The Tattooist of Auschwitz(32)

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For the next several weeks, Lale goes to Auschwitz every day. The five crematoria are working to full capacity, but large numbers of prisoners still have to be tattooed. He receives his instructions and supplies from the administration building at Auschwitz. He has no time and no need to go to the administration building at Birkenau, so he has no opportunity to see Gita. He wants to get a message to her that he is safe.

Baretski is in a good, even a playful mood – he has a secret and he wants Lale to guess what it might be. Lale plays Baretski’s juvenile game.

‘You’re letting us all go home?’

Baretski laughs and punches Lale on the arm.

‘You’ve been promoted?’

‘You’d better hope not, T?towierer. Otherwise someone not as nice as me will end up minding you.’

‘OK, I give up.’

‘I’ll tell you then. You’re all going to be given extra rations and blankets next week for a few days. The Red Cross are coming to inspect your holiday camp.’

Lale thinks hard. What can this mean? Will the outside world finally see what is happening here? He works to keep his emotions in check in front of Baretski.

‘That will be nice. Do you think this camp will pass the humanitarian test of imprisonment?’

Lale can see Baretski’s brain ticking over, almost hear the little clicks. He finds his lack of comprehension amusing, though he doesn’t dare smile.

‘You’ll be well fed for the days they are here – well, those of you we let them see.’

‘So it will be a controlled visit?’

‘Do you think we’re stupid?’ Baretski laughs.

Lale lets that question pass.

‘Can I ask a favour?’

‘You can ask,’ says Baretski.

‘If I write a note to Gita telling her I’m OK and just busy at Auschwitz, will you get it to her?’

‘I’ll do better. I’ll tell her myself.’

‘Thank you.’

Although Lale and a select group of prisoners do receive some extra rations for a few days, they soon dry up and Lale is unsure if the Red Cross ever did enter the camp. Baretski is more than capable of making up the whole idea. Lale has to trust that his message to Gita will be conveyed – though he doesn’t trust Baretski to do that straightforwardly either. He can only wait and hope that a Sunday when he doesn’t have to work will arrive soon.

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Finally the day comes when Lale finishes work early. He races between the camps and gets to the Birkenau administration building just as the workers are leaving. Impatiently, he waits. Why does she have to be one of the last ones out today? At last she appears. Lale’s heart leaps. He wastes no time grabbing her by the arm and taking her to the back of the building. She trembles as he pushes her up against the wall.

‘I thought you were dead. I thought I’d never see you again. I …’ she stammers.

He runs his hands along her face. ‘Did you not get my message from Baretski?’

‘No. I got no message from anyone.’

‘Shh, it’s OK,’ he says. ‘I’ve been at Auschwitz every day for weeks.’

‘I was so frightened.’

‘I know. But I’m here now. And I have something to say to you.’

‘What?’

‘First, let me kiss you.’

They kiss, clutching, pressing, passionately, before she pushes him away.

‘What do you want to say?’

‘My beautiful Gita. You’ve bewitched me. I’ve fallen in love with you.’

They feel like words he’s waited all his life to say.

‘Why? Why would you say that? Look at me. I’m ugly, I’m dirty. My hair … I used to have lovely hair.’

‘I love your hair the way it is now, and I will love it the way it will be in the future.’

‘But we have no future.’

Lale holds her firmly around her waist, forces her to meet his gaze.

‘Yes, we do. There will be a tomorrow for us. On the night I arrived here I made a vow to myself that I would survive this hell. We will survive and make a life where we are free to kiss when we want to, make love when we want to.’

Gita blushes and turns away. He gently moves her face back to him.

‘To make love wherever, whenever we want to. Do you hear me?’

Gita nods.

‘Do you believe me?’

‘I want to, but –’

‘No buts. Just believe me. Now, you’d better get back to your block before your kapo starts wondering.’

As Lale begins to walk off, Gita pulls him back and kisses him hard.

Breaking the kiss, he says, ‘Maybe I should stay away more often.’

‘Don’t you dare,’ she says, hitting him on the chest.

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That night Ivana and Dana pepper Gita with questions, relieved to see their friend smiling again.

‘Did you tell him about your family?’ says Dana.

‘No.’

‘Why not?’

‘I can’t. It’s too painful to talk about … and he was so happy to see me.’

‘Gita, if he loves you as he says he does, he would want to know you have lost your family. He would want to comfort you.’