The Puppet Boy of Warsaw Read Free Page A

goose-stepping rigidly as if one body. They reached the Führer’s tribune and all heads turned sharply as they passed the man with the moustache, pounding the ground even harder with their black leather boots. The whole city trembled from their force.
    The flags went up next, as if the prevalence of the hooked cross should remind us of this new ‘Herrenrasse’, the blonde, blue-eyed master race that would stamp on everything they deemed low and unworthy. It wouldn’t be long before they began to squash us like vermin, like insects, like dirt.
    Soon the first directives appeared. Then they continued to emerge, week after week, month after month, never all at once, but drip-fed to us, erasing one piece after another of our freedom, our dignity. First they banished entertainment: from one day to the next those of Jewish blood were forbidden to enter local parks, cafés or museums. Our Krasinski Park was out of bounds, outings to the zoo and Lazienki Park were not allowed any more. Benches and trams were suspended and ‘ nicht für Juden ’ – not for Jews – signs sprang up everywhere.
    One day as I walked home from school along Freta Street, a German soldier appeared around the corner.
    ‘ Mach daß Du wegkommst. Runter hier ,’ he shouted. Before I could even try to decipher what he had barked, he grabbed my shirt and threw me into the street as if I were an old sack. I fell to the ground and could feel blood trickling down my knees. My heart hung in shreds by the time I reached home. That night, Grandfather read the newest directives to me: Jews are forbidden to use public trams, visit restaurants in non-Jewish districts and must not walk on pavements but share the street with cars and horses.
    In May, Tatus lost his job at the university. Out of the blue one day they told him to pack his things, and said that his presence was no longer welcome. It wouldn’t be long before I was hit too.
    It happened during a chemistry lesson. Siemaski, our teacher, had just pointed to the element beryllium on the periodic table, when there were three loud knocks, the classroom door opened and our headteacher Gorski stood there looking all flustered, squeezed between two German soldiers. The soldier on the left was carrying a list and he pushed it into Gorski’s hands. ‘Read.’
    ‘Abram Tober, Jacob Kaplan and Mika Hernsteyn,’ Gorski’s voice trembled, ‘pack your books, you are dismissed. Go home.’
    For a moment I couldn’t move.
    ‘ Schnell, macht schon ,’ the German shouted. I got up and left the classroom, not looking at anyone. I never saw Abram and Jacob again, nor my friends Bolek and Henryk, who stayed behind.
    When I got home, I threw myself into Grandpa’s arms.
    ‘ Tatus , they kicked me out, just like that. It’s not fair.’ Grandpa hugged me and Mama joined in.
    ‘I know. It’s in the papers today: “Jewish children are to be withdrawn from public schools immediately.” I’m so sorry, Mika.’
    I slumped into a chair.
    I considered myself to be both a Jew and a Pole, and Polish figures such as Chopin, the great composer, Copernicus and Madame Curie were heroes to me. Those daring scientists and artists had opened new frontiers, pushed into new territories, and I wanted to see myself following in their footsteps. Sitting in our old armchair, frozen with disbelief, I remembered when Grandpa had taken me to Madame Curie’s house in the old town, and although we had not entered the Holy Cross church, it filled me with pride that Chopin’s heart lay buried in our beautiful city. Having to leave school was a terrible blow. I was an excellent pupil, I loved school. Bolek and Henryk didn’t care about school half as much as I did, but they were allowed to stay. Why? We had spent many afternoons playing games in the streets, Bolek even shared the same birthday with me.
    Grandfather tried to comfort me and we spent long days together bent over his old books as he shared his love of mathematics with me.