A new train (used to transport animals) has just arrived with full of Jews in the train. All Jews have been assigned a number and their number is marked on their hands with an indelible ink. All Jews were identified with their numbers! Jews are entering the concentration camp in an order. All the prisoners are segregated based on their fitness and physical strenghth. As per Hitler's order all the strong prisoners would be made to work till they are weakened and then sent to gas chambers (A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous asphyxiant gas is introduced and was extensively used in mass killing of Jews). Prisoners who are not fit/weak were immediately sent to the gas chambers for mass killing.
Amongst those Jews was this young lady, aged around 28 years of age . Since, she was healthy and strong, she was put to some work. Her job was to repair and alter the dead nazi soldiers uniforms in oder to make it fit to the other soldiers.There was a shortage of Uniforms also in the camp!!. Within two days of she coming to the camp, sombody in the camp gave her a small note. It was written by the the Doctor who was the in-charge of the camp's hospital. At that time, these Camp's had full fledged hospitals - not to treat the patients with sympathy, but to treat them and when they get the hope of survival, kill them by sending them to gas chambers. This was one of the saddistic pleasures of Hitler. The note said" Please meet me in any one of these days in the Hospital at 5 pm".
The girl did not understand anything and it was difficult to go to the hospital with the tight security around. After few days, a soldier who was guarding her misbehaved with her for not repairing the uniform properly. She slapped that soldier!. How can a Jewish prisoner slap a Nazi soldier? Immediately she was ordered to be sent to the gas chamber. She went and stood in the line of 200 people who would be sent to the gas chamber that day. The time was around 5 pm and the lady suddenly remembered about the note that the doctor had sent and when the security was a little careless she escaped and ran towards the hospital. The doctor was waiting for the girl at the hospital door. (Poor doctor! everyday she was waiting for this girl at 5 pm).
When the doctor saw the lady, she said." I am so happy to see you. I have reserved a bed in the epidemic diseases ward. Please tell this code to the ward boy and he will take care of the rest of the things. In next 3-4 days the Russian army will attack this camp and release the inmates. Then you can escape from this place" and forced the lady to go to the ward before the soldiers come in search of her. The lady asked "Doctor! why is that, at the risk of your own life, you are trying to save my life?"
The Doctor said" My dear young girl! to cut a long story short. I only want to say that, If I am a doctor today, it is only because of your father's benevolence. When I finished my schooling, I wanted to become a doctor. But I had no money. Somebody suggested that I should go to your father at Budapest. I went to him and told him my plight. He simply asked me to join the course and met all my expenses till I became a full-fledged doctor. When I went back to him to offer my gratitude and thanks he simply brushed it aside and asked me to do what he had done to me, to some other deserving man or woman. That was his way of showing benevolence. Young Girl! I did not meet him again in the last 20 years. I heard that he is no more. But when I came to know that you, as his daughter entered this camp to die, I determined that I must save you, if possible. My wish is fulfilled. Go and sleep on the bed in the ward and escape afterwards".
The lady went and slept in the ward. As the doctor said, within 3-4 days Russian army came and freed all the inmates. The lady also escaped, however, she was very curious to meet the doctor. She searched the entire camp. In one big mass grave she found the dead body of the doctor along with lot of other bodies. Hitler had ordered to kill all the doctors before the Russian army attacks the camp so that no one is alive to tell the horror story. The lady searched the body of the doctor where she found her pocket diary. The last note was on the day when the girl escaped from soldiers and got admitted to the ward. The doctor had written" Today is the happiest day in my life. I have returned my debt to the owner".
Ah! This is what I call the heights of gratitude. Should we not emulate such a great quality in our lives and become better human beings!! Lot of people would have helped us under very difficult circumstances. Should we not show our gratutude for all the help and benevolence received and should we not return if not to them to the other needy people in the society?
Tell me what do you think!!!!
