As I stood next to my mother and father I noticed the deathly silence. I slowly turned my head to the right, and then the left. We were surrounded by clusters of people. My sister, Nikki, and her daughter, Star, stood next to our right also. I looked to the left, and saw my little sister, Ashley hiding in my father’s arms. She is only eleven, and I am fifteen. I looked back over at Star, who looked frightened as she tried to hide in her mother’s arms.
“ Momma,” Star said. I looked over at her as she looked desperately up at my sister. Nikki brought a finger to her lips, as a symbol to show to be quiet. Star bit on her bottom lip, and buried her face into Nikki’s shirt. Nikki looked over at me and our eyes connected, and I saw the horror that was within her eyes. I looked down at the ground taking a deep breath, and then looked back up and saw the mothers and father with their children. Holding them, hoping that their names would not be called.
“ Joseph Barkley,” Another name was called off by one of the leaders. A high pitched cry came through the crowds, and I closed my eyes taking a step back into my mother, and she wrapped her arms around me kissing the top of my head. I watched Joseph pry himself away from his mother’s arms as she cried for him, tears running down her face, and he slowly approached the stage. The leaders, they are taking children to these camps, where they will be put to work. Separated from their families, and from what I have heard about these camps, that is they are bad. It would be a miracle if your child lived through the camp. The age group ranged from eight year olds to eighteen. Anything older or younger was not accepted. Their names where pulled out of a box, and each time a leader would reach into the box a parent would grip onto their child praying to god that their babies names wouldn’t be called. Today is the last day of selections, and twenty kids will be selected to leave. Girls do not go to these camps, because the leaders assume they wouldn’t be able to survive it, so the boy’s family believe it’s not hard on the families in which there are girls. But in reality it’s heart breaking. To watch a family being ripped apart, it’s something no one should ever have to witness, or be put through.
“ One more,” My mother whispered in my ear. I looked up and noticed that only one more name had to be called today. All the boys that had stood on stage looked the age of fifteen or older. No young ones.
“ Patrick Davis,” The leader called out. A mother cried out to my left, and I slowly turned and saw her fall to her knee’s wrapping her arms around her son. He was not even about ten I would say. He was such a tiny thing. His short brown hair stuck to him, and he looked over at me, and our eyes connected. His deep brown eyes started to water, and then he wrapped his tiny arms around his mother’s neck.
“ Mommy, I don’t want to die!” he cried into her shoulder. I felt my body flinch, and I watched the scene that was happening in front of me, and my heart slowly started to break. I heard someone approaching, and I looked over and saw one of the guards making his way over to the mother, and her son. I closed my eyes, and opened them once again. The guard roughly grabbed the little boys arm, and tore him away from his mother. She knelt on the ground tears pouring down her face, and the little boy screamed for his mother over and over. The guard had no emotion in his face. He must have been through this… Breaking families apart so many times that he is just use to it, or he just forgot how to feel. I watched the boy being dragged up towards the stage, and he fought so hard, but he was so tiny it seemed like nothing. I knew that if they boy was to be sent to the camps he would die within the first week. I knew this… I took a step away from my mother feeling her arms unwrap from around me, and I took a step forward and continued, and I broke out into a jog towards the boy.
“ Stella!” I heard my mother cry out to me.
“ S-Stop!” I shouted. Everyone froze, and the guard stopped, turning around to look at me and the petrified little boy turned to me, and I looked down at him feeling my throat start to tighten. “ I- I volunteer myself,” I said loudly. The guard looked at me as though I was a crazy person. I looked up at the stage at the leader, and he was watching me intently.
“ We do not pick girls,” The leader said.
“ You did not pick a girl, I am volunteering. No one ever said anything that a girl could not volunteer,” I said loudly. He arched an eyebrow at me, and I stepped forward grabbing the boys arm, and the guard lost grip of him, and I brought him towards me, and stood in front of him, his tiny body hiding in back of me. “ I volunteer myself to take this boys spot,” I said loudly with my head held high, and I stared right into the eyes of the leader. It was quiet… All I could hear was the sound of my own breathing, and the little boy whimpering behind me.
