The Measure of Life
Poland 1939
“Chava I have something to tell you. Something very special.” My best friend and I stood
underneath the canopy of a bakery, it was raining and we were waiting it out.
“Well what is it?” I asked.
Anshel was grinning from ear to ear, “I’ve decided to become a Catholic.”
I was stunned, “What do you mean?”
He laughed, his laugh was joyful, he looked happier than he had in years; ever since he
mother had died.
“I’ve been studying for a long time, I read the Gospels. It’s all there Chava, everything that
our prophets promised.”
I shook my head, anger rising up inside me, “You would betray everything that we believe?”
“No!” He shook his head, “I don’t know how to explain it to you, it’s not betrayal. It’s
fulfillment.”
Anshel put a hand on my arm and said, “Don’t be angry with me please. If only you knew
the beauty of the Church. You want it too.”
“I would never do that.” I said.
Anshel sighed, his face losing some of his joy, “Let’s not fight.” His eyes pleaded with me,
but I couldn’t give in this time. He was not going to coax me out of a bad mood.
“I hate this.” I said bitterly.
“Chava!” He scolded.
“You don’t care anymore!” I yelled at him, causing people to stare at us.
“What do you mean?”
Tears came to my eyes, “You don’t care about me. You’re going farther and farther away.
First college in Krakow and now this!?”
Anshel tried to hug me but brushed him off,
“Just leave me alone.” And with that I walked away into the rain.
How could he be so unfeeling? We used to be the best of friends, I never did anything
without him, but now…now he was doing things without me.
You’re all grown up now Chava, he is too. Life changes. My mother’s words came back to
me.
I stopped short in the middle of the road, I was grown up now, I was going to be eighteen
soon and Anshel was almost twenty.
“He probably thinks I’m a silly teenager.” I said aloud, my voice breaking, I turned around
trying to see if Anshel was still at the bakery. And then the bells started. People panicked,
everyone was trying to get out at once, children screamed, the invasion had started.
I was torn, I wanted to get to Anshel, but then I knew that my mother would need me. I
started running, pushing past people, trying to get the apartment I lived in. The bells
continued, but now the hum of a thousand airplanes filled the air.
We had known this day was coming, or at least dreaded it. But now it was really here, still
running I couldn’t help but think this was a nightmare, and I was just caught in it. All I had
to do was wake up.
12
Children of the Rosary