33 - The Calvary

Summary

Sentencing took place in the afternoon on November 2, 1948. We weren't taken to the court; the junior prosecutor came to each of us in his room to tell us the sentence. First two soldiers with shouldered rifles came in; they stood at attention, grabbed their weapons, pointed them at me, and simulated putting a round in the chamber. I didn't understand what was happening, because there was no death penalty at that time. Next, Prosecutor Călin came in, somber and full of himself, and read the seven or eight guilty charges to me. He then handed me the paper to sign stating I had been informed, and another for the appeal.

“What does this mean, prosecutor, since there is no death penalty? And I haven't received a maximum penalty. Is that in the law too?”

He shrugged, puzzled.

More unpleasant was the fact that we got no dinner. The panel of judges had left, and no one was interested in us admitting our guilt any more. The comedy was over. Shortly after, the duty officer came in, and told me to prepare for departure.

“I’m ready at any time, I am dressed, and my spare linens are in my sack.”

“You’d better get some rest, professor,” the two workers guarding me said, “departure is in a few hours.” They didn't get any dinner either.

“We’ll get dinner at home,” they said. “If we knew we wouldn't get any dinner, we’d have brought some food to give you too, God knows when you’ll get to eat next.”

They hadn't liked the circus with the soldiers pointing guns at me.

Toward ten, Colonel Dulgheru came in, who found me sleeping. He didn't like my calm demeanor.

“Even now you sleep? Didn't I tell you to be ready to go?”

“It's been five hours since then, colonel, and since you didn't bother us with dinner, what was I supposed to do?” I answered.

Shortly after, the two agents who had taken me from the ministry to the tribunal and from the tribunal to the School of War came in. This time they didn't take me to a car, they took me to a van, where I was happy to find some of my brothers in suffering. We weren't allowed to talk. Meanwhile, the other brothers showed up, and four gendarmes got in too. Two of them were the ones who had accompanied Prosecutor Calin when he told us the sentence.