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AfterBaba to let et Mama Mama had left the country

‘But where could she have gone? All her clothes and shoes are here?’

‘You can’t see her The sooner you accept that the better it will be for everybody’

‘I’ll run away,’ I threatened

‘There are bad men outside these walls They will catch you and do terrible things to you’

‘Can’t you ask Papa to bring Maed

‘No, Solnyshko, I can’t’

But I wouldn’t relent I was detered her Sometimes I wouldn’t even eat

Then one day she tookand we ‘accidentally’ bumped into Mama Oh the unexplainable joy I can still rehtly around her neck and hohen it was ti and Baba scolded me

‘If you don’t stop that we’ll never be able to see Maain’

Every ti where we left her, watching us sadly until we turned a corner, or the croed us

In the car, Baba cautioned, ‘Remember you can never ever tell anyone about this If you do you will never see your Maain’ Her eyes stared at me earnestly ‘And perhaps not even me’

My mouth opened in horror ‘Will Papa kick you out of the house too?’

‘Perhaps,’ she said softly

From that day on I learned to be ultra-secretive To keepthat came out of it

As I grew older, Baba taught me how to use the rope ladder Ever since then I have been using it to go visit my mother

Sergei suddenly lifts his head, juoes to scratch at the door I let him out and call Lina It is nearly nine o’clock

‘What?’ she says sleepily

‘Hey,’ I say ‘I … uh … left a jacket in your recycle bin Would you ? I’ll pick it up fro appointment’

There is a slight pause ‘A jacket?’

‘Yes, a brown leather one’

‘In my recycle bin?’

‘Right,’ I confirm

‘Uh … huh Aet any kind of explanation?’

‘Uht now’

‘‘Fine, go ahead and be mysterious, then’