„Her aunt came after the war and took her away from us” – she says.
She could not cry, for Boguś was crying very much: “Mummy, where is Halinka.” They were very close relations, just as siblings usually are.
She kept telling him: “She will be back, she went to her auntie for a while.” And she was explaining to herself: “God, how good You were to save her. To save us. To keep her alive, to make us succeed.”
She was afraid, how could she not be, but was ready to do anything so as to help this little child survive.
Halinka was roaming the village. Knocked on the door. She was eight. Everybody could see that this was a little Jewess. However, nobody in the village asked them anything. It was their little daughter, that was all. Bogusław, the son of Genowefa, explains it in a simple way: “There were fourteen households in the village, everybody was like family, the people were poor, and among the poor it is different than among the rich, there is no jealousy and the poor would not give another poor person up.”
It was scary once. They were coming back home with her husband, Aleksander, and with their children from the meadow. Suddenly the Germans arrived and said: “The parents are Poles, and this is a Jewess, Jude.” Christ, her husband only gave a look. And then Halinka, so sly, told her: “Mummy, let us go, for Boguś is crying, my little brother is crying.” And the Germans went away. They were praying beautifully together, the whole family. Halinka was beating her breast: “God, be merciful.” They used to go to church together, just as mother and daughter usually do.
After the war her aunt took her to France. There was no contact for a long time. Genowefa did not know what was happening with Halinka. Then suddenly a letter came. Ah, she was so happy that the girl remembered about her. She lives in Siedlce and when Halinka calls her, she says: “Hello, my little daughter.” What else could she say? Still, this is her daughter.
