Let Me Tell You a Story Page 11

  ‘I’m glad you enjoyed that,’ she said. ‘Now come and tell me all about yourselves. I want to know how you spend your time. Tell me all about what you do all day in just one room and how you amuse yourselves. Then later we’ll have some of the nice lunch I’ve brought especially for you. It’ll be our little secret. I may even have some sausage and more cake, who knows.’ Jadwiga patted her bag and placed it on the floor beside her.

  She turned to Jan and said in a soft voice, ‘Tell me, little one, are you happy here?’

  ‘I miss my mother,’ he said.

  ‘Of course you do,’ said Jadwiga kindly. ‘But Maciej and Hanka are good to you, aren’t they? You do like them?’

  Jan gazed at the floor. It surprised me how unfriendly he was being to this lovely lady who had brought us treats and seemed so concerned about whether we were happy or not.

  ‘Everything’s fine,’ Jan said. ‘When will I see my mother again?’

  ‘Soon. Sooner than you think,’ Jadwiga replied. ‘And what about you?’ she asked, turning towards me and putting her arm round my shoulder. ‘You never look very happy, my poppet. Tell Aunty Jadwiga what the matter is and why I never see a smile on your pretty little face.’

  For the first time in ages I felt I had a new friend – one who would give me the hugs and the attention I longed for.

  ‘I’m waiting for my father to come and get me. He’s away with the Army, you see. Mamusia and Babcia can’t come and get me, they will never come back. But sometimes I hope they will.’

  ‘But who told you they won’t come back?’ Jadwiga asked, her arm still wrapped protectively around my shoulder.

  ‘Marynia did. She told me the Nazi soldiers took them away and you don’t come back if the Nazis get you. Do you know Marynia?’ I asked. Perhaps she could explain the reason why Marynia no longer came to the flat.

  ‘Yes, I know Marynia. I know her well,’ Jadwiga replied.

  ‘She hasn’t been to see me and she said she would.’

  ‘She’s busy, and it isn’t safe for her to come here,’ said Jadwiga. ‘It’s safer for her not to come here – safer for you too. In fact I saw her only the other day, she sends you her love.’

  Jadwiga dived once again into her bag and produced a book. ‘Would you like me to read you a story?’ she asked.

  We climbed on to the sofa and sat one each side of her and listened as she read us the tale of the ugly duckling that turned into a beautiful swan. I wondered whether she had any children of her own. When she finished she laid the book to one side and delved into her bag and produced a wonderful lunch of soft bread, small slices of sausage and the tiniest sliver of rather dry and tasteless cheese. But, having survived on porridge, watery soup and sour bread, I found everything tasted so wonderful; my mouth came alive and my tongue was tingling. I enjoyed every mouthful.

  When we had finished, Jadwiga looked worried. ‘Now, my darlings,’ she said. ‘Do you usually have a little nap after lunch?’

  ‘No,’ I replied. ‘Maciej says if we did we wouldn’t go to sleep at night because we don’t get enough exercise or any fresh air.’

  ‘How sensible of him,’ said Jadwiga. ‘So, tell me, where do you two sleep?’

  ‘Over here.’ I pointed to the two mattresses against the wall. ‘We have a mattress each. This one’s mine and there’s my doll,’ I said, showing her my blanket. Then pointing to the second blanket, ‘And that one is Jan’s.’

  ‘They look very comfy. But are you warm enough – do you have enough covers?’ she asked.

  ‘Oh yes, we are quite warm enough and the mattresses are comfy,’ I replied. Jan nodded his head in agreement. I wasn’t going to upset my new friend by complaining, even if the blankets were prickly and the mattress lumpy and hard.

  ‘So, if you two have these mattresses, Maciej and Hanka must sleep on the other two then,’ Jadwiga said. ‘Now tell me which one is Maciej’s and which is Hanka’s.’

  I was only too eager to explain our domestic arrangements.

  ‘Oh, Maciej and Hanka use the same mattress, that one over there.’ I pointed in the direction of the one furthest from us.

  ‘Do they always share one mattress?’ asked Jadwiga.

  ‘Oh yes, always. They put their clothes on the other one. It saves the bedclothes, you see, if they use only one.’

  ‘How interesting,’ Jadwiga said. ‘Tell me, are you ever awake when they go to bed?’

