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"This is incredible." Whispering to the man, "What is your name?"
"Blionski, but you can call me Janek." He gave a tiny smile.
"That sounds Polish." I told him.
Janek chuckled, "That is because it is my child." His accent was not as heavy as mine, maybe he had been in America longer.
"What is your name?" He asked me.
"Madalina Lekeman, I am from southern Lithuanian." I responding.
The conversation lulled into a silence. Neither of us knew what to do. I know it was a bit irrational but I did not think many survivors would immigrate to America, at least not so quickly.
"Let me ring up the fabrics for you." Quietly shuffling back behind the counter, I bit my lip and nodded.
As he was ringing my order up my head swan with many questions for Janek. How long was he in Auschwitz? Was that the only camp he was in? How many did he lose? When did he go in?
Breaking my thinking, "Your total is fifteen dollars."
I did a double check back at the prices of the fabric and how much I got.
"That is not the right amount, it is way too low Janek." Staring at him in confusion.
He face softened, "Think of it as a special discount child." Motioning to my tattoo. I looked down and saw my sleeve was still pulled up. I had forgotten all about it.
"When were you brought in?" Janek asked I as put my fabric in my bag and gave him the money.
"1942, two and a half years of that misery." Sighing staring down at my arm as I laid it upon the counter.
Janek laid he arm next to mine, "You are not alone in that misery my child." I looked into the eyes of a man who had seen much, done much, and had been through much.
Just like me.
His eyes shifted past mine out to the window.
"Someone is watching us." Warning me.
I turned my head and found Jimmy watching us through the window. I yanked my sleeve back down and grabbed my bag.
"I need to go before I draw further attention, the people I am with do not know about any of it." Rushing the words out of my mouth, "But I have so many questions, may I come back Janek?" My voice pleading in desperation.
He nodded, "You may come back anytime. How about next Saturday afternoon for tea, three o' clock?"
Smiling, "That is perfect. I will see you then and thank you for the fabric." Speaking one last time. I gave him one more smile before heading out the door to Jimmy.
Jimmy remained callous as I approached him, "Jimmy what are you doing here? I told you I would walk back." Putting a fake grin on my face hoping it would throw him off.
"What the hell was that?" Coldly questioning as he pointed to Janek's shop.
"I was buying fabric? I told you that." Playing innocent.
"Don't play dumb Lina I saw you and the tailor engaged in...something." Heating replying.
"Jimmy I do not know what you are talking about." Still playing innocent but there was an underlining annoyance to my voice. Why did this man need to know everything about everyone?
"I was here almost the whole time. I saw you and that man hold your arms up together. You were talking about something. What is on your arm that is so important?" He interrogated as he stared at my left arm.
"You must be mistaken Jimmy because I still do not know what you are talking about!" Exclaiming in frustration as I moved to walk away from him but he grabbed me by my left arm to stop me.
Jimmy spoke but his words became muffled as I fell into the rabbit hole.
I was afraid. Tears were streaming down my face. I held onto mamma's hand tightly as the line moved forward. I missed papa. Where had they taken papa? Why were we separated from the other men. My head hurt from the questions.
Was papa okay? Was he with senelis? Where did the guards take senelė? My aunts were still crying because the guards took them from their children. Where were my cousins? Why did they take the children!
Where was my family?
Mamma got yanked by her arm someone forcing me to let go of her. I started screaming but then my aunts hugged me and told me to be quiet. I panicked what were they doing to Mamma? Suddenly I was forced away from my aunts and I was panicking again. A man was shouting at me in German and I did not understand him. He grabbed my left arm while someone else held me still.
That is when the real screaming began.
By the time it was done six numbers were imprinted into my skin mingling with my blood. No matter how much I rubbed they would not go away.
They would be there forever.
The present came flooding back to me as my breath escaped in short gasps from my chest. Jimmy loosened his grip and I yanked my arm away from him.
Staring at Jimmy he looked concerned and horrified at the same time.
"Just because you feel the need to know everything... does not mean that you need too! As individuals we have things we keep secret and that is what they should, and will stay. Secret! So do not go prying into mine!" Shouting at him in anger.
Before he could say anything I turned and ran from him clutching my things to me.
Carefully I avoided Jimmy for the night and went out of my way to stay away from him the next morning. I was irritated and upset over what had happened. Why did some people have a problem with leaving certain things be?
Sitting out on my steps mending some of the clothes I had taken from the performers I was trying to let the warm sun take away my anxiety about Jimmy and about that newspaper article I had poured over about ten times.
Then this morning at breakfast the radio was on reporting that the Detective was still missing and that the police were out looking for blood and I just knew this was going to come back to us.
