First Episode
Eluding Tzar Nikolai for 300 Rubles
Shmulik! Shmulik! Get up! I open my eyes and see my sister Etel- may she rest in peace- standing over me and telling me, "Get up. Yitzak, the carriage driver will be here soon. You'll miss the train". My sister - may she rest in peace- her face is pale, her eyes are red from not sleeping an entire night. The gas lamp is burning on the table. Only the grayness of the early morning light deflects the glow of the burning lamp. It is dark in the room. My mother, she should be healthy, is pacing the room., her hands are hanging on her sides her face pale, silent, not a word. Her forty-four years look more like seventy. I cannot bear her misery, her pain… I am laying on my bed, my hands are under my head…A cool, autumn wind blows inside through the open window by my bed. I hear the rustling of the leaves on the trees surrounding the house. I look at my mother again and cannot bear to see her sorrow imprinted on her face. I close my eyes. First, I must reflect: what's to become of me? These are the best three years of my life! Should I just let them go to waste?
My mother and sisters are crying, they are concerned! I should just cross the border, they say. I should go to America. I should spend my days and years there!… I am leafing through a few pages of my life!!! When I was only fourteen I already helped with the duties of providing for the entire family. I was nineteen when my father - may he rest in peace - passed away. My older brother was in America, and so I became the family's only provider. I did my best to help my mother and four sisters. But now came the time to present myself before the military commission for army service. My brother came home from America. He had to help my mother and the family. Since leaving - three years already - my brother became less attached to us. His sense of duties began to fade a bit.. He was married, had a wife and a child. But now, living together with all of us, he should have to help the family, whether he likes it or not!!!
And what about me? I must decide whether of not I would enter the service, become a soldier, a three years plan? But how about the plan, "America"? I was ready for the plan "America." My mother and sisters did not object to this plan. Only my brother kept talking to my mother. What about? That we'll have to pay 300 rubles fee, and how can one do such a thing??? An uncle of my mothers used to say that when a goy says something, ask everyone around, but do not listen to anyone. Stick with your own instinct…That's what he told me, smiling at me!…
My friends also advised me to cross the border. But I did not want to make my dear mother suffer more pain. I knew that she would suffer a lot if I went ahead and did this. So I decided to risk my future and let destiny do what it may with my life.. I will present myself at the recruiting office and then run away. This way I will save my brother the 300 rubles fee.
So, I went to present myself before the draft commission. Did I have any doubts? The officials like me very much, they greeted my nicely. They let me return home for three weeks and then I had to go to Old Kosantin (Old Konstantin?), to the military camp there. There, they would recruit me, make me a soldier; afterwards they would send me off somewhere to serve for three years…I don't need to describe how I came home disappointed, beaten down, embarrassed.. Anyway, I did not expect to feel differently. Still, I don't know how I could undertake such an action, make such a decision? Such an important decision…A small thing, running away from the army…Become a deserter.. what if I don't succeed, what then? Me, Shmulik, Berel Trugman's boy. Only slightly over twenty year's old. Though we lived by the border, I was not one of the "Water Boys," as they used to call them in those days. They were like gangs, they were forced to take an oath when joining. People also called them the "Rotshke Boys" meaning the "Border Boys."
I was generally a quiet kid, not used to harsh things such as getting into fights with other Jewish boys or Gentiles of my age. Whenever someone tried to raise a hand at me, I would run away. Yet, I decided to take destiny in my own hands, I relied on miracles, and believed that "as I make my bed so will God help me to sleep in it."
The first day I came home from the city, from the induction center, I remember it like it was today. I was ashamed to get out, to go down into town; we lived on a hill outside the city. I was ashamed to see friends, I just wanted to sleep. So I went to bed and slept fifteen hours until the following morning. I felt that I had so somehow overcome this first crisis… The second day, when I went into the city I met three girls, the "sisters" (they were dear to me, in fact, one of them became my dear wife.) And when they saw that I was depressed they cheered me up with kind words; they spoke to my heart, they gave me encouragement, they told me to hope for the best. They told me not to worry, my life's course will just go according to my plans.
A friend of the family offered to help. This was Alter Rosen - may he rest in peace- (he was my brother-in-law Philip's father). Afterwards he helped me a great deal to free myself from the Gentile's hold. So, the three weeks passed…I didn't even have time to say good-bye to the city where I grew up, where I spent my younger years.
