A Loss Of Love

Joseph Reyes

English 9

Period 1

Mrs. Klipstein

Loss of Love

There I go again… there is a very pretty woman on the street and I really would like to take her out on a date. Unfortunately, I am not a very nice looking man, no one would ever want to go out with me. So I’ll just keep my thoughts to myself, and keep moving on. The funny thing is, I know pretty much all the women in the village and I’ve been rejected by all of them by this point. There are about 100 women in the whole village, but from time to time we get new people that just want to get away from the city.

Today I went to temple and I did the same routine that we do every Saturday, all I thought about was the thought of forever being alone. After the service I went to get some bread for Shabbat, and when I was on my way over there is was pulled over by an SS officer.

“Where are your papers”, he said in a rough voice.

“Uhhhhhhhh”, I stuttered in panic

“Why are you not wearing your star?”

I panicked and started running away as fast as I could, the adrenaline rushing through me. I could hear the SS officer yelling at me in the distance “STOP! STOP!” Then he blew his whistle and on the corner of the street and another SS officer came around. He was six foot seven and was made of solid muscle. He looked to be about two hundred and fifty pounds. Before I knew it i was two feet off the ground. I looked to my to my right on the street and everyone around me was just going about their day. There was one woman that was covering up her daughter's eyes. It was if everyone besides that women didn’t notice me, they were more afraid for their lives.

“What are you staring at you filthy swine.”

“Nothing”, I said in fear.

“I’m in a good mood today and if I ever see you around I am going to ask you for your papers, and you’ll be sorry if you don’t.”

I shivered in fear and he threw me to the ground with great strength. Then I forgot about the bread and headed  home. The fear of the SS capturing me again was terrifying. As I walked to my house the pavement turned into a dirt road and it lead me to my front yard-which was about a quarter of a mile from the market.

I walked up to my door and opened it and I rushed myself to find my papers. I found them on my desk under a pile of overdue taxes.  I put them in a safe spot on the table next to my bed, where I found a pile of patches of the star of David that my mom had made for me before she passed away a month ago. The house was not the same after she passed away. We were alone together ever since my father died when I was three years old. The death of my parents are not something I like to talk about.

The next day I was woken up by the village police who were pounding on my door. The door sounded like it was going to break clear off the hinges. In anger I rushed to the door to open it, but then I stopped myself for a moment and took a breath to calm myself down. Forcing a smile, I opened the door and said, “Hello officer.”

“Is this Alfred Kuzmychov?”, the officer said with authority.

“Ah, yes, what is the matter officer?”

“Show me your papers. Immediately.”

“Alright, just give me a minute to get them”, I quickly ran to my room to get my papers. I grabbed  them and rushed back to the door. “Here you go officer”, I muttered as I passed my papers to him.

“I see… hmmm….”, as he glanced at the papers.

I shivered slightly at what he might say. He read the papers in an instant as if he was just looking for one piece of information.

“You need to pack up your belongings within 48 hours and you will report outside of your house with your neighbors.”

“Wait, what is going on- why do I have to pack up?” I said with a hint of anger.

“Don’t ask questions!”,  he ordered angrily.

“...yes, officer”, I closed the door and sat on my bed wondering why they wanted me to pack up my stuff and stand outside. ‘Why?’ I asked myself. I reminded myself that if I didn’t do what they told me then I would be arrested, even shot. Soon, I began to pack up my prized possessions: my moms golden brooch, my papers, my father’s wooden chess set, and my father’s pocket watch.

That night I was listening to the radio, my favorite jazz song, “Sing, Sing, Sing”, by Benny Goodman playing. The fire crackled softly as I was thought about where I might be five years from now; I thought about the places that the police were sending me. Then I thought about my parents and their death. It was a long time before I got any sleep.

*knock knock knock* “This is the police.”

I sprung out of my bed and and rushed to the door with my robe on. “Hello officer, what seems to be the problem?”, I said trying not to yell at his rudeness.

“We have received information of where you will be going.”

“Where is it officer.”

“Tomorrow, after roll call you will be transferred to the ghettos.”

“Ok officer. Wait what kind of things do I bring.”

