Chapter eight

They carried the sack of weapons and the empty backpack with them all the following day. When the sunset, they began to look for a place to spend the night. A herd of wild boars abruptly crossed their track. Jaroslaw pulled out his pistol and aimed at the last of the pack when Violette noticed him, jumped on him, and prevented him from shooting.

"You want to draw the attention of the forest dwellers?" she shouted at him. "We have no food; we will not survive," he replied in a hoarse, thirsty voice and his discouraged face said it all; he was frightened and desperate.

They found a pile of trees as a hiding shelter and decided to settle there. Violette looked at the sky, and there was not a single cloud heralding rain. They were left with a few slices of dry bread and a box of canned meat of the German army stolen in one of the operations.

In the middle of the night, Violette awoke from the loud and approaching noise of aircraft engines; she shook Jaroslaw, and they both looked at the sky, where dozens of planes flew in formation. In the distance, the horizon turned red with fire and smoke. The echoes of the bombings sounded like muffled thunder.

"They're shelling some city; we'll move in the direction of the bombings tomorrow, sure there's a town there," Jaroslaw said. "We will go back to sleep because tomorrow will be a long day of walking."

As soon as the first light came on, they got up, "We cannot enter the city with weapons," Violette remarked.

"Right, we'll leave the weapons here and take only two pistols; we may be attacked on our way."

The descent from the mountain was more difficult than the climb, but there was also the factor of hunger and thirst that significantly weakened them.

After half a day of walking at a satisfactory pace, they were close to the swamp area; they saw the first village houses that happened to be on their way in the distance. They passed between swamps with shallow water as they approached, and Violette was attempted to drink, but Jaroslaw prevented her from doing so. "The mosquitoes bring malaria or cholera," he said.

A farmer carrying hay in his cart passed them, "Chwala Boga," they greeted him and he answered them warmly and even lifted his visor cap in their honor.

On the outskirts of the village, they approached the first house and knocked on its door, "Who is this?" A shout was heard from inside the house.

"We are passing by. Can we have some water and a slice of bread?" Jaroslaw shouted.

"Open the door and come in," the woman shouted. They went inside: by the fireplace in an armchair sat an older woman, her legs covered with a blanket and a fat cat on top. "I'm sorry I can't get up, I'm paralyzed, and my daughter has gone out to work cleaning some country houses. She'll be back in the evening before it gets dark. Please go to the kitchen and get some water and food."

Violette went to the kitchen and brought a jug of water and a loaf of dark bread, "Thank you, ma'am, may God bless you for your kindness," Violette said, crossing herself in front of a picture of St. Mary hanging by the fireplace.

"Sit down and eat, do not rush; there is also kielbasa sausage and some wine."

The two did not feel in danger by staying in the country house but decided they should continue walking to the city. "We heard that the Germans shelled the city yesterday," Jaroslaw said.

"Yes, they shelled Lublin; there were a lot of victims there," she replied.

The two greeted the kind older woman and set off equipped with water, bread, and a whole sausage they had received from her.

Jaroslaw grabbed Violette's hand, and they looked like a couple of villagers in love going for a walk. They kept their loaded pistols under their clothes while Jaroslaw fastened the backpack loaded with the canteen and the food to his shoulders. They risked death if Germans would search their belongings for the canteen and the pistols they kept, but it was a calculated risk since they avoided meeting German soldiers on their way.

As they passed by the village houses, they felt the locals watching them through the curtains, but they deliberately spoke to each other loudly and confidently. Once they were nearly out of the village, they met a farmer cultivating a small plot of land near his house. They approached and greeted him. "How far are we from Lublin?" Jaroslaw asked. The farmer looked at him suspiciously, "Are you about to walk? Oh, it's going to take you three days of walking."

"And is there another way to get there?" He asked.

"Yes, there's a bus passing by the village of Polowy, which is 50 km before Lublin. Where are you from?"

"We are from the village of Maluszyn, but we got here by car, and the car broke down, so we continue on foot from here."

"If you go fast, you will get there in two days, maybe on the way, you will catch someone traveling by car, and he will take you."

Before they parted, Jaroslaw asked him, "Tell me, friend, did the Germans visit you?"

"Have they visited?" The demon will take them; they came and stole all our food, took the young people to work in the camp they were establishing in Lublin to gather all the Jews there. They also shot to death one of the young men who tried to escape."

"Skurwysyny, these German sons of a bitch," said Jaroslaw and spat.

The farmer shook his head, "and all the bloody Jews will go away with them."

"Amen," Jaroslaw replied.

The two continued on their way on the main road to Lublin; they saw no reason to walk in the woods hidden.

Every few hours, they would stop to rest, eat and drink. On the way, they passed by some Poles in the area who were not showing interest in them besides exchanging greetings.

