me, and she recalled my dead mother’s name, ‘If only Hinda would be here to see how your stepmother sends you in the night, in this kind of weather to get the water.’ They take out the bucket and put in the water, and they take me home. I come home, and my father don’t [sic] ask what happened. Instead, he said, ‘Where was you so long? What happened to you? It’s about time you should know how to take care of yourself.’ The married man, the farmer, says to my father, ‘You ought to be ashamed of yourself to take a little girl of 11-12 years old and send her in the dark to the well. Why didn’t you go?’ My father couldn’t go on a Friday night. He was the guy that for the whole week, for the poor people, would lend them money so they could go and buy something, exchange a dollar, a ruble. And he used to get interest. Every Friday night right after you come from the synagogue you used to come down to my father and pay interest. He was like a bank for them. So, he wouldn’t go anyhow. The farmer says to him, ‘Why didn’t you send your other children?’ EDUCATION So that was my life. From then on I got a little lesson, thinking to myself, if I’m not going to help myself, nobody will help me. She never gave me enough to eat. She never let me go through the house like her kids. Whatever I done was wrong. We lived in the country. There was quite a few people, but I wasn’t educated. So, to myself, I thought, How can I get to a big city? Then I became twelve years old. I already knew what hit me, what future there was for me and who was going to care for me. We lived in a very little village. I wanted to go into the big town to Ruvnet, Geberia, or Rivne. Maybe I could get some, any kind of job there. So, I went over to the taxi man, in Tuchyn. He was the one that would take the passengers from our town to the big city. He knew my mother and he knew me. The whole street had pity for my brother and me, Hinda’s children. I said, ‘Would you take me to Ruvnet? I haven’t got the 40 cents it costs
from our town to there. I am expecting to get a job. I’ll pay you. You are not just going for me.’ When he had a load to take to town. I figured he could make a place for me. ‘I will repay you.’ So, that’s how it happened, and I went to Ruvnet. I started to browse around in the big town. What can a 12-year-old girl do? So, I heard of the people, Yankle Lovitch, very rich people. They were in the goods. They sold all kinds of materials. So, I went in there, and I says to her, ‘I come from Tuchyn, and my father usta deal...’ next door was a big wholesale place, grocery wholesale. My father used to go every week for things that he needed. She knew my father. So, I introduced myself, ‘I am Mikel’s daughter, and I can’t live like I live. Torturer. Could she use me? I’ll sweep and do anything just so I wouldn’t be a burden. Just the food and whatever you give me will be alright.’ Mrs. Lovitch, says, ‘I’m afraid to start with your father. He’ll find out.’ In the old country, it is the biggest shame for your children to go out to work. They have to suffer inside. They are not allowed to go out. I told her to take a chance with me. If he comes to take me back, it will be my hard luck. Mrs. Lovitch, ‘I’ll tell you what I want to do. I just lost a young daughter, and she left a little girl. I took the girl to raise. She is five years old now. I have maids in the house. You don’t have to do no hard work or anything. I just want you for a companion to that little girl. I will give you money every day.’ It was a big luxury to go to a movie for 20 cents. You go to a movie, this was a big town, and after an ice cream parlor. I said, ‘All right you try me out.’ I went in with her, and I usta put on the sleeve and dressed her in the morning when she started school I was her companion. Mrs. Lovitch bought me a very nice uniform. I’ll never forget it. She had it made for me, a very light silk brown dress, with a black apron made out of lace and a blue little sweater. This was the outfit that she wanted me to wear to look presentable. I felt like I’m in heaven at that point. The world had opened up for me. But, exactly how she said it, my father,
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