War Torn Love (70 page)

             
This place is filled with so much evil, as I looked down into her little face, she suffered so much through her life right up to her death, but strangely, she processed a look of utter peace and tranquility finally.

             
The thought of her ever-knowing life without war, what a true shame that is.  She was not able to have witness firsthand the time when there was goodness still present in the world.

             
My niece was extremely saddened, she had already lost so many dear to her, but her and her cousin had become like one. They were both best of friends, as well as in their eyes, as well as mine been sisters. I was suddenly torn to, I went to her. She was curled up in a ball crying hard trying to console her, or do I stay with my daughter as long as I could, before her body was taken away from me. I think I made the correct choice, decided I needed to remain strong, and be there for the still living, my niece whom now would need me more than ever. I would had to mourn her loss in my own way.

             
I stood up, and picked her up in my arms. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, as much as I was trying to comfort her I was searching for comfort from her as well, since I to had no one else to turn to. She with her tear soaked red-eyes looked up at me. She realized that it was just her and I now. She also realized that she did have me, so she was not completely alone.

             
I had to speak up, “Baby look at me, it just was her time to go is all, there was nothing we could have done for her, in some ways sweetie she’s now much better off. Hey look at
me;
we still have each other, don’t we? I will make you this promise here and now. I promise you that I am not going
anywhere;
you need someone around to tell you your stories. And you know you love my stories. I need to have someone to give my love too!”

             
Eyes full of tears, “Yes auntie, I love you so much!” Then she wiped the tears away.

             
She proceeded to wrap her arms around me. My own eyes now welled up with huge tears, “I love you to sweetheart!” Deep-down, if I had not had my niece in my life at this very moment, I think I would not want to go on any longer. I would have had nothing to live for. I would have simply given up.

             
The next morning my heart was ripped out, right out of my chest, as some men came in the barracks to collect the dead, they without any care, or sensitivity came in and just took Abelia’s body, before I had said my goodbyes! But she was not allowed a proper burial. Nevertheless, I was far from ok with this, but I knew I could not let this place get me too! I sadly witnessed her dead body being flung up on top of a cart, on top of many other bodies, lying on that cart of death. This made me scream out in pain!

             
My niece and I have managed by the grace of God to survive through all this, only just barely. We had grown extremely weak, but I would not permit either of us to give up.  We were so frail. Neither of got up anymore.  I think
we would have died already if it was not for the fact that we could eat Abiela’s small share of food otherwise. We also learned if someone just passed on, act quickly then get your hands on their bowl and get your hands on their shares. Those of us that survived had to stoop to such disgraceful tactics just to stay alive here.

             
Then a true miracle had come to happen for those that our just trying to hold on for hopes, for deliverance, after all these years in this horrible place. In January of 1945, the tide of the war had been turning. Fighting was growing extremely close to here. We could now hear the fighting going on between the Germans, and the Soviet armies, nearly every day now, each day it was growing louder, and more of it. You could now see the worry in the Germans at the camp, as they too could hear the fighting, normally stoic, confident faces now held seedling of doubt. These particular Nazis had even more to worry about here, once the outside world finds out the true crimes of humanity going on here; they would all be in real trouble if they were caught. I think now that the Germans our losing, they were all starting to figure this out.

             
Then one day as the shelling was hitting near the camp, a warning signal went off in the middle of the day, all the guards just up and left us all behind, with absolutely no concern to what was to become of all the prisoners. We just wondered around, since they cruelly locked us all in as they fled, the cowards! Feeble-minded, starving to death, truthfully, there should be no reason at all we should even still be still alive. “Only by the grace of God!” We might have been better off if they would had up and shot us all. 
Put us out of our misery. Truthfully, most were so far gone, both our health, and mentally we were so far gone, forever scared; there would be no guarantee that any of us could be saved, if everyone in the camp was to be rescued and been treated by doctors.

             
Nevertheless, just as in the time of “Moses,” we were now being liberated from the Nazis once and for all, the world could find out what had been happening to the Jewish people throughout Europe. The true scope of the crimes.

             
On the 27
^th
of January 1945, Auschwitz was liberated by our savories, the 60
^th
army of the 1st Ukrainian front.  My niece and I were just days off, at most, away from death. When what I perceived to be angels, coming into the camp, and rescuing us from terror. The soldiers where mortified by what they were finding. Never expecting to find what they had. It was so bad, that the soldiers themselves, who were battled hardened, were having a difficult time.

