Cinderella's Shoes

by Shonna Slayton

  He carried their bags downstairs, except for her new camera bag, which she slung over her shoulder.

  At the bottom of the stairs, Princess Kolodenko caught Kate’s arm. “May I speak with you outside?” she said.

  “Of course,” Kate said, and followed her to the patio. The sun was barely beginning to rise, and the morning chill hung like a New York fog. Kate wrapped her arms around herself and wondered if she’d packed enough.

  “I have something to tell you,” Princess Kolodenko said. “I hope you understand. I saw no need to share with you earlier, but since you will be meeting Malwinka, I want to explain to you all I know.” She paced the outside of the patio, checking the potted plants for water.

  “What is it?” Kate asked, looking back to the house. She wanted to get breakfast before they left. Mr. De Luca’s breakfasts beat any food she’d likely find at the train stations along the way.

  “Malwinka does have the shoes you seek.”

  Kate blinked. She heard the words, but they didn’t make sense. “You knew? You said they’d been lost.”

  “Yes, lost to the family. This is true. The shoes are no longer ours.”

  “You lied to me.”

  “I never outright lied, but I let you believe what you wanted. I said the shoes had been lost to my family, and they have. I have never seen them.”

  “How did Malwinka get them?”

  “My grandmother gave them to her mother. The shoes are important to our family, but not in the way you think. While the legend of Kopciuszek speaks of the prince using the shoes to find her after the ball, it is not like you imagine.

  “I don’t think the shoes themselves can help you find anyone, otherwise my grandmother wouldn’t have given them up so easily. We let Malwinka have the shoes because it keeps the peace. She does not trouble us like Ludmilla does.” She held up her hand. “And please, do not talk about these things in front of Lidka. I want her to be free of the family issues. She has enough worries without adding envy to them.”

  Kate wasn’t going to be the one to tell Lidka’s secrets, especially after learning the princess had been keeping her own. “Why am I going to Poland if the shoes won’t help me?” Kate couldn’t keep the despondency out of her voice. She didn’t feel comfortable rushing off anyway, and to find out now that the trip was pointless was too much.

  “I know you are curious about your heritage. You need to see Poland, and you need to try. I understand that. And for us? I am worried about the babuszka. I fear she has lost herself. If she got confused, she might try to return to Poland on her own. I want you to look for her while you’re there.”

  “I’ve only seen her once. I’m not going to be able to recognize her in a crowd.” How could Princess Kolodenko expect her to find their gardener? “Why not send the police to look for her?”

  “We have already reported her missing. All I ask is that you pay attention to those around you. Something has happened. Threads are connected. Following one may lead you to another.”

  Kate rubbed her forehead as if pushing the thought into her head. “Is your gardener so important to you?”

  “All our servants are important.” Her eyes held Kate’s meaningfully. “We found Elsie again, didn’t we?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me what you knew about the shoes when we were in New York?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She was trying not to let the hurt slip out in her voice, but she couldn’t hold it back.

  “You needed to do something. We hoped having you come to Italy and searching here for your father would be enough to calm your restlessness. Your mother thought this, too.”

  “That’s why she let me come?”

  Princess Kolodenko nodded. “Malwinka, while not a friend, is not trouble like Ludmilla. We have made peace through the shoes. Do not upset the peace. Will you try to find the babuszka?”

  “I’m sorry you lost your gardener, but I’m trying to find my dad.” The more Kate spoke, the angrier she felt. “I have to try the shoes, otherwise I’ll always wonder.”

  “Of course. We want you to settle this in your heart. If you try the shoes and nothing happens . . .” She let Kate fill in the consequences. “What are your plans for when you find the shoes?”

  “I don’t know. I was hoping when I saw them, I would just know what to do.” It sounded overly simple, but that was her plan. The dress had taught her, why not the shoes?

