“We wouldn’t need to heal had those Arab maniacs not tried to kill us”

Elka

"M

iriam?” I whispered to the sleeping figure in the bed to the right of me. The pale rays of the early morning sunlight were already creeping in through the windows and lighting up the white walls and rows of metal beds that lined them. “Miriam,” I whispered again, a little louder this time. She didn’t even stir. I’ll never understand how she could sleep no matter where we were or what was happening. Slipping out of my bed, I leaned over and shook my younger sister until she opened her eyes. “Miriam.”

She looked at me with a sleepy gaze, but I knew she was up.

“I need you,” I whispered, longing to have her close by. Yisroel was sleeping in a different room with the other babies. Even Leiba was in a different room, with all the younger girls, so I couldn’t cuddle close to her, either.

By now Miriam was up, sitting upright and blinking sleepily. I sat down next to her. And so we sat there, quietly, watching the rays from the sun get stronger as the sun rose slightly higher. It felt good to have her next to me, even if we didn’t say anything.

“I’m going to check on Leiba and Yisroel,” I whispered finally. Other girls were stirring now and there was a good chance my siblings would be awake, too. “I don’t want them to wake up alone and confused.”

Miriam nodded and got up as well. Quietly, the two of us slipped into our clothing and headed out of the room to find our siblings.