Word Total: 120,023
Year to Date: 870,088
Summary of Events:
Keeleigh went to the Baptist church cemetery and found the graves of Zygfryd and his wife Helen side by side, as well as the graves of Henryk, Olga, and Irena, Olga's daughter. Olga was woken up by Mama's cry of surprise at her and Papa discovering the Christmas tree and went down to watch everyone else's surprised reactions. Keeleigh arrived at Myshaniuk Farms and met Adelejda, whom she showed what she had for information before Adelejda started to tell her about the war. Emil confronted his father on his suspicions of their departure and had them confirmed.
Excerpt of the Day:
"Keeleigh saw pain on Mrs. Myshaniuk's face as she stared at the bright sunflowers, which seemed such a stark contrast to Mrs. Myshaniuk's dark memories.
"If it's too much, you don't have to," Keeleigh said. "The Village is closed for the season, so I can come back at any time."
"It's hard to think of those things," Mrs. Myshaniuk said. "But I do not want to let myself ever forget them. They are my last memories of Poland."
"You've never gone back?" Keeleigh asked.
"No," Mrs. Myshaniuk replied. "Zygfryd, Olga, and I all wanted to go together when Communism finally fell, but health restrictions prevented us, so we never did."
"I'd like to go," Keeleigh said. "Maybe you could even show me where you lived."
"I doubt the house still stands," Mrs. Myshaniuk replied.
"Even still," Keeleigh said. "I think it would be fascinating."
"One of us has to go anyways," Mrs. Myshaniuk said.
"One of who?" Keeleigh asked.
"Zbigniew and Klementyna's children," Mrs. Myshaniuk replied. "Besides, Zygfryd and Olga weren't able to, and now that Poland's free . . ."
Keeleigh wasn't making any sense out of Mrs. Myshaniuk now, but she wanted to know so dearly. However long it took Mrs. Myshaniuk to tell her, she would be more than willing to take the time to hear all the secrets of the Niemcyk family.
—
"Where are we going?" Emil asked.
"Canada," Papa replied. "There will be little risk of war coming there. My Aunt Louisa lives there with her family, and she always wrote that it was a lovely country. We will be safe there, and we will come back when Poland is free."
Emil nodded and rose silently. He slipped out of Papa's office without a word and headed upstairs, his vision blurring with tears as he tried to get to his bedroom before they fell off the precipices of his eyelids and fell down his cheeks.
He closed the door and leaned against it at last, clenching his eyes shut and letting the tears seep down. How could he possibly leave Poland? It was their homeland! They ought to stay until Poland was free, seeing it through all the bitter stages of war and whatever came thereafter; they shouldn't let the shadows of war drive them away!
A knock sounded on the door. Emil swiped at his eyes viciously before opening the door.
Olga stood on the other side. "What is it Emil?" she asked softly.
"We're leaving," Emil replied.
"Warsaw?" Olga asked.
"Poland," Emil replied. "We're going to Canada."
"But why?" Olga asked slowly.
"Because it's safer there, for the little ones," Emil replied.
Moisture filled Olga's eyes and she looked at him with fear, but then turned and walked away. Emil closed the door and sagged down it again to let the tears flow. They couldn't let the shadows of war drive them away."
Next post will be on October 30.
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