The Heart Of A Gypsy (12 page)

“So… You have come to see me?” the
Shera Rom
asked.

“We must move from this location, and quickly. The Nazis know we are here, and they will come again,” Ion told the older man.

“I agree with you. In fact I was thinking the same thing just moments ago before you arrived.  Gather the men together. We must tell them what we plan to do, and those who choose to follow will join us.”

“I will bring the group together in front of your tent.” Ion stood to leave.

“Before you go, I have something to speak with you about. Stay seated, Ion.” The
Shera Rom
studied Ion’s face as he spoke, “I have great hopes for your future, Ion.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“I do not have a son. You are the one I have chosen. If you will accept my offer…you are my choice…my successor as
Shera Rom
. Now of course, as you know, there will be a vote and the final outcome will be decided by the men. But the one whom I select will be the first to be nominated for the position. And as you are well aware, it is usually the man who is chosen by the former
Shera Rom
who is elected. So chances are that if you accept, you will be the next leader of our
kumpania
.”

Ion was stunned. This was the utmost honor that could be bestowed upon a man. But he must tell the leader of his agreement with Christian and see if the leader of the gypsies’ offer still stood once he realized that Ion had agreed to a marriage between his own sister and a
gago
. “Before you chose me, I must tell you of a decision I have made. It may very well change your mind about claiming me as your successor.”

The
Shera Rom
studied him, “Go on.”

“I have chosen to allow my sister to marry Christian…a
gage
.”

The
Shera Rom
nodded his head. Then he took a swig from the bottle. For a long moment the two men sat together in silence. Then the
Shera Rom
cleared his throat and said, “He is like one of us. Things have changed, Ion. It is not as it once was. I like Christian the
gago
man. He is a strong and good man. And I do believe that he has the heart of a gypsy. Besides that, they love each other. Even I, an old man, half blind, can see that.” The
Shera Rom
laughed at his own humor.

“I never thought you noticed,” Ion said.

“I am the
Shera Rom
… I notice everything. As will you once you are
Shera Rom
.” He smiled at Ion. “If you accept…then you are my chosen one.”

“I accept your offer, and I am honored.”

Ion gathered the group in front of the
Shera Rom’s
tent.

Once the entire band of men was present, and many of the women stood on the outskirts of the circle waiting and listening, Ion told the
Shera Rom
that the assembly was complete.

The
Shera Rom
walked out and greeted his people. Then he opened the meeting for discussion, allowing the men to speak their concerns about the attack that had just taken place.

“We cannot risk lighting big fires anymore. If we do, they will know our exact location. When these Nazis we’ve killed don’t return, they will begin looking for us,” one of the men said.

Another spoke up, “Some got away. I don’t think we killed all of them.”

“Even if this is just a renegade group, it is only a matter of time and, they will come again,” Shmul said.

“We must go deeper into the forest and continually move. No longer can we set up a camp, we must try to keep going and change our location daily.” It was Tobar who spoke.

“This will be challenging for those who go out on missions, but it must be done. It is our only way of insuring the safety of everyone,” Shmul said.

“At some point we must set up camp…even if it is just for the night.  I feel that it would be wise to use small fires to cook, and keep them far from where we camp, in case the Germans see the smoke,” Tomas added.

“I have also taken into consideration that winter is coming, and I feel that it is necessary that we build some kind of shelter,” another of the men offered.

Ion answered, “Fortunately for us, we have plenty of clothes from the dead Germans. This will help when the cold sets in…but we will need shelter. When our original
kumpania
was arrested, they left all of their wagons behind at the site where they were taken. The Germans burned most of them…but some of the small ones are still sitting out in the open field where they were abandoned.

“Perhaps we should take the wagons into the forest and hide them well. We can dig out space within the trees. Not a clearing like we have now, but separate spaces that are well hidden by the woods. Then at night when we cook, we can walk several miles from our living site to build our fires. And if we must build a fire at the campsite, then it must be kept very small so that the smoke cannot be seen.  These small wagons that we collect will serve as shelter once the frigid air arrives,” Shmul suggested.

“Until now, out of respect, we have not taken anything from the wagons because they belonged to those we loved, but I am sure there are blankets and supplies that we could use inside, and our fellow
Rom
would want us to have them. If for some reason the gypsies would have left their wagons behind willingly, they would have burned them. That’s our tradition, you know, but since they were arrested, whatever the SS didn’t destroy should still be intact,” Ion answered.

“Good, then it’s settled. Tonight the two of you, Ion and Christian, will go to our old abandoned campsite and bring back what you can. Then we will travel far from this location, and when we find a place that I feel is safe enough we will cut down enough trees and branches to hide our wagons. After that, we will cover all of the
vurduns
with branches and leaves, disguising their location from any outsiders who may wander by. Anyone wishing to join Ion and Christian is welcome,” the
Shera Rom
said. “Once we have settled, three men will return to this camp on horseback. You will take two horses. One of the men will drive the truck to our new campsite while the others return the way that they came. While the men are out bringing the vehicle back, the rest of you will build a new hiding place for the truck at our new campsite. Then we shall all keep a watch for abandoned wagons. We will need them in the future.”

The men all cheered, and several offered their assistance.

