A Chaotic Day in Kiev

by Marcus Pierre

It was a chaotic day in Kiev, as a matter of fact, all over Ukraine. The Germans were trying to invade my beloved Ukraine. Our neighbors the Silvermans and the Bergs were here in our enormous town house. All the adults were huddled downstairs listening to the charcoal colored radio. Some whispered in hushed tones and some prayed quietly. They sucked in their breath hoping to hear that the Germans would get beaten by the Ukrainians, but that didn't happen. It was as though the radio decided our fate for us. I wanted to throw it out the window. I hoped the messiah would come any moment and save us Jews. All the news was horrid. “After a long difficult fight the exasperated Ukrainians lost the city of Odessa,” the radio would say. Little by little the Germans were inching forward to Kiev. Us children upstairs were trying to make small talk but couldn't. We all had so much on our minds. Would the Germans kill us,would they save us,would they be cruel, all of those questions streamed through our heads. Suddenly a powerful force of air shook the house violently. “What was that,” Fiagle Berg shrieked with tears swelling in her dark hazel eyes. I looked outside the wide windows. It was a sea of bombs. “To the cellar,” I cried. By this time air raid alarms went off all over the city. You could hear people crying and screaming all over the city. I ran to the cellar and so did the children behind me. The adults quickly followed. We were all squished and huddled together. The house shook so violently I thought it would collapse on us. “Holy Messiah you can come any minute now,” I shouted. I felt as though the world,my world,would shatter like a vase. What did the Jews ever do to the Nazis? For a fleeting moment the bombing stopped. A fleeting moment turned into five minutes. Suddenly we heard a deep roaring sound. “I will look out the window and find out what it is,” I said. “No you won't Tamar,” Mother said. She tried to reach out and pull my white cotton dress but I had already ventured out. “Oh my lord,” I muttered. There was shards of glass all over the floor of the house. Instead of a window there were giant gaping holes in our walls. The roaring was the Germans and their tanks marching successfully into Kiev. I wailed like a baby. I loved Ukraine like my family. It's mountains,forests,rivers,culture,and people were all part of me. I now felt that part of it was taken away by the Germans,since they would control Ukraine. The very mournful thing though, is the fact that Ukrainians were celebrating the arrival of the Germans. Men gave them cigarettes and pats on the back and women gave them pecks on the check. I spotted our non-Jewish friends doing this. Have they forgotten us? How can they rejoice when their brother,uncles, and fathers died fighting for our freedom? Once the Nazis were officially in charge they set many rules. We couldn't go to cinemas,zoos,libraries,shops, and many other places. We could only go to Jewish shops and places. The greatest blow for me was when I couldn't go to school with my non-Jewish friends. I figured out that it was for the best and my parents enrolled me into a Jewish private school in the synagogue. Our lives revolved around the synagogue. I went to school there then we stayed for prayers then went home. I made many new friends to replace my old ones. The days were busy for me even with all the unfair restrictions. My friends came over,we joined a club called the Zionists. We did many things there. We talked about going to Palestine and all the kibbutz camps. I felt more Jewish than any other time during my life. It was a pleasant day when we heard a knock at our door. Soldiers broke down the door and ordered us to pack. The soldiers said we were going to a place where Jews were protected by soldiers. I laughed a perilous laugh. Germans protecting Jews? I'll believe that when I'm rotting in my grave. “What's so humorous Fraulein,” One of the soldiers asked. I stared at him coldly and said “You are malach ha-mavis,”. You are the angel of death. Papa packed the bags and gave me and Mother our coats. The soldier lead us to a trolley. Many Jews were crowded on it. I haven't been on a trolley since the beginning of the occupation several months earlier. This would have been a luxury if it wasn't for the Germans. With our arrival, the trolley departed. It looked like we were going to the outskirts of Kiev. The trolley suddenly halted. Two soldiers came over and shouted “Raus schnell juden,”. Everyone tried frantically to get off. Once we were off, Mother saw the bewilderment in my gray eyes and patted my straight jet black hair. The soldiers ordered us to leave our luggage then strip naked and form a line. In this order, men,women,and children. We all felt that the end was near. It was like a rope around our necks. No matter how much we wanted it off it wouldn't come off. Suddenly we heard a gun shot. A man fell into a large wide pit. Oh lord I don't want to die I thought to myself. There were screams and shrieks from all over. Several more men tumbled in. Then came the woman's turn. I just wanted the Nazis to speed it up so I could die. Finally it was my turn.

I see her make her way to the pit which will become her grave. She sits patient and ready. Her light gray eyes are filled with terror. She can't be older than fourteen. So young but she's a Jewess. I don't want to shoot anymore. I'm still recovering from my hangover from last night. I drank way too much but on the bright side it was a fun party. She quickly recites a Hebrew prayer, then I reluctantly shoot her. I watch that beautiful girl tumble awkwardly into the grave. Aw I think with pain, my head!  “No,my daughter,my daughter!,” my next victim shrieks.