“ Fine,” the leader finally said. The cry of my mother’s voice filled the air, and my body flinched.
“ No!” My mother cried out. I turned around and saw her looking at me, and tears ran down her face. I looked down at the little boy.
“ Go to your mother,” I whispered to him. He looked up at me, and wrapped his arms around my legs.
“ Thank you lady,” he said. “ Thank you for saving my life,” he said between whimpers. I took a deep breath, and then felt his arms unwrap from around me, and he sprinted off towards his mother. He flung into her arms, and she held him close to her, and she looked at me, and I saw the relief in her eyes. I felt a hand wrap around my arm, and I turned around and saw the guard. He started to walk me towards the stage, and then let go of my arm and I slowly made my way up the stairs. Each step I felt my heart break, but I kept my head up high showing that I was not weak. I stood on the stage, and took my place next to a boy who was over a foot taller than I, and twice my size. I looked out into the crowd, and everyone’s eyes were on me. I let out a shaky breath, and it was quiet.
“ Well, we have finished the choosing. Every child sha’ll have twenty minutes to say goodbye to their family members, and then we are taking off,” The leader said. I slowly made my way off of the stage, and towards my family. As I got off of the stairs, I felt a pair of arms tightly wrap around me. I sucked in a deep breath, and knew I was in my father’s arms. I knew how he smells, the scent of his cologne smelled like mint with chocolate.
“ Oh my little girl,” he cried. I tilted my head up, and saw tears rolling down his cheeks.
“ Papa,” I whispered. he sucked in a deep breath, and sobs escaped from his mouth.
“ My little girl,” he said again moving a strand of hair away from my face. “ Your only a child,” He whispered. He held me close to him, and I heard his heart beating hard and fast. The sound of his sobs filled the air, and I wrapped my arms around him feeling his body heat. “ Your only fifteen,” he muttered.
“ I love you, papa,” I whispered.
“ I love you too baby girl,” he cried. He reluctantly let go of me, and instantly another pair of arms wrapped around me.
“ What have you done?” My mother cried as she held me in her embrace. I felt her shaking body against mine, and her tears poured off of her face, and I closed my eyes burring my face into her chest, and I felt my eyes start to water.
“ Mama,” I whispered. She loosened her grip on me, and looked down at me. “ If that boy was to go to those camps he would of died in the first week. Mama, I have a larger chance of surviving than he did,” I said shaking my head.
“ This wasn’t your responsibility though,” she said.
“ I couldn’t stand back, and watch that little boy get killed Mama,” I said my voice starting to break. “ I couldn’t let that little boy die,” I said again tears starting to form in my eyes. She bit her lip, and cupped my face in her hands.
“ I love you Stella,” she cried.
“ I know mama, I love you too,” I mumbled. I felt arms wrap around my waist, and I turned my head and saw my baby sister looking up at me with tears in her eyes. “ Ashley,” I whispered. My mother let go of me, and I knelt down wrapping my arms around my baby sister, and she buried her face into my chest, and wrapped her arms around my upper body.
“ S-Stella, don’t leave me,” she cried.
“ Sh,” I whispered kissing her forehead. I tilted her head up, so she could look at me. “ it’s going to be okay Hun,” I said looking her in the eyes.
“ You’re going to come back, right?” She asked. I bit my lip, and felt a tear fall down my cheeks and I nodded my head.
“ Im coming back,” I whispered. I slowly stood up, and my sister stood there with Star standing next to her, and she just looked at me, and she started shaking her head, and her body started to shake. I looked down at Star and she was looking around. She’s too young to understand what is going on, but she knows there is something wrong. She looks like a lost puppy. “ Hey Nikki,” I whispered. She pressed her lips together, and took a step closer to me putting her hand on my cheek.
“ My baby sister,” She whispered.
“ Im not a baby,” I said my voice starting to crack.
“ You’re always going to be the baby,” She laughed.
“ Ashley’s the baby,” I mumbled.
“ And your our second baby,” she whispered. she took another step closer to me, and wrapped her arms around me, and I wrapped my arms back around her.
