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By when Henryk arrived home I could hardly contain my excitement, but in deference to Elone I kept quiet about my discovery and made polite conversation.
Nicolae and Elone proudly showed Henryk their work and he beamed broadly as he examined the fruits of their labour, adding kind words. Of course I could not expect, nor did I want, the children to be rewarded for their endeavours, but was delighted nonetheless when Henryk slipped his hand into his pockets and flipped a coin to each child as a token of his appreciation. He turned to me but I put up a restraining hand, assuring him his kindness in receiving us was reward enough.
I helped him prepare tea, advising we would not want too much, for I had no wish to deplete his larder further, and we settled to a light collation, over which he questioned the three of us about life in Romania, patient with Nicolae’s poor Polish; admiring Elone’s competence; studiously avoiding the subject of family.
After our meal Henryk wound the gramophone and Elone and Nicolae danced, after a fashion, to Hungarian waltzes while Henryk and I partook of hot tea from the samovar. A gramophone was a luxury I had only dreamt of in Medgidia and Nicolae, who had never seen such a thing before, was fascinated by this box that emitted music, delighting in winding it up after each play.
Both children became excited and loud, but my move to hush them prompted a restraining hand from Henryk. I realised his aim was to fatigue the children that they would soon be asleep, the better for us to talk of more serious matters and so I encouraged the children to dance even more energetically, until at last, as darkness drew in, they retired from the floor exhausted and my proposal of bed was eagerly received.
Within the hour both the little ones were fast asleep and, this time first ensuring Elone was indeed slumbering, I crept back to join Henryk once more. He turned the music low, poured another glass of steaming tea each and we settled down to our concerns.
I could hardly contain my excitement and began with a confession to clear my conscience and bring matters immediately to a head.
“Henryk, there is something I must tell you. Please do not think I was deliberately prying, but I happened upon your schedule of deliveries this day and looked through them.”
He dismissed my admission with a wave of his hand. “They are of no consequence. Just my work schedules. They are in no way private or personal, Anca. There is no need for concern.”
I felt obliged to explain anyway. “I was dusting the cabinet when I knocked them to the floor. I picked them up, trying to sort them back into order and that was when I realised what I was holding.” I could contain myself no longer. “Henryk, I know which camp my mother is at now. I recognized the name as soon as I saw it on your list. She is in Auschwitz-Birkenau.”