In the evening, they began to look for a hiding place to spend the night. Since no villages could be seen on the horizon, they decided to go deep into the forest and find a safe place.

As they walked through the darkness, they saw the light originating from a fire that someone had lit. "Let's get out of the woods; it's too dangerous; who knows who they are," Violette whispered.

"Stay here; I'll get a little closer to see."

"Do not leave me alone here; I'm scared," she whispered in a trembling voice.

Suddenly they heard the sound of a rifle being loaded. "Who are you? Get out of the bush and raise your hands; otherwise, we shoot."

They came out from behind the thorny bushes with their hands over their heads. In the light of the pale moon, they saw two guys in civilian clothes holding rifles aimed at them.

"We went into the woods to sleep; we're on our way to Lublin," Jaroslaw said.

"Do you have any weapons?" One of the guys asked.

"Yes, we have two pistols," Jaroslaw replied.

"Are you partisans?"

"Yes"

"Jews?"

"Yes"

"Then, welcome to the forest; we are Jewish partisans from Lublin," said the young man and went to hug the two.

"Join us; we are gathering a large force that in time will join the Russians and disable the cursed Nazis," said Shalma, who was revealed as the camp commander.

Violette and Jaroslaw were surprised to see the camp set up by the partisans in the heart of the forest, about a day walking from the main road leading to Lublin and about the same distance from the railway trains transporting Jews thrown from their homes and sent as cattle to the unknown.

They surrounded themselves with excavations of water canals and piles of logs so that no vehicle could approach. The swampy area that stretched along the central axis also made it difficult to reach them. The camp was surrounded by observation posts, and a fence was built around it to protect against wild boars and bears. Several wooden buildings dispersed in the ara served as a kitchen for the group members, a residence, and one dug in the ground with only its windows above the terrain served as the weapons and ammunition depot.

Violette estimated that about thirty to fifty partisans lived in the camp. Most of them were young, almost half of them women, and some older men, probably World War I fighters who served in the army and gained combat experience and knowledge in handling weapons and laying mines.

Armed guards were patrolling the camp day and night, rotating every few hours; they had spotted Violette and Jaroslaw from the moment they entered the forest and followed them.

"Come to eat, we do not eat all together, there is a cook who prepares meals all day, and when someone is hungry, he goes to the kitchen, and there is always ready food there. Some groups go out on a mission by night and return hungry in the morning," One of the camp residents explained to them.

They entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. "Hey you, this is not a restaurant, there are no waiters, come and get your dishes yourselves, after you eat, clear the table and put them in the water barrel that stands here," he explained, "and call me Janusz," he added.

Janusz came to sit next to them after they took the dishes and sat down to eat. "My name is Violette, and my friend is Jaroslaw."

"I'm the camp doctor; I actually only finished five years of studying until I was expelled from university, but I gained more medical knowledge than the rest, and that's why I got the job."

"Tell me, Janusz, what's happening in Warsaw? What's the situation in Lublin?" Jaroslaw asked, sounding worried.

"I only know what the members of the Krajowa Army report to us; we are collaborating with them and with other units in the occupied territories. There is a problem with the Russians, we never know which side they are on, but now that the Germans have started attacking them, it seems that they are actually on our side. "

"So, what can you tell us?" Violette asked.

"Lublin is flooded with Jews fleeing to the east, refugees from Lodz and Kalisz. Including all the Jews who were deported from the town of Szczecin in Germany. Three labor camps were set up in Lublin and dozens of camps in nearby cities such as Chelm and Belzec. The Germans captured prisoners of war, among them thousands of Jewish and Polish soldiers. They liberated the Poles, stripped the Jews of their uniforms, and concentrated them in one camp from where they marched them towards Biala Podlaska, and on the way, they eliminated most of them. Then, in Lublin, they began to establish a ghetto, where over thirty thousand people were concentrated. The ghetto is not fenced, and we manage to get in and move food and equipment."

"What is the date today? We have entirely lost the dimension of time," said Violette.

"Today is the twentieth of May 1941."

"I will be twenty-three tomorrow," she said with a wide smile.

"So tomorrow, we'll celebrate your birthday," Janusz replied, sending her a kiss in the air before he got up to dip his dishes in the barrel.

Jaroslaw remained sitting at the table, cupping his head in his hands, and seemed in deep thoughts.

"What's wrong with you? Did you suddenly give up?" She put her arm around his neck and clung to him; "I'm anxious; I really do not understand what's going on here, our people are being murdered, and we are fighting the enemy like a fly against an elephant; where will that lead? They will exterminate all the Jews of Poland."

"We are a lot of flies, and together with the Russians, we will beat them; Britain and the United States will also join the war; I am sure we will win."