“Bring clothes, blankets and personal belongings”

“Ok, officer.” I closed the door. I thought “Why am I letting them do this to me.” This is my house, the house that I was raised in. No one should be able to take this home away from me. But then I thought about what my mother taught me, which was to do whatever the authorities told me and not to be a trouble maker. After all, the police would never do anything to hurt their citizens. Their job is to protect them- it wouldn’t make sense for them to hurt innocent people. It’s probably for our own safety- maybe there is something coming and they are sending us to a safe zone.

It was morning and about 5 in the morning and I had all my belongings in a wagon that I had found in my backyard. I went out in the front and the police officers were just coming in with their siren on. I was swallowing the last bit of my toast. Then with a big mighty roar the police told everybody to come out of there houses. Within 10 minutes everybody was in the middle of the street where the police were standing. Then a very tall officer pulled a list of names of every jewish person that I knew. I thought to myself why are there only jewish people leaving their homes, but I didn’t think about the significance.

After about an hour and a half of checking the list of name about 10 time the officers told us to follow them. We walked with our stuff for about a half an hour. When we got to this pour looking apartment buildings we stopped. The officers went through another list giving assigned apartments, they called them the ghettos. The whole area where the ghettos stood, were closed off from the town next to it.  I got my apartment was 911 Tamarack, it was about the smallest apartment compared to all the other apartments in the building, but naturally I got comfortable, and made it home. The apartment came with food that was not so pleasant, they were things were essentials, such as a loaf of bread, soup broth and a few potatoes. That night I made my bed and laid down and closed my eyes thinking that everything was going to be alright.

I had slept in, it was about 8 pm, and I went get some fresh air by opening the window. When I had looked inside there was a heard of people coming with a car full of policemen. They began the same process was we did when we entered the ghettos. I listened for my apartment number to see if anyone would get mine. Then I heard my number the officers had given it to a family named Bennett. When I heard the news I tried to move my stuff closer to my room and I made sure that I did not eat that much so there will enough for the Bennett family.

About 20 minutes had passed and then I heard the nice sound of people coming up the stairs with their heavy luggage. It was not before long that I heard knocking on my door. I opened the door and said with a big smile.

"Welcome, to your new home. Let me show you around, so here is the kitchen/dining/living room/and over here in the left corner is the only bedroom. Now I'll sleep in the small bedroom and you will get the living room." The family of four looked at me confused. I then realized that they did not speak Slavic and that there might only speak German. So I then started to do charades to explain to them what was theirs and what was mine. But after a few seconds the father broke the silence and said in Slavic that they knew what I said. I felt like a fool but I just smiled and kept talking. While the Bennett family got situated in the apartment I took a stroll out in the streets.    

It was then that I saw a brown hair, brown eyed, fair skinned, 5'5, lean beautiful woman. She was about 2 years younger than me. She was walking from one side of the street to another, in her hand was a basket full of delicious looking apples. I picked up the pace to catch up to her, but she was fast. But I finally caught up to her and I said, "Hey I have seen you around, you sound like a nice lady, we should get together."

She then turned around and opened her eyes and looked at me and pointed to her upper chest, "who me?"

"Yeah, we should get together, I mean if you..."

"Ok! That sounds great, when?" She asked excitedly

"Wow, cool how about Friday, we can celebrate Shabbat together", I said with the same excitement. " Uh I will pick you up around 6pm. Is that ok?"

"Yes that sounds wonderful! My apartment is 8609."

"Ok sounds good!" Man I have never gotten a girl to like me so fast. Wow my esteem has gone through the roof! Wait what am I going to do about the Bennet family? Am I going to celebrate Shabbat with the family and that girl. Wait I don't even know her name!?!?!?!? Wow I am such a dummy that I didn't even ask for her name. Fine when I see her again I'll ask her.

When I got to my apartment I announced that we have a visitar and she is a very special girl. The Mr. Bennett asked me if I we were going to celebrate Shabbat and I said of course.

Later at 5:15 I was cleaning  the mess that the Bennett children made and I put up the candles and we had and with the help of Mrs. Bennett we were able to make honey breaded chicken, but was going to cost us about two days of food because we had to ask for the chicken. When the whole house was in order and the food was finished I started to go to 8609 tamarack. When I got to her apartment I knocked on the door at 5:55. While I was waiting I heard papers being stuffed, stacked, and shuffled around, there was the sound of people rushing all over the place as if they did not want me to see what they had going on. About two minutes and a few knocks later the woman that I meet earlier came in the doorway. She had a soft tone in her  voice as she said hi. "So, what were you doing over there?"