Proving myself right a ripple of unrest spread throughout the camp as a police car, with sirens blaring pulled onto the grounds. Setting my things down I quickly made my way over to the car and gathered next to Miss Ethel avoiding Jimmy's apparent stare towards me. Miss Elsa came out of her tent to greet the two gentlemen, one tall, one round and short.
"You the proprietor of this uh, freak show?" The tall one asked her.
"I am now what can I do for you gentlemen?" She coolly asked them.
"We'd like to search your grounds for any evidence on our missing Detective." The round Detective shortly replied.
"We have nothing to hide. But I cannot allow you to look around without a search warrant. My monsters cherish their privacy. You can see all we have to offer with a ticket to the show." Curtly replying to them.
"There ain't gonna be any show tonight, or anytime soon." The tall one smirked, "We're setting up a curfew. This town is shutting down at night till the killer's caught."
Warily I cast a glance at Miss Ethel and she matched my expression.
Miss Elsa instantly became annoyed, "A curfew? You are going to ruin my business."
The tall tree replied with a smile, "Every dark cloud has a silver lining." I had a sudden urge to slap him in the face.
The round one spoke," Ah our famous vanishing patient." Dot and Bette had finally come to see what was going on, "Or is it patients?" He joked causing me to roll my eyes.
"They left the hospital for the same reason anyone does; they're weren't ill anymore. Did you expect them to move in?" Miss Elsa was clearly vexed by presence of these men and I was on my way to being there soon.
"We'd like to get statements from anyone involved in a murder investigation." The shorty spoke to Dot and Bette.
"They gave their statement. To the other policeman. I was there when they did. He told us, off the record, that their story had the trademark of the other killings. He did seem drunk, though." She answered for them.
Clearly she was lying, but she was lying for Bette and Dot and the others.
"I agree with Miss Mars. I smelled whiskey." Dot finally broke the silence for the twins in an attempt to back up Miss Elsa. Though the the two gentlemen did not seem to buy it.
"He never mentioned that statement to us, and now he's missing." The tree mused.
A small smirk appeared on Miss Elsa's face, "Will you arrest us for that, too? His disappearance? We're such easy targets, aren't we." Glaring at the men and her words hit a nerve inside me.
Easy targets.
"We're not arresting anyone for anything." The short one paused, "Yet." A threatening warning to us all.
"We got a stack of murders and a missing cop, though, so expect to get to know us." They delivered one last threat before climbing into their car and driving off.
Leaving their tension and uneasiness to linger at camp.
"This is bad. They are going to come back and next time it will be with a search warrant." Speaking out loud to the group.
Jimmy had gathered me, Paul, Eve and Suzi in his trailer to discuss the matter of the police and the missing Detective.
"Or worse an arrest warrant." Suzi chimed in.
"Yeah but we didn't do anything." Eve said.
"Doesn't matter." Jimmy shook his head.
"He is right. As far as we know we were the last ones to see the Detective before he disappeared. The police knew he was coming here and that this was the last place he was reportedly seen." Explaining to them.
"So what do we do?" Paul asked to anyone.
"Keep our heads down and hope they find out who really took that Detective otherwise all of us are not safe. It is like Miss Elsa said, we are easy targets." Grimly replying.
I paused but I needed to ask this question, "I know this is going to cause commotion but if anybody has anything new to say after the Detective left they should say it now." Sighing carefully avoiding eye contact with Jimmy.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jimmy questioned getting upset.
"Jimmy, fellow just calm down." Paul tried settling him down.
"No if she has something to say then she should come out say it!" He shouted at me.
"All I am saying is tempers can still run wild after an incident like the one we all were in. Rage in the moment can still happen and I just wanted to clear up and make sure nobody went looking for trouble. Now is not the time for secrets." Responding as calmly as I could.
Jimmy scoffed at me, "Yeah because you should be the one lecturing me on secrets."
I narrowed my eyes at him, "What is that supposed to mean mate?" Paul quickly came to my defense.
"Nothing except the fact that this chick has been here, what three days and I've figured out she's more guarded than a bank vault. She won't tell nobody nothing...except maybe the tailor in town." Jimmy smirked at me.
I clenched my hands as the rage poured over my soul trying to find a place to settle, "My past, my secrets are none of your business! And excuse me for not wanting to relive that living Hell I was in back in Europe because I do that enough already. Every damn day! That War took everything from me so I am sorry if I never want to talk about the worst years of my life." Screaming at him, rendered everyone speechless at my outburst.
I spit at his feet, "šunsnukis." Cursing at him before going to the door and slamming it behind me.