Hélène Elek

“When Joseph [friend of Hélène] died, Henriette [Serge’s mother] lived with her resistance comrade, Edgar, with who she worked with too. She was expecting another child, they both continued in their resistance work, and I took Serge with me. Edgar and Henriette were arrested together. Henriette was taken to Drancy, and there to a concentration camp, where she was put directly into a gas chamber because she was in her last month of pregnancy. She was 26, 27 years old, a beautiful young woman; she was so beautiful. Henriette didn’t come back, Serge was left alone. I moved him everywhere in hiding for six months. He was three and a half, beautiful, intelligent, and marvellous. I loved him. He played at the edge of the bed, and below there were grenades, a gun, a bit of everything. I didn’t sleep very well, you know. I was afraid of everything which kills men. See, when I started to organise the resistance, I said: “Just about anything, but I do not kill anyone, do not count on me to kill men.” They understood me: “You can be very useful without killing anyone; we will not ask that of you.” Women if they want, we are not against it, but if you don’t want to, you will do other things.” I wanted to keep Serge, as I had sworn to Joseph. I discussed this with Henriette’s two sisters when they came back, but they wanted to take him away. I don’t know what became of him, that child.”