We will never be defeated. The German spirit is indestructible. We will never weaken or allow the Bolsheviks near our borders, screamed Hitler from the pages of the Ukrainian Word, while the Red Army was closing in on Kiev.
Lisa was gawking at a dozen Soviet planes in the sky, fighting the urge to jump up and down and wave her hands, when a group of partisans appeared, dragging a large man behind them, his legs and hands bound. He was dressed like a peasant and when they came closer, she recognised Matvei’s puffy face. He looked thinner than she remembered, half-hidden behind a matted beard. But the tiny pig eyes were unmistakable. When Lisa looked at him, something inside her shifted. She thought of Masha’s kind face, of her voice trembling with joy as she read her husband’s letter. She thought of the way her eyes lit up as she dreamt of a better future once the war was over. The better future that would never come, because of the man cowering in front of Lisa. Shaking with anger, she stared at him without a word. She wanted to hurt him, to make him pay for what he’d done to her friend and so many others. She wanted to put her hands around his neck and squeeze.
The men pushed Matvei so hard, he flew to the ground and landed in a puddle of water. ‘Please, don’t kill me,’ he pleaded, his face twisted in fear. Lisa couldn’t blame him for being afraid. To his left was Azamat, his eyes dark like black clouds. To his right was Danilo, red in the face and breathing heavily, like a bull about to charge. And all around him the others were gathering, like Mongolian hordes intent on revenge. The men were coming closer to look in the eyes of the traitor responsible for their friends’ deaths. If their thunderous faces couldn’t instil terror into Matvei, nothing could.
Danilo said, ‘There’s a name for what you’ve done. Treason. Punishment for treason is death.’ In Danilo’s face, Lisa saw the reflection of everything she was feeling. Disdain, anger, hatred. And heartbreak. Lisa had lost her best friend but Danilo had lost his wife. She felt such overwhelming pity for him, she wanted to cry.
‘I didn’t do anything,’ murmured Matvei, backing away from Danilo on his haunches and crawling backwards. But he didn’t have anywhere to go. The ranks were closing around him.
‘We’ve heard that before,’ said Azamat.
Matvei tripped over a branch and fell in the mud. No one made a move to help him up.
‘Our battalion was attacked because of you. Forty people are dead,’ said Danilo.
‘It wasn’t me. I swear, it wasn’t me. I didn’t breathe a word to anyone.’
‘You would sell your own mother to the Nazis if it meant a better life for you.’
‘If it was me, why would I still be in Kiev? Why wouldn’t I hide? I might not be trustworthy but I’m not stupid.’
‘You were hiding, snake. Or we would have found you sooner.’ Danilo spat on the ground and turned away, as if he couldn’t bear looking at the man.
That evening, the partisans were celebrating. They sat in a big circle in the hall, guitars in their laps, while outside the rain beat down on the settlement, steady like a drum. Lisa sat next to the two young nurses she was sharing a hut with, Luba and Alya, who laughed and joked and sang popular songs with the men. Her eyes were on Maxim, who was surrounded by friends, Sonya in his lap, his wife by his side. The two of them didn’t touch, nor did they hold hands, but there was such intimacy in the way they looked at one another and the way Irina leant in his direction when she spoke, Lisa felt sick to her stomach with sadness.
*
The day Irina’s life changed forever started out just like any ordinary day. There was no warning, no indication that something terrible was about to happen. It was barely dawn and Sonya was crying. Irina woke with a start, for a moment not knowing where she was. She reached out her hand, searching for Maxim in the dark but his side of the straw bed was empty. She remembered he was on sentry duty that night and got up to comfort her daughter.
After five minutes of rocking and singing, all Irina wanted was to go back to bed. Having only slept sporadically, she felt heavy-headed and confused. But Sonya had other ideas. The little girl was wriggling in her arms, eager to start her day. Irina fed her some bread, then wrapped another piece of bread in a kerchief, picked up Sonya and walked across the settlement and through the forest to find Maxim. As she put one foot in front of another carefully, afraid to trip over on a slippery rock or a branch and hurt her little girl, she could smell the smoke. Once again, just like at the start of the war, Kiev was burning. The fires blazed across Darniza, Slobodka, Truhanov Island and the villages on the left bank of the Dnieper, inching their way to the city. It was light as day in the woods before dawn. She was afraid of the fires, even though she knew they meant the Red Army was close, battling for Kiev. The echo of distant battles reached her sometimes in the quiet of the night.