  ‘I’m always awake only because I don’t sleep very well. But they don’t know that. I keep ever so still but Jan is always asleep as soon as he gets into bed. He’s lucky.’

  ‘Do they talk a lot in bed?’ Jadwiga’s voice was soft and gentle and she stroked my hair. I nestled against her, eager to please and tell her whatever she wanted to know.

  ‘Sometimes they talk and sometimes they giggle and most often they make funny noises.’

  ‘Funny noises, what sort of funny noises?’

  ‘Well, sometimes I think Hanka is crying. I think something must be hurting her. And sometimes they both breathe ever so hard. But they always go to sleep before me.’

  ‘I see.’

  Jadwiga suddenly pushed me away sharply and got to her feet. She seemed to have changed. Her face was no longer pretty. She looked angry, her smile had vanished and her beautiful mouth was twisted and ugly once again. I was frightened and stared at her. How had this happened? What had I said? What did I do to make this lovely lady so angry? I looked at Jan, hoping to find an answer, but he seemed just as surprised as me. Jadwiga had been so kind and had given us such lovely treats and now she was angry with me. The wonderful day was suddenly spoilt; I felt so guilty and desperately tried to find the kind Jadwiga again.

  ‘Are you cross with me?’ I asked timidly as she moved away from the sofa.

  No reply.

  ‘Have I done something wrong?’

  Jadwiga said nothing. Instead she kept walking quickly up and down the room, just like Hanka.

  After a time she lowered herself on to one of the chairs and leaned her elbows on the table and just sat there staring into space, her face still twisted and ugly. She was ignoring us. I felt very afraid.

  ‘She looks like a wicked witch,’ I whispered to Jan after a while.

  ‘I think she’s horrible,’ he whispered back. ‘She really scares me.’

  ‘Be quiet, the pair of you,’ Jadwiga snarled. ‘I’ve got a splitting headache and I don’t want to hear a squeak from either of you.’

  Confused and frightened, we cowered in the corner holding each other’s hand for comfort.

  After what seemed a very long time we heard the knocks that signalled the return of Maciej and Hanka. Jadwiga rose from the chair and opened the door.

  ‘Thank you, Jadwiga . . .’ Maciej began, but she cut him short.

  ‘I want these children out of the room while I have a conversation with you two.’ Maciej and Hanka exchanged glances.

  ‘But the only place they can go is the lavatory,’ Hanka said.

  ‘Well, get them in there and lock the door,’ Jadwiga ordered.

  ‘But it’s small and very cold,’ Maciej said.

  ‘Since when have you been so considerate? Do as you’re told.’

  Silently Maciej took our hands and led us towards the lavatory.

  ‘Go on, in there,’ he said quietly as he pushed us forward into the tiny space. Jan and I turned round to find the door closing and then the key turning in the lock. We stood there side by side totally unable to work out what was happening. Clinging to each other for warmth and comfort we listened to the adults in the room next door. We heard Jadwiga’s cutting words, as sharp as a knife.

  ‘On the same mattress, she says . . .’

  ‘. . . grunts and groans . . .’

  She was telling Maciej everything I had told her. Then we heard the deeper tones of Maciej’s angry responses.

  ‘It’s not like that . . .’

  ‘The brat doesn’t know what she’s talking about .
. .’

  And then crying, probably Hanka. Silence. Then Jadwiga’s voice started again followed by the sound of the front door banging loudly. After a short time the lavatory door was unlocked and Maciej stood in the doorway towering above us. His face was stiff and white like a mask. Without saying a word he reached out a hand and grabbed me by the hair and with the other he grabbed Jan by his sweater and yanked us into the room and dragged us across to the sofa.

  ‘Pull down your pants and bend over,’ he shouted. ‘Both of you.’

  He slowly unhooked his belt from his trousers and raised it high into the air above his head. Terrified, I turned my head to see the thick leather about to descend on my bare behind. Maybe it was the way I looked at him, rigid with fright, small and helpless, that made him pause and as the belt came down his hand swerved to one side and hit the sofa beside me. Once again he raised the belt and once again he missed deliberately, and then again and again. The belt never touched me but I felt the pain of every blow and whimpered every time it struck the arm of the couch only inches away from my face. Suddenly he stopped, pulled me up and pushed me on to my mattress then turned to Jan who was cowering on the sofa. As Maciej raised the belt, Jan screamed loudly and Maciej brought it down so heavily on his buttocks that blood spurted from the long thin weal left by the leather. Maciej didn’t hit him again but picked Jan up and threw him on to his mattress, his head hitting the wall with a dull thud as he fell. Neither Jan nor I dared to move and Maciej turned his back and left us lying there for some time, oblivious to Jan’s moans of pain.

