GABI FINISHED TYING the scarf around her head and smoothed out her long skirt. When she turned to face her mother, she gasped. She barely recognized the woman in front of her. Mama wore a long, heavy woolen skirt covered with a plain white apron. Her faded cotton blouse was but-toned to her neck and, on her head, she had tied a simple blue handkerchief with frayed edges. The scarf flattened Mama’s stylish hair, making her look plain. Mama had always been so fashionable. In her community, she had been known as a refined lady and she always took great pride in her appearance.
Mama smiled in response to Gabi’s reaction. She stood up tall and proud in her peasant clothing. “What would our neighbors think of us now, Gabilinka?” Mama asked. “Would they even know who we are?”
Max emerged from the small room behind the altar where he had changed and grinned. “Look Gabi,” he said, “I’m a farm boy now.” It was the first smile Gabi and her mother had seen from Max in a long time.
“Ah, I see you’re ready.” Father Lensky reappeared from another room. “And you look like genuine locals! And now, you must say good-by to Joseph and we’ll be on our way to your hiding place.”
Joseph approached from the shadows and stood in front of Gabi’s family. Mama moved forward, clasping Joseph’s hands, embracing him warmly. “Thank you just isn’t enough,” she whispered. Joseph awkwardly patted Mama’s shoulder, looking embarrassed. “There, there, Judith. I’ll be back whenever possible with food and other supplies. In the meantime, Father Lensky will take good care of all of you. I’m sure or it.”
“I pray this madness will soon be over and we can return to our home,” said Mama.
It seemed to Gabi that her mother had been saying the same thing for years. Soon you will be able to return to school. Soon you will be able to play with your old friends. Soon we’ll be able to shop in stores and walk on the street. Soon we won’t be afraid of being arrested. Soon this and soon that. But so far, nothing had returned to normal. Things had only gotten worse.
Joseph patted Gabi and Max on the head, as he passed them on his way out the door. “Take care of your Mama and of each other.” And then he was gone.
Father Lensky wasted no time. “Let me explain how we will do this,” he said. “You will not be able to walk to the Kos family home together. Three of you walking together and arriving at once might create too much attention. That’s one of the reasons we thought it wiser for Joseph to bring you to the church first. Mrs. Klein, you will go first with me. Then, after a few minutes, Max and Gabi will follow.”
“Do you think it is safe for the children to walk alone?” asked Mama.
“Yes,” replied Father Lensky. “They are less likely to be bothered on their own. And no one will stop you, Mrs. Klein, if you are with me.” He continued with his instructions. “Walk quickly, but don’t run. Act naturally. Look straight ahead, as though you know where you are going. Many of the village houses look the same, so pay close attention. It will take you about ten minutes to reach the Kos’s farmhouse. They live in the fourth last house from the end of the road, on the left side. It is a small white house with a red fence and gate. Count the houses silently and make sure you have the right one. There will be a red scarf on the gate, just to let you know for sure that you are in the right place. Talk to no one. Try to be invisible. Keep your heads down. We can never be too sure that someone won’t be on the lookout to turn a stranger over to the authorities. Is that clear?”
So many instructions, thought Gabi. So many things to remember: a white house, fourth from the end of the road, on the left side, a red gate. What if she miscounted? What if someone stopped them before they reached the right house? How would she make herself invisible? A mass of questions swirled in her head as she nodded silently and moved to the door with Mama and Max. Father Lensky took Mama by the arm and escorted her out first, while Gabi and Max waited nervously inside.
“We’ll be okay, Max,” said Gabi trying to sound confident in front of Max. “Let’s wait five minutes and then we’ll go.” Silently, Gabi counted the seconds in her head, waiting for five long minutes to pass. Finally, she nodded to Max and pushed open the heavy door of the church. The two of them walked outside into the morning light.
The mountain air was so pure and cold, it almost hurt to breathe it in. But the sun felt good on Gabi’s face, warming her shivering body, as she and Max moved onto the road. There was only one road in this tiny village, so that part was easy. Keeping her head down, Gabi moved quickly, holding on to Max’s arm and counting the houses silently.
“Don’t worry, Max,” said Gabi, glancing at the shivering body of her cousin. “We’ll be safe.”
“Sure we will, Gabi,” said Max, taking Gabi’s lead.
An old woman passed Gabi and Max on the other side of the road, glanced in the children’s direction, but moved on. She looked curious, but friendly enough. Still, Gabi remembered the priest’s warning. Talk to no one.
“You know, I remember the time the Nazi soldiers came to our house to search for me,” Gabi began, trying to sound reassuring to her young cousin. “My name was on a list with other girls who were being taken away to work in factories. Mama would never allow anyone to take me away from her and she knew that she would have to hide me. So, do you know what I did? I hid in the dining room dresser. We took out all the china and silverware. Then we lowered the shelf to the bottom of the dresser to make a hiding place for me. The soldiers came to the door, demanding to know where I was. They didn’t believe Mama when she said I was away visiting relatives. They pushed their way in and almost ripped apart the house, looking for me. They searched everywhere in our house, but they never looked inside the dresser. They never found me. I was safe. After the soldiers left and Mama let me out of the dresser, she said to me, ’Someone is watching out for us.’ I always remember that. We’ll be safe this time too, Max.”
Suddenly, Gabi felt Max stiffen next to her. Approaching them on the same side of the road were two uniformed soldiers. The two men were walking easily, with their guns slung casually over their shoulders. They chatted with each other as they walked up the road, glancing at the houses on either side. Their black shiny boots crunched noisily in the snow, as they came closer to Gabi and Max with each step. Gabi stumbled on a rock in the road and began to shake. She pulled Max closer to her as her fear intensified. This was just what Father Lensky said not to do, the voice inside her head screamed. Try to be natural and then they won’t notice you. Keep your head down. Look like you belong, not like a stranger. But as much as Gabi ordered her body to remain calm, her panic continued to spread. The soldiers were now directly ahead of Max and Gabi.
“Good morning, children,” one of the soldiers said as he stopped in front of the young people and stared down at them. Gabi froze. She couldn’t speak.
“Good morning.” It was Max who replied.
The soldiers paused, blocking the children’s path, and stood staring down at them. “This is early for young children to be out walking. Where have you been?”
Once again, it was Max who spoke. “We’ve been to the church, helping the priest.” The lie rolled easily out of Max’s mouth.
“Well, it’s a cold morning to be out,” the soldier continued. “You’d be better off inside, where it’s warm.”
“Thank you, sir. We’re on our way home now.” With that, Max pulled Gabi by the arm and pushed past the soldiers. Gabi shuddered at the rough touch of the soldier’s uniform on her arm when she brushed by him. She felt her head spinning as the soldiers continued up the road and she was grateful to Max for remaining calm.
They continued to walk down the road, but Gabi was still on edge, losing count of the houses. Father Lensky had said it would take ten minutes to reach the Kos farmhouse. It seemed as though hours had passed, since they had left the safety of the church. The houses on both sides of the road looked similar and each had a red fence. They were all small and several of them were white. Which house had they just passed? Was it number seven or number ten? Where was the end of the road? Gabi looked around wildly.
And then, she suddenly caught sight of a red scarf, waving from a red wooden gate ahead like a flag, beckoning them to their destination. They had found the right house. Moving swiftly to open the gate, Gabi and Max walked up to the front door as it opened, inviting them inside.