Eliana (holocaust story)

Chapter 7

The next morning, everyone was just getting dressed and grabbing breakfast when we all heard pounding on the door.

No one ever knocked on our door so I was instantly suspicious. We didn’t have school friends and we weren’t close to our neighbors. Everyone gave us our distance in this town.

I had been in the cellar with Tziporah and Shira getting ready to go to school. Shira was just starting to get up, Tziporah was almost ready to head out to the bakery.

When we heard the knocking though, we all snapped to attention, pushing aside whatever we were doing.

“Stay with Shira.” Tziporah told me, her eyes showed the fear she was trying to bottle up. I saw it though, I couldn’t be sure if Shira could as well. 

“Not happening.” I met her gaze. I refused to stand by and wait to see what was happening. I was old enough and mature enough to go upstairs and see what was happening for myself.

“El…” she sighed. We heard father answering the door. She wanted to go upstairs more then she wanted me to stay put. “Fine, just stay quiet.”

Tziporah and I made Shira hide in a small closet we had before we ran upstairs. 

“-multiple people have reported suspicions of your family.” A cold and unfamiliar sounding man told my father. When I saw this man, he was in a Gestapo uniform with two others behind him.  “We ask that you all pack your things and come with us for a further investigation.”

My heart stopped. I trembled in pure fear. We were being taken. They had found us out. I wasn’t sure how or when but they had. 

Had it been Shira or Levi at school? Or my interactions with Felix? Maybe my mother and aunt at work? It was too hard to say. Most likely, it was a mixture of everything. 

But had Felix himself reported my family and me? I didn’t want to think he was capable of doing so but he did do that type of thing for a living. But he might’ve done it for the sake of it being his duty.

If he was patrolling the town right now, did he know what was happening at my home?

What would happen to us now, we couldn’t be sure. We had only heard from the town gossip and rumors. They could be wrong or made up to scare people. I hoped that that was the case.

When no one moved, the officer spoke again, more firmly.

“You can come quietly with your things or be taken by force without them.” He stared at my father. “Make a choice.”

My father stared at the man without speaking for a moment.

“We have to go to work,” my uncle cut in. “The kids have to go to school.”

My uncle was trying to come up with an excuse, a reason why we couldn’t go with them.

“This could be very quick and you could be back home in an hour or so.” another officer spoke.

My father put a hand on my uncle’s shoulder to keep him from speaking again. He turned to face those of us on the main level including my mother, David, Tziporah and I.

“Tobias, Chaya,” he indicated to David and my mother. He kept our fake names in hopes that we could somehow get out of this. “Go upstairs, get the others and pack your things.” He looked to Tziporah and me. He didn’t show his fear or anxiety if he had any. “Katja, Lena, wake Petra and pack.” 

Everyone did as they were instructed without question. Tziporah grabbed my arm and led the way downstairs. Her grip was firm and her hands did not tremble as much as mine were. She knew she had to be composed. I tried to take that cue from her.