Even though it was early, there was movement in the woods. The partisans were waking up and crawling out of their dwellings, stretching and yawning like bears in spring. Among them was a group of newcomers, men and women who had arrived from the forbidden zone, established by the Nazis for the protection of Kiev. A few days previously, notices had appeared around central Kiev, telling residents to vacate their houses. Anyone caught inside the forbidden zone would be shot. What the notices didn’t say was that the city was mobilising for the imminent threat of the Red Army. The Soviets’ excitement was short-lived and quickly gave way to fear. Before the Red Army reached Kiev, would the Nazis destroy it? In their death throes, would they kill everyone who was left in the city?
Irina couldn’t wait to take her family back home. Every day, she was afraid for Maxim who went out in his truck to fight the Germans. She was afraid for Sonya, who wasn’t getting enough food. Although it was peaceful and quiet at the battalion, the undercurrent of anxiety never went away. The Nazis had found their settlement before. What would stop them from finding it again?
As Irina walked in the direction of the prison hut her husband was guarding that morning, Ramona sidled up to her. ‘Sonya looks so cute today! I swear she gets cuter every day. Just look at that curly hair!’ The old woman looked uncharacteristically chipper that morning. Her usually grim face was stretched into a smile. ‘Wait till I tell you my news. In fact, it’s best if I show you.’ As if by magic a leaflet appeared in her hand. ‘These were dropped from a plane over Syrez last night.’
‘So what? We get Nazi leaflets all the time. I just ignore them. It’s all propaganda, not a word of truth to them.’
‘This is not a Nazi leaflet, my dear. Take a look.’
Irina unfolded the piece of paper. ‘Citizens of Kiev,’ she read in the light of the fires in the distance, made even fiercer by the rising sun. ‘Your army is at the gates. Continue to resist the oppressors and wait for us. The end to the occupation is near.’ She looked up from the leaflet, tears in her eyes. ‘I don’t understand. Is this …’
‘From the Red Army! Rumours are, they are on the right bank of the Dnieper. The Nazis left Kanev and Tripolye.’
‘How far is Kanev?’
‘Not far. Our army could be here tomorrow. We could be freed at any moment.’
‘Ramona, that’s fantastic!’ cried Irina, embracing the old woman and feeling like dancing on the spot. ‘Can I keep this?’
‘Of course. We have dozens of them.’
Irina folded the precious paper reverently and hid it in her pocket. If no one was around, she would have kissed it. Hugging Sonya close, she no longer walked through the forest, she flew. Having been on sentry duty all night, Maxim probably hadn’t heard about the leaflets. She couldn’t wait to tell him. All they ever wanted was for the war to end and their married life to start. And now it was no longer a distant dream.
When she reached the sentry post, Irina heard Azamat and Danilo talking in agitated voices. Bear was barking and sniffing the ground. Maxim was standing with his head held low. Behind him was the prison hut with its door open.
‘You must have fallen asleep and let him slip away,’ said Danilo, not taking his accusin
g eyes off Irina’s husband.
‘I didn’t close my eyes all night.’
‘How could he have escaped unassisted? I tied his hands myself yesterday evening,’ said Azamat.
‘Then someone must have helped him,’ said Danilo. ‘And I will not rest till I know who this someone was.’
‘What happened?’ asked Irina, stepping forward, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of their solemn faces.
Maxim looked at her grimly without a word. It was Azamat who said, ‘Matvei is gone. Alex brought him his breakfast this morning but he wasn’t there.’
‘Disappeared like a thief in the night on your husband’s watch,’ said Danilo.
‘Are you implying Maxim had something to do with it?’ asked Irina. She had never liked Danilo. The man was rude and unpleasant.
