A girl called A-18352: The Story of a Child of Auschwitz

Stars

             There is a new law now. It says that Jews like me have to wear a fabric Star of David on the outer garment in plain sight when in public. Haya hated this " I'M NOT WEARING THAT DAMN STAR AUNT OLGA!" She had shouted. "I don't care what those pricks do to me I'M NOT WEARING IT!" Mamusiu sighed, then shifted my new baby brother Reuven to her other arm.

        My cousin is usually more reasonable than Mamusiu, her throwing a fit isn't ever a good sign. She had a point though, the star was very ugly; I hated it too.

      " Haya," she said calmly," Why must you make a fuss about every new law being passed. It's just a star. It doesn't hurt or condemn, it only says your a jew. Aren't you proud of being Jewish," Reluctantly Haya put on her jacket with the Star of David neatly sewn over her heart and began to walk with me to the market. Mamusiu knows Haya, one of her less redeeming qualities is that she is always proud of herself, no matter what. Mamusiu knows how to use that pride against her.

    As we walked down the street I gazed at what had become of my home town. German soldiers walked down the streets, the sound of their polished black boots thumping down the sidewalk was enough to send shivers down my spine. I'm only seven but I know what being a jew means in Poland...death. I'd be lying if I said that I haven't seen the bodies hung with on the lamppost just outside the police station. I have seen entire families strung up, for what crime, I didn't know.

     There they had hung one of Haya's best friends Jaroslaw Czajka before I turned seven for working with the resistance. He was only 15 when the Gestapo caught him. I remember Haya bursting into the house red-faced with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her wretched sobs made Mamusiu run downstairs. When she told us what had happened I was very confused. I knew the Nazis hated the resistance but why kill a 15-year-old boy. It was then I realized that if the Nazis could kill Jaroslaw then they could kill us right? I knew they hated Jews with a passion.

      I can't even to school. Today would have been my first day of second grade! It's NOT fair!! Instead, I'm walking to the market, looking at the stores with the meter-long Star of David painted on the window. Those are the only stores Jews can shop at. Haya tightens her grip on my hand as I walk past a soldier. Boots. Gun.Cigarette in hand. He lifts his hand... to shoot his gun? No, to light his cigarette. Only when were past him do I relax. I remember a few weeks ago me, Haya, and Ewa were walking home from the bakery. I heard a gunshot. The woman next to me did a funny jump backward and didn't get back up. My cousin scooped up Ewa grabbed my hand and practically pulled my arm out of its socket dragging us home. This was the first time I saw someone die.