  “I’m sorry I cannot give you more help. For us, the value in the shoes is in the peace they keep. We have everything else of Kopciuszek’s that we need.” Princess Kolodenko put her hand in her sweater pocket, pulled something out, and held it to Kate. “Here. Take the diamond you found in the fresco, but don’t let Lidka know you have it. Sew it in your clothing and only let her know about it if you are in a bind. She’ll know what to do with it. I know my husband has also given you money, but that is easily taken. I’m afraid you will spend much of it for bribes along the way.”

  Thinking of her father’s diamond Kate had already sewn in her waistband, she tried to refuse it. “I can’t.”

  “Please. The diamonds are meant for times like this.” She also pulled out a spool of thread and a needle.

  Kate took the diamond and squeezed it in her hand. She would have to sew it in immediately before someone noticed. She sat down and began to work.

  “Thank you, Kate. Thank you for being kind to Lidka, too. Stay close to her so she cannot leave you if she gets frightened. She is a hard girl, but can be won over with love. She’s had so little of it in her lifetime.”

  Kate doubted Lidka was ever afraid, but she nodded.

  The sun was just starting to turn the trees golden on the edges when they went to the kitchen for Mr. De Luca’s send-off breakfast. Lidka was clearly anxious to get going. She gulped her food down and spent the remainder of the time fidgeting. She twirled her spoon. She drummed her fingers on the table. She kept looking out the door.

  Mr. De Luca calmly observed all this. “I’m glad you came back, Punia,” he said, voice heavy with meaning.

  She stopped her fidgeting and stared at him. “I try not to be a disappointment. I do what I have to do.”

  He weighed her words and didn’t look pleased. They lapsed into a heated conversation in Italian that Kate could no longer follow. She thought she caught her name once and the word for “safe.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  The plan was to take the train through Austria and Czechoslovakia, and from there cross the border into Poland. Once they were across, they’d take the train to Katowice and then find a bus to get them the rest of the way. That was all the information Lidka would share with the Kolodenkos. She said Malwinka lived outside Katowice but would not say where, no matter how often Mr. De Luca tried to trick the information out of her.

  “Here are your train tickets,” he said. “I will also buy your bus tickets, just let me know to which town.”

  “Nice try, Tony. You like to keep some of your residences secret; so do they,” Lidka said for the final time as they stood near the ticket counter.

  Nessa bristled at the use of the familiar name, but she didn’t comment.

  The train was scheduled to leave soon, so it was time for good-byes. It was strange to be back at the train station so soon and to be leaving the Kolodenkos behind. Nessa stood with her arms crossed, staring at the roof of the train station. Beside her, Princess Kolodenko unconsciously played with the zipper on her purse. Mr. De Luca was unreadable. After saying good-bye to the girls, he took Johnny aside. Kate strained to listen in, but with all the surrounding noise of the train being prepped to leave, she couldn’t hear anything.

  Finally, the last call was given and it was time to go. Princess Kolodenko handed Kate the basket she’d brought from the villa. “This should hold you for the trip,” she said. Maria had packed them several meals. The basket was heavy like the one they tried to deliver to the babuszka.

  “Do not look back,” Lidka said after they’d found thei
r seats. “It is easier to leave if you do not.”

  Kate wasn’t sure if Lidka said that for her benefit or not. But she had no intention of ignoring the people waiting to see them off.

  There was a blast of the whistle followed by a sudden jerk as the train started to move. Kate leaned close to the window and when she saw the Kolodenkos, she gave them a hearty wave. Johnny stood above her and waved as well. Lidka made a noise of disgust before settling into a brooding silence. Kate was glad for the quiet, because it gave her time to think. Johnny held tight to her hand, as if letting go would separate them completely.

  The trip would take a couple days if all went well. They had several stops and train changes that could add any number of delays. The car was only half full when they started, but after two stops, several families had boarded and filled in all the empty seats. After sighing several times, Lidka found a newspaper to use as a fan.

  They changed trains in Rome, using the between time to have an early lunch, seated knee to knee on a crowded bench. “It’s too bad we can’t do a little exploring while we’re here,” Johnny said.

