Who’s Uncle Vitek?
He lives out in the woods … with my cousins Pawel and Ryszard. They’re fighting for the Jews. My daddy says it’s because they like their women, and their gold jewellery.
Where does Uncle Vitek live?
In Koreletjy. Out in the woods. My aunt Anna lives in Koreletjy with Karol and Agnezka.
What are they called besides Vitek and Anna?
Czapski.
(Note: Anna and Vitek Czapski, Koreletjy. Children Pawel and Ryszard)
That’s very good, Etke. We’ll soon have your father out of hospital, you’ll see. Should we go back to what happened in the barn? You said you crawled over. Over where, exactly?
We were in the hayloft. My daddy tried to drag me back, but I wanted to say hello to Vitek, so I crawled over. I was ever so quiet, because I wanted to surprise him, but when I got there and could see them down below they were hitting the man. He was bleeding, and I was too frightened to say anything.
Who was the man?
He was tall, with grey hair. They’d taken his shirt off. His face was all dirty (Note: victim Hubert Steiner). They were hitting him and I couldn’t see Vitek.
Wasn’t he there?
They had scarves over their faces.
Scarves over their faces … all of them?
No, not the one with the knife. He had a sack on his head with holes in for his eyes. He was at the back. He had this big knife, like at the butcher’s. He kept sharpening it. The others were hitting the man, and shouting at him.
Could you hear what they were shouting?
No, I couldn’t understand.
Did Uncle Vitek say anything?
No, only the one who was in charge. He kept saying the same thing. There were two of them holding the tall German and then he said a word and the German had to say it too, only he couldn’t. And every time he said it wrong he went up and hit him very hard in the tummy.
Did you hear the word?
It was something with an S.
Something with an S?
Sjip or Sjibko. It sounded like
fast
… something with spikes …
Spikes? Fast? How do you mean?
He spoke funny. Maybe it was Jew language.
Jew language?
I don’t know, it sounded like the Jews at the market. My daddy says they killed Jesus. It wasn’t Belorussian they spoke. It sounded so horrid …
(Note after conferring with interpreter:
Sjibkij
or
Sjibko
= fast, violent
Sjip
= thorn or spike. As in roses, spiked shoes.)
It’s important you think hard, Etke. What happened then?
They kept hitting the man. No one said anything. I was too frightened to move, I was scared to breathe. All I could hear was them hitting him, until the air went out of him. Like when Hanna snorts.
Hanna?
My horse.
And then what happened?
Then he took his shirt off.
Who?
The man. The one who was in charge. The man with the sack over his head. He was sweating. He had a drawing on his shoulder like I’ve seen in Koreletjy, the beggar Mirko has them as well.
What do you mean? Tattoos, is that it?
Yes, tattoos. He had them on his shoulder, and up above his bottom.
What did they look like?
Above his bottom he had two big scary eyes. I felt like they were looking at me. I thought they were going to find me. They were looking up at me when he leaned forward and used the knife …
He used the knife?
When he used the knife and did that to the man. He screamed. I’ve never heard anyone scream as loud as that. And then it was all quiet. I was afraid the bird had told them where I was.
The bird?
The one he had on his shoulder.
Did he have a tattoo of a bird on his shoulder?
Yes. And when he was finished he put his shirt on again, and then they all went away.
Do you remember what the bird looked like?
Do you want me to draw it?
Can you do that?
Yes.
And what did you do then?
Then we waited until we couldn’t hear anything any more. My daddy wanted to hide him, but then we heard you coming. And then we ran.
(Note: We arrived no more than minutes after the perpetrators left the barn. Note: drawing attached.)
_ _ _
Notes, attached LZ–132–567–A–I (Steiner), cc Hstf. M. Schlosser
Prob. looking for a gang of mixed race, likely Jews, certainly three Poles, Vitek (father), Ryszard and Pawel (sons) Czapski, address Rosenberg Allée (formerly Boulevard Kalininogo) 12, Koreletjy (residents Anna (mother), Agnezka (daughter), Karol (son) Czapski). Not known if household in Belize is involved. Since witness heard no Russian, perps most likely not Soviet partisans, though poss. Polish Armia Krajova.
Re. group leader [henceforth perp.] 2 tattoos observed, viz. one pair of eyes above loin, one cockerel/hen on shoulder (drawing attached). Witness states “like Mirko in Koreletjy”. Perp. moreover observed speaking “Jew language” i.e. Yiddish.
Victim Hubert Steiner tortured. Witness believed him subjected to a test, or else interrogated as to some matter to which vict. unable or unwilling to provide satisfactory answer.
Question: Why were perps masked? Afraid of witnesses? Or WERE THEY UNKNOWN TO EACH OTHER?
_ _ _
Masja and Etke are by the brambles at the hedge. Etke picks the berries quickly, in a skilled manner, and collects them in the apron Masja has wound around her waist. I sit in the conservatory and read the bible, searching for a specific passage. Every now and then I look up and watch them.
It is a fine picture.
Etke has been sitting in here drawing for hours, the eyes and the bird, over and over.
Now she is outside in the sun.
I see myself sitting, considering the picture.
Suddenly someone calls out to her from the left, from the road. Masja points, getting to her feet.
I walk to the open door and see it is Manfred.
He rests his hand on Etke’s head, strokes her hair, and gives her something, a bag. Sweets, perhaps.
Majsa and Etke come inside, while
