“They're Coming,” people up the road shouted.

“We need to hide Jakub,” The mother whispered to her child.

“Why mommy,” The boy asked curiously. The Nazi party was continuing their search for all the Jewish people in the area. No one knew why they only thing they did know was to hide whenever the Nazis were near.

“I can’t tell you now sweety, just don’t make a sound,” her voice trembled when she told her boy. She tried to hide her fear from Jakub so he would become upset, but her plan was not working well. He was shaking. Even in that eight-year-old brain, he could sense something was not right.

“Boom,” the sound of guns echoed through the village and pierced the ears of anyone close enough. Jakub looked up at his mother, she was sitting there, frozen. Tears ran down her face and dripped onto her shirt.

“I have this house,” a soldier barked from right outside their door.

“Jakub, I love you, keep running don’t let these men catch you.” Jakub’s mother wept.

“Don’t leave me, mother, please don’t leave me,” Jakub pleaded.

“If it means saving your life, I must go, sneak out the back and keep running, don’t stop.”

“Anyone in here,” the Nazi yelled.

“Go, Jakub, run.”

That is exactly what he did, Jakub continued to run for what seemed like hundreds of miles.  He was in unbearable pain from numerous blisters on his feet. The young eight-year-old fought through all the pain all because of one reason. His mother, Jakub’s mom told him to run away and he did just that.

It was nearly dark out, he still had not found a place to stay. He continued to search for shelter for hours until he finally just fell down out of fatigue. He slept right there on the grass all night until he was awoken but something or someone.

“Don’t you have a place to say?” a man asked Jakub.

“No sir, the bad men came to my house and my mommy told me to run,” Jakub explained. The man's eyes showed sympathy for the boy.

“Well, you can stay with me for a while.”

The relationship between Jakub and the man, who he later found out was named Antoni, did not end there. Three years later Jakub was still living with him. Antoni sheltered Jakub through everything, even when the soldiers were near he lied to keep Jakub safe. He treated him like his son, he would never let him be in danger.

The war had ended and Jakub had one thing on his mind, that was to find his mother. Antoni was doubtful that he would find his mother, he knew what they did to people like his mother at the camps. Even though he though all of this he kept it a secret to give Jakub hope.

“Do you think mommy is still out there,” Jakub asked with a concerned expression on his face.

“Listen, Jakub, the chances are very small but…” he was interrupted by the sudden outburst of tears.

“She's gone isn’t she,” Jakub managed to say.

“I’m not saying that.”

“I have to go back,” Jakub blurted out right before sprinting back to his village.

“Where are you going.” Antoni started chasing after him, little did he know how long he would be running.

After a few hours, Jakub stopped and stared. He was shocked when he saw his village in ruins.

“Where are we Jakub,” Antoni questioned.
“This is my home,” he answered.

“We can’t stay here it might be dangerous,” he told Jakub while tugging at his shirt. Jakub did not move an inch, he was just staring. Antoni realized he needed a minute and let him be for a minute.

“JAKUB!”

“Just let me be for a minute Antoni,” Jakub responded angrily.

“That wasn’t me Jakub.” Jakub looked up and saw someone up the road outside his house. Jakub slowly approached the person who he could later tell was an older woman.

“Excuse me lady, was that you who yelled my name,” he asked. The woman turned around and right away Jakub noticed something about her. Then it came to him.

“Mommy is that you,” he asked.

“I never thought this day would come,” she said while reaching out to hug her son. Jakub was hesitant at first but after feeling her wrap her arms around him he knew it was her.

“ I have so many questions, mommy.”

“And so do I, Jakub.”

“But first, mommy I would like you to meet someone, this is Antoni, he saved my life.”

“Hello, I’m Antoni.” he reached out to shake Jakub’s mother’s hand. By her grip, he could tell she was terribly weak and she had been through terrible things.

“Thank you, Antoni.”