Droozy
was awakened by a knock on the door. Two very tall Nazis entered her bedroom and
commanded her to take off her nightgown. “Move you dirty garlic stinking Jew
brat!” they shouted. She wanted to tell them that she had never eaten garlic.
When she tried to say something words would not come out of her mouth. When she
hesitated the men tore the gown off her body. Standing there naked they jabbed
her with a sword into the center of her back. They marched her screaming down
three flights of stairs and out into the icy winter. The snow lay heavily on the
ground and the white flakes were falling so fast it was difficult to see. Droozy
was dragged down many streets until the three reached a corner where many Nazis
stood with dogs who barked and jumped at her nipping at her bare legs.
Droozy’s heart pounded, she was shivering from the cold. It felt as if her
body were a block of ice, frozen from head to feet. She could feel the blood
trickling from her legs where the dogs had taken a bite. She was shoved into a
dark van where other naked and half dressed people were sitting and standing.
Some wept some screamed, others prayed the “Schemah” in whispers: “Hear Oh
Israel, The Lord Our G’d, The Lord Is One.” “Help me help me G’d,”
cried Droozy. After what seemed like an endless ride all passengers were pushed
out of the darkened van. They stood in a railroad station waiting. They were
herded together with the Nazis cracking whips across their bare bodies. In spite
of the cold Droozy could feel the sharp pain of the whip across the back of her
thighs. It hurt so much and she was so cold she felt as if she could no longer
breathe. Soon a cattle car came along. It had no windows. The doors opened and
that gang of naked children and grown ups were pushed up the steps into the
train. It was so crowded in there that they stood body to body. The doors closed
and Droozy fell against an unknown being in that dark, dark place. Droozy had to
urinate but there was nowhere to go. After a number of hours she could no longer
retain her urine. The smell in that train was putrid with urine and feces.
Suddenly the train came to a halt. There were shouts coming from the outside.
The door opened. Many of the passengers fell out into the street below. Droozy
landed on the sidewalk. Dogs and Nazis herded that naked group into a large
barrack. The morning was gray and foggy. Nazi soldiers shouted that they would
all have to clean themselves before anything else would happen. Droozy was
almost paralyzed with fright. She could barely move. She was handed a piece of
soap and marched outside into a row of other people. One by one the people were
moved into what looked like an enormous flat building. It was Droozy’s turn to
enter. Droozy screamed “Mama, Mama” but Mama wasn’t there, she was
nowhere. Droozy was without her beloved parents, without anyone she knew. She
was alone in a strange world where no one would rescue her. She went into the
barrack when the doors shut. A strange pungent odor permeated the air, not just
of putrid bodies but of a strong gas. It was but seconds later when Droozy felt
her throat close. She grabbed at her neck with her hands but it did not help.
She gasped for breath, she wheezed, no air would come through her nose or mouth.
She gasped, wheezed and gasped again and again until she finally fell in a
lifeless heap to the floor. Droozy
awoke. She was drenched with sweat, tears rolling down her face. She was lying
safely in her warm bed tucked under her white feather cover. |
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