Free The End of Days by Helen Sendyk

burden to Surcia. So you see, it is simply not feasible, not possible."
"Still, it looks like war, and I am worried," Papa repeated. "Mostly I worry for my Shlamek. The children nowadays consider Poland their country. But is it our country, our land, our people that he is out there defending? He would be defending those that persecute him, and for what? Oy , the children of today, they really think they can change the world. They think they can gain equality and recognition by serving. Silly children, if they would just look into our history they would know better."
And so the discussion continued until it was time to collect the children and go home. The sense of insecurity deepened.

 

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Chapter 4
It was Wednesday, August 30, 1939, late afternoon. Someone came into the store all huffing and puffing. He was talking urgently to Blimcia. Blimcia went to call Mama. Sholek and I were out back in the yard when Mama called us to come inside. She was quite agitated. When Mama's cheeks became rosy pink, I knew she was frightened. Mama's words were unusually clear and strict.
"Stay near the house!" she ordered us. "There is trouble in town. There has been shooting in the marketplace. They say a spy has been caught."
Everyone was nervous. Sholek was dying to sneak out to the marketplace to see for himself. People were standing outside

 

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our store talking about the event. The mood was somber and uncertain.
Before the war had even been declared, the Germans flew into Poland and discharged a cargo of bombs. The municipal government ordered the citizens of Chrzanow to black out their windows and take other wartime precautions. A decree was posted saying anyone engaging in espionage would be punished by death.
Heshek came home from Bielsko the next day, but Vrumek stayed behind. This made our parents very uneasy. Heshek helped Jacob with the war preparations. Shlamek's absence was sorely felt, since he was handiest around the house. We meticulously covered all the windows and doors with heavy black paper or blankets. We pasted wide paper strips across the windows to prevent them from shattering. The building we lived in also housed the municipal offices, and although we had lived there a long time and were generally respected, we had to be extra careful. In this tense atmosphere, the Poles would not hesitate to accuse a Jew of treason if he did not adhere scrupulously to all the ordinances.
"You must not try to point out a target to the enemy, Mr. Stapler," the inspector arrogantly said to Papa, indicating a crack of light coming through a corner of the blacked-out window.
On Friday afternoon a faint sun was slowly tumbling down behind the slanted rooftops when I saw Sholek run towards us. I was playing hopscotch in front of the store with some friends, since I was not allowed to wander anyplace far from home. He was very excited and yelled out to us to follow him. We ran to the store with him, where he emphatically announced that Gdansk and Gliwice were in our hands.
"Where on earth did you hear that?" Blimcia questioned him.
"Out back in the yard," Sholek shot back. "There is a meeting taking place there right now."
I got very excited too. "Mama, Mama did you hear?" I screamed, laughing. "Gdansk and Gliwice are in Polish

 

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hands. Poland has won the war. Poland is victorious. Tomorrow I can go back to school."
Mama patted me on the head. Only a faint smirk danced in the corners of her mouth. "Good, good, my child, now go back and play outside."
"But, Mama," I protested, "you do not even seem to be happy. You were so worried about the war, and now that it is over you are not at all excited or pleased. Shlamek will come home now, and Papa can go back to traveling to Katowice. And by the way, where are Gdansk and Gliwice, Mama?" I asked curiously. I did not have time to wait for an answer, aware that Sholek had already vanished. I quickly followed him into the yard.
There was a lot of hustle and bustle in the