Eric Jurgens - Nazi joy camp

Ruth was met at Kamp East by Fraulein Direktor Hilde Schmidt. She was certain that the papers she had hidden on her person had been discovered missing and just as sure that she would be placed under arrest and shipped to God-only-knew where. She was trembling as she stepped from the car, but she faced Hilde as though she were equal to whatever the terrible woman might be able to dish out.

"So, you return, Jew. Did you enjoy your work there?" She asked viciously.

Ruth smiled, partly from relief and partly because she had realized that Hilde had expected her to suffer at the hands of the SS. She could see the disappointment in the woman's eyes. "Yes, I did, Fraulein Direktor. Thank you." Ruth paused and looked at the woman, then asked, "And you, did you enjoy your work here while I was away?"

"You Jew slut!" Hilde screamed, her face red and angry, "How dare you ask me such a question Bitch! I'll fix you! Go to your cabin right away. Move Bitch!" She continued to scream even though Ruth had turned her back and had started in the direction of her cabin.

Ruth was shaking all over. She had never in her life bated anyone before she met Hilde. But, more important, she had never had anyone hate her as that woman seemed to. Why? Ruth asked herself. Why would anyone carry a grudge so long? What had she really done to the woman? Ruth decided that the questions were just too large for her to answer, that they involved theories and ideas that she had never come in contact with. She held her head high and proceeded on to her cabin, forgetting about Nurse Hilde as soon as she stepped through the door.

Elizabeth still lay on her bed almost as Ruth had left her. She was staring open-eyed at the ceiling and gave no indication that Ruth might be in the room. Ruth was shocked when she looked at the girl. Elizabeth was filthy. The whole cabin stank. She walked cautiously to the bed and wanted to cry when she fully realized the condition of the girl. "Elizabeth?" She called softly. There was no response. "God in Heaven, Elizabeth, what has happened to you?" Ruth sobbed and sat on the edge of the bed.

She had her back turned to Elizabeth so that when the girl touched her she sprang up from the bed, shivering with alarm. She checked herself quickly and turned back to face her. She took her dirty hand in her own, and, looking at her close saw that she was crying. "What is it, Elizabeth? What's happened here?"

"Ruth! Oh, Ruth!" Elizabeth cried.

"Yes, it is I. Hasn't Gretchen been taking care of you? Where is she anyway?" Ruth demanded.

"Hilde wouldn't let her," Elizabeth said softly and then slowly turned her eyes back to the ceiling.

Ruth would have none of that. She was surprised that she had spoken, but since she had Ruth had no intention of letting her slip back into her mute self. "Elizabeth!" She spoke loudly, causing the girl's eyes to focus again, "I want you to answer my questions. NOW! First, when did you eat last?"

"I don't know!" She cried.

"When?" Ruth demanded, "Today? Have you had anything to eat today?"

"No," Elizabeth said, trying to turn her head away.

"Yesterday? Did you have anything to eat yesterday?" Ruth demanded, tugging at her hand, hard.

"I… I don't… I don't know," She answered.

"All right, Elizabeth, I'll manage something to eat. Have you been working the last two days? Have there been men here with you?"

"… Yes…" She sobbed. "Many."

"Who took the coupons? Who collected the coupons?" Ruth demanded.

"I don't… maybe Gretchen. They… they said they gave them to… to a girl," Elizabeth whined.

"I see," Ruth said, even though she wasn't sure she did. "I'll talk to her. I want you to get up and bathe and I'll go get us some food, Elizabeth. Hurry up!" She made her get out of the dirty bed and head toward the sink. "And you're going to do it for yourself, Elizabeth. I have to go for food. And don't get back in that filthy bed. I'll come back and help you change it." Ruth stopped only long enough to make sure that Elizabeth was doing as she told her, then headed for the door.

"Ruth?" Elizabeth said, not looking at her, "Such a pretty dress."

Ruth burst into tears. She turned back into the cabin and sat on her own bed and cried. Elizabeth walked to her and put her hand on her head. Ruth cried harder. Ruth clasped the girl to her, arms around her waist and wailed. It was the first good cry she had had in a long time.

Slowly Ruth brought herself under control. "Elizabeth, I'm sorry. I had forgotten about my dress. It is pretty, isn't it?" She stood and made a complete turn so that Elizabeth could see the whole thing. "And, I have something else much better – but, I'll tell you about that later. I have to go for food. Get washed," she said, then kissed her lightly on the lips. She left feeling much calmer than she had been in a long time. She decided that she would have to cry more often.

Ruth didn't bother to knock at Gretchen's cabin. She pushed the door open roughly and entered the room which was exactly like her own, Gretchen looked up, frightened, then smiled and said, "I didn't recognize you with your fine clothes."

"I hardly recognized Elizabeth, either. She's filthy and she hasn't eaten since I left. Give me all the coupons you have." Ruth spoke so forcefully that her words left no room for argument on the other girl's part.

"But… I… don't have any, Ruth." Gretchen faltered, then burst into tears. "Fraulein Direktor Schmidt took them."

"I don't believe you. She can't use them. I want them now!" Ruth retorted, making a move toward the girl.

"I only have four," Gretchen cried, backing away from Ruth. "And they're mine. I'm starving," she cried.

Ruth had noticed that the girl looked in the direction of the armoire when she spoke about the coupons. Ruth went to the armoire and jerked it open. She opened a small box and took out the valuable yellow coupons, all of them, then turned back to Gretchen. "Since you have only four, I'll take the rest of these. I'm positive Elizabeth earned them anyway. I thought I could trust you," Ruth told her in a voice filled with disgust.

"Aie…" Gretchen wailed, then through her sobs told Ruth, "Nurse Hilde made me do it… It's not my fault."

"You lie," Ruth told her calmly, but she knew that Gretchen wasn't lying now. There was no doubt in her mind that Hilde had issued the orders to the girl.

Ruth felt not only much older than the girl standing before her, but infinitely wiser. She also pitied her. She retreated somewhat and said, "It doesn't matter. I have the coupons now. But – if you mention this to Direktor Hilde – you'll be in trouble. Real trouble. I didn't know that you were so friendly with her."

Gretchen looked up sharply at Ruth. "Well she… she helps me," the girl tried to explain.

"I'm sure she does," Ruth gave the girl a cutting glance. Then it came to Ruth like a flash! Gretchen and Hilde were lovers! For some reason she knew it and just as clearly knew that she would find a way to use her new gained knowledge against Hilde when the time presented itself. For now she smiled knowingly and left Gretchen's cabin. She was only a few yards away when she noticed Hilde headed toward the cabin from which she had just departed. She placed herself behind a wall so that she would be out of sight of the nurse and watched her enter Gretchen's cabin. She would like to have been there to see the look on her face when Gretchen recounted, as she was sure she would, her visit.

Ruth did not tarry. She went to the coupon store and picked up food for hers and Elizabeth's dinner.

Ruth spent another year and a half at Kamp East.

The conditions became worse and worse. In order to have food enough to stay alive she had to see to it that she and Elizabeth together earned not less than ten coupons a day. Even at that rate they were near starvation.