Shmulik! Shmulik! Are you asleep? I open my eyes and my sister Etel - may she rest in peace- is standing near me; she tells me why she is waking me up again. She tells me that it's late, that Yitzak the wagon driver is coming soon. I get up, get washed, and am ready to go. I hear the sound of bells through the open window. I can see the horses climbing the hill and stopping in front of the house. I start saying good-bye, no one talks, not a word said, everyone's eyes are red, filled with tears. I kiss my brother, my brother-in-law, my sisters, my mother. They wish me much success, I can't hold back tears…. I walk quickly out of the house. I come out to the road. Outside, a cool early November morning wind is blowing lightly; it refreshes me a little. The leaves on the trees rustle, as if accompanying me on my way. I throw my bag over my shoulders, sit down in the carriage and look down at the city below. The whole city is sleeping restfully. Here and there one can see a light…
Yitzak the driver lets out a call to the horse, "Away, Away", and we're off. Now I can see the whole city under us! To the right we quickly pass the second house after ours - the last house on the hill. We go by the grain storage, the Polish cemetery. We hear sounds from the "Stelmach Vasterskay". We pass the green church, the priest's house, his dogs barking …they are pulling their chain…On the other side - the place where I spent a great deal of time because of our business - the fire house, the old pharmacy, the courtyard of the Frumtayvas. We pass wheat fields where I used to take walks in the evenings with male and female friends. I never thought I would leave the city. We go by the forest on the left; on the right. The crooked road leading to the train station. How many pairs of shoes got ripped on that road?…How many times did we stop at the station just for fun, just to watch the trains, or to travel on business? Now, it is the end. I'm leaving it all behind for the winter…
We get to the station. I get off, take my green valise… I get inside a third class waiting room. A big lamp is burning in the middle of the room. In the middle of the room I saw bags, packages, valises, men and women sitting on their luggage. Near the counter there is a large samovar..
The place is busy…people are drinking hot tea standing up. Gentiles are coming to get hot water. I feel the smell of the samovar and the crowded third class waiting room. There are people smoking. I buy a ticket to Proskorov. I hear the signal to embark; people begin to fill the cars of the train; I enter the car, find myself a corner and sink deep into my thoughts… My heart is heavy as if a heavy stone was placed on it…
I arrive in Proskorov. From there I must go to Old Konsantin. I meet four other boys from the city who are as lucky as I am, only I did not tell them about my plans… They too are getting off at Old Konsantin station just as I thought, so we go together on the train. We all arrived at Old Konsantin without any problems. But at the station there was a great deal of commotion caused by the 21 year old boys. I keep my thoughts to myself except for this man, David Statman (?) who knew of my plans to flee the country. We two stayed together. We went to a photographer to take pictures in "soldier uniforms" so that we'd have a souvenir!..
The second day we went to present ourselves to the military recruit unit; they checked my name, they gave us another physical examination and I was told they'd send me to Vladivastok, in the Far East. I was to belong to the 29th Strelkavar Pehotnifalk (name of military unit), the 29th infantry firing unit. I felt a bitter taste in my mouth, my body is seized by fear.. What will I do? This is going to ruin my plan. I don't know how I suddenly got courage - my blood went to my head, but I say to the official "If it would be possible to send me somewhere else because I won't be able to take the weather, it is too cold in Vladivastok." He says to me; "Don't worry, you'll be o.k., they'll give you lots of fish to eat." But to my great happiness they tell me they decided to send me to Kiev. My heart was beating with joy since if my plan falls through at least I won't be too far from my family.
Then they tell me that my "party" of 21 year olds are going to depart to Kiev only three days later (Sunday at 2 in the afternoon). In the meantime, me and my friend David Statman came every day to present ourselves at the "Sbarne Point" (in the armory from where the draftees are being sent off to serve). David had to go with another "party" a few days after me. We ate at the station because we didn't want to eat treyf food at the commissary. After finishing with the military official (the signing in procedure), we went to the city and had some fun.
Sunday morning at 9 o'clock 15/28 November, they put us out in an empty lot. They call out our names, they swear us in, that we should serve with honor! Serve Tzar Nikolai! What did I think as all this is happening, that I would feel better if I were free… As we finished with the "oath" they let us know that we cannot leave the place because at 2 o'clock our party is going to leave, that we'll have to go about an hour by foot and at Polone we'll take the train to Kiev.
