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» נצפה 186 פעמים מאז תחילת הספירה.
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לפני 14 שנים ו-10 חודשים תולדות חיים פרק ב' A.B.
7
Chapter two: Maldegem.
The train station in Maldegem is a small building with a single platform, and usually there would be two or three passengers getting on or off the train, but on that day, it seemed as if all the people from the area where crowded in the tiny station. I looked up at the faces trying to guess who is waiting for me. A nice looking young couple was standing nearby, the woman smiled at me and I knew that we would get along well. Slowly my anxiety began to dissipate. The husband addressed the social worker,
Is this Isaac Swartz? He asked, pointing at me.
Here goes my sweet looking couple. Frustrated I kept looking around. One by one the children left the platform accompanied by their benefactors. It seemed as if I would have to return home. A middle-aged man approached us, his wife waited at a distance. The man handed over a piece of paper with my name on it. I was disappointed and even a bit frightened. Achiel and Leonia de Backer had severe expressions on their faces. They took me to the horse and carriage that was patiently waiting near the station, and we were on our way to the farm.
As we entered the farmhouse I was greeted by Julia and Richard, the De backer’s son and daughter. They were both nice looking, in their twenties and from the first moment I felt at ease with them. Richard led me up the narrow staircase to the attic that became my bedroom. It was a cute little room with a French window overlooking the garden. In front of it grew an apple tree, whose branches literally reached into the room, if you wanted an apple all you had to do is open the window and pick one. Charlie Chaplin created a scene like that in his film “Modern times”. Only here it was not a dream, it was real life. Richard helped me arrange the few clothes and belongings that I had brought with me and we went down to join the rest of the family sitting at the dinner table. From the kitchen arrived the smell of fresh backed bread. It crossed my mind that this was probably the reason for their name. Leonia did not just bake the bread for her household; she made butter, sour cream, and all kinds of diary products as well. I used to help her spin the milk barrel. We took turns at it, and when it was ready we opened the lid and removed layer after la yer, first the butter then the cream and then the sour cream. We put them into separate jars, and then of course we tasted it, that was the best part of it. Then there were the traditional jam sessions; these were not meetings of jazz pla yers, but rather preparations of home made marmalades. The whole family used to gather around the kitchen table and assist with the preparations; meanwhile we would eat some of the fruits. I must mention the fact that the war was still raging in parts of Europe and food was scarce, but not in Maldegem, here we had plenty, and nothing but the best.
A few days after my arrival, Richard took me to school and presented me to the teacher. During the German occupation we missed school quite often, the last two years we didn’t go at all, to many children have been caught by the Nazis, so Marietta preferred to keep us at home. I had not even finished second class, and now two years later I was in fifth class, so it was not easy to catch up. The boys used to harass me because I asked too many questions, and because I wore spectacles. I was a city boy and a snob so they said, the teacher himself was not fond of me either. He said that I was not supposed to ask questions but rather answer them; he didn’t even know that I am Jewish.
8
There was a good side to it, as a result of their constant harassment, and because they where chasing me whenever we were out of the teachers sight, I developed very good running skills. People on the street must have thought that we are practicing for the upcoming Marathon race. I particularly was highly appraised, as I was always far ahead of the group.
One day on my way home, a group of boys stopped me one of them tore of my glasses threw them on the ground and crashed them under his foot. I caught him by the neck but the others attacked me and beat the hell out of me. Back home I was ashamed to show myself. I sneaked into my room and closed the door. I washed my face, but it was full of scars, my nose was swollen and I had a black eye.
There was a knock on the door. First I refused to open, but Richard convinced me that my reaction is against the wrong people, that I will achieve nothing by hiding, so I let him in. He sat on the bed beside me.
Do you know who they are? He asked me, after I told him what happened.
I don’t know the names but I can point them out if you come with me to school. I said.
First you stay home for a few days, till you recover. Then we’ll see said Richard with a reassuring smile.
