Inside the tent
After we finished the duty with the hay, all we could hear was the sound of a Siberian freezing wind and snow storm.
Inside the tent, people’s heavy breathing made it all white all over. The temperature stayed at below 60 centigrade. Food was scarce. In addition, our bodies were only covered with thin summer clothes and overcoats. In this worst condition, lice and fleas were spreading all over the place. As we stayed close together to keep ourselves warm with our body heat, we could see them running in our heads or armpits, anywhere there was hair. However, we were completely helpless. I wriggled around in my mind. There was no hay to burn to keep us warm. If we fell asleep, we were in danger of dying. The only choice was to manage a light sleep all the way.
Late December, 1945