Poklosie Page #6

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let you do something,

the more they want to hide something,

the more you want to know.

- It's the best reason I can give you.

- Contrariness.

No. The truth. Only truth.

And justice for all.

Stop here.

What are you looking for?

The tannery...

They kept them here.

But not the Jews.

Grandpa, mister Kalina

wanted to talk to you.

Mister Sudecki, do you remember

how the Germans took the Jews

from the village during the war?

Sure I remember.

Why d'you want to know, now?

Weren't your people, were they?

But I got their farm now,

and I want to know since when.

Don't be asking me.

I mind my own business,

don't care about other folks'.

So there...

Mister Sudecki.

Since when have you been

living in this house?

A long time now.

But you weren't born here, were you?

I's born across the river,

like your daddy was.

When did the Germans take

the Jews out of the village?

What?

- When did the Germans take the Jews?

- How do you know, they were taken?

- Maybe you know then where?

- I don't, but I will.

You won't know anything,

if it didn't happen at all.

- What do you mean?

- Don't be asking me,

better ask around your house...

- Whaddya want with Gramps?

- Get your ass outta here, right now.

- What's with the two of you?

- Get her in the house.

- Let me go. Hands off, that hurts.

- Shut up or I'll smack you one. Ma!

Don't appreciate no strangers

sneaking round this here farm.

I'm just having a talk,

your grandfather doesn't mind that.

Justyna invited me.

Gramps is old an' all,

maybe he don't want to talk,

an' I got a right to know

who's talking to him an' why.

An' stay away from my sister

or you won't be seeing America again.

- I spoke to Palka.

- And?

She said the Germans took the Jews

in the Summer of 1941,

but that still doesn't explain

why no one knows about it.

Maybe they do, only we don't.

The priest said he studied

the history of the region

and didn't find any mention

of deportations.

Go on.

I spoke with old Suds,

Sudecki that is,

- and he said something odd.

- Namely?

That I should ask around our house.

But he didn't say whom.

He can't have meant you?

Maybe he didn't mean

anything particular?

Maybe this was about

the house generally.

So I told you, that I would have found

some documents during the renovation.

Even the floor was changed in '80...

He didn't mean documents,

but the house.

You are really stubborn.

I renovated my house.

But your house isn't ours

father's. It is by the river.

There is nothing there,

you saw it.

Let's go there once more.

Maybe the house

will tell us something

- what people are afraid of to think.

- Franek, come on.

What can the house tell us?

That the Germans never deported

the Jews from our village.

Meaning what?

Meaning that they're still here.

- Where do we dig?

- Anywhere inside.

Like my cigs, you son-of-a-b*tch?

Go ahead and choke on them.

I had twenty packs in that bag.

You could at least

chuck one over here...

There's nothing here...

Hail Mary full of grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women

and blessed is the

fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour

of our death.

- Grace be to you...

- And peace from God.

Found them at last,

the poor souls.

Why don't you bury them

in that graveyard you made.

We'll bury them, mother.

You live in the woods?

God granting.

Did you see what happened here?

Everybody saw it.

They herded them into the Kalinas'

cottage then set fire to it.

Laughing, drinking vodka.

'That's for Jesus on the cross,'

they hollered,

and inside the young 'uns were crying,

all crying,

and then there was only

the silence and the dying.

The soldiers shouted it was

for Jesus? And drank vodka?

Weren't no soldiers here.

Mothers threw the wee'uns

outside to save them,

and they pitched them

back into the fire...

Lord have mercy.

They were only children.

You're saying there weren't

any soldiers, mother?

They could have worn

black uniforms,

not green but black with

skulls on the collars...

Listen to me, mother. You didn't

see any Germans in green uniforms,

but they might have worn black...

Them with the skulls came by car

a day before then. Two of them.

They spoke to the Head,

Malinowski that is, and went

back where they came from...

Weren't no Germans hereabouts.

What do you mean

there were no Germans?

So who got them in the cottage

and set them on fire?

Everybody, the whole village.

Everybody?

What do you mean everybody?

Was Malinowski lit the fire himself,

- along with one other fellow...

- You saw it all, mother?

You Saw it? You were here

or you were told by the others?

Stood right there,

crying to let them go,

then the other one knocked me

on the head, made the blood run,

and says, if you feel sorry for them

you old b*tch, you can join them inside,

and I was so scared.

I wanted to live.

As if them Jews didn't?

What do you want?

We dug up Jewish

bones in our old house.

- What business is that of mine?

- Folks say you burned them to death.

Folks say all sorts of things.

Damned if I care.

Where's your son?

Just me here.

As should you be - alone.

Just you and me.

Recognize my brother? From America.

Your brother I don't mind,

but it's none of my kids' business.

- So who burned them to death if not you?

- Ain't worth talking about.

No one said anything for 60 years,

and now they deserve a proper burial.

They might not be Christians,

but folks ain't cattle,

- they all got a right to a grave.

- You won't bring them back.

- The dead don't care where they rest.

- You're wrong.

Sons care where their

fathers are buried.

- Their sons are down there with them.

- So who burned them if it wasn't you?

Who? The Krauts.

Krauts did all sorts of things.

There weren't any Germans around then.

The previous day two

officers drove up in a car

and gave you the go-ahead

to kill the Jews. SS officers.

The next day you rounded them up

in our house and burned them.

I rounded up a 120 people all by myself?

Dream on, Kalinas, dream on...

The whole village helped you,

but you laid the fire yourself.

Dream on, Kalina, dream on...

Malinowski, how old are you?

Ninety?

- Your time might come tomorrow...

- Might today.

Tell it like you were confessing.

Did you start that fire?

You think I'm afraid of death?

One fears no death who

saw death as a regular thing.

Someone for whom killing a dog and

killing a neighbour is the same.

I didn't kill neighbours.

Don't tell if you don't know.

I didn't kill neighbours.

Neighbours not.

But the Yids. Tell the truth.

Tough man you are, Kalina!

You want the truth.

Do you know if you won't choke with it?

If it's a confession you're

wanting, then I'll tell you.

The fire was started on

two sides of the house.

And it was...

Your father Stanislaw

Kalina was on the other.

There's your confession...

Bury 'em back and let 'em lie there.

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