This is me with my wife Frymeta Kalisz and our son at the zoo in Lodz. The photo was taken in 1948, but I don’t remember who took it.
First I met her brother Mietek Kalisz in Lublin. Then we met each other for a second time in Lodz, he invited me to his place and there I got accquainted with her. My wife was born in 1922. She came from Brzeziny near Lodz. She wasn't educated; she had just finished two grades of public school. According to the Jewish custom we were married on Tuesday, 14th August 1945. We married in Lodz. I didn't want to get married, but she blew me away. We had only known each other for a few months, but I loved her. And I was no carefree fellow. We lived in that apartment on 21 Prochnika Street. My son was born one year after we got married. But she didn't want to have a baby. She had come back from the camp and she said she didn't want to have children. I loved my son and I said I wanted him.
My son was born on 13th July 1946. His weight at birth was three and a half kilograms. What a boy. He was born in a private clinic. The clinic was on 32 Glowna Street; the building isn't there anymore. I was insured, but I preferred for my wife to be comfortable.
He was difficult to raise, disobedient. When he was growing up, he was eager to get in a fight. He didn't know what he was doing, he'd later apologize. He didn't take all of my genes. He's resourceful, talented, but he's got a difficult temperament. But I loved him so much. We slept in the same room. I was the one who bathed him, I washed his clothes, took him to all these theaters. When he was leaving for summer camp, I'd see him off. I took him to school on my bicycle. I picked him up from school. We used to ride on the motorcycle everywhere. I thought I had a genius at home. A talented, beautiful boy.