635798

August 1965.

It had been a little over twenty years since the woman set foot in Auschwitz. She was amazed that grass had grown inside. At one time it was impossible for that to happen. But that was what she, her husband, her daughter, and her son had walked on outside to get to the building she was in now.

Poland had turned the camp into a museum back in 1947. Auschwitz I, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the train tracks were only part of what was shown for remembrance. The woman and her family passed the Death Wall, Mengele’s block, and even the barrack she stayed in. Her teenaged daughter, Chaya, stopped swooning over the Beatles for once and actually cried. Chaya learned about the Holocaust in school just recently and was very surprised when her mother agreed to take her on this trip. Her mother hardly ever spoke about her experience during this time period.

The woman’s younger son, Wolfgang, was only five and still had yet to learn about the atrocity. He slept in his mother’s arms the whole time which she didn’t mind. The woman hadn’t even explained the concept of death to him yet, let alone the Holocaust.

Much had happened during the past twenty years. Near the end of 1945 the woman and her Vater packed and moved to New York. They offered to bring Marta along but she wasn’t ready to leave Berlin yet. Truth be told, neither was the woman but her Vater couldn’t take the painful memories anymore.

Once settled in New York, Levi Cohen found a way to contact Bruno Heilbronner. Bruno was on trial with other Nazis but to this day he still couldn’t figure out why he was let go. Of course it went on his record and no job wanted him, but he got through. Everyone in the family missed Wolfgang, who the woman never stopped talking about for months, greatly. Aalyshah went through a dangerous stage of depression. She kept herself locked away all day and even attempted suicide. The depression was gone once she found out her friend 635798 made it out alive.

Lenz and Gretel never had their wedding. Gretel was hanged with other Aufseherinnon in January of 1945, which Lenz never found out. At the end of the war, the British had some of the Nazis, Lenz included, line up against a wall. Instead of their backs to the British, they had their faces to them. Ten British soldiers pointed their rifles, and all the Nazis were dead in under a minute.

In New York the woman and Levi learned English and the woman even began to go to school. Strangely enough, Bobby Blackery, a British soldier who saved her from Bergen-Belsen, was on an exchange trip at the same university she attended. They hung out as if they were friends their whole lives and this caused Bobby to get certain feelings for her. The woman wasn’t quite over Wolfgang yet so she couldn’t give those feelings back. It took almost two years of chasing and begging from Bobby to finally convince the woman to go on a date with him. Surprisingly Levi was okay with their relationship despite Bobby being Anglican. The two were married a year later.

Both the woman and her father were continuously asked to speak about their time during the Holocaust at schools. Levi obliged, but the woman always declined. She didn’t want to bring the memories back. So instead, Bobby set out to work while she stayed at home taking care of their daughter Chaya Shifre Blackery, who had both the woman’s hair and eyes. Ten years later, she gave birth to Wolfgang Levi Blackery.

The family stood in a room that showed items Nazis kept. One glass case held shoes. Here, Chaya broke down once again since she found a pair of red shoes that matched hers. She asked her mother if her hair was any of the braids in the glass case that held hair. They passed the glasses, the case of baby clothes, and others. Now they were looking at the glass case that held suitcases.

Seeming to be the only Holocaust survivor on this tour, the woman found herself hiding her left arm the whole time. People heard her too-strong German accent when she spoke English to her family and that caused many of them to be suspicious. She also had quite the appearance. The red marks left behind from Mengele pouring boiling water on her still covered parts of her face and arms along with the many scars from his experiments. The scars from being thrown onto the electrified fence poked out from underneath her shirt. Doctors were never able to fix the disfigurement of her right leg and left wrist, both broken at one point. And she still had that annoying limp. Then there were the eyes. One chocolate brown. One slightly green because of an experiment nobody should have to go through.

The woman squeezed her son, waking him up a little. He kissed her cheek and she smiled and kissed him back. Everyone was about to walk away until something caught the woman’s eye. There was one suitcase that wasn’t closed like the rest. The lock was jammed and some belongings were slipping out. The woman recognized some of the items and the name on the suitcase.

