The trip on the truck was a horrifying ordeal. Many people were standing on that open truck and I was squeezed right in the middle. My Mom pushed me there; so that I would not accidentally fall overboard. Afraid that I would not be able to breathe, because the grown-ups were so much taller than I was, I started to whimper. Somebody said, “Be quiet girl, we are all uncomfortable.” That only made me cry out louder. I called for my mother louder and louder. Mom heard me and called back “Illa, it is alright. You are safe there. Out here, where I am, it is not. Hang in, we are getting there.” But the thought of my Mom falling off the truck was even more terrifying than my own discomfort.
By the time we got to Nünberg, and the truck stopped to unload people, I was unable to stand. Like a sack of potatoes, I slummed to the ground. Mom came to help me up and spoke very soothingly. I was not listening, I just held on to her and did not let go. I did not let go for the rest of the journey. Being surrounded by all those strange people in a place where I did not know was awful. But it was far worse thinking the unthinkable; what would I do without my Mother if she was ever gone.
Next, we got on an over-loaded train. We made many stops and detours onto other trains. This was not expected to happen. Public transport was not yet organized and too many people were going back to the cities that they had fled years before.
The atmosphere was different on those trains and I certainly felt it. There was a subdued optimism of starting anew. People talked a lot more. They shared their experiences and their hope of finding their lost loved ones and reuniting. The big question everybody asked was; “Is Hitler really dead?” Not much of what happened was known to the general public.
The train was getting closer to Hamburg. Earlier, Mom and I made our way to stand by a window, so we could have a good view. Soon we were jam-packed as many others joined near the windows. Exciting chatter went on as we approached the Elbe bridges. Mom stepped from one foot to the other in anticipation. “Illa, we are almost there!”