‘All I’m saying is, he was guarding the prisoner and now he’s gone.’ He threw a look of contempt at Maxim, who remained silent. Why wasn’t he speaking up for himself?
‘Come on, Danilo,’ said Azamat. ‘It’s Maxim we are talking about. He’s beyond suspicion. There must be a logical explanation.’
‘What explanation?’ barked Danilo. But Azamat had no answers. And by the look on his face, neither did Maxim.
*
Her rifle by her side – she wasn’t taking any chances – Lisa sat by the river, her feet dangling close to the water. She loved coming here, to ward off the ghosts that haunted her, making sleep impossible, to be alone and think about the day ahead. She heard a noise. A branch breaking, a shuffling of feet on leaves. Was it her imagination playing tricks on her? Or was someone here?
There was a glimmer of light on the horizon, from the fires and the moon, just bright enough for her to make out a large silhouette moving in her direction. Whoever it was stopped frequently, turning around and looking behind him, as if to make sure no one was following.
She shivered at the thought of being alone with this unknown man. Figuring her best defence was offence, she grabbed her rifle and shouted, ‘Stay where you are! Or I shoot.’
The man, whoever it was, froze on the spot, his hands out in front of him as if signalling to her to stay calm. Enough light fell on his face for her to recognise the dirty blond hair and the large clown nose. ‘Matvei!’ she exclaimed and lowered her weapon. Taking advantage of her surprise, he stepped away from her and turned around as if to run.
‘Freeze! Raise your hands!’ She took aim once more and he paused. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘They let me go. I’m walking back home.’
‘I don’t believe you. After what you’ve done, they would shoot you first before they let you go.’
‘Maybe they realised I’m not the man they are looking for. Maybe they found the person responsible.’
‘What are you talking about? You are the person responsible.’ The rifle in her hands trembled.
‘What makes you so sure?’
‘Because you told me once you would do anything to survive, to make your life and your children’s lives easier.’
‘And because of that, you think I gave up the partisans’ location to the Nazis?’
But Lisa wasn’t listening. She was shaking with anger. ‘Remember Masha? You must have seen her around. A beautiful girl with blonde hair and a kind smile. A nurse, saving lives, doing her bit to help others. She died. Remember Yulya, our cook? She died, too. And so many others, all because of you. And this is why I don’t believe that they would let you go. How did you really get away?’
‘I was lucky, I suppose.’
She wanted to point out that he was here, in front of her, on the wrong side of her rifle. How lucky was that, really? ‘Turn around and start walking. I’m taking you back to the battalion. One sudden movement and I shoot. And believe me, I know how to use this thing better than you think.’
‘You are making a mistake. It wasn’t me.’
‘Masha was my friend, you bastard. One of the best friends I’ve ever had. Now move.’
In silence she walked behind Matvei towards the settlement. If only Maxim could see her now. He would be so proud of her. He had taught her well. And thanks to everything he had taught her, she had caught the traitor responsible for so many partisans’ deaths and was bringing him back, so he could pay for what he’d done.
When they arrived, the sun was just beginning to rise. The battalion was aflutter, with Danilo shouting commands, his eyes bulging with barely concealed anger. They were organising a search party, getting the dogs ready, the rifles and the horses. Into this commotion Lisa walked in, weapon in hand, with the man they were all looking for. Danilo stopped talking and watched her with amazement. Azamat gave an order to two partisans to seize Matvei and take him away.
Wearily, Lisa lowered her rifle. And then she saw Maxim. He didn’t look proud or happy for her. He looked like he had seen a ghost, like he was afraid for his life.
*
Maxim was walking so fast, Irina had to run to keep up with him. Running was difficult with a wriggling two-year-old in her arms and she fell a few steps behind, watching his silhouette and the burning flames in the distance. Uncharacteristically, Maxim didn’t offer to help, nor did he slow down to make it easier for her. He didn’t seem to notice she was there at all. She increased her pace, finally catching up with him. ‘Wait till I show you the leaflet Ramona gave me. It’s from the Red Army! Can you believe it?’
He didn’t seem to hear her. If he did, he didn’t say a word.