             
For the first time in years, we were being treated with dignity and respect, and humanity. We were being seen as people once more. We were both gently picked up.  By the incoming Soviet soldiers that liberate the camp. I guess for me, knowing we were finally being saved; I would no longer have to keep my strength up in order to get through the hell the new day would surely be bringing. I briefly looked over to my niece, making sure she was in good
-
hands. When I noticed she was in safe hands, I looked up into the blue sky; the sun beat down on me. The next thing I knew I passed out. Everything finally caught
up with me. I did not have the strength in me to fight anymore.

             
When I did finally wake some days later, I was lying in a bed, situated in an army hospital. When I opened my eyes, I had no idea where exactly I was; frankly, I was even surprised I was still breathing. It took awhile for my brain to wrap around everything that was going on.

             
A couple hours after waking, I had overheard soldiers loudly talking with one of their friends who had been injured, lying in a few beds down, and across the way. They were sharing with him, how the Nazis were still steadily being beaten back, by the allied forces on all fronts, now all the way back within the confines of the borders of German itself, they all cheered. They were debating whether it would be the Soviets, Brits, or Americans that gets to Hitler first; they of course felt it would be the Soviets. They say it is only a matter of days, and they will capture Hitler and this war will finally be over. Nevertheless, with all the noise they were shoed out!

             
I took it upon myself to ask, when I spotted the nurse shoeing the soldiers out, “Excuse me nurse!”

             
“Yes what can I do for you?”

             
“It’s my niece Ms, is she ok? Oh, you have to understand she came here the same time as me. She is all I have left in this world. Oh, I need to see her; I wish she could be here with me! By my side!” Then I began to cry! I think she understood me, she could see the pain in my face.

             
She smiled; she had a very kind face, “I would be glad to go check on her for you, I will see if I can locate her! We had had so many suffering Jews showing up every day, but I might know where she would be placed if she is in fact here.”

             
I could see the worry written on her face, worried that she might not had made it as she was leaving. As she was walking away, I spoke up, “Thank you miss!” she waved in response.

             
Just by the
way,
I was feeling I knew it would be a while before I was going to be out of here. I looked around the room, there was so many of us, bed after bed, all in the same condition as I. I was so weak. I could not even lift my head up more than an inch off the pillow. I had a tube hooked up to my left arm, but I had to be quite thankful to the good God that I was alive. It appeared that I was finally receiving the medical care I needed.  Just being here, I knew I was going to pull through all this. I did not doubt that at all, not for a minute, not after what I had already survived.

             
About a half hour later, to my complete surprise, and true delight, I noticed two nurses, one was the same nurse I had spoke with earlier, now wheeling a hospital bed towards me, could it be, I thought, oh my God it was my darling niece.  She smiled immediately upon spotting me.

             
I smiled back at her, “Your alive my darling, your alive my darling, thank you my God!” I shouted out. “My girl is alive!” I then began to cry, but for a change, they were tears of utter joy! I realized all the misery was finally
coming to an end, that there could finally be “light at the end of the rainbow.” The two of us would somehow pull though all this. Now it was time to start our healing, more importantly, it was time to start to live, not just merely surviving, and of course, I was not sure if I knew how anymore. Time to start to exonerate those that wronged us, if that was even possible. That was the only way any of us would be able to move forward from this dark obis we find ourselves in, were humanity nearly was lost forever! Otherwise, none of us would be able to heal, and one day put this all behind us!

Chapter Twenty-four

            
                
“The Holocaust”

“The holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and ultimate murder of approximately six-plus- million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. Between eighty-to-ninety percent, of pre-war Jewish populations in countries invaded by the
Nazis ended up being exterminated!”

             
Turns out the hospital we were presently now in, was located still in the confines of the concentration camp in part of the officer section of the camp, that being said was a considerably nicer than were they had put us up. Now seeing there was so many of us at present, and frankly, nearly all of us, but the luckiest of one’s of us. We were too weak to move.  Because we were-racked with diseases, like dysentery, and we all were suffering the cruel effects of starvation, and the beating we suffered at the hands of those pigs. Some of us proved to be too far along in the process to be saved. Before we were allowed in the hospital, we were all scrubbed down, dosed with lye, our clothing were burned. And most importantly, we were shown kindness.