“Mama! Mama! Look! A woman has picked up a child from the street and is holding him just like you.”

Leah was quite correct in pointing out a young woman bending over a small child, attempting to cheer him up with lots of loving nods and smiles.

Her kindness captivated Leah and her mother, drawing them to where she knelt.

“Hello there. It seems you need to find your band.” Ewa smiled warmly and talked to her in Yiddish, pointing to her armband. “Before someone sees this and reproaches you, let me tie this handkerchief around your arm.”

“No. That’s alright. Thank you.” She responded in Yiddish, but there was a noticeable difference in her accent. With the baby still in her arms, she grinned. Moreover, his older sibling watched in wonder as the younger one managed to attract beautiful women that day.

“It’s clean, I assure you.” Ewa spread out the handkerchief in front of the woman with a naughty expression on her face.

The woman gently placed the child down and introduced herself: “I appreciate your concern. I am Irena Sendler. I work for the Social Welfare Department and have come with my team to carry out our routine bimonthly health surveillance of the area concerning the Typhus outbreak.”

“Oh, I beg your pardon,” Ewa mumbled in Polish. She felt quite embarrassed, but Irena eased her tension. “That’s quite alright. You are the only gentle soul who approached me to offer your help; otherwise, I have been frowned upon since my arrival.”

“My name is Ewa Poznanski, and this is my daughter Leah. Please, I did not mean to interrupt.”

As Ewa held her daughter’s hand and turned to leave, Irena called her, “Ewa, do you live nearby?”

“Yes. We live about three minutes’ walk from here.”

“I need to go to the washroom. If you are not in a hurry, would you please take me to your place? I am sorry for the inconvenience.”

“No problem. Please come along,” Ewa said.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Antoni!” Irena called her colleague. “I am visiting this lady’s house.”

“Sure, I will come too,” replied Antoni.

“Antoni, I have to go to the restroom.” She rotated both hands to show her colleague she needed to go alone.

Antoni responded with a grin and gestured with his hands, suggesting she go.

“I am so grateful,” Irena said as she left the bathroom. She added, “You have such a beautiful house.”

Ewa presented the guest to her spouse, “This is my husband, Symeon Poznanski.”

“Symeon, this is Irena Sendler; she is...”

“She is the angel of hope!” Her husband’s unexpected intervention startled Ewa.

“Mrs Sendler, knowing everything that went on in my constituency was my responsibility as a parliamentarian before the war. I am one-twentieth, the man I used to be now, but I am still well-informed.”

“It is an honour to meet you personally,” Symeon continued, “Please eat with us. Your coworkers could also come along.”

“Please call me Irena, and Mr Poznanski, you are truly knowledgeable. I am with three trusted coworkers here.”

They covered several social and medical concerns facing the ghetto.

Ewa found it incredible how well-informed Irena was about the ghetto’s challenges and requirements. Her character was a mix of compassion and tenacity.

But once again, Ewa noticed Symeon upsetting the moment’s grace by questioning her guest about a seemingly unrelated matter. She worried his illness might have harmed his head.

“How are the children doing?”

Soon she would discover that her husband was indeed mindful of the circumstances outside while restricted to his house by his illness.

“Children, as opposed to adults, tend to recover quickly from setbacks and difficulties. Seeing them gives me and my team hope for a happier future and the strength to carry on,” replied Irena.

Together with several other Poles, Irena would sneak children from the Jewish side of the ghetto to the Aryan side. This was done at a great risk to their own lives and the lives of their families.

Many of these children found shelter in churches and convents while her group arranged for others to hide in the houses of Polish families. Some moved elsewhere more safely after receiving fictitious identification papers as Christian citizens.

“My wife is heavily involved in social support and relief work. She can team up with your contacts on our side of the wall and support you with this exacting mission. We have nothing but our prayers and our lives to offer.”

“You have two children. We will do our utmost to accommodate them as soon as possible.” Irena tried to comfort her hosts.

“Oh….,” remarked Symeon as he was about to thank her for the offer.

“My children have their parents to look after them.” It was Ewa’s turn to stall her husband from completing his dialogue. “There are numerous orphans who are at risk of dying of hunger and disease. They should be foremost on our priority list. She looked at her husband and smiled, “My husband is right. I am more than willing to join you in this crusade.”

“My concern for the safety of my children outweighs the pride and admiration I feel for my wife,” Symeon pondered.