Chapter 56 Section fifty-six

ARBEIT MACHTFREI I don't know German, but I will recognize these words, cast iron letters arranged above the entrance, forming a positive declaration: "Labor for freedom." When we reached our final destination, the dark The gate, the gray ground, and the disgusting smell I had never smelled before constituted my first impression of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The truck stopped not far from the gate, and I carefully discerned from the din of Polish and German voices that Henrik seemed to be led to the affairs department.It's quiet all around, and I guess everyone has left.We can't waste a second, Henrik and those guards will be back any minute.So we timidly walked around the pallet and moved to the rear of the car.

I jumped off the ground first, and then carried Nicholas and Ilo off the tailgate one by one.We all got under the chassis of the truck, observed the surrounding situation, and thought about the next move.The children sensed the dangerous environment, they were very obedient and quiet, and obeyed my command of every gesture. There was a hut not far away, and it was erected from the ground to prevent moisture. We stuck to the plaster ground, dodged heavy vehicles, and ran towards it.Afraid of being discovered, we lowered our bodies very low and got into the shadow of the hut together. When the violent heartbeat calmed down, we felt a burst of stench piercing into our nostrils. This smell stuck to our clothes and filled every corner of the camp, every inch of space, making people nowhere to escape.

All three of us were about to throw up when we first smelled it, and although we quickly got used to its presence, the disgusting smell of putrefaction has etched itself into our memories, We will never forget. It's not just the smell that's weird about this place, the sky in the distance is still blue, but the air around us, even under the hut, is full of ash, carbon and hazel debris, and I soon Be aware of the strange colors of the ground beneath your feet, which are what they are causing. Nicholas whispered: "Anka, I'm hungry." I almost forgot, he was only a six-year-old child, I always ignore this inadvertently, he can't even share the limited love between Ilo and I cognition.

Yiluo said softly: "Anka can't find food for us yet, can you wait patiently, Nicholas? Now take a good rest and sleep, and we can go out to find food when it gets dark It's gone." "And mother, right, Anka? We're still going to find mother, aren't we?" I leaned closer and kissed his forehead, "We'll find it, little one, I promise." This little reassurance seemed to reassure Nicholas. He lay down on the hard ground beside me, held Ilo's hand, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep tiredly.How I envy this ability to sleep when I feel like it, because it's by far the best way we avoid pain.I smiled at Yiluo, and she smiled back.

After confirming that Nicholas was asleep, Yiluo said quietly: "Anka, do you really think you can find your mother here?" This is a question I don't want to answer.But now, I have to think of words to deal with. I turned around and lay down, with one arm around her shoulders and the other lightly stroking Nicholas' hair.Now we are in the center of Auschwitz, huddled under a wooden house like refugees. If we are found, we will only die, but somehow, at this moment, my heart is full of stability and faith. I looked deeply into Yiluo's eyes and said, "We can only hope so, Yiluo, no one knows what the future holds. But, you know, now I see you as my sister, and you are my sister." It's your sister, so my mother is the mother of the three of us. If we find her by then, I assure you, she will definitely regard you as her own daughter. "

Elo held my hand tightly. "Ilo? Passukurata," she whispered, smiling, "yes, I like that name, I like it very much." I reached into my collar, took off the necklace and amulet that Raisa had given me, and put them on Yiluo's neck. "This is a souvenir from my best friend Raisa. Now that I have another sister, Ilo, I hope you will wear it for me." Yiluo picked up the amulet in his little hand: "I will keep it safe, Anka, until the day you meet Raisa, and I will return it to her for you." After she finished speaking, she turned around to be next to me, and we lay quietly, letting the time pass unknowingly.