Grandpa's Funeral
[Upon our return from Kobryn] We found grandfather very sick. He was paralyzed and couldn't talk. He produced only sounds which no one understood. He died shortly after.
I somehow understood that something irreversible had taken place. It must be what big people meant when they spoke about death. We were taken to a neighbor and kept there until the day of the funeral. We were taken to the synagogue first but the procession to the cemetery had already started and we were at the end of the line. Someone recognized us and yelled, “Hurry up, get to the front, run, run.”
I began to run, dragging Miriam by the hand since she couldn't keep up with me. I ran and ran until I reached mother and by then I was hysterical. Mother had to take both of us in her arms. But again we were handed over to a friend and not allowed to see the burial. Mother cried and cried. I begged her to stop. I couldn't bear seeing her so sad.
