Read Online Karolina's Twins by Ronald H. Balson - Free Book Online

the death camps. What rational person could? An entire industry constructed by the Nazis to commit mass murders on millions of people? No one could conceive of such a demonic objective, certainly not a privileged seventeen-year-old who had been sheltered most of her life.
    â€œDays would come and days would go, and I was becoming more nocturnal. During the night I would eat in the kitchen, clean my clothes, take a bath—all in the dark. I tried to keep the house clean, dusted and in good order. I knew I couldn’t build a fire in the fireplace or put coal in the furnace. The Nazis would see the smoke in the chimney. For those cold, raw spring days, I would lie under the blankets with my coat on. But I was getting along okay.”
    â€œPretty adventurous,” Catherine said. “Weren’t you afraid?”
    â€œOh, yes. Mostly afraid of the unknown. We didn’t have a radio anymore, so I didn’t have a clue what was happening in Chrzanów and the rest of the world. But I knew I didn’t want to meet up with those Germans who’d burst into our house. Most of all, I was worried about my family. What had the Germans done with them? Where were they?
    â€œAnd I worried for Karolina. I hadn’t seen or heard from her since the Germans came for my family. My house was her safe harbor. Her father was missing, her mother was as good as missing, Madeleine was gone and now her adopted family had vanished. Karolina’s mental state was fragile to begin with, now what would become of her? I decided to go see.”
    â€œYou were going to search for Karolina?” Catherine said.
    Lena nodded. “It was only a few blocks away from the square, across the train tracks and through a field. I could make it at night. After my evening chores, about three A.M. , I dressed in a black coat and went out the back door. I saw no one on the sidewalks and no traffic on the streets. By this time, the only cars in Chrzanów belonged to the Germans. The tracks ran through town on a raised berm, elevated from the Chrzanów streets, perhaps as high as fifteen feet. I made my way over the tracks, down the embankment and through the field to Karolina’s.
    â€œThe lights were off in her one-story home. I peered through the kitchen window and walked around the back to Karolina’s bedroom window. It wasn’t completely closed and I slowly lifted it. There was a man in her bed! He was sleeping, but he felt the breeze and turned on his side. I ducked down and then heard him snore. I slowly peeked again, and looked at this heavyset, baldheaded man. Obviously, the Neumans no longer lived on Drogarz Street. I crawled to the side of the house and dashed off through the field.
    â€œNow I was sure that the Jews were all being collected somewhere, in one area of the town. I knew it was just a matter of time and I would have to leave my house as well. Still, I procrastinated. I felt secure in my attic. So far, so good.
    â€œI visited Mr. Olenski one more time. I returned his pot and he asked how we were. Then he gave me a few items, including a chocolate bar, and whispered to me that I shouldn’t come in anymore. His store was now ‘verboten’ to Juden.”
    â€œWell, when you heard that, how did you plan to get food?” Catherine said.
    â€œI still had some food, so I put off my decision. I went back to my routine. But it all came to an abrupt end two weeks later in early April. I was awakened by the sound of people in my house. It was daylight, that much I could tell from the split in the roof. I heard the voices of a woman and two men. They were quite clearly walking around my house and commenting on what they saw. I couldn’t get all of the conversation, but I could get enough to know that the woman was planning on redecorating the living room as soon as she moved in.
    â€œThe conversations got louder, and I knew they were coming upstairs. I heard the woman say,