‘Soon we can go back home. Your parents might come back. Our army will be liberating the prison camps, right?’
Still nothing.
‘Well, that worked out well,’ continued Irina. ‘Lisa is quite the hero. You taught her well.’ She glanced at Maxim, who seemed lost in thought. Something in his appearance caught her eye and she slowed down again, her breath coming out in heavy puffs. His skin looked grey, like he was about to be sick. His eyes looked dark, as if he hadn’t slept in days. ‘You look tired. What happened out there? Did you fall asleep?’ She pulled him by his sleeve.
He startled and blinked, as if surprised to find her next to him. ‘I didn’t fall asleep.’
‘How did Matvei get away? Someone must have helped him, but how did they get past you?’
They were only a few metres away from their hut. Maxim stopped and turned to her. For a few seconds, they stood in silence, appraising each other. He waited for a group of partisans to walk past before he said, ‘I let Matvei go, Ira.’
‘Never mind, he’s back now and you won’t get in trouble, thanks to Lisa,’ Irina began, and then stopped. ‘What did you just say?’
‘I let Matvei go.’
‘You let him go? But why?’
‘Because he didn’t do it. He’s not the one responsible for the Nazi attack.’
‘How do you know he didn’t do it?’
‘I just know, all right?’
‘So you released him?’
‘I wasn’t about to let an innocent man die for something he didn’t do.’
She watched his face for clues, trying to understand. But he wasn’t making it easy for her. His face was unreadable. ‘You’ve been guarding him every third night. Why did it take you two weeks to let him go?’
‘I was hoping they would see sense. But they were going to shoot him in the morning. And I couldn’t let that happen.’
They walked a few steps to their hut. Once inside, Maxim sat at their little table, his head low. Unable to look at the dark expression on her husband’s face, Irina watched their daughter as she crawled around the room like a wound-up toy, lively and fast. Then she approached Maxim, put her arms around him, kissed his forehead and said, ‘Let me make you something to eat. You must be starving, out there all night.’
‘I need to go. I need to talk to Azamat.’
‘You’ve been up all night. You must be exhausted. Have a rest and then go out.’
‘Then it might be too late.’
He left without a further expl
anation. When the door closed behind him, a distant explosion shook the woods. Sonya’s face crumpled and tears filled her eyes. Irina rocked her, whispering that after lunch she would take her outside to look for bunny rabbits. Even the promise of her favourite pastime didn’t calm the little girl. She was inconsolable. And only when the shelling fell quiet did she fall quiet too.
Irina barely noticed the sound of war. She was becoming accustomed to it. But she couldn’t ignore the dull ache inside her chest, like a premonition of bad things to come. She read to her daughter and played finger puppets with her. She found a piece of stale bread for her lunch but didn’t touch the food herself. When Maxim didn’t return after three hours, she picked up Sonya and went looking for him.
A large group of partisans was gathered in the clearing among the birch trees. Azamat was talking. ‘I know some of you have been thinking of joining the Red Army and fighting the enemy as Red Army soldiers. Now that they are so close, the thought is tempting. To wear a uniform, to do our bit. But I’d like to remind each and every one of you that you are already doing that. The minute you joined our ranks, you became soldiers. Our orders are clear. Our duty is to stay in the rear and push the Nazis out. This is how we can help the Red Army. Only when the enemy leaves Kiev for good can we join the Red Army.’
Danilo appeared, followed by Matvei, who seemed to walk freely among the partisans, with his hands unbound and no one watching him. Irina breathed out in relief. Maxim’s plan had worked. He must have managed to convince everyone Matvei was innocent. She didn’t know why her husband thought that was true, but she trusted his judgement. No doubt Maxim would be pleased. She couldn’t wait to see him.
Danilo whispered something in Azamat’s ear and Irina saw the older man’s mouth open in surprise. All at once he looked as grim and shell-shocked as Danilo, who stood in front of him with an expectant look about him, as if waiting for Azamat to make a decision. But Azamat wasn’t making a decision. He seemed lost for words.
Daughters of the Resistance Page 26