"And what about my family? Which of them will survive? Maybe when I get home, I will not find any of them even if I will survive. But, at least your parents managed to get out of Europe in time."

Violette could not hold back her tears when she remembered her parents. "I miss them so much."

The following day, the two were summoned for a hearing with Shalma, the camp commander. "Have you already decided to join us?" He asked directly.

Violette and Jaroslaw looked at each other "Yes," they answered simultaneously.

"Then, friends, I will send Sasha to you; he will inform you this morning on the conduct rules here and will practice shooting with you."

"I am a fighter, and I have been in many operations; I will coach Violette, although, in the previous group, she has already received training from the group commander," Jaroslaw said.

"Oh, I'm not updated, so I authorize you to practice with her, take a weapon at Yankee's deposit."

"We have our own pistols; we'll only need bullets to practice."

They both left the camp into the bushes but did not move too far.

Jaroslaw took a position behind Violette and grabbed the pistol together with her, aimed it at a tree trunk, and fired. Then Violette made the first attempt and hit the tree trunk at the same point.

"You're a quick learner; I heard you're being assigned for action because of your good German and your Arian appearance."

Violette looked at him in disbelief. "You invented that, didn't you?"

"No. I really heard Shalma talking about that with one of the group."

He accosted her and put his arm on her shoulder, "Do you like me? Even a little?"

Violette remained immobile, and without looking at him, she said, "I really like you but not the way you think; I'm not ready for a relationship at this time. If we were in a different situation, I would fall for you, but now I will be happy to be close to you as a friend."

Jaroslaw dropped his hand from her shoulder and looked at her face. "I am in love with you, not because you saved my life, but because of your beauty and personality."

Violette did not respond; she hid her longing for him; she knew that at any moment, one of them might be caught and killed and therefore did not want to get close emotionally.

"Let's go back to the camp," she said.

When they returned, she was called to Shalma's room. When she entered, there were two others present. "Meet, this is Violette, and these are Armin and Leo," said Shalma, and they all shook hands.

"You're going on a dangerous operation; Armin and Leo will accompany you. As you probably understood, we do not use real names but nicknames. You do not need to know what their names are; if one of you falls into captivity, he will be tortured but will not be able to betray the other."

"What am I supposed to do?" She asked.

"Do not run so fast; I will explain it to you slowly and in detail." He took out a map and spread it on the table; everyone gathered around it.

"Your assignment is to go to Lublin and meet at the address I'll give you our collaborator Juzik, he's a good Pole, he's well paid too, but he's reliable. You will live at his apartment for several days. Every day, you will go out to one of the labor camps and the ghetto they have built, find young people inside and recruit them to fight the Germans. We will smuggle weapons to them. Bring as much information about the German guarding habits and collect any information about the concentration camps. Armin and Leo will accompany you from a distance and keep you safe."

"Why does Jaroslaw not accompany me?" She asked.

"He's not from the area; those two are from Lublin and know every alley and every hole there."

"When am I supposed to leave?"

"Tomorrow, today we will celebrate your birthday properly, with music, vodka, and dancing."

Violette left his room and went straight to the shower cubicle; the water in the tank hanging above was cold, but the very feeling of cleanliness and the smell of soap on her body brought her back to her parent's house and the pampering bath she would take every weekend with hot water and rose-scented soap that her father used to buy for her in the exclusive perfumery shop in the center of Vienna.

When evening fell, everyone sat around the fire, the girls baked potatoes on the hot coals, and two rabbits hunted in the woods were skewered and hung over the open fire. Someone played a melody on a harmonica, and some got up to dance. Jaroslaw came over to Violette and invited her to dance; she got up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "You are not mad at me, are you?"

"Now you are on your own and must be careful and come back safely."

He held her tight, and they moved slightly away from the circle of dancers. "I'm in love with you; I will not forgive myself if something happens to you," he said, looking into her eyes.

Violette did not answer him; she put her head on his shoulder and hugged him warmly.

"Happy birthday to you and good luck on your mission," he said, and their lips met.

"Violette, it's time."

Violette was deep in her dreams when a voice woke her up; she opened her eyes and saw Armin next to her.

"I'll wait for you outside, hurry up," he said and left the room.

When she came out, it was still quite dark, the sky was clear, and the first rays of light broke through the darkness. Leo was already standing ready with a backpack on his shoulders.

"You take nothing with you but your documents," he said.

The three left the campgrounds and began to cross the forest. This time Violette followed in their footsteps; they knew the forest well and walked with complete confidence. Although they would stop and listen from time to time, there were a few times when it seemed to them that they had seen something and pulled out their weapons, but until evening, nothing happened.

