her mouth, and her eyes close. My eyes widen and the whispers around me seem like shouts in my ears. I pull the damp brown cloth over my revealed breast. I begin to whisper the song that Momma used to sing to us before she was boarded herself, “Hush little baby, don’t say a word-“ Another shaking figure, surrounded by children, obviously his own, brings his dirtied finger to his dry lips in a shushing motion. I watch a tear roll down his smiling cheek, if only I could be brave like that. To smile, when you feel no need for anything but a frown. To be able to look at the others and believe that everything is going to be all right. I twist my cracked dry lips into a crooked smile, for his sake, and his children. More men come with razors and begin to shave down the others itching heads. I hide in a corner, lice is better than the cold breeze on my scalp. I rock my head in my dusty legs and continue whispering, “Momma’s gonna buy you a mocking bird...” The Nazi leaves and takes a swig of ביר. It burns my dry throat just to see the heavy alcohol. I roll my lips in disgust, that filthy Nazi! Oh, is Nicolette alive? Is she gone? Is she here? Is she... I bite my lip, the dark red liquid seeping through my lips and into my mouth, burning my tongue and throat. “And if that mocking bird don’t sing, Momma’s gonna buy you a diamond ring...” The tears stop, my face drying. But that doesn’t stop the emotions from pouring out like rain on a cold autumn day. The drying sparkling dark blue tears seep through the cloth on my chest. A man, well more of a boy really, can’t be much older than myself, starts to hold up a saw. Obviously proud of himself, he’s not going to be able to get away with escaping; he will put all of our lives at risk by attempting. I could jump, but what if Nico is alive and waiting for me to come back... But what she isn’t? Too many ‘what if’s. He picks up the saw and somehow quietly gets to work on sawing a hold through the side of the rusty elephant poop filled train. If only I could muster up enough strength to stand up and speak my mind, I must save my courage and strength for when Nico comes back, if she comes back. I close my puffy red eyes and try to sleep. “And if that diamond ring is glass...” I wake, continuing my song with hope. “Nicolette?” I whisper through clenched teeth. No response. “Then Momma’s gonna buy you a-“ A girl my age grabs my arm and speaks in rushed Yiddish “Shut up!” I cower backwards and begin to sob. Where was Nico? Where were going? Are we all going to die? My questions are soon answered by more Nazi’s. They grab the weak, the children and the females first. Meaning I am a weak female child, I was the first to go. I was then thrown out of the train. I hit soft green grass. So surprised to see it, I pick it up and start eating it. I stop and fall to the ground when I feel a slash of something against my back. Obviously a whip. He grabs my arm and throws me into a dark room. “Elsibeth?” I hear call out to me in a starving voice. Oh my god! She’s alive! “Yes, yes Nico, I’m here!” I run towards the source of the voice and embrace her in a hug. My eyes adjust and I see that we are all in one big shower. This means one of two things. Naked women come and try to console us. “It’s alright, it’s just a shower!” She says embracing us. I nod and strip my clothing off. As the liquid starts to come out of the shower I continue to sing, holding my sister so tightly. “Looking glass, and if that looking glass gets broke, Momma’s gonna buy you a Billy goat." I stop singing when I fall down beside my sister.
posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )
