Alexander 1 ?

anorla Pum l MPl

2010 36241
Man's Search for Mean|ng
A tevlsloo of tbe stoty
ln parLlal fulflllmenLs of Lhe requlremenLs ln PuM l

1hls sLory ls abouL Lhe sufferlng noL of greaL men and women ln Lhe concenLraLlon camp nor ls lL
abouL Lhose people who dealL Loo much paln on Lhe llves of Lhe prlsoners Lhls ls abouL us Lhe unsung
heroes lf l may call ourselves
l was on a Lraln noL as beauLlful as Lhe one you see ln Lngland wlLh a clueless mlnd of where
Lhls [ourney would Lake me l saw a pen LhaL fallen from Lhe floor l Lrled reachlng for lL buL l can hardly
move because of so many people around WlLh all my mlghL l Lrled Lo push a person ln fronL of me and l
exLended my arms Lo reach for LhaL pen Suddenly Lhe bell rang slgnallng LhaL we have reached our
desLlnaLlon AuscwlLz
A man wearlng a gray unlform wlLh some klnd of marklngs on lL and abouL 6'2 lnches was
sLandlng beslde Lhe Lraln's door Pe shouLed and lnsLrucLed everyone Lo llne up l saw dlfferenL sorLs of
people a women carrylng hls baby and a grandmoLher who upon her deparLure wenL looklng for her
losL grandson As Lhe llne wenL passed Lhe man he was somewhaL sorLlng us lnLo Lwo groups one goes
Lo Lhe lefL and Lhe oLher Lo Lhe rlghL l was chosen Lo be on Lhe rlghL 8ehlnd me l heard a person
Lalked l'm qulLe sure LhaL l wlll be parL of Lhls group l feel sorry for Lhose ln Lhe oLher may Lhey have a
safe Lrlp Lo heaven" AL flrsL l wonder whaL lL meanL buL l was lucky Lo meeL a veLeran prlsoner and l
Lrled Lo ask hlm whaL faLe awalLs Lhose ln Lhe oLher group Pe dlrecLed my aLLenLlon lnLo a chlmney
house and he polnL dlrecLly Lo Lhe smoke comlng ouL of Lhe chlmney uurlng LhaL nlghL l felL cerLaln l
was ln hell or maybe far worse from how you lmaglne lL Lo be
Cn my flrsL day aL Lhe camp we fall ln llne ln fronL of Lhe SS headquarLer Agaln we were sorLed
ouL lnLo groups buL now Lhey asked us abouL our professlon My Lurn arrlved and an offlcer holds my
shoulder l looked aL hlm sLralghL and Lrled Lo be as confldenL as posslble ln order Lo avold conveylng
LhaL l was Lruly scared Pe asked me so whaL can you do? l'm a docLor l sald and LhaL's lL 1hen he led
me Lo a huL 1here l meL Lhls people and l was lucky Lo meeL an old frlend Lhere l've known hlm slnce
school years and he was a good frlend of mlne
noL knowlng whaL Lo expecL on Lhe nexL day l [usL slepL ln our llLLle huL l would say Lhls huL ls
even worse Lhan Lhe houses you see ln Lhe slums We were forLy flve here and Lhere were flve plaLforms
arranged ln a manner ln whlch Lhey were on Lop of one anoLher ln each plaLform nlne people sleep
LogeLher and lf you were lucky you wlll [usL have Lo sleep wlLh elghL people whlch wlll allow you Lo
move your llmbs whlle sleeplng 8uL Lhls ls [usL Lhe beglnnlng l belleve 1here are sLlll so many Lhlngs
LhaL awalL me ln Lhe fuLure
1he bell rang agaln early ln Lhe mornlng lL was sLlll dark buL l can see Lhe SS guards vlvldly
Agaln Lhey lnsLrucLed us Lo fall ln llne Lhen Lhey Lold us Lo remove everyLhlng on our body lncludlng our
cloLhes and surrender lL Lo Lhem Lveryone aL my slghL hurrledly removed Lhelr cloLhes buL l am sLlll
Lhlnklng lf l would glve ouL Lhls pen of mlne LhaL l found whlle l was aL Lhe Lraln l've been keeplng a
dlary of my dally experlences here aL Lhe camp and lf l surrender Lhls pen l wouldn'L be able Lo conLlnue
Alexander 1 ?anorla Pum l MPl
2010 36241
lL anymore As my Lurn approaches l am somewhaL loslng hope LhaL l can keep Lhls valuable pen l don'L
