Burakowski - Hidden gold: a true story of the Holocaust

Part One

Life in Piczw

Chapter 1

A Son, 1930

L eib heard Hannas screams from the street. He bounded up the stairs two at a time and paced back and forth.

Why is it taking so long?

Finally Hannas shouts stopped and so did Leibs breathing. The melody hed waited so long to hear ended the momentary silence; weh, weh, weh . He closed his eyes and mumbled a quick prayer of thanks. The baby had strong lungs.

The bedroom door creaked open slowly, and the midwife emerged, wiping her hands on her apron. You have a son, she announced.

A son? he asked. I have a son? Leib wasnt sure he could trust his ears. How is my Hanna?

Your wife is fine. Give me a little time to clean things up, and then you can come in and see them both.

Unable to control his excitement, Leib lifted the midwife off the ground and twirled her around. Realizing how inappropriate this was, he placed her back down and watched as she straightened her dress.

Im sorry Pani Glowinski, but I have a son! He laughed. Thank you. Thank you so much! Leib ran down the stairs to the front door of the apartment building. I have a son! he yelled into the street. Mazel tov echoed back to him.

It was freezing out, but Leib paid no attention to the frigid temperature or the snow as he ran to his general store. Shoshana had been left alone in the store to keep it running. He was very excited to give his eldest daughter the wonderful news that she had a baby brother.

Shoshana knew her mother was in labor and anxiously waited for her father to return with some word. It seemed to be taking forever. Her mind was not on serving the customers, it was on the broken clock on the wall whose hands didnt seem to be moving. Whats taking so long, she thought just as her tateh burst through the door. A wave of nervous excitement surged through her.

Tateh, did Mameh have the baby?

Yes, yes Shoshanaleh, you have a little brother. He squeezed his daughter tightly and planted a kiss on her head. When he released her from the bear hug, he held her at arms length, staring at his firstborn; the pride evident on his face. She was so grown up. Where had the time gone? She was already eleven and a responsible young lady.

A little brother, Shoshana said, Hows Mameh? Can I see him, Tateh? Did you tell Esther? There was so much she needed to know, Shoshana didnt know what to ask first.

Making sure to answer all her questions Leib said, Your mothers fine Shoshanaleh. Of course you can see him, but not yet. I havent even seen him yet. Pani Glowinski is fixing things up, so we can go in, but she said your mother and the baby are doing well. Im going to tell Esther before I go back up. Stay here, sweetheart, and mind the store. Youre doing a great job; Mameh and I are very proud of you, he reassured her. Ill come get you very soon mayn tyreh meydele , my precious girl. And he was gone.

Absorbing what her father had just told her, Shoshana stood still for a moment, then took a deep breath. She giggled and began to sing loudly while she went back to work straightening the jars on the shelf.

Esther was at the familys second store, the tobacco wholesale next door. Leib stood at the door watching her before he walked in. She sat on her knees, a pencil tucked between her teeth, counting each item from the delivery that had arrived earlier. Her hair pulled back in a kerchief, she used the back of her hand to brush away one escaped lock of hair. She was a bright child with her mothers ability to understand the workings of a business. Leib watched his daughter concentrate on her task. She took her job seriously and loved working even more than playing. The first time he realized it was when he watched her make change for a customer. The man laughed as Esther, at age four, counted out the zloty into his palm. To Esther it was a game.

Today, at the age of nine, Esther had lost her status as the baby of the family and made no secret of her disapproval. She didnt notice her father walk in. Leib crouched down to his daughters eye level. Esther, you have a new baby brother, he said, watching for her reaction.

There was a moment of hesitation before she dropped the pencil from her mouth and threw her arms around her fathers neck. They stood together and he held her, rocking back and forth like he used to when she was a baby.

Tateh is Mameh okay? Esther asked.

Leib laughed, gave her a big kiss on the cheek and put her down. Everyone is wonderful, Leib said.

Ania, the familys housekeeper was in the store with Esther. Even though his youngest daughter could run the place herself, Hanna insisted the housekeeper be there. Mazel tov, Ania said to Leib from behind the counter. Leib smiled and thanked her for watching the girls.

Esthershe, Leib said endearingly, Im going to see Mameh and your new brother. I havent seen them yet. Ill be back to get you soon.

Word traveled quickly in the town of Piczw, Poland, and Leib could hear shouts of mazel tov coming from all directions. He waved at people as he made his way back to the apartment. He stomped the snow off his shoes as he ran up the stairs. Just as he approached the door to the bedroom, the midwife opened it and gestured for him to enter. He stood at the entrance for a moment surveying his wife and new son, who was swaddled in a soft cotton blanket. He went over, smiled at Hanna, and took his son in his arms. He looked down at the baby with so much joy in his heart he thought he would burst. Leib sat down on the edge of the bed next to his wife.

Hanna, you gave me a son, he said gently, his eyes filled with tears. Hanna beamed. Although she was exhausted, she relished this moment. Leib kissed his her gently. He stroked her hair with one hand, and held the tiny bundle in the other. I love you Hanna, he whispered, as she succumbed to exhaustion.

Darkness set in while Leib sat next to his sleeping wife, rocking his newborn son. Leib looked at his wife, her long hair draped around her shoulders, loose and flowing. It wasnt often he saw her with her hair down; she always wore it tied back in a tight bun. Without those tortoise shell glasses that rarely left her face, she looked calm and beautiful.

He couldnt believe how fortune had shone on him. His mind wandered back to the past and how hed met this remarkable woman who had borne him three children and become his soul mate.

It was 1918, and Leib was twenty-four. Gittel, the matchmaker, approached him about arranging a shidduch for marriage. The young woman was twenty-one-year-old Hanna Finer of Wislica. Leib asked around about the Finer family, and the feedback was glowing.

After just one meeting, Leib realized they had much in common. There was a spark between the couple, and Hanna was drawn to Leibs charm and confidence.

The match was a success. The children of two prominent families joined forces to become a power couple to be admired.

Hanna complemented Leibs life perfectly. She knew what her husband needed even before he did. Even with her small stature, when Hanna spoke, people listened. This diminutive dynamo of a woman was well ahead of her time. She handled the family businesses, while Leib was away on buying trips or entertaining politicians. She oversaw their general store and tobacco wholesale, while keeping a tight grip on the home front. She hired a housekeeper to help with chores and she taught her two daughters, Shoshana and Esther, to help her after school. She ran her home and the businesses like a seasoned orchestra conductor.