Tag #116242 - Interview #100288 (Eta Gurvichuyte )

In 1910 my elder sister Anna was born and in 1913 – brother Jacob, named after grandfather Jacob Gurvich. I, the youngest, was born on the 20th of April 1920. I was named Eta. I barely remember my early childhood , by the age of seven. These were years of happiness, when my parents were with me. I remember happy times, when father came home from work, hugged mother and played with me. I was the little one as elder siblings went to lyceum at that time. Mother ran the house. There was a lady Teresa to help mother with the chores. Polish Teresa was a grown-up woman, a widow. Her husband died shortly before she came to work for us. Teresa, who occupied a small room partitioned from the kitchen, became a kind angel for our house. She spoke Yiddish fluently, cooked Jewish dishes under mother’s supervision and soon became a good cook. There was also laundress, who came twice a week to do the laundry. Our four-room apartment was immaculately clean. As in most Lithuanian houses, one room was after another- kitchen, then dining-room, then parents’ bedroom and children’s room. The furniture was rich- made mahogany and ebony and the floors were parquet. The curtains were velvet with golden strings.