One Less

Filthy, gaunt, frightened bodies stumble to the train cars, forced by uniformed Nazis with their rifles. I stand at the entrance to one of the overloaded train cars, my Nazi uniform heavy with the shame it brings me. I want to tell these Jews that I’m on their side, but then I would be shot.

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a family of Jews clinging desperately to each other, a mom, a dad, and a skimpy boy no older than seven. It’s their eyes that catch my attention. They are wide with memories of dark horrors others could never even fathom A barbarous Nazi known as Wilhelm grabs the young boy from his parents and shoves him into a crowd with other Jews who are to be shot before the train departs, to fit the stronger Jews on the train.

“Nein,” the father begs. “Nein please! Not my boy; he is strong, he can work!”

Before I even process what I am doing, I’ve grabbed the Jewish man by his shoulder and pulled him away before Wilhelm shoots him.

“What are you doing, Schindler?” Wilhelm yells and points his rifle at the father.

“I want him for my factory,” I respond quickly. “The boy, too.”

I grab the son and father then steer the two away, grabbing the mother’s shoulder as we stumble through the crowd. I take them to the side of the train where I am out of eyesight.

“Hallo, I’m Oskar Schindler,” I say, kneeling down so I’m on the same level as the boy. I pull a butterscotch sweet out of my breast pocket and offer it to the boy. “I’m gonna take you to work in my factory. It’s not the best, but it’s better than the camps, I promise.” I nod and smile.

I wish I could save every Jew who has suffered unjustly, but for now I must be satisfied that this family is safe. It’s one less family the Nazis will tear apart, one less family who will perish without fault, on less family gone.