David Budnik

Under a Lucky Star

PART 7

The factory was not working and the territory was calm and empty. We were lying on the ground in a puddle hiding behind some bricks when we noticed a woman with a boy of about 14. We asked her where the German soldiers were. She was very scared and asked who we were. We again asked where the German soldiers were. The woman explained that there were no soldiers around here but all inhabitants had been evicted and the area was restricted. She certainly knew who we were, not only because there had been a general announcement about our escape and a bounty put on our heads but also because of our appearance. The fascists must have thought that we would not go far. They were mistaken.

The woman suggested that she call her husband. We were afraid of that and suggested that her boy stay with us. If her husband was neither a German or a policeman she had nothing to worry about.

Very soon she came back with a man dressed as, so we thought, a policeman. He turned to be a fireman form the brick factory. He ran towards us crying Comrades! He started to embrace us and kiss us. For the first time in two years we heard that simple and dear word. Don't worry, I won't let you down. I will hide you. he said.

He warned us not to show ourselves and not to speak to anybody. Everything, including food, either he or his son would bring to us. If by chance, somebody saw us or heard us, he told us to say that we were hiding here so as not to be taken away to Germany. He took us to the attic. Ostrovsky had an awful cough. It could have been fatal to us. Wilkes even said he would strangle him. Certainly I did not believe it but poor Ostrovsky was so scared by the ferocious flame in Wilkes' eyes that he could hardly control himself. Since he did not cough in his sleep he tried to sleep during the daytime when someone might come to the factory and stay awake and cough at night.

Nevertheless we were discovered in the attic. Once we heard someone calling in Ukrainian Who are you? Why are you sitting there? I answered as the fireman told us, that we were workers from the factory Bolshevik and we did not want to go to Germany. The man said he was the director of the factory and we should come down so he could help us. Then I remembered Misha's words that the director could not be relied on. The director was gone. He was not that interested in workers from the factory as he was in escapees from the camp. Still, we took some measures of precaution. We broke a wooden wall that was made of one board and moved into another attic. To find us now, one would have had to search the entire factory which was very large. The only problem was that it made contact with Misha and his son very difficult. His son was smart and soon found us. He brought us some food and said that his father told him to stay with us until he came and transferred us to a more reliable place.

As it happened, Misha arrived with some potatoes, pickles and water and told us that the director of the plant was missing.

He led us to a pond to wash. There was no use in trying to clean our faces which were black from the soot of the furnaces without any soap. Misha had brought some hot water. We mixed it with cold water and tried to wash. Our mood was greatly improved. Then he led us to a sewage hatch, which was about 4 and one half meters deep, gave us a rope and told us to climb down.

We tied the rope to the rail and went down in to the sewer. Misha replaced the lid and sprinkled it with cheap tobacco so the dogs would not be able to pick up the scent of humans. We were to stay there until he gave a signal.

We divided up the food he had given us. Each person got two potatoes and enough water to wet the lips. We did not know when he would come and how long we would have to wait. We made a kind of flooring out of boards and bricks. The sewer transferred water from the factory to a special pool. Inside the sewer one could only walk bent over.

We ran out of food and water but were patient and believed that Misha would not abandon us. Since we could not go out, all of our needs were taken care of by taking three steps forward.

At last Misha came and again warned us not to reply to any cries and just sit quietly not responding to any provocation.

Once we heard Germans talking overhead. Some boys had told them that some partisans had been hiding in the sewer. The fascists wanted to check and started throwing grenades down. They were not far from us but we were saved by building a wall with the bricks. The grenades did not explode. The fascists must have thought that the boys had invented it all. They did not imagine that people could actually be living in the sewer. Everyone went away and it was again very calm.

Many years later I saw the film Canal by the Polish director Andgey Vaida and I recalled everything that we went through in those days.

Once we decided to go out for a moment since the sewer was becoming unbearable. We started to make ourselves comfortable in the sun, but then there was a search for those who were avoiding be shipped to Germany. We ran towards the sewer but then it turned out that Kaper was not with us. There was then a shot above, which was undoubtedly aimed at him. Even if he was not shot, there was no chance we could save his life. What chances did a man with such an appearance and speech which gave away his nationality have against the fascist sentence of annihilation?

Misha did not return, so we had to get some food. It would have been very sad to have died of hunger. We did not dare go out in the daytime, but after dark we went out in pairs of two to go hunting. We replaced the lid to the sewer and then set out. We used to find beet root sometimes or potatoes or something else edible. The houses were all empty but there were usually some food products in the cellar. We crawled the entire way there and back.

We had a pail in which we could try to make a kind of soup. In the evening we would crawl into the boiler room, make a fire in the furnace and put the pail inside. The pipe of the boiler room was so high that no one would notice the smoke.

When the soup was cooking we went into the yard. Suddenly only a few meters away were some German soldiers walking and talking. It was too late to run away so we sat down on the pail as if we were defecating. The soldiers must have mistaken us for Germans in the dark and started laughing that we could not find another place. The soldiers went on searching the empty houses looking for jewels hidden away in walls. I told Lenya that I lost my appetite and did not want anything more to eat. The others were waiting, so we reboiled the soup and brought it back.

On the same day or the one after, Misha's son (I can not remember his name) brought some food for us and said that his mother is being taken to Germany. Misha was trying to save her and would not be able to come for the next couple of days. He again warned us not to come out and to wait for him. We divided the food ration and tried to survive. We lived on what we had, already being accustomed to such hardships.