Page 77 (2/2)
Abby nodded
“The Sonderkommando were looked down upon by the other Jews Maybe it wasn’t fair After all, they were given the job by the Nazis They were only following orders If they hadn’t, they would’ve been killed But they often had a better place to sleep, better food, almost a reward for their involvement in the extermination of their own people Some wonder how they did it Even to this day, researchers can’t fathom how they had the resolve But ht They’d be wrong Did my cousin mention the revolt?”
“I think so Not in those words but he spoke of an uprising One they had planned”
Anna smiled “Yes That’d be it I worked in the le explosives into the caed Then, the day came The Jews lined up for the selection, and the SS officer in charge went about, separating the healthy Jews from the ones to be killed When the leader of the revolt, Chaiht with everything they had—ha, though, before the Nazi’s descended on theuns By the tied to blow up one of the crematoriums They burned two SS officer’s alive in the ovens, and they cut the fence in an atte the Nazis There never was They regained control and tracked down the Sonderkommando that escaped All but tere killed Several of the women from munitions were executed as well for their role in it The Germans never spoke of this incident It was an embarrassment, after all”
“What if Yoel was one of the ones who escaped?” Abby asked, hope rising in her chest
“At the time, maybe I would’ve believed that, despite what I had heard Because I wanted to believe But now, it is well documented which Sonderkom those supporters killed”
“What if they’re wrong?”
“They’re not” Anna’s lips trembled with the force of her words
A swell of desperation rose inside Abby like nothing she’d ever felt before The dam on her resolve cracked with her helpless to stop it
“Why? Why are you so insistent he’s dead?” Abby yelled
“Why are you so insistent he’s not?” Anna sla the plates and attracting the stares of the patrons around them
Abby flinched at the sound; bile rose to the back of her throat, threatening to gag her It was too much It was all too much
“I think the question we need to ask is how your farandfather is notit in front of her, her dark eyes piercing Abby almost as much as her questions
Sing, Abby listened to the ominous staccato in her chest as her stomach twisted She needed air She needed space to think Holding a finger up, she murmured, “If you’ll excuse me,” and pushed away from the table
The s of her chair scraped on the worn linoleum, as she turned and hurried in the direction of the bathroo for a response