POMORSKA STREET - SARA APPLEBAUM

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was amazed that grandma knew about Skype. My grandmother the geriatric computer “maven”! Who knew?

      Things go pretty well at the office. I finish at my desk and close out a few matters. I Email some web addresses of research sources to my personal Email so I can access them easily, if I should need to, while I’m away.

      I check my in box and see a response from the Musee Royal de l’Armee et D’histoire Militaire in Brussels. They’ve identified the soldier’s uniform in the picture that I Emailed them. It’s definitely Belgian, but old the picture isn’t sharp enough to read the unit patch.

      I save the message as new, on my personal Email, and make sure the office computer is clear of any items not related to my work. Then I shut it down.

      I head for Rudy’s office. Office may be overstating it. It’s not that much more than a cubicle, like mine. Anyway, Rudy’s out, so I leave him a note.

      At home I settle in for several hours of close examination of the documents and charts.

      Just as I’m about to make a cup of tea and stretch a bit after all that sitting, the phone rings and it’s Rudy. I give him a brief recap of what I’m going to be up to and he offers to help in any way he can. I have yet to get the travel plans finalized. He insists he’ll take me to the Airport and wishes he could come too. I promise to keep him posted.

      I look through my calendar and see what appointments I have booked, what I need to cancel, what I need to move up and take care of before I leave. A haircut is one; maybe I’ll treat myself to a French Manicure too, while I’m there.

      I walk over to my closet to see what I should take with me. It’s warm here but I’m not sure how it will be in Europe. I walk over to my laptop and click on AOL Weather and enter Warsaw, Poland. Not too bad. I’ll need to bring clothes I can layer.

      My raincoat is light and can do double duty for evenings. I consider a new pair of comfortable walking shoes, other than sneakers. I guess some shopping is in order. I’ll start with the luggage. I’ll stop by Macy’s tomorrow.

      I remember the TravelSmith catalog that came a few days ago and find a few things I can use and order them on-line.

      Some of the stuff in the fridge needs to be used up or thrown out. I make a big salad with whatever fresh veggies are in the crisper. That uses up the lettuce and tomatoes and other greens. I also take out a Lean Cuisine dinner.

      My neighbor, Jan, drops in and asks about the Email I sent her. She’s full of questions and hasn’t had dinner. That means I can use up two dinners and my super size salad will do both of us nicely.

      She goes to her apartment and comes back with a bottle of wine, Fetzer, Pinot Noir. It’s a lovely light red. It ought to go well with just about anything, even Lean Cuisine! I ask her to take any of the perishables left in the refrigerator that she can possibly use, when she goes home. Otherwise I’ll have to throw them out. I don’t want moldy cottage cheese, runny yogurt or deteriorating turkey, smelling up the fridge when I get back.

      The wine relaxes me and I drift off to sleep shortly after Jan leaves.

      ****

      I awaken in the morning with a lot to do, and start by planning out my day. The first thing is to call grandma. The phone rings five times before she picks up and I’m about to hang up when she answers.

      I ask her if I can come around eleven. Her answer startles me. She seems surprised to hear from me and surprised that I’m coming over. I assume that her memory is being affected by the medication she’s taking and don’t think too much about it.

      It turns out that Lucille and I both arrive at grandma’s house at the same time. After the upsetting scene we had the last time we were together, I wish she’d have picked another time to come. I’m annoyed that I can’t speak openly with grandma, as I wanted to. I figure I may as well tell Lucille my “cover story” and I do…to the expected effect.

      She’s definitely annoyed. “You pick a great time to leave the country, with grandma sick!” The irritation is evident in my voice but I try to keep it in check as I answer.

      “Look, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a decent vacation and this has been in the works for a very long time.”

      Just then grandma breaks in and asks, “So where will you be going?”

      I’m so startled that I lose my train of thought! What exactly is she up to? Grandma then turns toward the kitchen and asks “How about a cup of tea?”

      After staying as short a time as I could get away with, I beg off and say I have lots of errands to run, and I do.

      By tonight I plan to have the itinerary arranged, the reservations and plane tickets taken care of, and the communication with my contact in Warsaw, Mr. Walenski, done.

      I lay out a few of the documents about which I wanted to talk to grandma and write out the questions to ask her, so I won’t forget.

      One of the papers is a document from the International Tracing Service, I.T.S. It is dated 9.5.49. Is that September 5th or May 9th? In Europe the day goes first and then the month and year, I think. Here it’s month, day and then year.

      I wonder why she made this inquiry to the I.T.S. and who Salma Weiss is. Could that be her real name? Is Sara her Jewish name and Sally a nickname?

      The birth year is the same as grandma Sal’s, 1930. Sal could be a nickname for Salma rather than Sally. Was Weiss her maiden name?

      I realize I never actually knew her maiden name, I just knew her by Berman, her married name which she kept after her divorce. The date in 1949 was apparently just before my grandmother entered the United States.

      There is also a document in German. It says:

       PERSONAL AUSWEIS

       Britische Zone

       Name - WEISS, SALMA

      

       File no. - F 18-108

      

       BD - 1930

      

       BP - Lublin

      

       Nationality - Polish Jew

      

       Next of Kin (blank)

      

       Book - B.P. 250

      

       Source of information -

       Central Jewish Committee/AJDC

       Bergen-Belsen Poland, Warsaw

      

       Last Known Location-

       Szczecin, Zupansk 17

      

       The rest of the lines are blank except Remarks.

       It says IN TRANSIT.

      There is another document in German. It has an address, Rheinallee 26. I research it briefly and the German is fairly

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