Reflection: Three Sisters (2)

Summary for this week:

 

Cibi, the eldest sister. Magda, the middle. Livi, the youngest. Menachem, sisters’ father. Chaya, sisters’ mother. Yitzchak, sisters’ grandfather.

 

    Today, Cibi and Livi are departing. They are leaving for the synagogue where they received religious instruction during their childhood. The place full of happy memories becomes a hostile space. Some parents coming along with their daughters were dragged away by the guards. Tomorrow, they will move on to another camp far away from here, starting to work for the Nazis with dread, so the kids are asked to get some sleep yet without mattresses or pillows.

    They arrive at the main camp, where they will be working for a while, maybe a few days, months, or years. The guards provide them with mattresses they promised, which are bundles of straw with tiny companions, fleas. Their lives there become harder and harder every day. Hair all over their bodies is shaved; they look like boys lacking dignity. Infected with typhus, they feel unwell but there is nothing they can do. They cannot show illness or weakness, or they will get shot immediately. The Nazis need useful workers. Therefore, Cibi lives better, comparatively, since she knows how to write and type. And she can receive a few privileges to help her little sister.

    All these last for months, summer to winter

 

 

Reflection

This week, I see them working, from dread to despair. None of us could imagine how hard their lives are. They sleep on straw, while we stay at comfortable places with warm clothes, soft pillows. They have no cure for typhus and whether die or not depends on luck. Conversely, although we suffered from COVID in the past few years, we have vaccines to prevent us from dying. Every day, they live under the fear and threats of death. Some of them even become numb after seeing so many peers die from bullet shots and illness.

There are more details described in the novel. They need to drag wagons on their own like horses. Some of their workplaces are far from the camp they live in, as a result, wearing shoes or not, they must walk for miles to get there. Their feet were wounded due to the rugged path.  The ration of food could hardly satisfy their hunger. 

When I was reading the plots, I was shocked because of the inhumane drudgery they were asked to do. Compared to them, I feel like living in a wonderland, worrying about nothing but what to eat for lunch. I own everything in need, but still long for luxurious stuff. There might be some places suffering from all levels of trouble. We can't realize the unfairness and miseries while standing on the same ground. There might not be too many we can do. However, there must be something we can do though it doesn't seem great enough.  

Cibi and Livi didn't die because of the hardship mentioned above. And again, I know what's supporting them under those difficulties, sisters' strong connection. When Livi was ill, Cibi was with her all the time and told her to be sturdy. Why? Because their families were waiting for them to come back. The desire of staying alive so as to return home surpassed every pain they were enduring. They were, undoubtedly, tough and dauntless.