Chapter 44

44

It was cold as they made their way through the gloom of the forest. Traces of snow lay beneath the trees, the last vestiges of winter interspersed with patches of snowdrops, heralding spring. Jana guessed they'd been walking about two hours, following alongside the train track as Babi had instructed. At first, Maddie and Michal had been animated, exchanging snatched words with each other, but now they walked in silence. It warmed Jana's heart to see how they had become close since they had been in hiding together, like brother and sister.

Yveta continued to stray a couple of paces behind, her face tight, waves of hostility radiating off her. Jana understood the girl; in Yveta's eyes, it was Jana who had led her away from her mother and now her substitute mother, Babi. The teenager was channelling her anger about the situation at Jana. But still, Jana struggled not to be hurt by it.

The shoes she was wearing were not ideal for walking. She had dressed that morning intending to spend a day indoors and not trampling through forests, and now, blisters had formed on both her heels. The children, however, wore sturdy boots. Babi had made sure they were suitably dressed for the journey.

They paused to eat the bread and tiny piece of cheese from the rucksack, sitting in a row on a fallen branch. It felt good to rest their feet but they soon began to shiver in the damp air.

They continued on their way, weaving through the fir trees, stepping over tree roots and broken branches Their pace slowed, and Jana heard the children panting; it occurred to Jana they had not taken a walk outside for such a long time. Although they had played and jumped around, they were not as physically fit as they should have been.

The sun was lowering in the winter afternoon and the shadows of the trees grew longer. She was just about to suggest a short rest when the ground began to tremble and the sound of an oncoming train alerted her. She moved her little group further from the tracks, and they crouched beneath a towering fir, waiting until the train had passed before marching on.

Hours had passed, and seeing the children's weary faces, Jana said, ‘Not far now.' When a short time later, she peered through the trees to see a train platform, she said with relief, ‘We're here.' But when she saw the station sign, her heart sank. It wasn't Zbraslav.

They retreated to the thickening forest and trudged on, daylight fading. Jana began to wonder if they had taken the right route; she didn't know the area at all. They were all so tired. Her own legs were weary, her heels rubbed raw. How long could they go on?

She kept her eyes peeled at the train track to her right, following its path through the countryside. The incline was steeper now, the landscape more hilly. Her rapid breaths swirled visibly in front of her as the temperature dipped. Finally, the grass verge gave way to a concrete platform, and a post with the sign Zbraslav came into view. They'd arrived.

Jana could see that the exit of the station was on the opposite side of the tracks, accessible by a wooden bridge. The bridge however was in full view of the stationmaster's hut, and although she couldn't see if it was occupied, she couldn't risk being seen. She led the worn-out children back the way they came till they reached a bend in the railway, and could cross the track unseen. They then made their way back to the station, crouching in single file behind her.

On one side of them lay the railway, and on the other, through a row of bare bushes, a road came into view. Jana halted and gathered the children.

‘Wait here a moment. We've come to the village road, so the house must be nearby. I'll check the coast is clear.'

She pushed her way through the bushes to the side of the road and looked towards the station entrance. Her heart stopped. Two military trucks were parked outside. Several soldiers stood beside their vehicles, smoking. This was bad news. What were the Wehrmacht doing in this tiny village? She didn't know if they were searching for her and the children, but whatever the reason, she couldn't enter a village full of German soldiers. Retreating back, she began to panic. She and Babi had not discussed an alternative plan and she had no idea where they could go now.

The children were waiting with expectant faces.

She shook her head. ‘I'm sorry, the Wehrmacht is in the village. We have to hide a while and hope that they leave.'

Maddie let out an exasperated moan and Michal's eyes filled with tears. Yveta looked crestfallen, her face white. She swayed slightly.

‘Are you all right?' asked Jana. The girl looked ready to drop .

‘I'm fine,' she said.

‘As soon as we are back in the forest, we'll take a break and have a drink.'

Jana offered Yveta her arm but she pulled away.

They snuck back over the railway and headed for the trees, Jana's mind racing about her next move. The children were trailing behind her when she heard a soft thud. Maggie squealed. Jana sped round to see Yveta crumpled on the ground. She rushed to kneel by her.

‘What happened?' she said to Maddie.

‘Nothing. She just fell.'

‘Yveta, can you hear me?'

The girl lay motionless on her side, her face translucent. Jana shook her shoulder and called her name again and again. Maddie and Michal joined in the chorus. Heartbeats passed. Jana sat cross-legged on the icy ground, lifting Yveta's head onto her lap and patted her stone-cold cheeks.

Yveta's long, dark eyelashes fluttered.

‘She's conscious.' Jana sighed with relief. ‘Maddie, fetch the flask of water.'

Maddie opened the flap of the rucksack on Jana's back and pulled out the flask.

‘Help her to drink, while I hold her head,' Jana said.

Maddie held the flask to her sister's lips, murmuring encouragement for her to drink.

After taking a few sips, Yveta mumbled, ‘What happened? Everything went black.'

‘I think you fainted; not enough to eat or drink, exhaustion. It's not surprising. Let's lean you forward and get some blood to your head.' Jana heaved her to a sitting position and Yveta dropped her head to her knees.

‘She'll be fine,' Jana said to Michal, who was watching with wide eyes, though she sounded more confident than she actually was. The chill from the ground seeped through her coat and she worried about Yveta; she had to get her up and moving. With Maddie's and Michal's help, they lifted Yveta to her feet.

She took a step, winced, and gave a small cry.

‘I think I've twisted my ankle.'

Jana's heart plummeted. ‘Can you walk?'

‘I'll try,' she said, bravely.

Grimacing, Yveta tried a couple of steps. It was clear she was in pain and wouldn't be able to walk far.

Think, Jana, think, she told herself. Daylight was fading fast and the temperature was dropping by the moment. She had to find them somewhere to spend the night; she could keep watch, hoping that the Wehrmacht would move on and they could approach Babi's friend's house, or she could search for a nearby barn. Only, she hadn't seen a farm nearby. And Yveta couldn't traipse around looking for shelter. That meant she would have to leave the children here whilst she went looking. But how could she leave the children all alone in the forest? Perhaps the stationmaster's hut?—

The crunch of breaking twigs.

The squeak of leather shoes, no heavier: boots.

Behind them, a grunt. Startled, Jana swung round and stared into the butt of a rifle.