  Eventually he turned round to face us. ‘Get up, both of you, and go to bed. Stay out of my way or I may kill you.’ His voice was soft but more frightening than if he had shouted at us. He walked over to where Hanka was standing and put his arms round her seeking comfort, but she pushed him away.

  Maciej and Hanka began to argue.

  ‘You’re an animal, Maciej,’ Hanka spat. ‘A sadist. How can you treat a small child like that? You’re not human. You are as bad as them. We are trying to rid the country of people who behave like you have just done . . .’

  ‘But . . .’ Maciej interrupted, ‘Jadwiga . . .’

  ‘Don’t blame her,’ Hanka shouted. ‘I hate the woman but she didn’t hit them. If you ever, ever do anything like that again I will go and I mean it. No second chances, Maciej –’

  They didn’t seem to care what noise they were making or who heard them. Maciej fell silent. Jan was lying face down on his mattress sobbing loudly into his pillow. I tried to offer some comfort to him by reaching out a hand. My greatest fear was that the things Hanka was saying would make Maciej even more furious.

  Instead, as Hanka grew more angry and daring with what she said, Maciej seemed to get smaller. He didn’t shout back, or hit Hanka, and he didn’t turn on Jan who by now couldn’t stop crying. Maciej just stood there and listened to all the angry things she was shouting at him and then to my amazement he went to Hanka and took her in his arms. Immediately she stopped yelling and leaned against him, then put her arms round his neck. They stood there in silence, eyes closed, all their noisy anger gone.

  Then finally Maciej picked Hanka up and carried her over to their mattress.

  ‘Maciej, the children . . .’ I heard her whisper as he dropped to his knees.

  ‘Bugger the children,’ he replied. Jan turned his head away from me, calmer now that the arguing was over but still in pain. Blood from his buttocks were beginning to seep through the blanket forming a red-black patch that slowly grew. Neither Hanka nor Maciej came to help him. Once again I simply couldn’t understand adults. After a while I crawled out from under my blankets and went over to Jan. His pillow was wet through, but he didn’t move. I put out my hand to touch him.

  ‘Get back into your bed. Now!’ Maciej’s voice burst through the silence making me jump out of my skin with fright.

  ‘But, Jan must be very sore,’ I dared to say, safe in the knowledge of what I had just witnessed. ‘He’s not moving. You hit him very hard and that wasn’t fair because you didn’t hit me.’

  ‘So you want a thrashing too, do you?’ He was sitting up now.

  ‘No, Maciej!’ Hanka sat up too, hanging on to his arm. ‘Please don’t touch her. She’s only little. She doesn’t even know what they’ve done.’

  Maciej was back in charge.

  ‘How very touching that you are now defending those brats when you’ve done nothing but moan about them ever since they got here. Well, let me tell you that if the boy’s mother doesn’t turn up with the money soon, he will be out of here,’ he added.

  Hanka pushed past him and got up, straightening her clothes. Maciej didn’t move as she walked across the room and, leaning over Jan, pulled back his blanket. She gave a little gasp as she saw the white weal and red, congealing blood.

  ‘You brute,’ she said, turning to Maciej. ‘Get up and bring me a clean cloth and some water.’

  To my amazement, Maciej, seeing what he had done, did as he was told. Hanka gently washed off the blood with warm water and then applied Vaseline ointment to the weal. Jan lay there silent and still.

  ‘That will soon go down,’ she said gently. ‘Just lie very still. Would you like a drink of water?’

  ‘Yes please,’ he whispered, turning his frightened eyes towards her and trying to smile.

  Hanka turned towards Maciej who was standing watching. She didn’t speak, just clicked her fingers and pointed to the sink. Immediately he turned and fetched a cup of water.

