Going north, you are fortunate to make contact with the resistance which helps you travel up the coast of the Bay of Biscay. Eventually you reach the port city of Bordeaux, following directions given you by the resistance, you make an appointment with Aristedes deSousa Mendes, the Portuguese consul in charge of commercial and diplomatic matters. Upon hearing from you that the business you must discuss with deSousa Mendes is urgent, the consul's secretary arranges for you to come that evening at nine o'clock. You think that this is a strange time for a meeting, but perhaps the consul just works long hours.
When you arrive, you discover the reason. The consul and his
secretary take you into the back room. They had known all along that
you were coming; the resistance had alerted them. Both of them are
pious Catholics; the massacre of European Jews violates every belief
of their religious faith. They respond by providing false papers for
Jews, protecting them, and then passing
them into Portugal.
Your tears of gratitude are mixed with tears of joy as you slip aboard a small ship in Bordeaux harbor. Tomorrow morning, you will be well on your way toward Lisbon and a brand-new life. You have survived, thanks to the courage of these two wonderful people; you will never forget what they have done for you.
END