Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive

Esfir Lupyan - December 17, 2007

Orphanage

And another episode I know, I remember, when we were in ghetto and it was no chance to survive and, you know, every day, every day we lose people, friends, you know, and she took me, she take me in uh, orphans house. You know, orphans.

Yeah. An orphanage.

Yeah. And she wants me leave me in orphans house. So, that was uh, not only for Jews, that was white, small house outside in very quiet, quiet place. And she said, "Here, go to, to steps. I will stay here. Knock on door and somebody will open the door and say I want live with you." I don't, I don't reply anything. I understand what she wants. I understand what she's doing, but I was not happy with that. So, she leave me on steps in front of door and she start, start to go away from me. And she go away, goes very quiet--no people around, it was, you know, so peaceful--and I stayed in front and I look and I see she run away and then I start to cry. Loudly cry and run to her and run so fast and I said, "Mama, don't leave me. I don't want... Don't leave me. I will not stay here." She look at me, you know, she said, "Okay, let's go." And we go inside in ghetto. And later, when she tell my father, she said, "In couple days, bomb destroyed all children, all house was destroyed. It was bombed." So, I survived it, you know. It's... I don't know, you know, I'm, I'm just ??? somehow.


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