by Stella Preece (Gr. 12)

I was extremely lucky, after all, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a holocaust survivor sit in front of you as he told his story. Many times have I heard similar tales, but all from the comfort of sitting in front of a television screen. Never before had I looked into the eyes of somebody who went to hell, shook hands with the devil and returned; granted not unscathed, but very much alive. As his story unfolded, a snake slithered through my veins and wrapped around my heart, constricting, scales digging into flesh as I listened. I had half a mind to crossly tap the shoulders of the two boys in front of me, who were talking as if he were not there. I sat back however, blocking their chattering out and letting his haunting words in.

Werner Reich was the man’s name. Up on stage was a 90 year old man who looked frail, but sat proudly, strength lacing each and every word. His energy buzzed around the room, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end as he continued. Hurt, anger, confusion; emotions I can barely begin to describe, bubbled up inside my chest and though my eyes did not water, my jaw clenched. He spoke of the four camps that had been his prisons, and the treacherous conditions, the punishments, the non existent meals and the infamous gas chambers. The little snake coiled harder, and I knew my face portrayed the emotions I felt.

As his tale came to an end, a small smile graced his lips. He said that in the end, you would not remember what your enemy did, but what your friends did not. He begged us to help others, whenever we could, for that was what made us strong. I took his words to heart. The story of a survivor washed over me, but instead of drowning me, it allowed me to float. Never again will I take advantage of what I have, or complain for what I have not. I was extremely lucky indeed, for in the end, one of the best message I’ve ever heard embedded itself inside my head: Two prisoners looked out the window of their cell – one saw mud and the other saw stars.