"Oh I was fixing my hair," she said as her pupils grew bigger.

"Oh, well, I didn't get your name earlier."

"Oh sorry, my name is Mary Lussenburg."

"Wow, Mary, my name is Alfred Kuzmychov", I said with a smile. We walked on to my apartment.

"So Alfred, why do you just pick up any girl that just seems to be walking in your way."

"Hahaha. No I just saw you walking and I thought to myself she seems like a nice girl. So I went after you. "

"Oh I see. You are one of those shallow guys that will take any girl out that seems nicely dressed of just pretty."

"No, no you have it all wrong I picked you because you just seemed like a nice person. There was something I just picked up just by looking at you."

"Oh", she said blushing.

We reached my apartment and the Bennett family welcomed Mary and I in the apartment. They gave us hugs and a kiss on the cheek, as we got to the diner table. The house smelt delicious. There was a platter of honey breaded chicken and wine that Mr. Bennett had packed in his luggage. We all sat down at the table while Mrs. Bennett went to the kitchen and got the forks and knives. When we ate there was silence, even the children were quiet as a mice.  After we were done eating Mrs. Bennett broke the silence by singing an old Jewish tune and the children sang to it and Mr. Bennett was mumbling the tune as well. The evening went by quick and before I knew it, I had to walk Mary home. I was disappointed that Mary and I did not get a chance to talk.

"I liked your apartment mates."

"Oh the Bennett family. Yeah they are nice I just meet them today."

"Really you seem like you have been with them for a while."

Yeah well they give you that comfort, like you are part of their family." We reached the door of 8609 and Mary looked at me in the eyes with a deep concentration.

"I like you to much to let you go Alfred."

"What do you mean."

"Let me show you." She opened the door to her apartment and let me in.

Imdeity I saw a ton of papers that covered the place like a thin coat of snow.

"What is all of this."

"This is your freedom and the freedom of others. See this ghetto is is a place you go to before they send you into a concentration camp which is a labor  camp. I don't want you to suffer."

"What are you talking about?!?!?"

" I am talking about the freedom about the freedom of the later oppression."

" Ok what do you mean the police would not want to put us in danger, the government would not let this happen to us."

"Oh yes they will and they already have that's why everybody here is Jewish."

"Well what will those papers do?"

"They will get you through borders and through guards. All I need is your information."

I thought to myself this is crazy why would they do this to use and why right now. I then sat down on a near by chair and thought about what Mary had said. What she might be saying is true, hmmm well doesn't seem like she would do me wrong. After all she said she like me too much. "Fine what do I have to do?"

"Just give me your information."

I gave Mary my information and she quickly got a pen and filled out a form.

"There now we are all set. Come back tomorrow and I can get you out of this place." She then looked me straight in the eyes and leaned toward me we were now as close as ever. I also learned in and she took me away, sparks came out as soon as our lips touched. The passion lasted forever, and the sparks turned into fireworks and that was my first kiss. She then leaned out and the scene was over. I then walked to the door slowly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

When I got home the Bennett family was sound asleep on in the living room. The next morning I grabbed my mothers broch and my father's pocket watch and the I went over to Mary's apartment at 6 o'clock she opened the door in an instant as if she was next to the door for a long time. Gave me a map and the papers that would get me anywhere. She walked me and took me to a wall of concrete and she told me to pick up the wooden plank in front of the wall. I looked around before I did and then I proceeded. I picked up the plank and there was a hole that went through the other side. I then said this is it and I went under. Mary then followed after me, I helped her get out. We were on the other side of the was, we were outside of the ghetto. Mary then said "we can start a life together."

"Yes but we better get out of here before an officer comes over here." Then right at that moment a siren had turned on and the sound of dogs barking came near. I grabbed Mary's hand and we ran. The fear of losing another loved one. As we ran I heard the sound of gunshots and I felt the heaviness of Mary's hand. Her hand had pulled me forward. Her hand became colder and colder by the second.

I flipped her over on her back and she spoke spoke softly "May God be with you." Then I leaned in to her face and kissed her once more. She gave me the last breath of life. In at that moment I had to leave her before I was shot, I ran into the city. I ran as fast as I could, I ran till I could not run anymore. I was a free man now and I did not want to be for I had lost another love. I barely knew Mary, she was the last love I ever had. Forever will I be alone. For I had lost a love.