“Vait!” she called to the family. “Zat’s my suitcase.”

Indeed it was. A painted Star of David was starting to fade away along with the year 1921. The name had almost faded completely but the woman could still make out “Tzipora Cohen”.

Chaya popped up at her mother’s side. “Where?”

The woman – Tzipora – pointed.

By now, everyone’s question “Is she a survivor?” had been answered and they were all staring. For once Tzipora didn’t care. She actually considered herself lucky. Out of all the suitcases that passed through here, what were the chances hers was to survive and be broadcasted for all to see?

Bobby looked at his watch. “We should start heading to the station if we want to catch the train for Berlin.”

Tzipora nodded. Her Vater went there instead. He refused to visit this place again. Bruno also had a big dinner planned for everyone the next day. Tzipora couldn’t wait to finally see Aalyshah and Abbey after so many years. Even Marta and her new husband were invited!

Everyone was in the doorway when a man, who was old and fat, stopped them. Wolfgang hung on tighter to Tzipora and Chaya hid behind her as the man studied them.

“Uh, excuse me,” he said, nervous. “I heard-” he practically growled when pronouncing his h – “you saying zat vas your suitcase. Are… Are you a survivor?”

Tzipora hesitated before nodding slowly, her chin-length curly hair bouncing. Bobby walked over and grabbed her arm protectively.

“You look rahzer fameelier,” the man said.

Tzipora was confused at first, but then her eyes widen in realization. She couldn’t control her smile.

“Jürgen!” she exclaimed.

She handed Wolfgang over to her husband and hugged her old friend. He hugged back, lightly at first but it slowly became a tighter hug.

“Where. Where have you. You been?” Tzipora asked in German.

Jürgen shrugged. “Around. I was let go but my record is screwed up so it’s hard.”

Because of Bruno’s story, Tzipora knew all too well. She wanted to put that subject aside, so instead she pulled Jürgen towards her family. She introduced everyone to him in English.

“Zis is my husband-” she growled her h as well – “Bobby. My daughter, Chaya. My son, Volfgang.”

Everyone gave Jürgen a happy hello.

“I heard you’re getteeng on a train for Berlin,” Jürgen said.

Tzipora nodded.

Jürgen smiled. “Veell you all be attendeeng Bruno’s deener?”

Tzipora nodded, smiling as well. “Veell you?”

Jürgen nodded, and he followed Tzipora and her family to the train station.

They reached Berlin at eleven in the morning. Jürgen took a separate car to Bruno’s house. One the way, they started to pass a cemetery. Tzipora recognized which one it was.

“Vait,” she said. “Stop za. Za car. I vant to veesit some. Someone.”

Bobby did what she asked. “Do you want us to come with?”

“Mmm…” Tzipora shook her head. “Vait here.”

She made her way to the back of the cemetery, finding a blonde woman standing in front of the gravestone she wanted to visit. The woman’s big blonde curls weren’t forgettable. Tzipora smiled.

“Aalyshah!”

Aalyshah turned around, her tearful eyes immediately lighting up. She ran to Tzipora, almost sending her back with a forceful hug.

“You’re here,” she whispered.

Tzipora hugged her back.

Aalyshah stood back at arm’s length. “You’re still as beautiful as I remember.”

This made Tzipora giggle and blush.

“How have you been? I haven’t seen you in years!” Aalyshah exclaimed.

“I’m fine. And you?”

Aalyshah beamed. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard you speak.”

Tzipora giggled again.
“Anyway. Great! How’s your family?”

“They’re wonderful. They’re. They’re waiting for. For me in the front if. If you want to. To say hello,” Tzipora said.

“I just might do that.” Aalyshah bobbed her head back towards the gravestone. “You know. To leave you two alone.”

“No one in. In my family speaks. German.”