wanL Lo be llke LhaL man who was beaLen up by hldlng hls weddlng rlng under hls Longue Pe was
broughL Lo Lhe gas chamber and he was gassed Lo deaLh Pow harsh can Lhls llfe be? 1hen afLer a whlle
we all found ourselves naked We were senL ouL on a shower Lo be clean AL lasL l sald Lhere's a real
good of belng here and aL Lhe shower we [usL all laughed aL each oLher l beL Lhls people are feellng LhaL
aL Lhls very momenL Lhere wlll be noLhlng Lo lose excepL Lhelr llves
1here were many lnsLances ln Lhe camp where people seem Lo lose hope even Lhe wlll Lo llve
Cne mornlng we fall ln llne agaln and wenL marchlng Lo Lhe work area 1hey gave as rugged cloLhes and
a palr of shoes whlch l Lhlnk was cenLury old 1hen we sLarLed worklng Lo flnlsh Lhls rallway as soon as
posslble Lven lf everyone seems Llred and we haven'L eaLen anyLhlng yeL nor drlnk any fluld we Lrled Lo
look as flL as we can be An acqualnLance Lold me who was a veLeran aL Lhe camp LhaL Lhere are Lhose
people LhaL Lhey call Moslem 1hls people are Lhe ones who are of no use Lo Lhe guards and you know
whaL Lhey do Lo Lhese people? Agaln Lhey senL Lhem Lo Lhe gas chamber Lo be gassed AL Lhe end of our
work shlfL l was really Llred My feeL suffered from sores and l Lhlnk l was abouL Lo have edema on my
legs Addlng Lo Lhe paln LhaL l feel ls Lhe severe cold ouLslde
now lL's Lhe Llme Lo eaL We walLed for our raLlon of food uurlng lLs arrlval we [usL saw flve
ounces of bread and a dlluLe soup Pow can Lhls fulflll Lhe hunger LhaL l felL whlle worklng all day long?
1hls wouldn'L be enough Lo flll even a parL of my lnLesLlne l have Lo make do of whaL l have l have Lo
adapL so l can survlve l dlvlded my bread ln pleces so lL would lasL unLll Lomorrow and Lhls became a
hablL aL Lhe camp buL Lhere were sLlll some who would eaL Lhelr bread durlng Lhe Llme lL were raLloned
Lo avold anyone from sLeallng lL
uays for me here ln Lhe camp feel llke longer Lhan Lhe monLhs LhaL we spenL here lL's Lhe
LwenLyelghL and lL's our weddlng annlversary 8uL unllke any annlversary l had wlLh my wlfe Lhls [usL
seem so very dlfferenL Lvery momenL l pray Lo Cod LhaL my wlfe ls alrlghL wherever she may be Lven
before l go Lo bed lf you can call lL one l always look aL Lhe sky and reach for Lhe sLars as lf she was lL
lanLaslzlng abouL her somehow eases Lhe hunger and paln here aL Lhe camp 8uL for some who grew
Lhlnner Lhey somewhaL losL Lhe deslre of longlng for Lhelr love one because Lhey are preoccupled wlLh
how Lhey can ease Lhelr hunger
As Lhe bell rung agaln l fall ln llne ouLslde lL was cold very cold My hands were pale my llps
dry and my skln full of goose bumps 1he cloLhes LhaL l had over my body were sLlll Lhe one Lhey gave
when we came here l cannoL wash lL because lL's Lhe only cloLhes l have and lL ls now sLarLlng Lo Lear
lnLo pleces Cn my mlnd how can Lhls Lhlng proLecL me agalnsL Lhe cold? WlLh my sore feeL and legs
whlch formed edema we marched Lo Lhe work place SLlll l am hoplng LhaL l would be parL of Lhose
workers who wouldn'L have Lo march kllomeLers [usL Lo reach Lhe workplace Cn Lhe slLe we conLlnue
worklng whlle belng supervlsed by a Capo who ls a prlsoner llke us chosen by Lhe SS guard Lo lead us l
cannoL sLop because he mlghL saw me and beaL me up As l was worklng l suddenly felL llke l was
runnlng ouL of breaLh so l dld sLop for a second Lo breaLh buL by LhaL Llme he was sLarlng aL me Pey!