  “Do not waste time sightseeing,” Lidka said, breaking her silence. “You should plan what to do with Malwinka. She can be intimidating. You need to be prepared.”

  How can I prepare to meet a legend who strikes fear in one person and fidelity in another? The more Kate learned about Malwinka, the less she knew. It seemed everyone who met her had a different opinion on the woman. It was all so confusing. So she changed the subject. “What did you do after you left the Kolodenkos last?” she asked. She knew it was a point of contention with the family, being the final straw as far as Nessa was concerned. That Lidka had broken Princess Kolodenko’s heart by leaving without telling them. Too many people disappeared during the war, never to be heard from again, and it left a person raw.

  Lidka eyed her warily. “I went all over the land, looking for my place. It was hard, but you learn. People everywhere are the same. They think they are different, but when they are desperate they are not. They wanting food. They wanting clothing. They have things to trade that they have hidden. We all hide items to protect them during the war.” She smiled. “Especially where the borders have changed. The Germans who found themselves in the Regained Lands, now part of Poland, have the greatest need and are under much persecution. The anger is still there. We are all angry.”

  “Is that why you came back?” Johnny asked.

  She quirked a smile. “They are making us go back into our pens. Poles go here. Ukrainians go here. Germans there. Greeks there. And no one wants the Jews anywhere. You would go into villages and people are gone—houses standing, food abandoned, tables with dishes set. Like a life-size dollhouse.”

  “I don’t understand,” Kate said. “The war is over. Why can’t everyone go back to their homes?”

  “The main war is over, but the aftershocks go on, like earthquake. It is getting better.” She nodded to the people who were on the train with them. “You see all the women, and children, and old people.” She looked at Johnny again. “So many young men have died. Lots of girls are going to America to marry their American soldier boyfriends. Maybe I should go too, eh?” She reached over Kate and playful swatted Johnny’s arm. “I joking. I do not need anyone. I will live to be an old maid. I have had enough of soldiers.”

  At Milan, while Lidka was in the ladies’ room, Kate and Johnny discussed their plans. “I’ll be honest and tell Malwinka what I need. There is no reason to make up a story or try to steal them from her. I’m sure she already knows why I am coming to see her.”

  Johnny nodded while he flipped open his sketchbook. The arching steel roof above the terminal had caught his artist’s eye and he started to draw. “I agree. We’ll just pray she has a kinder heart than we expect her to have. Be honest, but don’t tell her everything. Only what she needs to know.”

  Johnny drew what he could, but soon it was time to board the train. The cars were prepared for nighttime with compartments sectioned off and bunk beds stacked. Lidka smiled. “Thank you, Tony. We traveling in style on this train.” She yawned loudly and stretched. “Good, I am tired of cattle cars.” She noticed Johnny and Kate were holding hands. “So sorry you will be separated. This is the longest part of our journey, so get some sleep. Good night, Johnny,” she said and motioned for Kate to follow her. Over her shoulder she said, “We wake up in Austria, so have your papers ready for the customs people.”

  “See you in the morning.” Johnny squeezed her hand and let go.

  Kate smiled and followed Lidka. She didn’t like the tone in the girl’s voice when she said they would be separated. So when they found two empty bunks, she propped her bag up as a pillow in case Lidka was tempted to dig through her things looking for the dresses once Kate was asleep. “Good night, Lidka.”

  Early in the morning, the customs agents were waiting on the train, and they quickly cleared Kate and Lidka before moving on to the next car. The girls got off and waited on the platform for Johnny. Slowly, the overcast sky had begun to lighten, but still no Johnny.

  “The train is going to leave,” Kate said, her voice strained. She craned her neck to see down the row of windows. “I hope he didn’t oversleep. Can we send someone to find him?”

  Before Lidka could answer, Johnny bounded off the train. “That was close. They had all kinds of questions for me, and it took some time to find an English speaker who was awake.” He waved as an older gentleman in a fedora and overcoat walked past. “Thanks again.”

  Lidka made a noise like mfff and marched off to look at the schedule.

