‘Livi, come over here,’ she calls to her sister.
Livi glances at her from where she is hunched over a table sorting socks. Cibi can see her stomach is hurting again. Livi shakes her head, wary of the kapo. But the woman is busy delivering more suitcases into the room.
Slowly, Cibi makes her way over to Livi, the onion held firmly behind her back. ‘I have something for you. I want you to eat. It will make you feel better,’ she says, holding the onion out to Livi.
Livi’s eyes go wide, her nose wrinkles. ‘I’m not eating raw onion,’ she announces.
‘Livi, please. Don’t you remember what Grandfather used to say? An onion is the best medicine in the world.’ Cibi pulls the little knife from Livi’s breeches and starts to cut the onion into quarters in her hand.
‘Please don’t make me!’ Livi moans, pinching her nose between her fingers.
‘Yes, that’s good. Hold your nose. Now, open your mouth.’
‘No!’
‘Do it!’ Cibi insists.
Livi opens her mouth and Cibi pushes the quarters of raw onion between her teeth until Livi swallows, one by one. Tears run down her cheeks as she chews and, eventually, swallows.
‘I want you to eat it all.’ Cibi is smiling with what she hopes looks like encouragement, and Livi, laughing and crying, eats the whole onion, bite by tiny bite.
The next morning, Livi wakes up feeling much better. The sun is shining, and winter is giving way to spring. The trees in the forest are flush with new growth.
Later, Cibi places a piece of paper in the typewriter and types the date. 29th March 1943. Suddenly, her hands start to shake. Her head dips to her chest as it dawns on her that it has been almost exactly one year since she and Livi left their home. A year since she has seen her mother, grandfather and Magda. For a moment, she pictures the three sisters on that afternoon, so long ago now, when they made a promise to never be apart.
Magda’s features are crystal clear to Cibi. She closes her eyes, desperate to hang on to the image of her beloved sister, lays her head on the desk, and remembers .?.?.
CHAPTER 14
Vranov nad Topl’ou
1939
‘H
urry up, Magda! Cibi and Livi are ready to go!’ Yitzchak calls.
‘I’m coming. I just want to put a cardigan on; it’s so cold outside,’ Magda yells back.
‘It’s not cold. You are cold! Even when it’s hot outside. Come on, if we don’t hurry someone else will get the flowers,’ shouts Cibi.
Magda is doing up the buttons on her thick cardigan when she leaves the house. Cibi and Livi wear tunic dresses with a short-sleeved blouse. Yitzchak has on the jacket, shirt and tie he only ever wore outside. He holds a folded cotton sheet in his arms.
‘Are we all ready?’ he asks.
Since the girls have been forced to abandon their education months earlier, twelve-year-old Livi is no longer able to take part in games and sports with her school friends. She is getting restless at home, all day, every day. Livi loves having someone to take her out and about, someone who shares in her passion for wandering the forest, learning the names of the flora and fauna, collecting mushrooms. Cibi also shares her sister’s love of the outdoors, but Magda is different, preferring to stay at home with Chaya to help her prepare meals and manage the household chores. When he can, Yitzchak drags Magda along: it is important to him that all the girls have an understanding and respect for their environment.
‘Let’s go, girls!’ Yitzchak leads the way down the front path of their home.
Today’s expedition is just to the end of the street, to the Catholic church – a large mosaic above the wide wooden doors shows an image of Christ, a hand raised to bless all who pass through – and priest’s residence. As they draw closer, the church bells ring out. The girls have grown up to their chiming rhythm. It is a comforting, reassuring sound because it calls forth the devout to celebrate baptisms and weddings, and to mourn the loss of loved ones.
The girls would run to the end of the road when the bells rang to admire the brides dressed in white, and dream of the time when it would be their turn to become wives.
Today, the bells tell them it’s midday. They gather at the foot of the steps and stare up at the doors; the priest will appear as soon as the final bell chimes.
‘Come on, hurry it up!’ Livi mutters, jumping up and down on the spot; she has important work to do.
With a flourish both doors creak open and the priest steps out. Dressed in black trousers, a black shirt and with his clerical collar, he raises a hand in welcome to Yitzchak and the girls. His face breaks into a wide smile and he walks down the steps to greet them.