pieces of bread we were given clutched in our hands, we sat down at our usual spot on the ground in front of our block. Agi and Eva gorged on their bread. Sari slowly nibbled on the crust.
“Happy birthday, Sari! I have a surprise for you,” I said as cheerfully as I could. “They gave me extra bread in Kanada. I'm full. I can't take another bite. You can have my ration. It's my gift for your birthday.” I shoved my bread into her hands before I could change my mind.
She stared at me, mouth agape. “I can't accept your bread! It's too generous!”
“Sure you can! You have to. I'm stuffed!”
Her face brightened. She hugged me and took the bread.
“There's more … I have something for you two!” I announced.
I emptied my pockets and filled my dish with the potato peels. The girls piled them on top of their bread.
“I am so hungry that it actually tastes good,” said Eva.
“Let's be careful how much of it we eat,” warned Agi. “We should save some for tomorrow.”
“Don't worry about that. I can always organize more.”
“Where did you get it?” asked Eva.
“It's better that you don't know.”
Eva gave me a long look but did not press me.
“You are a good person, Jutka,” said Sari, patting my hand, “giving me your bread, sharing the potato peels with us …”
“Nonsense! I was lucky. I told you, I was given extra bread in Kanada.”
“Most people would have saved their ration for another day,” said Sari.
Eva put her arm around Sari's shoulder. “Oh, how I wish that I had something to give you for your birthday too!”
“Don't be silly,” said Sari. “We're in a Vernichtungslager. It's a death camp.”
“Does that mean that you don't have a birthday? They're all the more precious here!” said Agi. “At my birthdayparties, we always dressed up in our best clothes and stuffed ourselves with birthday cake and chestnut pudding.”
She leaned closer to me. “You know, Jutka, both Sari and Eva have been here longer than us. Their clothes are in worse shape than ours.”
“Thank you for pointing out that we're in rags.” Eva struck a pose. “You're not so glamorous yourself!”
“Believe me, I know,” said Agi. “Still, we're a little better off than you.” She took Sari's hand. “Jutka and I will lend you our clothes to wear for a day, Sari. Jutka?”
“It's a wonderful idea!”
“You can have my shirt. It's less torn than yours and much cleaner,” said Agi.
Sari laughed helplessly. “Fine. But you really don't have to do this.”
“I know, but I want to.”
“Will your shirt fit me?” asked Sari.
“For sure. You may be taller than I am, but you're skinnier than me,” Agi said.
“That's because you hardly eat!” I told her. “If you promise to eat more, I'll lend you my shoes.” I kicked them off my feet.
“I am becoming a regular Muselmann, aren't I?” said Sari ruefully. She smoothed down the front of her tattered shirt.
“Don't be silly!” scolded Eva.
Sari sighed. “I know I am. Did you mean it about lending me your shoes, Jutka?”
“Of course I did!”
“I'd love to wear regular shoes, even if it's only for a day.” She looked at my feet. “Why do you have rags wrapped around your feet?”
“Good question. Why?” asked Eva.
“Because I have another surprise!” I got the girls to stand in front of me so that I would be hidden. I unraveled the rags to reveal the gold coins. My friends stared at me.
“My God!” said Agi. “Where did you get them?”
“From Kanada. Don't ask any questions.”
“But how –”
“Trust me, it's best not to know!” She nodded reluctantly, and I continued. “I want each of you to take a coin. The money will pay for your passage home at the end of the war.”
“Or buy us bread so that we survive the war,” said Eva.
“You should keep the money for yourself,” said Agi. “You might need it.”
“I have two coins. It's enough. I want to share the rest of the money with you.” We
“Happy birthday, Sari! I have a surprise for you,” I said as cheerfully as I could. “They gave me extra bread in Kanada. I'm full. I can't take another bite. You can have my ration. It's my gift for your birthday.” I shoved my bread into her hands before I could change my mind.
She stared at me, mouth agape. “I can't accept your bread! It's too generous!”
“Sure you can! You have to. I'm stuffed!”
Her face brightened. She hugged me and took the bread.
“There's more … I have something for you two!” I announced.
I emptied my pockets and filled my dish with the potato peels. The girls piled them on top of their bread.
“I am so hungry that it actually tastes good,” said Eva.
“Let's be careful how much of it we eat,” warned Agi. “We should save some for tomorrow.”
“Don't worry about that. I can always organize more.”
“Where did you get it?” asked Eva.
“It's better that you don't know.”
Eva gave me a long look but did not press me.
“You are a good person, Jutka,” said Sari, patting my hand, “giving me your bread, sharing the potato peels with us …”
“Nonsense! I was lucky. I told you, I was given extra bread in Kanada.”
“Most people would have saved their ration for another day,” said Sari.
Eva put her arm around Sari's shoulder. “Oh, how I wish that I had something to give you for your birthday too!”
“Don't be silly,” said Sari. “We're in a Vernichtungslager. It's a death camp.”
“Does that mean that you don't have a birthday? They're all the more precious here!” said Agi. “At my birthdayparties, we always dressed up in our best clothes and stuffed ourselves with birthday cake and chestnut pudding.”
She leaned closer to me. “You know, Jutka, both Sari and Eva have been here longer than us. Their clothes are in worse shape than ours.”
“Thank you for pointing out that we're in rags.” Eva struck a pose. “You're not so glamorous yourself!”
“Believe me, I know,” said Agi. “Still, we're a little better off than you.” She took Sari's hand. “Jutka and I will lend you our clothes to wear for a day, Sari. Jutka?”
“It's a wonderful idea!”
“You can have my shirt. It's less torn than yours and much cleaner,” said Agi.
Sari laughed helplessly. “Fine. But you really don't have to do this.”
“I know, but I want to.”
“Will your shirt fit me?” asked Sari.
“For sure. You may be taller than I am, but you're skinnier than me,” Agi said.
“That's because you hardly eat!” I told her. “If you promise to eat more, I'll lend you my shoes.” I kicked them off my feet.
“I am becoming a regular Muselmann, aren't I?” said Sari ruefully. She smoothed down the front of her tattered shirt.
“Don't be silly!” scolded Eva.
Sari sighed. “I know I am. Did you mean it about lending me your shoes, Jutka?”
“Of course I did!”
“I'd love to wear regular shoes, even if it's only for a day.” She looked at my feet. “Why do you have rags wrapped around your feet?”
“Good question. Why?” asked Eva.
“Because I have another surprise!” I got the girls to stand in front of me so that I would be hidden. I unraveled the rags to reveal the gold coins. My friends stared at me.
“My God!” said Agi. “Where did you get them?”
“From Kanada. Don't ask any questions.”
“But how –”
“Trust me, it's best not to know!” She nodded reluctantly, and I continued. “I want each of you to take a coin. The money will pay for your passage home at the end of the war.”
“Or buy us bread so that we survive the war,” said Eva.
“You should keep the money for yourself,” said Agi. “You might need it.”
“I have two coins. It's enough. I want to share the rest of the money with you.” We
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