She would mean, go to the hill from where you can see the other side of the river. She was waiting for someone on the different side of the village, in the forest.
We had small house in the forest. It wasn't very far, I knew how to get there, hidden tiny road, and my mother was waiting for someone to start fire place near the house. It was autumn already, started to get cold, we wearing boots and jackets.
The forest house. I smiled thinking about it. From the hill I could see the river and forest.
The house was built, how my mother said, one hundred years ago, she loved to talk about it. And I loved to listen her. The house was built few centuries before and with fixings keept on the same place. It was small village back then, and moved and the area became forest. My great grandmother and grandmother used to live in it. The furniture was still there, very simple, beds and table with inside fire place. They were healers and fried the grass inside.
Sometimes they had people staying for few days. And some one would leave small gifts for me.
My mother would take me to clean the house and at night sit at my bed and tell me a story.
One of my favorite was how my grandmother and my mother when she was a child, how they saw the Russian Queen and two her daughters.
When my mother was small, it was before the Russian revolution, in 1917. She would walk together with people to far away cities.
One time, on the big square, carriage stopped. People around started to whisper “Queen, Queen, Queen “.
A woman and two girls were sitting in the carriage. One of the girls, the older, she was wearing white dress and hat and looked like a snow flake.
The older girl stood and waive hand to us. She smiled, the smile was shy, like small tiny touch, like tiny sunlight. She was standing and I was looking at her clothes. Long creamy white dress, big white hat and hair under it, on the sides and thd back I could see few brown curls. She was wearing shoes matching the dress and gloves. And white pearls necklace and earrings. The dress was decorated on the top and looked like winter tiny too, crochet. Very warm feelings.
The Queen was sitting little bit sideways. She quickly smiled too, then she became serious, looking at her younger daughter. The younger girl wad very exited. She almost jumped out of the carriage. The Queen told her something and the girl stood quietly near her for a second, then she crossed her hands and sit as she wad upset on the opposite side. All looked very funny.
Then the guard on the horse in fancy military clothes stood in front of the carriage and the carriage started to move.
One evening I noticed small orange light in the forest. I was on the hill looking at the river thinking if war would come here.
“Fire, I saw the orange fire in the forest!” I ran inside of our house. My mother was reading newspaper at the table. My father and brother were at work.
My mother quickly got up, almost running, pushed bread, few cooked potatoes and bottle of milk in her bag, dressing at the same time. She was wearing skirt, jacket and military boots. I was dressed the same way except I had rubber boots.
We walked fast to the river. There were always few boats. I jumped in one of them and my mother pushed it a bit and jumped inside too. She was rowing it the opposite side.
“We have to hurry" - she said.
Finally we reached the sandy river bank.
It was dark, but we started to walk forward without using any light.
Soon I notice smoke somewhere in front.
It was fire place on the open space in the forest. Not very big, but not blocked by trees.
Four people were sitting around it. They were wearing rain coats.
My mother walked to that fire place and I followed.
“Sit eat with us”- it was a woman voice.
My mother, she was tired, and she sit as if she was falling down.
“Eat with us" – some one repeated again.
We hesitated.
“It is war" – the unknown woman told again.
My mother took the food we brought and put together with their food.
A woman next to me pored bowl of soup from the pot on the fire place and gave it to me.
I noticed her hands, actually I started to stare at it. Beautiful thin ligh skin hands. In our village all the women had rough hands, hand of working farm women. The hands I was looking, in the dark, lights from the fire were shining on , defining more its beauty. Musicians would have this kind of hands.
The woman gave me the plate, I didn't see her face, I felt she was smiling.
“I am scared” – my mother said, - ‘when are you leaving “.
“Don't worry “ – the woman replied.
I was eating, it was quite for a while.
My mother took her bag and found piece of clothing. She opened it, there were money in it.
“Take it", - she started to push the money to the woman next to her and started to cry.
