Levi chose to fight alongside his family.
Written by Elizabeth
Levi had to protect them. He knew they wouldn’t agree but he had to. They were all he had left. But he couldn’t do anything. The Germans had suspended further deportation operations, it seemed, but that was three months ago. Everyone seemed glad for the peace and quiet, to be able to celebrate their holiday of Passover, but it was also the day before Adolf Hitler’s birthday. This wasn’t good, Levi felt it. This was the calm before the storm. This was the start of the Uprising.
The moonlight gleams on the ghetto homes, as marching echoes from outside. It gets louder by the second and the ghetto-inhabitants are up and running. Their children and loved ones dragged by the hand, they leave for the bunkers as the resistance forces scramble around to prepare, their plans already taking place.
Levi, with hair out of place and clothes wrinkled, holds his gun like his life depends on it, his family dancing around to grab the essentials. The marching, it’s frightening, but he smacks his cheeks.
“You can’t back down now, not this time. Think of your family.”
With that, he straightens up, his posture screams confident but his eyes cry fear. Before his hesitance settles back, the ground shakes.
Boom. The Germans fire. The mingled war cries with the gunshots cause Levi to follow blindly after his father, shooting in a random direction, a curse in German returns his shot. Adrenaline pumps through his veins, his ears ring as a grenade flashes across from him, the explosion of angry color lights up the night.
They held up pretty well considering how much the Jewish were outnumbered by the Germans troops, both in numbers and in skill. Two weeks has passed since April 19th, two weeks since the start of the Uprising. Levi feels as though they were fighting for so much longer. His limbs ached, his stomach sinking further in from hunger, and his overall health is depleting. He wants to quit but he can’t. He has to protect his family. They can’t die. Not here, not now.
The smoke is overwhelming, the thin cloth of his shirt isn’t helping at all, but the shower of bullets, poison gas, and fire is unleashed mercilessly. Eyes tearing up, he feels so numb, so tired.
“No.”
Levi slaps himself.
“No!”
Running, he gets his blood pumping as he pulls the trigger. Over and over again, until his gun clicks, he ran out of ammunition. Hands shaking, he feels around his pockets for extra magazines. Nothing. Panic rises. Looking around, he sees his family shooting relentlessly, a German soldier behind them, their gun aimed at them.
Without a second thought, he throws his useless gun away and runs. Faster! He begs his legs to go faster, the wobbling and the burning couldn’t stop him now. The man shoots. Levi jumps.
Thud. Blood trickles down his chin. Eyes dazed, he sees his life flash before him, the images fading as rough hands hold him tightly.
“Oh, please! Not my little man. Ah, Levi! Why?!”
His father is crying. Never once has he seen his father break. The tears fall onto Levi’s face and he smiles.
“Sorry, Father. I…. promised… protect ever-...one.”
His father’s lamentations hurt more than the wound.
“Son, please hang on. You’re all I have left!”
“Father, you… silly. You got Roni! She looks just like Mom…”
The sniffling, Levi almost regrets taking the blow but his happiness wins him over, he did it. He is going to die, but he’s happy. Red bleeds into his shirt, but the smile on Levi’s face is so pure. He protected his family. He did good.
“I’m so proud of you, son.”
A rare smile graces his father’s usually stern face.
“Goodbye, Father. I’ll see you in paradise…”
His light fades and all is black. He had lost.
The moonlight gleams on the ghetto homes, as marching echoes from outside. It gets louder by the second and the ghetto-inhabitants are up and running. Their children and loved ones dragged by the hand, they leave for the bunkers as the resistance forces scramble around to prepare, their plans already taking place.
Levi, with hair out of place and clothes wrinkled, holds his gun like his life depends on it, his family dancing around to grab the essentials. The marching, it’s frightening, but he smacks his cheeks.
“You can’t back down now, not this time. Think of your family.”
With that, he straightens up, his posture screams confident but his eyes cry fear. Before his hesitance settles back, the ground shakes.
Boom. The Germans fire. The mingled war cries with the gunshots cause Levi to follow blindly after his father, shooting in a random direction, a curse in German returns his shot. Adrenaline pumps through his veins, his ears ring as a grenade flashes across from him, the explosion of angry color lights up the night.
They held up pretty well considering how much the Jewish were outnumbered by the Germans troops, both in numbers and in skill. Two weeks has passed since April 19th, two weeks since the start of the Uprising. Levi feels as though they were fighting for so much longer. His limbs ached, his stomach sinking further in from hunger, and his overall health is depleting. He wants to quit but he can’t. He has to protect his family. They can’t die. Not here, not now.
The smoke is overwhelming, the thin cloth of his shirt isn’t helping at all, but the shower of bullets, poison gas, and fire is unleashed mercilessly. Eyes tearing up, he feels so numb, so tired.
“No.”
Levi slaps himself.
“No!”
Running, he gets his blood pumping as he pulls the trigger. Over and over again, until his gun clicks, he ran out of ammunition. Hands shaking, he feels around his pockets for extra magazines. Nothing. Panic rises. Looking around, he sees his family shooting relentlessly, a German soldier behind them, their gun aimed at them.
Without a second thought, he throws his useless gun away and runs. Faster! He begs his legs to go faster, the wobbling and the burning couldn’t stop him now. The man shoots. Levi jumps.
Thud. Blood trickles down his chin. Eyes dazed, he sees his life flash before him, the images fading as rough hands hold him tightly.
“Oh, please! Not my little man. Ah, Levi! Why?!”
His father is crying. Never once has he seen his father break. The tears fall onto Levi’s face and he smiles.
“Sorry, Father. I…. promised… protect ever-...one.”
His father’s lamentations hurt more than the wound.
“Son, please hang on. You’re all I have left!”
“Father, you… silly. You got Roni! She looks just like Mom…”
The sniffling, Levi almost regrets taking the blow but his happiness wins him over, he did it. He is going to die, but he’s happy. Red bleeds into his shirt, but the smile on Levi’s face is so pure. He protected his family. He did good.
“I’m so proud of you, son.”
A rare smile graces his father’s usually stern face.
“Goodbye, Father. I’ll see you in paradise…”
His light fades and all is black. He had lost.
Art by Elizabeth Tran