  What had happened that afternoon was never mentioned again and although things seemed normal from then on, life was far from what it had been before. Hanka now made the decisions, especially where Jan and I were concerned, focussing her attention on us and generally in charge of the day-to-day responsibilities. Meanwhile Maciej was much quieter, doing what Hanka asked and ignoring us. He didn’t read to us any more. He didn’t even really speak to us. After a few days I realised that I, too, was no longer frightened of Maciej.

  One night, a few days after that terrible afternoon, I lay in bed listening once again to the two of them arguing in whispers. But this time I heard Hanka sobbing, and Maciej get out of bed. I heard the soft rustle of clothes being put on and then booted feet quietly crossing the floor. The door of the flat opened and the shadow of Maciej slipped out as he pulled the door shut behind him. I lay awake for what seemed a very long time, trying to work out whether Hanka was still crying, but didn’t hear a single sound.

  It was daylight when I woke up. The flat was very quiet. I sat up to see if Jan was awake, I wanted to know how he was feeling. His bed was empty. I looked around the room. Hanka was sitting at the table, her head in her hands. There was no sign of Maciej. He was most probably out at one of his meetings. But where was Jan? He must be in the lavatory, I thought. I climbed off my mattress and sat down with Hanka at the table.

  ‘So, you’re awake at last,’ Hanka said, lifting her head to look at me. ‘Do you want some porridge?’

  ‘Yes please,’ I replied, wondering whether she knew that I heard the happenings in the night.

  ‘It’s in the pan on the stove. You can finish off what’s left.’

  ‘What about Jan?’ I asked.

  ‘Oh, he won’t be needing any.’ Hanka looked away.

  ‘Has he already had his? He doesn’t usually wake up before me. Where is he? He’s been in the lavatory a long time.’

  ‘He isn’t here, he’s gone,’ Hanka muttered.

  ‘Gone? Gone where? Did Maciej take him to the meeting with him? Is it safe?’

  ‘He’s gone with Maciej who’s returning him to his mother. He won’t be coming back.’

  I couldn’t understand what Hanka was saying. Jan’s gone? Without saying goodbye? Not coming back? What was she trying to tell me?

  ‘But why? He didn’t tell me he was going. He didn’t even say goodbye.’ I began to cry. ‘I would have said goodbye if it was me who was leaving.’

  ‘Stop that at on
ce,’ Hanka snapped. ‘He didn’t know he was going. Eat your porridge and stop pestering me.’

  I spooned the mess into my mouth in silence, tears splashing off the end of my nose and on to my plate.

  A while later the coded knock broke the silence of the room and Maciej came into the flat, alone.

  ‘Does she know?’ he asked Hanka, who had stepped forward to meet him, nodding his head towards me.

  ‘Yes, she knows. What did his mother say?’

  ‘She wasn’t there. It appears she left a couple of weeks ago. They don’t know where she went.’

  ‘So what did you do with the boy?’

  ‘I left him.’

  ‘Left him? Where?’

  ‘I left him on the street near where his mother used to live and told him to find her.’

  ‘Maciej, he’s eight years old and you left him alone on the street! He will either starve or, more likely, the Gestapo will find him and shoot him. How could you?’

  ‘I warned his bloody mother we weren’t running a charity,’ he said. ‘I told her what would happen if she didn’t pay. I gave her two weeks to pay what she owed. Well she didn’t, so too bad.’

  Hanka looked first at Maciej then turned away and picked up her coat that was lying on a chair.

  ‘Get your coat,’ she said to me. ‘We’re leaving – you and me. I’m taking you to Marynia.’

  ‘Good thinking,’ Maciej said. ‘You’re a really great girl. It’s not safe to keep her here. Not safe for us to stay either. I’ve had a tip-off. People are getting suspicious so the sooner we get out the better. We’ll go somewhere else where people don’t know us.’

  ‘You are not included in my plans,’ Hanka said in a voice sounding like broken glass. ‘You can do what you like. I warned you. As far as I’m concerned you don’t exist. I never want to see you again and, if you try to stop me now or contact me in the future, I shall inform on you. Do you understand?’

  ‘You bitch!’ Maciej swung round towards the door and left, slamming it behind him.

  Completely at a loss as to what was happening, I looked at Hanka expecting her to be crying as she always did after a row, but this Hanka was dry-eyed and calm. She was shoving my few possessions into a bag.