Aalyshah laughed. “I learned English over the years.”

Tzipora made her way to the gravestone when Aalyshah was gone. She kneeled in the grass, becoming the same height as the rock. She traced her fingers over the letters that formed WOLFGANG JOSEF HEILBRONNER. Before she started crying, Tzipora hugged the gravestone, resting her head on top. It wasn’t actually Wolfgang, but it was all she had at the moment.

“Hi Wolfgang,” she whispered. “I’m here now.” She sighed heavily. “I’m here. It. It took twenty years. But I’m here. I found Marta at. At the train station after. After Bergen-Belsen was liberated. Guess what? Papa is alive. He was alive the whole time. I. I found him at our house. We moved to. To New York shortly after. He. He got in contact with. With your Vater. I’m sorry about Lenz. I saw him after liberation. That was the. The last time.” A tear streamed down Tzipora’s face. “I married. His name is Bobby Blackery. Two British soldiers saved me at. At Bergen-Belsen. He. He was one of them. He didn’t want to. To leave me behind. So he went back. We have a daughter. I named her after Chaya and. And Shifre. She likes this. This new band called. Called the Beatles. We. We probably would’ve loved them if. If we were her age. She’s a teenager. I told her about you. A lot. She really likes you.” Tzipora hugged the gravestone tighter. “I have a son. He’s five. I named him after you.”

Tzipora began to shake. She shut her eyes and moved so her forehead rested against the area above Wolfgang’s name. She kissed his name, and continued all the while choking out cries. “I. I survived, Wolfgang. I survived the. The war.” Her gasp and cry echoed throughout the quiet cemetery. She whispered, “Thank you.” And then louder: “I miss you. I. I wish you. You would come back.”

“Mama?”

Tzipora jumped but she didn’t change her position. She knew it was only Chaya. “Vat?”

“Are… Are you alright?”

“Mhm.” Tzipora hiccupped.

The grass sashayed as Chaya walked over. She knelt next to her mother, studying her. Before Tzipora said anything, Chaya wiped a tear off her face. Then she looked at the gravestone her mother was resting against.

“Is this him?”

Tzipora was frozen for a few seconds before nodding against the gravestone.

Chaya sucked in a deep breath. “Did he really help you survive the war?”

“Your fahzer deed too.”

“Yeah, I know. But is this really the man who somehow snuck you out of Auschwitz?”

Tzipora moved away from the gravestone. She looked at her daughter while nodding.

“Uh-” Chaya was hesitant about her next question. “What do you think would’ve happened if he never walked by you on the path that one day? Would you be here? Would I be here?”

Tzipora shrugged. “I don’t like to zeenk about eet.”

Chaya looked at her mother who she resembled so much. It was difficult to believe that she was here all because a man on the opposite side of the battle helped her mother. Chaya knew if it wasn’t for Wolfgang Heilbronner her mother wouldn’t have survived the war. From the stories she heard, her mother was weak since her mindset was so far behind. Her mother told her stories about needing help with everything back then and always being afraid. Chaya knew she wouldn’t be alive right now if it wasn’t for a man she never had the chance to meet.

By now Tzipora had stopped shaking but she still had some tears left. Chaya wiped them away and then turned to Wolfgang’s gravestone. She kissed it, knowing it was all she was able to do to thank him. Thank him for letting her, her brother, and her mother be here today.

Tzipora smiled at her daughter and let Chaya throw herself into her arms. They embraced tightly there in front of Wolfgang’s gravestone, and Tzipora hoped he could see it.

“I love you, Mama,” Chaya said into Tzipora’s neck.

“I love you too.” Tzipora ran her fingers through her daughter’s brunette hair. She kissed her temple and then said, “Daddy and Volfgang are vaiting.”

The two stood up. Chaya grabbed her mother’s hand and together, they started making their way to Bobby’s car.

While walking, Tzipora took one last look at Wolfgang’s gravestone. She could imagine him looking back at her, smiling and waving.