David arrived at the place with another friend of ours, Avraham-Stich Flam who was supposed to go with David's "party" to serve. But David and Avraham did not leave me. Exactly at 2 o'clock they call on our "party" to line up, about 200 guys, in a convoy guarded by four soldiers, two in the front and two in the back. I figure if I could walk in the right side, the first in the middle row. I hoist my valise on my shoulders, it was very light, almost empty. The solders let us know that we are ready to go, we take our places. I see that we're going out through the gate, step by step. The "party" turns right, my two friends David and Avraham are on the right flank; when I got through the gate a certain thought came into my head. "Shmulik, this is your opportunity, get away… Some kind of strange power seized me and tore me away from the convoy and from my "party." I stepped on the sidewalk where my two friends were walking on the side. David came next to me, we got courage and turned off into a side street, me heart was beating fast, my face was burning despite the frost outside. The three of us went on slowly, though I felt that my feet no longer serving me, but this strange power is pushing me on. So, we arrived at the post office where I sent a telegram to my friend Alter Rosen that today "I'm sending him the stuff." This was the word for him to understand that I got away today and will travel the next day by train to Proskorov.
Once we took care of this we went back to Avraham at the station where he got off because where I got off they knew that I should depart today, and I didn't want to raise suspicions by coming back there. So, I will come to the new station where Avraham got off; he said that I was his brother, that we are very close to each other. I then quickly said good-bye to him and took off. Towards evening I started to look for a carriage to take me to the train station in Proskorov.
I started looking for a driver to take me to the train, to Frayskashev. A driver approaches and he wants six rubles because I was the only passenger. I answered that I wasn't in a hurry, I didn't have to go the same day. I said that if he had more passengers, maybe three or four more, it will cost much less. If not, I'd wait another day. He said he'll let me know later. In the meantime, my two friends wanted me to feel a little stronger so they offered me a drink, Vodka, true, it wasn't too strong, but they urged me to drink up. I obeyed them, and I don't know what happened next… All I know is that I got up in the morning in better spirits. At noon, the driver came, I said good-bye to my friend David Shtaytman, I wished him luck, and said good-bye to my brother…. Avraham Flam and me traveled together. It was freezing outside, and there was snow on the ground. We used sleds to travel. We stopped on the road to eat lunch and continued on our way. By evening we arrived in Proskorov. There we met our friends who were waiting at the train station. They were very happy to see me. There we waited a few hours for our friend Alter Rosen - may he rest in peace. At one after midnight we will take the train back to Volochisk. Every minute was an hour, every hour, a year….Time went by….
Monday night, 16/29 November we go to the station. It is cold, the… I walk as if not on my own power, as if I were in a foreign place. I follow Alter Rosen- may he rest in peace- like a machine, like someone driven by some mechanical power. We go inside the waiting room at the last minute the train is supposed to arrive, the train to Volochisk, only three stops from here. We buy two tickets, the train arrives right away, we go searching for a seat in a corner. I close my eyes and sink into my own thoughts. I pray to God to keep protecting me these last two stages of my bold undertaking, this idea of fooling the Tzarist regime. All this so they should not have to pay the 300 rubles, that I should not serve in the army three years….
The first two stages of my desertion went off peacefully. The third is coming up. I am going back to Volochisk, this is the toughest of them because I have to cross the border. The train travels fast, the wheels make a loud noise. Inside the car is dark. A few people are sleeping, some snore loudly for all to hear. The train stops at Tchenaamtrivo (?), a few people are getting off, others are getting on. We hear some noise from the other wagon; it turns out these are young recruits on their way to serve at Volochisk. The train keeps going, the wheels continue to make noise; so it goes until we arrive at a small station, Vatavetz (?). Very few people get on or get off at this station. The conductor appears, he calls out the last station on the Russian side: "Volochisk". According to new regulations he must lock the door to the wagon car. My heart is beating faster since I could run into people who know me, who know I have been recruited to be a soldier, who thought I left town to start my service, so what am I doing here? I could easily run into someone from Natchalstvo.
At the train approaches Volochisk, a policeman comes inside our car, a pleasant fellow. My friend, Alter Rosen goes over to him and speaks to him. Soon, he returns and tells me that the policeman will let me cross the border to Podvolochisk, only he is afraid of his Captain. Usually, this Captain is not at the train at night, but now that he is waiting for the young recruits, all kinds of officers, including him, will be waiting for them. This Captain goes inside the cars to distribute the passports for those wishing to cross the border. We get off, my hat is pulled down to my eyeline, my collar is turned up, we walk fast. At the gate, a pleasant policeman greets us. I am wondering why he didn't stop me. I keep on going, on the other side there stands Libe (Luba?) Eisenberg. She knew me, but as she saw me, she said nothing.
We hired a carriage driver, Abraham Plotchkovtke (?) and we drove into the city. We said nothing the whole trip. It wasn't very cold but I was shaking the entire way. We told the driver to take us to Israel Kleiman, across the way from the "Vasifavecher" We paid him the fare, and got off. We go up the hill between Kashavske and Velvel Kleiman, on a narrow street. Alter stops by Moishe (Shokes) Zilberman's house. They open the door and we go in. They set us up in a room, and I go to sleep right away.