  When they caught up with her, she pointed. “That is our train. It is not fancy but will take us to the edge of Czechoslovakia where we change to our last train to Poland. Just over half a day more. Are you ready?”

  Kate’s mouth went dry. “Yes.”

  The final train through Czechoslovakia stopped at the Polish border. “We get out and walk across,” Lidka said, hiking her bag onto her shoulder.

  They got in the long line with their bags to cross the border. It inched forward as everyone’s papers were checked and stamped. Finally, it was their turn. Lidka handled the communication. A border guard spoke to Kate in Polish and she waited for Lidka to translate before answering. He nodded and stamped their paperwork, but when it came to Johnny, he held up his hand for him to stop. “Nie,” he said. The guard wouldn’t let him pass.

  Kate touched Lidka’s arm.

  “What is going on?” Johnny asked.

  Lidka asked the guard, then translated his answer. “They not happy with your papers and will not let you cross. He wants you turn back.” She shrugged, looking unconcerned.

  Kate’s eyes grew wide. “Our paperwork checks out. Why doesn’t his?”

  Lidka frowned. “Maybe it is because Johnny is here for a movie? They don’t trust the Western press.”

  “He’s not the press.”

  Lidka spoke again to the guard, telling him Johnny was a visitor, and something using too many words Kate didn’t understand.

  This time the guard grew angry. He shook his head and told Johnny to go back.

  Again, Lidka shrugged. “I cannot convince them. Do you want to return to Italy?”

  Kate looked helplessly at Johnny. “We can’t leave him here by himself.”

  “Fine. We turn around.” Lidka started back the way they had come.

  Kate didn’t move. She thought of Elsie clutching that diamond. Her hopes were pinned on Kate. Answers were in Poland. The shoes were in Poland. “What is that word the guard used: toe-var-shish?”

  “Towarzysz. It means comrade or what is English? Partner. He told me his partner said to not let anyone through who does not have proper paperwork, no exceptions.” She grinned. “I told him Johnny had chocolate with him as bribe, and that is when he got angry. This one thinks he is honest.”

  Johnny lifted an eyebrow as if to ask, “What do you want to do?” When she hesitated, he set his jaw. “Can I talk to
you alone?” He grabbed her elbow and led her away from Lidka.

  “We need to decide now,” Lidka said, raising her voice. “They will send all of us back if we stand here blocking the peoples.”

  “I need to go on with her,” Kate whispered. “I’ve come this far and I’ll always have questions if I don’t.”

  “She’s done this on purpose. She’s trying to get you alone.”

  Kate stepped closer to Johnny so Lidka couldn’t overhear. “I know. But what other choice do I have?”

  He took her hands in his. “Wait for Nessa. We’ll try again when her paperwork comes through.”

  She shook her head, watching his posture harden. He was steeling himself against her. “Please don’t get mad.”

  “I’m trying not to, but I think you are being reckless.”

  “Maybe I am, but we’re so close, and we’re running out of time. The summer will be over before we know it and we’ll be back on that ship.”

  His jaw remained set.

  “What?”

  He smirked. “I’m imagining a life where you always choose the Kolodenkos over everything else.”

  Kate looked at him incredulously. “Is that what you think I’m doing?” She exhaled. Of course that’s what she was doing. Would always do. It was one of the reasons Babcia thought the legacy was a curse, not a blessing. If she and Johnny were going to continue, they’d each have to decide what the legacy meant to them as a couple. If anything at all. “Maybe so, but this time I’m also choosing my dad.”

  The guard walked over to them, arms crossed and face stern.

  “Go or stay?” Lidka asked.

  Johnny dropped Kate’s hands. “I’ll cable my dad and then turn around for another bumpy ride back. Send us a telegram when you get there so we know you arrived.” He looked at Lidka for confirmation.

  “Yes, yes of course. It will be the first thing we do.”

  Johnny didn’t look convinced. He shoved his bag at Kate. “I’ve got some money and things in there you could use.”