frightened, break down your defenses. What came next felt like the beginning of the end. It is the time when all the color went out of my life and the world turned into shades of gray.”
Jacob paused, not knowing if he could go on. Yet there was a voice in his head— her voice—guiding him, encouraging him to tell it all, to finally spit the bile and venom out of his mouth that he might begin to heal.
Rudy looked at Jacob with sad eyes, feeling the pain with him. He reached out and took Jacob’s hand, yet didn’t say a word.
Appearing unaware of Rudy’s hand on his, Jacob continued, almost as fearful as if reliving it in that moment, back in that house and not sitting with Rudy under the leafy green shade of a tree in his garden.
“My father rushed out of bed to the door, and by then we were hearing yelling. They were shouting at my father to round up his family. When my father didn’t move fast enough, they pushed him aside to the ground and went through the house to each of our rooms to gather us together. They had their guns out, and when we were together, we were told we had ten minutes to change into warm traveling clothes and that we could bring one suitcase each of clothing. One of the soldiers was staring at my sister, looking her up and down in a disgusting manner. He was making rude comments to one of the others about my sister’s beauty and how unfortunate that she was a Jew. Blanca and I were by then a little older than you, nearly seventeen, and she was beautiful, too beautiful. Shortly after we had each gone to our rooms to pack, the one soldier entered my sister’s room and closed the door. Suddenly, I heard Blanca screaming and the Nazi soldier laughing. Then I heard a hard slap, and for a moment there was silence. Then Blanca continued her screaming. I tried to get into the room, but the other soldiers prevented me, and one of them finally hit me with the handle of his gun.”
For a moment, Rudy saw the kid in the park being punched and hitting the ground while he stood and watched. Jacob’s voice brought him back to in the moment.
“As I teetered back and began to lose consciousness, I heard my sister’s fading screaming turn to crying. I heard my mother wailing, as if she were at the end of the tunnel. I felt my father at my side, and then I blacked out for a short time.
“When I awakened, everyone was in the front hallway, including myself. My sister was dressed and in a coat, her face swollen and beginning to color from being struck and from crying. My mother had her arm around her helping her navigate, as she appeared to be in a daze. Someone had put boots on my feet, and my father was lifting me up, pulling my arm around his neck so that he could help me walk until I regained full consciousness. They were not going to wait, you see. I either moved or would be shot. I wanted to go to my sister, but I was still a bit dizzy, just trying to put one foot in front of the other, moving as if I had had too much to drink. As my mother tried to put my arms through my coat as my father held me up, we were herded into a truck where others that we knew and some that we didn’t were seated. All had frightened looks on their face; no one was speaking. They reached out and helped us up onto the truck. No one asked questions about me or Blanca. They could piece it together. You see, everyone knew she had been raped. That ugly, vile-mouthed monster had violated my beautiful, innocent, darling sister.” And with this Jacob put his head down into his arms and sobbed like he had not sobbed since being liberated.
Minutes passed. Rudy sat next to Jacob and just let him cry. Tears ran down Rudy’s face silently at the sight, and reaching out, he put his arm around Jacob’s back. His heart was bursting with love for this man, with such compassion for all he had endured and held in all these years. He understood Jacob’s reticence toward him and felt guilty for being the reminder, the trigger of his
Jacob paused, not knowing if he could go on. Yet there was a voice in his head— her voice—guiding him, encouraging him to tell it all, to finally spit the bile and venom out of his mouth that he might begin to heal.
Rudy looked at Jacob with sad eyes, feeling the pain with him. He reached out and took Jacob’s hand, yet didn’t say a word.
Appearing unaware of Rudy’s hand on his, Jacob continued, almost as fearful as if reliving it in that moment, back in that house and not sitting with Rudy under the leafy green shade of a tree in his garden.
“My father rushed out of bed to the door, and by then we were hearing yelling. They were shouting at my father to round up his family. When my father didn’t move fast enough, they pushed him aside to the ground and went through the house to each of our rooms to gather us together. They had their guns out, and when we were together, we were told we had ten minutes to change into warm traveling clothes and that we could bring one suitcase each of clothing. One of the soldiers was staring at my sister, looking her up and down in a disgusting manner. He was making rude comments to one of the others about my sister’s beauty and how unfortunate that she was a Jew. Blanca and I were by then a little older than you, nearly seventeen, and she was beautiful, too beautiful. Shortly after we had each gone to our rooms to pack, the one soldier entered my sister’s room and closed the door. Suddenly, I heard Blanca screaming and the Nazi soldier laughing. Then I heard a hard slap, and for a moment there was silence. Then Blanca continued her screaming. I tried to get into the room, but the other soldiers prevented me, and one of them finally hit me with the handle of his gun.”
For a moment, Rudy saw the kid in the park being punched and hitting the ground while he stood and watched. Jacob’s voice brought him back to in the moment.
“As I teetered back and began to lose consciousness, I heard my sister’s fading screaming turn to crying. I heard my mother wailing, as if she were at the end of the tunnel. I felt my father at my side, and then I blacked out for a short time.
“When I awakened, everyone was in the front hallway, including myself. My sister was dressed and in a coat, her face swollen and beginning to color from being struck and from crying. My mother had her arm around her helping her navigate, as she appeared to be in a daze. Someone had put boots on my feet, and my father was lifting me up, pulling my arm around his neck so that he could help me walk until I regained full consciousness. They were not going to wait, you see. I either moved or would be shot. I wanted to go to my sister, but I was still a bit dizzy, just trying to put one foot in front of the other, moving as if I had had too much to drink. As my mother tried to put my arms through my coat as my father held me up, we were herded into a truck where others that we knew and some that we didn’t were seated. All had frightened looks on their face; no one was speaking. They reached out and helped us up onto the truck. No one asked questions about me or Blanca. They could piece it together. You see, everyone knew she had been raped. That ugly, vile-mouthed monster had violated my beautiful, innocent, darling sister.” And with this Jacob put his head down into his arms and sobbed like he had not sobbed since being liberated.
Minutes passed. Rudy sat next to Jacob and just let him cry. Tears ran down Rudy’s face silently at the sight, and reaching out, he put his arm around Jacob’s back. His heart was bursting with love for this man, with such compassion for all he had endured and held in all these years. He understood Jacob’s reticence toward him and felt guilty for being the reminder, the trigger of his
Similar Books