Tuesday, 17/30 November, I wake up; a typical November day, clear skies, but not for me, the sun does not shine for me. In this room where I was, there were two windows, one facing the narrow street, and from it you could see the house where Israel Kleiman lived as well as that of his neighbor, the police officer, Belostav. I looked out the window. The second window faced another way, towards the house of Stefan Miller, the chief of Kravtchenka border police, the one in charge of border crossings. Also, across the wider street, about half a block away, there was the "Mafte Miler" house where we used to live once. I should not go to the window; I spent the day on the bed thinking. I would only get up when Mrs. Zilberman brought me food. She would lock the door. No one from my family came to see me.. Wednesday the 18th,(probably by the Jewish date)- December 1, 1909, according to the secular calendar- I got visitors; otherwise I would just lay there on my bed with my own thoughts. Those days, at given hours I received three very special guests - the Pertzelai sisters, Golda, Brayne, and Mini (my dear wife). These three guests gave me little encouragement, disturbed my thoughts. When they left, I would feel a little stronger. I was hopeful that all will end up fine, all according to my ambitious plan. Thursday. November 19 /December 2 they spent time with me again, a few hours. They also brought me some of my brother's clothes, some shoes since I was wearing boots, and his heavy coat with the high collar.
At five the same day, as it was getting dark, the sky darkened and snow began to fall. My friend, my present day brother-in-law, Harry Weiger came rushing into my room, with him Alter Rosen - may he rest in peace. They said I should get ready to leave. I got dressed in my brother's coat with the high collar, and a big hat. I pushed the hat down and pulled up the collar so as not to show my face at all. I said good-bye to the Zilberman family, and we left the house…
I AM CROSSING THE BORDER
All three of us exited the house. Outside it was dark and it snowed. Alter Rosen leads the ways and urges me to follow as Harry walks behind me. We climb the narrow street to the main road. We cross the road near the "Asipavecher". We descend the narrow street, the "Karaalke," we go fast, I keep looking at all the houses, it all looks so interesting to me, so dear to me. I leave behind everything - "Vlasek's Saad" the "Karaaltchecher Jacob Moshe" his fence made of boards. On the left in the distance is Kavyaliaus, on the right Pashkavnik's house and his garden. On his left we see Kalman-Lerner. We cross the road to Alya Tzinberg, not straight to "Tavazhne" but we make a turn by the bridge towards Alter Zilberman while walking on the sidewalk.
On we go, by houses belonging to Azik Shabat, Menashe Shachner, Zise Vitels, Shayl Hirsch, and Israel Bril. We descend a small hill on the way to Israel Zilberman's house. We make a turn and pass by the mill where my Rabbi Motty Yeshua lived. We go up a hill, we look at the mill, across the "Tavyazhne." We run into Yitzik Gelbard - may he rest in peace. He takes me with him and we go straight to the bridge. We walk fast, the snow is falling, the gas lamps are lit on the bridge. We go by the "Dusmatchok" Shayvan (a custom's inspector) and he asks "A vi kada" - where we're going, because it is late and at such hour local people do not cross the border. But we pretend we hear nothing; we reach "the chain," Yitzak Gelbard - may he rest in peace- shows the policeman with the crooked mouth the pass, and we cross….
We're already on the other side. We're near the yellow sign where we have to present ourselves to the Austrian border officials. The locals must show they do not possess any contraband. They took me in and asked if I had a permit (work permit?). My uncle (?) Tzalei Rayzenfeld- may he rest in peace- was waiting for me and he told them that I was an engineer, and they let me go. And so it was that a heavy stone was removed from my heart.
I was in Podvolochisk, Austria, three weeks. Many friends came over to say good-bye to me before I went off to America. My neighbor, the chief of the border guards, Krayvtchenko, the head of the….(break in text)
They already shot the door; in fact they had to be disappointed and come a second time; you will not be able to convince the disappointed ones that the "Prustav" is not "bad"!!! And if someone curious would want to know why the "prustav" Volostchenko is bad, the answer right away, is: "because the new "Prustav" does not take any "Chavar"
p.34 This seems to be one of Grandpa's famous jokes!
How do they know my name is Shaye?
The girls were taking walk with their greener brother Shaye on Second Avenue. The Boys are all over the wide avenue, shouting: "Shoe shine! Five cents a shine! Mister, a shine?" The greener asks the boys what they want from him, how on earth do they know that is name is Shaya?