Chapter 29

Hillersleben, Germany
May 7, 1945

“Anyu, it’s over. The war is over!”

Oscar ran into the ward, where the doctors and nurses were clustered around a small radio. The British prime minister, Winston Churchill, was speaking. Although he could not understand the words, Oscar recognized the note of triumph in the prime minister’s voice. When the speech was over, a nurse translated it for them.

“Mr. Churchill said that the war will end one minute after midnight tonight. He says that we should let ourselves rejoice, that in all of England’s history, there has never been a greater day than today.”

The patients, nurses, and doctors all cheered. Oscar bent down to kiss his mother.

“Where is Paul?”

“Playing soccer.” Oscar grinned. “Don’t worry, Anyu, the older boys are taking good care of him.” He paused. “Now that the war is over, we can go home.”

He looked at his mother and his spirits sank. In the three weeks they’d been in Hillersleben, many of the patients had recovered and left the hospital. Anyu, however, was still too weak to be moved. Whereas others were slowly gaining weight, she remained thin. The dark circles around her eyes had disappeared, but her skin was pale. Oscar thought of his father. When would they be able to go look for Apu?

Oscar kissed his mother good-bye and walked out to the town square. Soldiers were slapping each other on the back, laughing, and a few were even singing while the German citizens of Hillersleben watched silently.

At first, Oscar felt sorry for these people, mostly women and children, huddled together looking sad and defeated. Then he remembered Bergen Belsen and the train. He thought of the people who had died and those, like his mother, who might never recover. He remembered the cruelty of the German guards: the snarling dogs, the dark, putrid boxcars.

You started this war, he thought. You created all this misery. Turning his back he walked away from the square and headed to the edge of town to find his brother.

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They stayed in Hillersleben while Anyu recovered in the hospital. Oscar and Paul slept in a dormitory with Aunt Bella and the girls. New survivors and orphaned children arrived, searching for their families. Relief workers aided those people who wanted to leave Europe and live in countries such as America and Canada.

Whenever someone left for one of these countries, Oscar felt a stab of jealousy. He liked the American soldiers who had rescued them. He thought it would be good to live in a country with such wonderful people. But there still was no word of Apu or Aunt Bella’s husband, Chaim. Anyu and Aunt Bella wanted to return to Hungary to find them.