“ Nikki, can you do something for me?” I whispered in her ear. She separated from me a little, and looked down at me nodding her head. “ Don’t let Star forget about her Aunty Stella,” I said my voice cracking and tears rolling down my cheeks. She let out a gasp, and held me closely to her.
“ N-Never,” she sobbed.
“ I love you,” I whispered.
“ I love you too,” She whispered back. I took a step away from her, and knelt on the ground holding my arms open.
“ Star! Come give your aunty a hug!” I laughed. Star ran towards me, and roughly wrapped her little arms around my waist. I held her close to me, and kissed the top of her head taking a deep breath. “ Aunty loves you very much,” I whispered.
“I- I love you too Danty,” She said. I pressed my lips together closing my eyes, and tears came running down my face, and I felt her tiny hand touch my cheek. “ Danty, w-why are you crying?” She asked in her tiny little voice.
“ It’s nothing baby girl,” I whispered. I smiled at her, and she gave me a small smile back. I stood up, and felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned around and saw the mother and her son. She watched me closely.
“ You’re a hero,” She finally said. I shook my head.
“ Im not a hero,” I said clearing my voice. I looked down at the little boy, and said, “ I just did what was right,” I looked back at the mother, and her lips where shaking,
“ Thank you,” She whispered. I gave her a smile, and nodded my head. I turned back towards my family, and they all watched me, and I felt my heart breaking every minute that passed.
“ I- I know what I did… It… It was the right thing to do,” I said to them. My father took a step closer to me, and slowly removed the necklace that he was wearing. It was an arrow head, and out of all the years I have been alive I have never seen him take it off. He stepped closer, and put it over my head, and it slid down my neck resting on my chest. I looked down at it, and then up at my father. I opened my mouth, and he shook his head.
“ I love you with all my heart, don’t you give up… no matter how hard things will become you can’t give up. You need to come back to your family. You need to come back to us,” he said. I saw the pain in his eyes, and I let out a shaky breath nodding my head. He pressed his lips against my forehead, and whispered, “ never give up, whenever things get hard hold this necklace close to your heart and remember us. Remember your family and fight for us,” He said shakily. I nodded my head. There was a loud sharp ringing noise, and the leader stood at the bottom of the ship.
“ It’s time to leave!” He called out. I gave all my family members one last hug, and made my way towards the ship. Each step I took my feet started to feel heavier, and my throat felt like it was closing, and my breathing started to become heavy. I looked around and eyes locked on me giving me sorrowful looks, and I looked away from them. There were boys walking in front of me ready to leave for the camps, and some behind me. As we climbed aboard the ship I felt like my head was spinning. I sucked in a deep breath, and continued to walk, and then I felt a hard shove on my shoulder, and a cry escaped my lips, and I stumbled forward. I heard my father shout, and I stood up, and saw him running towards the ship, and then a gun fire went off, and my father dropped to the ground. My breathing stopped, and I stood their frozen.
“ Papa!” I cried. One of the guard shoved me hard onto the ship, and once I was on I turned back around and saw my mother screaming and crying and she dropped down next to my father’s motionless body, and I saw Nikki, Star, and Ashley all kneeling down next to my father, and I could hear their cries from where I stood. I felt a hand wrap around the back of neck, and I was dragged forward, and a door was pulled open from the ground, and I was shoved forward, and fell down into the cellar. I landed on the ground with a hard thump a cry escaping my lips, and I looked around and saw dozens of faces watching me intently with sorrowful looks. The rest of the boys where shoved down into the cellar, and everyone went off into their own beds. I sat there and crawled into a corner leaning back against a wall, and the memory of what had happened replayed over and over in my mind. I closed my eyes feeling my body becoming weak.
“ Our first night in hell,” I heard a boy say.
I brought my hand up to my chest, and wrapped my hand around the necklace which my father had given to me, and held it against my heart. Goodbye mother, father, Nikki, star, Ashley, and goodbye life. I opened my mouth, and quietly sang to myself.
“Papa, how I love you
Papa, how I need you
Papa, how I miss you
Kissing me goodnight.”
(Barbra Steisand: Papa, can you hear me?).

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 20.07.2011

Alle Rechte vorbehalten