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Nacha glanced down at the white band, her heart pounding.If she removed it, there was no turning back.She pulled it down carefully and folded it into her skirt pocket.Then her eyes met Jan’s laughing blue ones, and she smiled.
“I guess we’re doing this.”
He held the barbed wire up for her and pushed the lower strand down with his foot.She tucked her skirts up around her legs and stepped through, her scarf grazing the top wire.When she was through, she held the wires apart for Jan.Then, they moved quickly, slinking into the shadows of the nearest building.
Gasping from nerves, she stood against the wall, hands pressed to its brickwork, her chest heaving and eyes wide.
Jan laughed at her.“Come on.There’s a showing ofPenny Serenadein fifteen minutes.We can make it if we hurry.”
“Cary Grant?”she asked, almost giddy with excitement.She never would’ve thought she’d get this chance.Every day in the ghetto could be her last—they all felt it.It weighed them down like mud.They couldn’t escape it.Death was everywhere.It breathed down her neck and coiled around her heart and squeezed until she had no breath left in her body.But for now, she was free, even if only for a little while.Free to watch a movie starring Cary Grant.She could swoon.
Jan reached for her hand and pulled her after him.They ran together down the street, ducked along an alley and then turned into a main thoroughfare.There were people everywhere—riding bicycles, driving automobiles and walking up and down the street.Nacha’s breath caught in her throat as she pulled back on Jan’s hand.He turned to face her and urged her forward.
“No one is looking at you.Don’t worry so much.”
She glanced around and saw it was true.The crowd was busy going about their day—no one paid her any mind.She raised her chin and drew a deep breath.Why should she hide?Jan was right—no one would know she’d escaped from the ghetto unless she was stopped for her papers.
They ran on, weaving through the crowd with Jan in front, hands joined, as he led her to the cinema.Excitement welled inside her as her nerves faded.She was out of the ghetto—she was free.She wanted to shout and dance and cry, but she couldn’t draw attention to herself, so instead she pushed her feelings down and followed Jan to the ticket booth outside the cinema.
He showed their tickets, and they marched into the cinema.The entrance was decorated in magenta and gold, with gold trim everywhere.There was a hole that’d been blasted in the ceiling over one of the theatre doors, but it didn’t spoil the atmosphere.Nacha couldn’t have been more excited about their adventure.
They found seats near the front of the theatre, even though Nacha wanted to hide in the back.But Jan had bought popcorn and insisted they sit up front so they could immerse themselves in the experience.
They sat side by side in the darkness as the last of the commercials drifted across the screen.Nacha reached for a handful of popcorn.The flavour burst across her tastebuds, and her stomach growled in anticipation of the treat.She ate quickly and took another handful.Nothing had ever tasted so good.The opening credits began to roll, and Nacha grinned to herself.It was as if she’d stepped into parallel universe.She couldn’t believe her luck.
By the timethe movie was finished, Nacha had all but forgotten about her life, the ghetto and the fear she’d felt on their way to the cinema.It was evening when they emerged from the building.Long shadows darkened the street, and most of the pedestrians had returned home for the day.
Nerves buzzed in Nacha’s gut.They couldn’t hide now if the Nazis came.They stood out, two teens walking along the footpath.This time she didn’t take Jan’s hand.She shoved both fists deep into her coat pockets and ducked her head, hunching her shoulders.
Her biggest fear was that they’d be stopped crossing the barbed wire fence that marked the edge of the ghetto, but they weren’t.They climbed through without incident and donned their armbands in the gathering darkness.Relief filled her like a deep breath.
“You can go, if you like,” said Nacha, her nose cold.
Jan shifted from one foot to the other.“I’ll walk you home.”
“Okay.”
They ambled more slowly now, side by side, their shoulders bumping occasionally.Now that she was back in the ghetto, the excitement of their outing faded, and she was sad it was over.
“Thanks for taking me,” she said.
He shrugged.“I thought you might like it.”
“I loved it.”
“Cary Grant’s one of the best,” he agreed.
“It wasn’t that,” she said, but didn’t know how to articulate what she meant.It was him, the excitement, the adventure, feeling human for a couple of hours.It was everything.
He seemed to understand.
“Not sure we’ll get to do it again any time soon,” he said.
“I know.”
“But one day…”
“That would be nice.”She studied his profile in the gloom.His hands hung loose at his sides.His gaze pushed through the darkness straight ahead.With his shoulders back, he looked so confident, marching along the street beside her.As though nothing could hurt him.She almost believed it.He seemed to glide through life unscathed, laughing at the danger that so many others fell victim to.He’d brought her family supplies every week since they’d been sealed into the ghetto.And he’d smuggled goods to many other Jewish families as well.