"We'll have to find a place to spend the night, and tomorrow we'll get to the suburbs of Lublin," Armin said, adding, "You are in good shape; you went at our pace and showed no signs of fatigue."

"I am in good health; I used to run a marathon every year; the training strengthen my heart," she replied.

They found a hiding place and spread out the blanket that was rolled up and tied to Leo's backpack.

"You go to sleep, and we will stand watch between us, but first, we will eat something as several hours have passed since we last ate; I have a tin of sardines in tomato sauce that I received from Russian partisans."

Armin opened the tin of sardines, and they tore pieces of bread and dipped it in the fish.

"And I brought some vodka leftover from the party" Leo pulled out the bottle cap, and the three of them took a sip until the last drop.

Violette laid down and tried to fall asleep; she was tired from walking and the vodka, but she could not fall asleep. The thoughts of her life before the war tortured her. She remembered her last evening with Johan when he informed her that they should stop seeing each other for the time being after the race laws forbade intimate ties between Christians and Jews.

"If your fear is stronger than love for me, it is a sign that you do not love me," she had said to him, and he did not answer, just looked down.

"We were about to get married; you said that when I finished my studies, we would get married and start a family. What about all our plans and dreams? Now you're running away and leaving me alone? You swore to my father on the day my parents left that you will take care of me, and what now?"

Johan tried to say something, but nothing came out; he left her standing alone at the entrance to the rose garden where they kissed for the first time.

Violette fell asleep with her cheeks wet from the tears she shed.

When she woke up, she found Armin and Leo lying back to back in a deep sleep. She took Armin's weapon, which was lying by his open palm, and pressed the barrel to his forehead. He opened his eyes and remained frozen. "You startled me," he hissed.

"Is that how you protected me?"

They were both embarrassed. "We are sorry; we hope it stays between us."

"With guards like you, there will be no one who can complain about you."

The three continued on their way, with Violette keeping behind them."

It has been a long and hard day of walking. The three had most of the route to hide at the edge of the forests when they finally arrived at Polowy, at the outskirts of Lublin.

A long convoy of horse-drawn carts carrying housewares and furniture moving towards the city's exit passed them, among them pedestrians hauling carts laden with sacks and tied packages, some dragging their elderly or disabled family members in baby strollers.

The three passed the endless convoy without exchanging glances. "People on the run don't stop to ask questions," the thought went through Violette's mind as she looked at them with great curiosity.

There were no Jews; the German concentrated all the Jews in ​​Unica Street, where they established the ghetto and where thousands of Jewish refugees arrived, escaping to the east. The goal of the three was now to reach the apartment of the Polish collaborator Juzek, whose address was hidden in Violette's clothes.

On the way, Leo tossed the backpack into a deep pit, he wore a gray woolen casket, and they both looked like two urban young men hanging out. Violette walked a few dozen meters behind them with her hair gathered and tied with a ribbon. Her rustic clothes made her look like a villager; she held a basket with the loaded pistol covered by handkerchief and wild mushrooms above it.

As they approached the city center, near the Roman Catholic Church on Karmelicka Street, the two slowed down. They stopped looking and admiring the particular structure when Armin motioned her to bypass them.

A small number of people walked down the street, most of them rushing back to their homes before the night curfew entered. Violette looked at the row of houses and searched for the house number; on one of the entrances, she noticed a small rusty tin sign on which the painted number was scratched, but she could recognize the number nine B in it. She pulled the note and indeed it was the number she was looking for, she shook her head at Armin who looked at her from a distance, and entered the stairwell, she quickly went up the stairs to the third and last floor, on the door was a small sign with the name J. Kowalski. She knocked on the door and waited; she heard footsteps from the other side and noticed that someone looked through the peephole. Then the door opened, and there stood an older man, tall, with graying hair. "Come in; you must be Violette; I'm Juzek," he said, opening the door wide.

As she entered the dark apartment, a Danish dog leaped toward her and placed its front feet on her shoulders. "He just wants to play; he's still young," Juzek said, commanding the dog to sit down.

"Let me show you your room; I do not have a bath in the apartment, so you can dip a towel in the kitchen sink and freshen up. I will give you a key to the bathroom, which the three apartments on our floor share and is in the hallway."

Several months have passed since she felt the atmosphere of home. She lay in her room on her back and looked at the ceiling covered with wooden panels. She thought of all this time she spent in the woods, like a hunted animal wanting to survive, a daily struggle with cold, rain, hunger, and thirst, and in constant escape from human hunters.

"Come on, girl, I made hot Krupnik soup; you must be starving after being on the road for so long," she heard Juzek's voice through the haze of her senses.

"All right, I'm coming, give me a moment," she answered in a whisper and fell asleep.