Remember how I said it was going to get worse. before it gets better? It's getting so much worse.
So Mila and Felicia manage to get themselves to Warsaw where things are better, but not great. The she, Halina, and Adam are passing as non Jewish with the girls both working service type jobs. However, Mila is having a terrible time. She's miserable without Felicia who has been put into a convent to safe keeping. They are also needing to dye her hair to keep up the appearance that she isn't Jewish either. Thank god this child is amazing. I have no idea how Mila got so lucky with her.
Either way, Halina is trying to tell Mila that she needs to stop acting so Jewish and is trying to coach her, but Mila is not really interested in listening. However, Halina's landlord seems to suspect. When she comes home from work one day, the landlord accuses her of being Jewish and chases her up to the apartment. Halina locks herself inside, but Adam has a plan. Apparently he's been working on some fake foreskin, and drops his pants for the landlord to prove he isn't circumcised. It seems to work. At least for the time being.
Meanwhile, Bella (whose been working in that factory just outside Radom) finds out that her parents are about to be sent to a camp. She manages to get a pass to go and see them, begging them to come back with her. She'll figure something out, but they have to come. They seem resigned to their fate, telling her that she'll have a better change without them and that's all they care about.
When she gets back to the factory, she falls into a depression and doesn't have the energy to do anything (I mean really, who could blame her). But, during the raid on the town, Jakob manages to use his work papers to get into the factory and tries to comfort her. However, shortly after his arrival, their factory gets raided and they are about to be sent to camps as well. She, Jakob, and a few of the other workers manage to escape through a barbed wire fence and run away.
Halina'a parents are in a work camp, but are having a difficult time as they are older. But, they can't really show any weakness. Some soldiers drag them out and don't tell them what's going on. When they get outside, they see Halina and sprint for her, but are stopped by the soldiers. Once Halina has paid the guard for their freedom, he lets mom go, but claims that dad costs more money. Halina gives. him some jewelry and both her parents are free.
It seems like she's found some sympathetic people for her parents to stay with (as long as she pays them, though) who have done this sort of thing before and have spaces in the house to hide should the soldiers come. Halina promises to visit them, but has to leave now. Poor Sol. He's so sad that his kids ended up having to take care of them. I think he should be proud of the kids he raised. They turned out amazing.
Melissa
2025-02-17 20:46:06 +0000 UTC