Ion lifted the bottle to his lips, “Then we shall share the drink, and let us all partake, my friends…and may we all live to see the Nazis defeated.”

“Here… Here…” the group chanted, and the bottle was passed around.

There was sadness from the loss of life among the partisans. But they had come to expect the tragedies that befell them, and so even with heavy hearts, they drank and were merry, knowing that their fight against the enemy would go on. The festivities were over quickly because Ion and Christian had to make their pilgrimage to the old camp to retrieve what they could while the rest of the group packed their necessities for the move. It was essential the camp be cleared before daybreak. Ion readied the horses while Christian took a moment to speak with Nadya.

“How are you?” he asked her.

“I’m fine…still a little shaken I guess,” she smiled at him. Then he tenderly touched her hair.

“Nadya… I know this is probably the wrong time to tell you, but Ion has given his consent. We may be married.”

Even though their lives seemed to be coming apart, Nadya felt a bolt of joy shoot through her entire body. “Christian!” She put her arms around his neck and hugged him. “I am so happy I think I could burst.”

Tobar stood by the stream, watching. He was disgusted by the open display of affection. Where had Nadya learned such poor manners? And moreover, why was Ion permitting this behavior? Once they were settled, Tobar decided, if Ion were not capable of handling the audacity of this
gage
, he would take care of Christian himself.

C
hapter
22

It was at least ten miles to the old campsite where Ion and Nadya’s parents had been taken by the Nazis. Ion and Christian, accompanied by five others, all on horseback, finally arrived at the abandoned Romany camp.

As they looked around, they found the camp in a shambles, but several small
vurduns
still remained usable. The larger ones had been ransacked to the point of destruction. They cleaned and fixed as much as was possible on the premises in order to prepare the small wagons for the journey. Then the men scanned the camp for any dry foodstuffs that could be of use. Once they’d taken everything of value, they hitched the gypsy wagons to the horses and made their way back to the rest of their group. 

As soon as they arrived back at camp, they were immediately greeted by the others who were prepared to leave as soon as possible. Within half an hour the wagons were loaded and the group began to move out. The gypsies knew the way. For years the
kumpanias
had used pathways that they carved through the forest for their own travel. Each leader was aware of the dirt roads and how to navigate them.

Ion planned to ride at the front with the
Shera Rom
. He asked Christian to take care of Nadya. Christian agreed, then he went back and hitched Ion’s
vurdun
to his horse and told Nadya and Hanzi to take the puppy and stay inside. The
Shera Rom
looked behind him to see that everyone was ready to travel. When he saw that his people were all in line awaiting his command, the
Shera Rom
raised his horse whip and called out, just loud enough for his band of travelers to hear him, “Good Road.”  That is the signal among the
Rom
that tells the
kumpania
the time has come to move on.

With a quick crack of his whip the
Shera Rom
started the wagon train.

Although Christian had never driven a horse and cart, he knew that regardless of the rough terrain, he must be careful not to tip the wagon as they went deeper into the forest. The pathways were not always clear, and the driving was treacherous. Christian felt the sweat bead on his neck as they traveled farther into the unknown.

When daybreak came, the
Shera Rom
found a hiding place. He sent Ion to speak to each person individually because he dared not call out.

“We will make camp here until nightfall,” Ion told Christian and Nadya, as he told each member of the
kumpania
. “The
Shera Rom
feels the risk of traveling by day is too great.”

Christian nodded.

“We will eat only raw food. We will not make a fire today.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Christian agreed.

C
hapter
23

The men were instructed to sleep during the day, so they would be ready to travel through the night. Christian lay on the cot inside the wagon and tried to rest. The night’s work had exhausted him. It had been a perilous journey through the often small and unsafe passages in the forest. He closed his eyes and gave thanks to God for the privilege that had been granted him. Ion had given his consent to Christian’s marriage to Nadya. And even more of a blessing, she loved him. She wanted to be his wife. When she told him her feelings for him, it was like every dream he’d ever had came true right at that moment. But the deception he held deep within his heart paralyzed him with dread, putting a terrible damper on his joy. He loved these people; how could he lie to them? Yet how could he ever tell them the truth? As far as he’d traveled in an effort to escape it, his horrible secret chipped away at his very core, tearing him apart. The injustice he did Nadya and Ion by hiding the truth sickened him with guilt and shame. It was only fair to tell her before she became his wife, and give her the option of backing out of their marriage. But he could not. The truth was, as noble as it was to be honest, he didn’t want to let her go. Christian couldn’t bear to think of the look on her face once she knew the truth. If she turned away from him, he knew she would be gone forever. And he loved her… How he loved her. And Ion; what of Ion? Ion was his friend, his brother, a man who had won and deserved his respect. What distance would he have to run to escape his past? How could he prove that he was not the man they would claim him to be? He knew it was wrong, but he could not tell them his secret. Not now, not ever.

C
hapter
24

A friendship had developed between Nadya and the young Jewish girls who had joined the Resistance. For many months they had gone together to the river to do their wash. As the afternoon set in, one of Nadya’s friends came over and asked her if she needed to go to the river to get water or to wash some of their clothing. Christian offered to go. He was not pleased at the idea of Nadya going off by herself. But since the group of girls never strayed far from the water’s edge, he finally conceded.