The Exiles Return.

Dovid had never experienced the level of agonizing worry and dread that became his constant companion in the next few months. In the Great War he had endured years of trench warfare – the bomb attacks, the gas attacks, being shot at and the loss of two fingers. In action he had grappled with men who had wanted to end his life – he had felt cold steel enter his body and in turn he had looked men in the eye as he took their lives.

Then he had fought with Raskalnov's Brigade for over a year and although the battles were more mobile than the war in the west, he had put his life on the line sometimes almost on a daily basis. Fighting for duty and fighting for a cause, Dovid Gilevic had done what had to be done and with little reflection for his own mortality.

The terror he felt now was worse than anything he had gone through as a soldier; his life -that was one thing but his wife and son's, that was a new level of pain.

Golde and baby Orcik were ill for months afterwards – Golde's condition was so bad that the Doctor prescribed ongoing bed rest and taking Dovid aside, solemnly told him that if his wife ever had another child, the strain on her heart might be too much and while she might pull through her present weakness, another pregnancy would be too much for her system.

The baby was just very weak and sickly but if little Orcik survived the first few months, the Doctor was confident he would grow stronger but for now he needed care and attention. Ete took it upon herself to provide the milk for the baby that his mother was unable to.

Time passed and spring turned into summer and then autumn. Orcik grew bigger and healthier – no longer in danger. Golde too made a recovery although the birth had taken a toll on her system as was to be expected. She had risen from her bed in the summer and started nursing her son although Ete still helped, taking over when her sister grew overtired.

During this period the Jewish population in Ufa had been reduced by over two thirds – news had gradually filtered to the Urals that the displaced Jews of Lithuania and elsewhere had been allowed to return home and the first families had departed in spring and summer of 1920. Of course at that time Ete's Lily was only a small baby and Golde had been in the early stages of her pregnancy.

Through 1920 and into 1921 more Jews had gone and during that time Golde had been either heavily pregnant or bedridden following Orcik's birth but as 1921 came to an end and both mother and baby were recovering, Smeras started to seriously think about what the family should do.

He and his wife wanted to return to Linkuva as did Ete and her family, but Dovid was still intent on starting a new life in Palestine with his wife and child and accompanied by his friend Avram. Smeras felt immense sadness at the prospect he might never see his Golde and her baby boy again and he tried to mention the benefits of life in Lithuania whenever he could although he was afraid to push the issue directly with Dovid in case he put his son in law's back up.

In the end the issue was decided by Golde who couldn't bear to be parted from her parents and sister and had developed a deep rooted longing to see the home of her girlhood again. Dovid and Golde had never argued in all the time they had known each other – usually she acquiesced to his wishes and at most when their opinions differed, they debated and discussed until an accord was reached.

However, on this matter Golde was not to be swayed – she didn't demand of Dovid or raise her voice or even attempt to persuade him – she simply told him in her quiet way that she could not go anywhere where she would never see her family again, even for him. One night as she lay in bed and Dovid sat beside her looking upon her face as she rested fitfully, he leant over and kissed her brow.

Her eyes opened and she looked up at him smiling. Her hand found his and they sat in silence for some minutes before Dovid cleared his throat 'We will go to Linkuva,' he told her simply and kissed her again.

Once the entire family was in accord, Smeras, Dovid and Abraham sat down over mugs of beer one night and planned their trip. Avram was sad to hear that his friend wasn't accompanying him to Palestine but if the truth be told, he had given up hope of it long ago but still he was compelled to take the journey himself and so with words of eternal friendship and brotherhood the friends said their goodbyes.

Avram, travelling alone could set out almost at once and so he did in February. The Atlases, the Abermans and the Gilevics planned their own trip for early April 1922; Orcik was big enough to travel and Golde sufficiently recovered to do the journey in the relatively milder April weather.

Even so the journey west and north to Lithuania took the better part a month at the easy pace set so that Golde and the children could travel without too much discomfort.

In May 1922 they were back home. Golde had been away from her home for seven years.