Can I ask you why you wear glasses, do you really need them? Richard gave me a newspaper and said that if I can read it I don’t need glasses. It was only twenty years later that I had to wear eyeglasses again.
A few days later I went back to school, Richard came to meet me on my way back at the same spot where I was attacked. As expected the same boys were there. As I stopped in front of the group Richard came forwards and stood beside me.
O.K guys, what do you prefer the five of you against the two of us, or one of you against Albert. One of them stepped forward.
Punch him right in his face, don’t play with him, whispered Richard into my ear.
I did exactly that. And it was all that was needed. The boy fell back into his friends’ arms. His nose was bleeding badly, ten years later in the army I won the middleweight boxing championship of 1994. From that day on I had no more troubles of that kind. After school I used to help on the farm. Achiel taught me how to milk a cow, many buckets of milk where kicked over until I got the feeling how hard to squeeze and how much to pull at the cows udders. Most of all I liked the harvesting season. From all over the village people came to help. The wheat was loaded on the wagon and I led the horse to the barn where it was unloaded. Leonia and Julia prepared food and we took it to the field. A blanket was spread on the ground and we gathered in a circle around it. We drank and ate and there was laughter and singing, very much like in the Russian post war propaganda films. Later in the evening the house was full of people, now that the work was done Achiel opened a few bottles of wine, Leonia served cake and after a joyful evening the guests left and I went to bed.
Then I learned horse riding. The first time Richard put me on a horse I felt I am a natural cowboy. The horse was very calm and obedient. Is it that simple? I said to myself. You simply pull the reins and the horse responds. It was so indeed, until I turned the horse homewards. The horse began to gallop like crazy. It didn’t take long before I found myself rolling on the ground. The horse looked back and I believe that I noticed a smile on his horsy face.
I did not give up of course and after a few more lessons, I became quite comfortable. One day my mother came for a visit. I wanted to show her what a good rider her son is. I saddled the horse and rode off with a joyous scream.
9
As I entered the yard on my way back, the horse turned straight towards the stable. I pulled the reins as hard as I could, but it was impossible to stop him.The entrance was but a little higher than the horse, and I saw the wall just in front of me. In a Walt Disney cartoon I would simply pass through the wall leaving a hole the shape of my body. At the last moment I bent backwards laying flat on the horse’s back, and passed through the door unharmed. The De Backers and mother looked at me with admiration.
That was really something Ma said, isn’t it a bit dangerous? I must have been pale like a sheet. I guess that because I was covered with dust they didn’t notice it.
Richard said: now that you have proved your expertise as a rider, you will have your own horse. As soon as I break in our stallion it will be yours.
Breaking in a young horse is not an easy game. It is very much like a rodeo. Richard who was an excellent rider was thrown to the ground several times. Slowly but surely the horse gave up the struggle and accepted the rider. He was totally tamed when I finally rode him. It was wonderful, he did not resist a bit. From the first time I felt that he accepted me. Maybe it was merely because of my weight, but I felt that it is my personality that had such a good influence on the horse. Everyday I used to take him out for a ride. I took really good care of him. If I had remained longer we would probably participate in races and different riding contests, since Richard was the manager of the local riding club.
One day, two beautiful girls Maria and Marietta, came over to the farm. I tried all my tricks in order to impress them, but although they were about my age, they acted like mature experienced ladies. I thought that I fell in love, but I didn’t know with which one of the two. The truth is that I knew nothing about the facts of life. (It was three years later on my way to Israel that a friend of mine told me that my father has made sex with my mother, and that is how I was born. I told him that he must be crazy, and I didn’t speak with him for a week.) Anyway we became friends, and they came over almost every day. Maria would walk with me to school every morning, and in the afternoon we would make our homework together. Then one day my mother came to take me back home. My uncle Berish had returned from Switzerland. He suggested that Mom takes her children home and he will help her financially until things get better. I couldn’t believe that it was over and I have to leave. I cried all the way to Brussels.
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