The room was full of people. Simple food on the table, potatoes and vodka in long glass bottle. It was some dinner together. May be twenty people. First everyone was talking about the war, and our army. A man in military uniform gave a speech. And then we wished everyone come back home. Its was long talk, everyone wanted to say something, to wish and promise.
A woman
stood up. She was sitting with two little boys. I noticed every one would put
more food in their plates. She was young skinny woman wearing old jacket.
The woman
said: “ We came here from the occupied territory. Germans were everywhere. They
walked on our streets. My house was almost at the center and every day I would
see German officer riding his car. Every day. We got a paper that we live in
this city. We were not allowed to leave it, not allowed to lock the doors and
close the blinds on the windows. Two German soldiers would stood up close to
the windows and laugh looking at us. It was their entertainment. They took some
people to work in Germany, some disappeared, and children too. I was lucky that
I looked sick, and my children too. We didn't have food. The Germans took
everything. People who were helping them told us “Soon you will have new
masters". I tried to leave, but it was impossible. One morning I went
outside at the same time the German officer was driving his car. He never
looked at anyone, always looking straight. I followed his car with my eyes. And
I just looked at small fire man running after his car. It was short looking
like man, a figure made from fire, with flames. I could see it. The fire man
ran after the car and then straight. And
this second, I knew, we will get out. We went to the forest, without food, or
extra clothes. We were stopped by Nazi police. I told, we were going to the
forest, on the edge, to get berries, because we had no food. They let us go,
told to come back before the dark. We start to walk, further, further and
further. Then our partisans found us.”
