Chapter 54 Section fifty-four

I can't make this decision for her, I have to ask Yiluo about her own wishes.Just waiting for the first opportunity, Henrik will definitely stop halfway, get out of the car to get gas, eat, or go to the bathroom. When the truck finally stopped, I carefully peeked out of the canvas, and what I saw was the long-known "Zwangsarbeitslager Plaszo", the Plaszo labor camp.Then, unprepared, we walked through the heavily guarded gates into a Nazi labor camp. When we crossed that line, we instantly tensed up.If we were discovered, neither we nor Henrik would escape the arrest of the SS.I no longer dare to think about what they will do with me and Nicholas, let alone Yiluo.

I reached out and grabbed the two children, drew them close to me, and covered their mouths, for I was worried about both of them at this critical moment.This was another reminder that they must not speak out, and neither of them resisted. From our hiding place, I heard the canvas roof being pulled back and orders shouted in German and Polish.I felt a wave of despair, our huddled bodies would be exposed to the cold eyes of the SS at any moment, and I couldn't help thinking of how the Nazis machine-gunned the bodies and of the wounded.My whole body couldn't stop shaking, and so did the two children beside me.

Suddenly, there was a vibration from the floor of the carriage, and I realized immediately that a pallet full of goods was lifted onto the rear of the carriage and pushed towards us.I held my breath and realized we were going to be crushed by the cargo.As the canvas above us began to lift, I could only pray in silence. After witnessing so many crimes, I almost no longer believe that prayer really works.Unexpectedly, a miracle really happened this time. Just when we were pushed against the wall of the carriage, and I almost screamed to expose our existence, the goods stopped moving, and only the canvas awning was pulled again. We passed the protective bar on the roof and covered us.

When the truck started up again, we finally caught our breath, climbed out of the tarpaulin, and returned to the semi-dark cabin.Only now can we see clearly how close we were to being squeezed to death or discovered just now.We were so close to the wall that there was hardly room to sit up. The noise of the truck still limits our conversation, and we snuggle together, three terrified kids, longing for some guidance but knowing in our hearts our options are few and far between.After a while in the camp, the car stopped again, the engine died, and I heard Henrik climb out of the cab, yelling for someone to sign his papers.I could just see him talking to a guard through the gap in the canvas tent, and I knew the only time to speak was now.

"Ilo, my good friend, our fate now depends on your decision. If you wish, we will confess to Henrik as soon as we leave this camp, so that you can return to Isabella and Voy Petr Cech. They will take care of you, Ilo. I assure you, they will take care of you like their own child." She took my hand and said, "If I go back, what about you, Anka? What will you do?" I replied without hesitation: "I will try again to take Nikolai to Auschwitz, I must go there, Ilo, please understand me. As far as we know now, that is our Where to find it, I'm sure, Nicola and I must go and find out where our mother is."

Her fingers tightened around mine. "Isabella and Wojciech are good people, Anka, but they're not my family, and they can't be my family." She looked at me in the dim light, with tears in her eyes, "You are my family now, Anka. You and Nikolai are all I have. I only need you. Wherever you go, I I will be with you." She leaned over, pressed a kiss on the forehead of me and Nicholas, and said, "My sister, my brother."