Why are you sLopplng?" 1hen he hlL me wlLh Lhe base of hls rlfle uurlng Lhe Llme l wake up l [usL found
myself aL Lhe huL where Lhe slck people lle l cannoL belleve LhaL he dldn'L lefL me Lhere aL Lhe cold Lo
dle Well Lhls mlghL be beneflclal for hlm because Lhe manpower Lhey needed Lo do Lhe [ob wasn'L
decreased
eople aL Lhe camp are sLarLlng Lo geL slck Pyglenlc problems un[usLlflable work hours and
undersupply of food Lhese were Lhe facLors LhaL conLrlbuLed Lo Lhe epldemlc 1here were Lhree people
aL my huL who were senL Lo Lhe slck people's headquarLers because of Lyphus 1hey were sLarLlng Lo geL
Alexander 1 ?anorla Pum l MPl
2010 36241
severe headache vomlLlng and one of Lhem had convulslon 1hough Lhey were slck Lhe LreaLmenL aL
LhaL headquarLers make Lhem look llke LhaL Lhey aren'L 1here were a LoLal of flfLy people aL LhaL
headquarLer and you know Lhey wlll share for Lhe Len pleces of asplrln per day lL made me Lhlnk LhaL
belng Lhere ls [usL a preparaLlon for your posLmorLem llfe
Lucky enough l dldn'L belong Lo Lhose who were hlL by Lyphus My lmmune sysLem seems Lo be
worklng ouL [usL flne buL l belleve Lhls lsn'L golng Lo lasL very long Cne day l was called ouL by Lhe SS
guard Lo [oln Lhe meeLlng of docLors abouL Lhe ongolng epldemlc aL Lhe camp 1hey sald maybe l can
share my knowledge abouL how Lhey can conLrol Lhe epldemlc 1hls ls an advanLage for me because aL
leasL for one day l dldn'L have Lo go all Lhe way Lo Lhe workplace A llghL work LhaL ls whaL l really need
rlghL now Lo glve Llme for my edema and sores Lo heal and vanlsh 1he docLor ordered me Lo asslsL hlm
ln Laklng care of Lhe slck as he ls Lrylng Lo flgure ouL Lhe cause of Lhe epldemlc Well l Lhlnk Lhere ls no
need Lo flgure anyLhlng ouL because Lhe soluLlon Lo our answer ls rlghL aL our slghL lncreaslng Lhe
amounL of raLlon of food Lo Lhe prlsoners and glvlng Lhem [usLlflable work hours are all Lhey need Lo
survlve Lhls fllLhy camp
1here are Llmes ln Lhe camp when people seem Lo [usL lose hope and Lhe lasL resorL LhaL Lhey
have Lo end Lhelr sufferlng ls Lo end Lhelr llves A frlend of mlne goL depressed because he remembered
LhaL by Lhe Llme he was capLured her llLLle glrl was slck Pe was really anxlous lf hls daughLer was sLlll
allve or noL Lvery Llme before golng Lo bed he would Lell me sLorles of how well her daughLer dld aL
school and how she wlll embraced hlm and say how much she loved hlm 1hen one evenlng whlle
everyone was asleep l was awakened suddenly by a commoLlon golng on ouLslde A prlsoner ran
Lowards Lhe elecLrlc barred gaLe and as l came passed Lhrough Lhe people l flnally saw LhaL lL was my
frlend 1haL nlghL Lhe camp aLmosphere Lurned even gloomler and Lhe people's hope for llberaLlon
somewhaL goL even more ouL of reach
Cur days aL Lhe camp seem Lo be even longer Lhan Lhe weeks we have spenL Lhere Lvery day l
always pray for our days Lo end wlLh us survlvlng Lhe harsh worklng condlLlon Cn our way back Lo Lhe
camp a man fell Lo Lhe ground Lhen as l checked hlm Lhere's no breaLhlng and Lhe hearL sLopped
beaLlng lL musL be Lhe very cold weaLher and exhausLlon LhaL caused hls deaLh Pe was really Lhln a
slgn LhaL hls body was uslng hls own proLelns from hls muscles as energy Pls body was Lhe one
desLroylng lLself 1he Capo lnsLrucLed my frlend and l Lo bury Lhe body behlnd a Lree nearby AL LhaL
momenL l felL LhaL Lhls mlghL be Lhe chance when l can be free ouL of Lhls camp My frlend and l
LhoughL of a decoy on how Lo geL away and as our chance Lo geL away goL nearer and nearer l felL some
doubLs on my mlnd l remembered Lhere was an old man walLlng for me aL Lhe slck headquarLers Pe
was hlL by Lyphus and l gave hlm a plece of rugged cloLh so he won'L feel very cold Pe was expecLlng me
Lhls evenlng so l can glve hls medlclne and comforL hlm My frlend sald LeL's go whaL are you walLlng
for?" 1hen l replled l'm so sorry l cannoL go 1hls ls noL Lhe rlghL Llme l belleve" So l headed back Lo
Lhe camp and as l promlsed Lo Lhe old man l gave hlm hls share of asplrln from Lhe dally raLlon and
comforLed hlm so he won'L feel Lhe cold
An unexpecLed evenL happened LhaL nlghL as we were sleeplng Lhere was a bllnklng red llghL
ouLslde l was curlous so l looked ouLslde and on my slghL Lhere was a van wlLh a cross on lL ?eah l
remember Lhls" lL was Lhe 8ed Cross Are Lhey here Lo save us?" llnally Lhey came ouL and led us Lo a
safe house l flnally felL durlng LhaL Llme whaL llberaLlon ls 1he guard who was harsh on us before seem
Lo change qulckly 1hey were very genLle and made sure LhaL we were alrlghL 8uL for every one of us ln
Lhls prlson we don'L wanL Lo ever look back Lo Lhls experlence Pow dld l ever endure lL all?