We Were the Lucky Ones

Bella says goodbye to Jakob: He, Selim, Genek, and Adam, along with the other men in Radom, are being sent to Lvov (where Bella’s sister Anna lives) to fight with the Polish Army. Bella cannot believe how much has happened since the Germans invaded Poland the past week. The Germans bombed Radom, so her family moved into the basement for safety. Bella sadly thinks of the plans she and Jakob had: to move to France when he finished law school, to marry, and to start a family.

Three weeks later, Bella is riding in the back of a wagon on her way to Lvov. The Germans now occupy Radom. Jews who venture out into public are harassed, beaten, and humiliated. Jakob wrote and asked her to come to Lvov. Bella’s parents wanted her to go to the relative safety of that city, but they had to ask the Kurcs for assistance since they did not have funds or connections. At first Sol refused, not wanting Bella to travel alone. Finally, Sol agreed to hire a wagon for her.

Due to heavy rain, the trip to Lvov goes slowly. The wagon driver, Tomek, thinks they should turn back at several points, but Bella insists that they continue.