“Keep your tears for our victory. Our brothers and sisters. We will fight with them".
I started to cry too, not showing it to anyone.
We ate the food and left. And sat quietly on the boat going back home.
The forest house. I smiled thinking about it. From the hill I could see the river and forest.
The house was built, how my mother said, one hundred years ago, she loved to talk about it. And I loved to listen her. The house was built few centuries before and with fixings keept on the same place. It was small village back then, and moved and the area became forest. My great grandmother and grandmother used to live in it. The furniture was still there, very simple, beds and table with inside fire place. They were healers and fried the grass inside.
Sometimes they had people staying for few days. And some one would leave small gifts for me.
My mother would take me to clean the house and at night sit at my bed and tell me a story.
One of my favorite was how my grandmother and my mother when she was a child, how they saw the Russian Queen and two her daughters.
When my mother was small, it was before the Russian revolution, in 1917. She would walk together with people to far away cities.
One time, on the big square, carriage stopped. People around started to whisper “Queen, Queen, Queen “.
A woman and two girls were sitting in the carriage. One of the girls, the older, she was wearing white dress and hat and looked like a snow flake.
The older girl stood and waive hand to us. She smiled, the smile was shy, like small tiny touch, like tiny sunlight. She was standing and I was looking at her clothes. Long creamy white dress, big white hat and hair under it, on the sides and thd back I could see few brown curls. She was wearing shoes matching the dress and gloves. And white pearls necklace and earrings. The dress was decorated on the top and looked like winter tiny too, crochet. Very warm feelings.
The Queen was sitting little bit sideways. She quickly smiled too, then she became serious, looking at her younger daughter. The younger girl wad very exited. She almost jumped out of the carriage. The Queen told her something and the girl stood quietly near her for a second, then she crossed her hands and sit as she wad upset on the opposite side. All looked very funny.
Then the guard on the horse in fancy military clothes stood in front of the carriage and the carriage started to move.
One evening I noticed small orange light in the forest. I was on the hill looking at the river thinking if war would come here.
“Fire, I saw the orange fire in the forest!” I ran inside of our house. My mother was reading newspaper at the table. My father and brother were at work.
My mother quickly got up, almost running, pushed bread, few cooked potatoes and bottle of milk in her bag, dressing at the same time. She was wearing skirt, jacket and military boots. I was dressed the same way except I had rubber boots.
We walked fast to the river. There were always few boats. I jumped in one of them and my mother pushed it a bit and jumped inside too. She was rowing it the opposite side.
“We have to hurry" - she said.
Finally we reached the sandy river bank.
It was dark, but we started to walk forward without using any light.
Soon I notice smoke somewhere in front.
It was fire place on the open space in the forest. Not very big, but not blocked by trees.
Four people were sitting around it. They were wearing rain coats.
My mother walked to that fire place and I followed.
“Sit eat with us”- it was a woman voice.
My mother, she was tired, and she sit as if she was falling down.
“Eat with us" – some one repeated again.
We hesitated.
“It is war" – the unknown woman told again.
My mother took the food we brought and put together with their food.
A woman next to me pored bowl of soup from the pot on the fire place and gave it to me.
I noticed her hands, actually I started to stare at it. Beautiful thin ligh skin hands. In our village all the women had rough hands, hand of working farm women. The hands I was looking, in the dark, lights from the fire were shining on , defining more its beauty. Musicians would have this kind of hands.
The woman gave me the plate, I didn't see her face, I felt she was smiling.
“I am scared” – my mother said, - ‘when are you leaving “.
“Don't worry “ – the woman replied.
I was eating, it was quite for a while.
My mother took her bag and found piece of clothing. She opened it, there were money in it.
“Take it", - she started to push the money to the woman next to her and started to cry.
“Keep your tears for our victory. Our brothers and sisters. We will fight with them".
I started to cry too, not showing it to anyone.
We ate the food and left. And sat quietly on the boat going back home.
