her she disappeared. I woke up sweating in spite of the chill air. The need to hold her in my arms overwhelmed me.
There was loud banging and talking in the street under my window. I pushed the wooden box that served as my table under it and climbed up on top. I pulled aside the vest that acted as a curtain and peeked through the bars. A horse-drawn cart filled with hay was parked next to the prison. Morris, his arms in chains, was being led toward it by Gendarme Bako.
“How long we go to Nyiregyhaza?” he asked the gendarme.
“Shut your mouth! It'll take as long as it takes,” Bako said as he pushed Morris into the cart.
Morris lay on the straw, shielding his face from Bako's blows with his shackled hands. Recsky and Peczely came out of the prison by a side door and climbed up to the seat beside Bako. Bako pulled in the reins and the cart started to move.
“Good-bye, Morris!” I called through the bars. “Goodbye!”
“Good-bye, Julie!” said Morris. “I do no wrong!”
The crack of Recsky's whip silenced him.
I watched the cart lurch away down the rutted road. I climbed off the box and lay down on my cot, but I couldn't fall asleep again. At first I felt sorry for Morris, but then I started wondering what if he did lie and the Jews did kill Esther? Somebody did, or she would have returned home! I wished I knew what to believe.
CHAPTER 10
MONDAY, MAY 22, 1882
I woke up before the roosters the next morning, aching for Clara. I had to see her. My only hope was Pa. Maybe I could convince him to help me get to Aunt Irma's. I dressed quickly. I knew I didn't have much time. I had to be back at the jail to serve Sergeant Toth his breakfast, but I had to talk to Pa first. I knew he was as likely to beat me as to help me, but I didn't care. I was desperate to hold Clara and to know she was all right.
I untied my vest from the bars over the window and quickly put it on to ward off the gentle breeze of the spring dawn. I draped Ma's shawl over my shoulders. I didn't really need it, but I felt close to her when I wore it. For a moment, I buried my face in its softness and engulfed myself in her scent. It felt as if she had her arms around me.
The moon was still in the sky as I ran barefoot through the empty streets, but Pa left for the fields early. I was surprised that the windows of the house were dark. I banged on the door, but Pa didn't open it. When I tried the latch, the door swung open so I went in.
The smell of rotting food made my nostrils twitch. Despite the moonlight sneaking through the narrow windows, the room was dark. For a moment I thought I'd missed Pa and he'd already gone to work. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Pa was lying in his bed, next to the wall. His mouth was wide open and he was snoring loudly. A tankard was overturned on the floor beside the bed. I could smell the stink of the ale even across the room.
Pa wasn't alone. Next to him lay a yellow-haired woman I had never seen before. Her skirts were immodestly bundled up around her hips, leaving her legs bare. I quickly turned to leave.
The woman stirred.
“Who are you?” she asked, her words slurred with sleep.
“I'm Julie. Who are you?”
“Ah, the daughter!” she snickered but didn't pull her skirts down. “I'm your pa's friend.”
She nudged Pa with her elbow.
“Wake up, Peter!”
Pa opened his eyes. When he saw me, he struggled to sit up.
“What're you doing here?”
The woman laughed. It made me so angry I steppedeven closer. I could smell the drink on Pa's sour breath.
“Has Sergeant Toth thrown you out? You can't come back here! You'll be sorry if Toth stops sending your wages to me!”
It took me a moment to find the right words.
“What wages, Pa?”
“Stop your infernal questions!” he roared. He swung his legs around to the side of the bed and stood up.
“If you didn't lose your job, what are you doing here? Why are you spying on me?”
“I'm not spying, Pa. I came to
There was loud banging and talking in the street under my window. I pushed the wooden box that served as my table under it and climbed up on top. I pulled aside the vest that acted as a curtain and peeked through the bars. A horse-drawn cart filled with hay was parked next to the prison. Morris, his arms in chains, was being led toward it by Gendarme Bako.
“How long we go to Nyiregyhaza?” he asked the gendarme.
“Shut your mouth! It'll take as long as it takes,” Bako said as he pushed Morris into the cart.
Morris lay on the straw, shielding his face from Bako's blows with his shackled hands. Recsky and Peczely came out of the prison by a side door and climbed up to the seat beside Bako. Bako pulled in the reins and the cart started to move.
“Good-bye, Morris!” I called through the bars. “Goodbye!”
“Good-bye, Julie!” said Morris. “I do no wrong!”
The crack of Recsky's whip silenced him.
I watched the cart lurch away down the rutted road. I climbed off the box and lay down on my cot, but I couldn't fall asleep again. At first I felt sorry for Morris, but then I started wondering what if he did lie and the Jews did kill Esther? Somebody did, or she would have returned home! I wished I knew what to believe.
CHAPTER 10
MONDAY, MAY 22, 1882
I woke up before the roosters the next morning, aching for Clara. I had to see her. My only hope was Pa. Maybe I could convince him to help me get to Aunt Irma's. I dressed quickly. I knew I didn't have much time. I had to be back at the jail to serve Sergeant Toth his breakfast, but I had to talk to Pa first. I knew he was as likely to beat me as to help me, but I didn't care. I was desperate to hold Clara and to know she was all right.
I untied my vest from the bars over the window and quickly put it on to ward off the gentle breeze of the spring dawn. I draped Ma's shawl over my shoulders. I didn't really need it, but I felt close to her when I wore it. For a moment, I buried my face in its softness and engulfed myself in her scent. It felt as if she had her arms around me.
The moon was still in the sky as I ran barefoot through the empty streets, but Pa left for the fields early. I was surprised that the windows of the house were dark. I banged on the door, but Pa didn't open it. When I tried the latch, the door swung open so I went in.
The smell of rotting food made my nostrils twitch. Despite the moonlight sneaking through the narrow windows, the room was dark. For a moment I thought I'd missed Pa and he'd already gone to work. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Pa was lying in his bed, next to the wall. His mouth was wide open and he was snoring loudly. A tankard was overturned on the floor beside the bed. I could smell the stink of the ale even across the room.
Pa wasn't alone. Next to him lay a yellow-haired woman I had never seen before. Her skirts were immodestly bundled up around her hips, leaving her legs bare. I quickly turned to leave.
The woman stirred.
“Who are you?” she asked, her words slurred with sleep.
“I'm Julie. Who are you?”
“Ah, the daughter!” she snickered but didn't pull her skirts down. “I'm your pa's friend.”
She nudged Pa with her elbow.
“Wake up, Peter!”
Pa opened his eyes. When he saw me, he struggled to sit up.
“What're you doing here?”
The woman laughed. It made me so angry I steppedeven closer. I could smell the drink on Pa's sour breath.
“Has Sergeant Toth thrown you out? You can't come back here! You'll be sorry if Toth stops sending your wages to me!”
It took me a moment to find the right words.
“What wages, Pa?”
“Stop your infernal questions!” he roared. He swung his legs around to the side of the bed and stood up.
“If you didn't lose your job, what are you doing here? Why are you spying on me?”
“I'm not spying, Pa. I came to
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