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I awoke to the sound of birds singing and for a moment I was back in my own bedroom in far away Medgidia, listening to the dawn chorus that greeted me each morning before Mama would call me to prepare for school.
From the birds’ song I guessed it must be dawn now and that I had therefore slept soundly through the night. Certainly I felt better for it. But as I tried to open my eyes and felt the cloth restraint, my plight came rushing to mind. At once I was concerned for the children.
I called out, “Nicolae? Are you there, little one? Nicolae?”
After a brief pause I heard the door open and Izabella’s voice greeted me with a salutation in her own tongue. I heard her approach and felt her peck a greeting kiss on my cheek, just as Mama used to do. I reached out and, finding her hand, clutched it tightly, knowing words were pointless at this stage.
She spoke to me softly, guiding me with her hands to indicate her intent. I was lifted to a sitting position and my legs drawn to the floor. I guessed she wanted me to try and stand and I resolved to put all my energy to that purpose. The long rest had indeed done me good, for I found the task not too difficult, though I needed to lean against my benefactress for support.
She continued to speak to me, though she surely knew her words were not understood, and began to guide me forward. I heard the door open and was led through into the next room. I could hear water splashing and turned in that direction. The sound of children laughing. I held my breath, not daring even to hope.
Izabella called out something and I heard the water foam as bodies turned.
“Anca! Anca!”
My arms were outstretched and tears streaming even before her tiny body reached me. As Elone leapt up at me I felt Izabella steady me from behind and my arms wrapped around the child’s soaking body, clasping her to me heedless of the pain in my chest the action wrought.
I heard Nicolae running towards me too, shouting my name, and braced myself for his arrival, unable to muster words to express my feelings.
If learning that Nicolae was safe the previous day had been emotionally draining, to have both Nicolae and Elone together now was beyond compare.
I felt Nicolae clambering upon me, his wet body soaking my clothes, and for a moment could do nothing but stand and cry, supported by Izabella by my side, as I was assailed by their eager greetings.
The children gabbled simultaneously, each telling their own tale, but I was too overcome with emotion to listen. At length I heard Izabella’s voice cajoling them to climb down and felt the burden lift as she prised first one child, then the other, from around my neck. I heard each one splash into water and Nicolae shout out, “Anca, we are having a bath! Come watch us!”
Of course I could not see them, though the splashing water and their naked, wet bodies had already apprised me of their activity.
“I am coming, children,” I said, and tentatively stepped toward the commotion.
I felt Izabella take my arm and guide me to their location. She eased me onto my knees and I gripped the sides of an iron tub to gain my bearings. One of the children playfully splashed me with water and received what by tone was clearly a mild rebuke from Izabella.
“Anca, what has happened to your eyes?” Elone demanded. “Are you blind?”
“Of course not, Elone,” I said, though the suggestion caught my breath, for I had not until then considered the possibility my disability might be permanent. I dismissed the thought. “Izabella will tell me when I can take the bandage off.”
“You understand her, Anca? But she does not speak Romanian.”
“Nor I Polish, Elone, but we can understand each other if we try. Now little friend, tell me what happened? How did you come to be here? I cannot begin to express how worried I was about you.”
“And I you, Anca.” She took my hand, clutching it tightly. “I thought I should never see you and Nicolae again.”
I could imagine her earnest face as she spoke, and not for the first time was thankful for her friendship. If her tender nine years told against her in terms of experience of life, still she was a friend in a way I could not conceive of considering my beloved little brother.
“How did they find you, Elone? Did you come to any harm?”
“None, Anca. The man found me, in the forest. I remembered what you had taught us, Anca, that he might be a soldier, a Nazi, and I hid from him, but my camouflage was poor for he saw me hiding and shouted out to me. He called my name, Anca, so I knew he must have found you and Nicolae already.”
I smiled to acknowledge her story. “Go on.”
“He is a nice man, Anca. He brought me home, here, and that is when I met Nicolae again. He told me immediately that you were safe, but they would not let us see you. I think they wanted you to rest. They fed us both, and this morning they prepared us this bath first thing. Then suddenly we turned and there you were! Oh, Anca, please promise you will never let us be parted ever again. I was so frightened out there all on my own.”
I replied with quiet assurance. “I promise, Elone. I promise.”