At one thirty on the afternoon of the 28th of November, we arrive at Nyugati (West) railway station. We went out behind the Westend, on to Váci street, and then I saw the light. There were rows upon rows of victims with yellow starts on their clothes, holding their tiny bundles. They were surrounded by the Hungarian Nazi police and its party faithful, who marched them toward the brick factory on Bécsi (Vienna) Road. Only then did it dawn on me that our passes would not be valid in this situation. We would be given the third degree and questioned as to what business we had in Pest when we were supposed to be in Kőbánya with our regiment.
The Zoltán family were not at their Katona Street home. Our next destination was Csalogány Street 38. It was a cloudy day. We walked to Hollán street and on to the Kőrút along the banks of the Duna (Danube). Suddenly I was rooted to the ground. The Margit Bridge had been blown up all the way to the Island. A temporary bridge was installed. The guard is checking the I.D.'s. We manage to get by and reach Csalogány street, but the gate is locked, the shutters closed. We bang away at the windows facing the street. Two German soldiers stick their heads out. I inquire as to the whereabouts of the people who lived there. They point to the sky.
"Sie sind schon oben in Himmel". (They must be in heaven by now.) They roar with laughter and close the shutters...
No, it can't be. Dr. Géza Révész8.1, attorney for the Révai Publishing House and his wife, Hanna, owner of the Csillaghegy Library, were such gentle souls. They would be far too prudent to annoy the Germans. Well, we can't just stand here. Suddenly I remember running into Feri Székely in Putnok. What did he say? Oh, yes, the Szameks were staying at the Pannonia. Across the street, the houses were totally destroyed, but a post office was still in operation. I looked up the hotels in the phone book and found the number for the Pannonia. After a purchase of telephone tokens, I choose a safe phone booth on the street.
In Putnok, I somehow did not believe Feri Székely's story. Impossible as it seemed, I had to check it out. I got quite excited dialing it. The receptionist answered and I asked to speak to Dr. Szamekiu, the chief medical officer.
"Just a moment" came the reply. I couldn't believe it. I thought she must be joking. It took some time, before I hear a woman's voice, my cousin Vera, the doctor.
"Gyuri dear, how on earth did you get here?"
"If I can, I would like to tell you in person".
"Well, that could be quite difficult - but try. First go to the Astoria Hotel and call me from there. In the meantime, I'll see what I can do".
Before long Károly and I were at the intersection of Kiskörút and Rákóczi Road before reaching the Pannonia, we wanted to check out the score. There were signs on the hotel's facade - "Solidarity" - "We Stand Alone" - "Magyarország". We were looking at the building where the extremist Hungarian Nazi party's publishing house was!
"Getting in through the front entrance could be a problem. Try the side door...Yes, yes come in that way - we are in no. 315". - said Vera when I called again.
Károly could not get over the traffic - he had rarely been to Pest. I sat him down on a bench across from the Astoria - a good observation point - while I am at the Pannonia.
There was no one at the side door. When I reached the third floor, I see a policeman on duty. He was standing in front of one of the doors in the hallway..., he took no notice of me. I knocked and walked in to number 315. There were four close relatives in the room whom I had not seen since Csaba, seven months ago.
I asked about Éva. All they knew was that she had been deported together with her parents and little sister. "And you?"
"Your mother and grandmother were made to move in with us while we were in Csaba. Then we were arrested and shipped off to the detention centre on Columbus street in Pest, but we managed to get out of there during the summer of the Lakatos regime. That's when Dad became the Romanian Embassy's physician. The ambassador lives here. That's why there is a policeman in the hallway". - Vera tells me all this in very hushed tones.
"Why didn't you tell me all this on the phone?"
"Hey, don't you know what's going on? Even the walls have ears."
"Good heavens! My mother and grandmother are both alive right here in Pest. I must see them right away. What about Zsuzsi?"
"Well, that's quite another story," said Jolán smiling, as she held her little grandson in her lap. "Péter Szőnyi brought her to Budapest and she has been living with his family." What a story. But why wasn't Éva here? Oscar's younger daughter Cicus (Kitty) was staying with her husband Mihály Vasas in Békéscsaba as refugees.
After all this they give me some very useful advice and Oscar slips me 300 pengős. Vera then phoned the Szőnyis, who live on Baross street. Very soon Péter arrives. He is in uniform and greets me with a big smile. He already has a plan of action and we leave the Pannonia together to pick up Károly Varga and go to Columbus street so that we can take the number 67 streetcar. Péter will take Károly to the Vasas couple on Ráday street.
He will housewatch for them.
As I study Péter on the streetcar, he tries to reassure me and that we are in good hands - but I wonder for how long? With his uniform, and his rather authentic looking fake I.D. - he belongs to an underground who live dangerously in their commitment of rescuing victims of the Arrow Cross.
Since last summer, his age group had been called up. There are so many deserters, refugees and other victims. These are the ones he and his associates help. Their specialty is phoney but very authentic-looking papers with seals, prepared by professionals, masters in the art of forgery. On the streetcar, I try to cheer up Károly - "we will be safe for a while." As we pass Mexicói street, Péter indicates that I should get off at the first stop, while they will get off at the next one. We would meet in the dark between the two stops on Erzsébet Királynő (Queen Elizabeth) street. Peter knows the ropes. We walk up an alley - only a few steps.