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SMOKE AND THUNDER

TATIANA’S world changed after Alexander stopped co to see her She was now one of the last people to leave work As she sloalked out the double doors of the factory, she still turned her head expectantly, hoping that maybe she would see his head, his uniforth of the Kirov wall Tatiana walked, waiting for the buses to pick up passengers She sat on the bench and waited for hiht kilo hiet home at eleven or later, the dinner her family had prepared at seven was old and cold At ho about the only thing that was on theirin tears and told Tatiana that Alexander wanted to take a break She cried for five straight oing to give up, Tania," said Dasha "I’ I think he is afraid of coive up He said he needed a little time to think That doesn’t ht?"

"I don’t know, Dashenka" What kind of person said he was going to do so and then did? No person Tatiana knew

Diether surrounded by her family She was mildly surprised that he hadn’t been by ht lame -- excuse He seemed distracted He had no information on the position of the Germans in the Soviet Union His ht was as distant as Finland

Up on the roof the kids fro looked for excitement, for incendiary boht, except for the laughing of Anton and his friends next to her, except for the beating of her heart

Up on the roof Tatiana thought about the evening minute, the minute she used to walk out the factory doors, turn her head to the left even before her body turned, and look for his face The eveningherher to hiht she was still turned to the wall, her back to the absent Dasha, as never home

Tatiana would have continued this wretched way, but onethe Metanovs heard on the radio that the Gerh the countryside and, despite all measures taken by the heroic Soviet soldiers, were nearly at Luga It wasn’t the Luga part that stunned the family and made them unable to eat or talk to each other It was that they all knew that Luga was mere kiloht -- no, were sure -- ensconced at caa, as to happen to Tolrandson, their brother?

Tatiana tried to console her faht" When that didn’t work, she tried, "We’ll get in touch with him Come on, Mama, don’t cry" When that didn’t work, she tried, "Mama, I can feel hiht, I’ worked

There remained no word on Pasha, and Tatiana, despite her brave talk, becaly afraid for her brother

The local Soviet had no answers The borough Soviet also had no answers Tatiana and her ether

"What can I tell you?" the stern, mustachioed woman told Maa It doesn’t say anything about Tolmachevo"

"Then why isn’t there any anse try to call the ca?"

"Who do I look like, Coet to Tolet to the front? Can you take a bus, comrade, to the front? Yes, sure Good luck to you" The wohed "Natalia, come here, you have to hear this"