…our
beds and feet. Mr. et Mme. Legrand had
been with us for several weeks now. We
had a good routine going, which we thought was by now foolproof. “A moment
frozen in time” Then One Fatal Morning.... There was a Knock on the Door. It
was six
o’clock in the
morning.... I had just gotten out of bed
and was getting ready for work. Maman
had gone early to the bakery and was in the queue line to buy our daily ration
of bread. Mr. et Mme. Legrand were still
asleep in the bedroom. Then I heard a
knock on the door and thought to myself, “That’s strange! Who can it be so
early in the morning?” In those days a knock on any door so early in the
morning, was not a good omen and was enough to send chills through one’s
spine. I went to the door and held it
slightly open. In front of me stood two
austere gentlemen, clad in civilian clothes.
With quite an inquisitive look, a question and a quiver in my voice I
greeted them, “Good morning Messieurs, what do you want?” By this time I had
the door slightly more open. They
flipped their lapels over and showed me their police badges and responded, “We
are from the police.” I just stood there
speechless, scared to death, staring at them and wondering what it was all
about?... While in my chest my heart was
beating so fast and loud I swore they could hear it. In a flat voice devoid of emotions they told
me, “We are here to search for weapons.”
Recovering from my stupefaction and astonishment, trying not to show my
emotions of fear and panic, it was with a trembling voice that I replied, “Maman
and I do not have any weapons in our apartment.” They answered, “We will search the apartment anyway,” and
while they went through from room to room, including the back balcony, and the
W.C. (toilet), we didn't have that many rooms! Searching methodically on, in
and under everything, I was thinking about the Jewish couple in the bedroom. Frantically,
I was thinking?... What to do?... Maybe I should tell them the truth?... Or
should I wait and see?... My mind was in a whirlwind!... In my head all sorts
of thoughts were racing through, knocking each other about!... Should I
knock?... Should I barge in suddenly?... Mon Dieu!... What to do!... What a
dilemma for me!... I was only sixteen!... I did not deserve such big
problems!... I was still trying to figure out what to do!... Please God help
me?... Give me an idea!... Then, when we were almost at the bedroom door a
thought came to me!... I turned around and said to the policemen, “Mr. et Mme.
Legrand are good friends of ours visiting us for a few days.” I knocked and I slowly opened the door, and
there right before our eyes was this ever so sad “Tableau Vivant” (Living
Picture)!... We were gazing down on those
two most unfortunate persons, still in bed, startled by being awakened so
suddenly, still barely awake, and now starring at two expressionless men,
looking down on them and thrusting their police badges into their pale
faces. The entire episode had taken but
a minute or so, but it brought tears to my eyes , what a dead end for them to
be in! Where was it all going to end? After having identified themselves, one
policeman said, “We want to look at your identity cards and other papers.”
Sleepily Mr. Legrand got out of bed, went over to his coat. He removed his billfold from the pocket and
handed the policemen their two ID cards, as his wife by his side looked on
frightened beyond words. What was
happening was depressing and an altogether regrettable situation. “Why did it have to happen?” The whole
picture was making me feel quite dispirited, and that unhappy scene has stayed
with me to this day. The two policemen examined all their papers with minute
attention, then finally concluded that their cards and other papers were all
falsified documents. They gave them back
their papers and ID cards, and told them they would have to leave as soon as
possible. Tearfully I asked the
policemen, “Could you please wait until maman gets back from the bread line?
Maybe…
