It was late fall. A cold drizzle fell. It had been a month since Wanda’s death. On a Sunday, Rita visited Wanda’s grave. The wind caught her umbrella and flung it about so that her face grew wet from both rain and tears. She placed flowers on Wanda’s grave. The mound of fresh soil had begun to wash away.
Rita began to speak to Wanda, just as Wanda had spoken to her father. “I came today to ask your forgiveness. What I did I did not do on purpose. I only tried to help you find your daughter.”
Tears fell from Rita’s eyes, and she sobbed.
“Now your daughter has been arrested and sent to jail. The authorities explained that she was arrested for political reasons. I understand it was because she left the country with a Rumanian during the war.
“If I’d only known! I was so naive. Your portrait was taken, but I don’t know where, what museum.
“I’ll miss you in my life, but you’ll always be in my heart. I’ll take care of your grave because I have no one else’s grave close to me. Believe me, Aunt Wanda, the time will come when everything will be different. People’s kindness will overcome evil and injustice. I don’t know when. As you said, only God knows.
“I sent a letter to Masha’s husband and explained everything that happened. I want to believe he can fight for his rights in his country because his country is on his side. I hope my letter went through. I also sent a letter to Ivan, but I couldn’t explain everything. When he comes back from the Army, I’ll tell him.
“I visited Konstantin Vlasov. I told him you’re not in this world anymore. He kissed my hand and cried. That’s all the news.”
“I believe you’ll forgive me for what I’ve done. You were always very kind.”
Rita walked back to the gate. The rain was falling heavily. Water squished in her shoes. Her clothes were soaked through.
When she arrived at her dormitory, she felt feverish. Another girl called the doctor. He arrived and called an ambulance. Rita had double pneumonia, and she was emaciated.
For months, the doctors fought to save her. She survived, recovering slowly. She would live to write the painful, true story of Wanda’s life.
The End