Frog Macie Free On a train bound to hell, there is love, but no mercy. STEPHEN DIXON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS T HE D ETRO IT J EW IS H NE WS - 40 keeps him up. Smells and cold. Weight of Olivia. Wailing every so often from people. Weeping, coughing. Someone shouting, someone talking in his sleep. But Denise and the girls seem to sleep. They go on like this for days. People die. No food except a little for the children. Olivia and Eva are always hungry and thirsty and complain and cry a lot about it. There's a slit in the door and someone is usually telling the car what the weather and scenery are like. Now it's hilly, now it's flat. Lots of big clouds in the sky, noth- ing threatening. Now it's clear out, now it's sleeting and looks as if it'll turn to snow. The train stops at a station. "I think this is it," the slit-watcher says. "Lots of lights, barbed wire and fences. Dogs, soldiers, march- ing prisoners in stripes who look like they're on their last leg. I hear lively band music, but it doesn't look good." They stay in the station till morning. More people have died but nobody's piling them up. "Plenty of activity outside," the slit-watcher says. "Everyone be- ing lined up, called to attention. Something's about to happen. A tall man in a greatcoat and offi- cer's cap is pointing to the train." The door suddenly opens and several men and women outside start shouting orders. One tells them to hurry out of the car and leave all their luggage on the plat- form, a second says to go to this or that truck. "What's going to happen to us?" Denise says in the car. "I don't know," Howard says. "There's air though. Already it smells better. Soon toilets, water for drinking and baths." "Have we really got everything planned fully?" Denise whispers to him. "If they tell you to go one • ••• ••• .1•1. ••• ■ • p •1 1 ■ ri ■ J • • • ILLUSTRATION BY MI CHAEL CRAMPTON H e seems to have someone. "Get off me," a woman lost all his mar- says. "I'm sorry. I want to get to my bles. Doesn't know where he wife and children." "Stay where you are... Go back is. Dark, feels movement, to where you were... You're up- sounds of movement. A car, but setting everything," other people no seat, just a rough wood floor say. "No, now, please, I have to. This he's on. Bed of a truck, totally en- closed, moving slowly. A train, might be my last chance before bouncing like one. Sounding like the train pulls in." "Just go back to your spot, will it. How could it be? Not a real you? Ah, it's likely already filled train. What's he, some bum by three others. Someone light a tramping it in a boxcar? He's sit- ting on a floor, thick liquid on it candle. Let this man get to his where one of his hands touches, family. If it's because you don't back up against someone's back, want to spare a match, I'll loan feet _squashed against something you." A candle's lit about 20 feet like a crate or wall. Where's his family? He's no bum. Has a home, away. Little he can see. Gets car, job, wife and kids he lives down, crawls over people. He gets to Denise. Candle goes with. They were with him just be- out. fore, had to give away the dog, "There's only room for one hours, a day, before he woke up. That's it: was asleep. "Denise? adult here," Denise says, on her knees. "Olivia's in a space for Denise?" "Shh, go back to your snoring," someone half her size. Eva's been man whose back he's against on my chest. I'll make room some- how." says. "Excuse me," he says, feeling "What's going on? What is it for the person next to them. with this train?" "And I'm going to tell you? "Could you just give us one or two Don't worry, it'll all turn out bad. inches?" "I don't have enough room for Haha, that's a good one. Sorry, go to sleep. The ride's for a couple my family or myself,7 a man says. more days at least. Believe me, "Go back to your place." "I can't. I'll never get back." He we're all here who were here, feels for Olivia, picks her up, even the ones who aren't dead yet. takes her spot, makes himself Sorry again. I can't help myself. I don't know what I'm saying. I small, lays her facedown on him. He kisses Denise, closes his don't even know if I said any- eyes, head on her shoulder, one thing. Did I?" arm holding Olivia close, other on "Denise?" Howard yells. "What's with this guy?" some- Eva's back. "If there was only one else says. "Hey, pipe down." something I could do for us." "Like what?" "We're over here," she says. "Di- "Like everything." rectly across the car from you. "Right now there's nothing. The girls are all right, sleeping now. Rest, dear. Take care of Just stay close. Stay with us till yourself. In the morning, come the end. Wake up when I ask you. Help me keep the girls in a good over." He gets up, feeling bodies with mood. But now, sleep." Snoring of a woman close by his hands and feet, stepping on 4 .