Cinderella's Shoes

by Shonna Slayton

  “How far is the nearest town?” Dad asked. “We should go directly to the authorities.”

  “No.” Lidka said. “They would give us back to Malwinka. We talk to no one until we get to the babuszka.”

  “And how do we do that?” Kate asked.

  “We get on first train going west. We have to be on that train by the time Malwinka discovers we are missing.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Despite the hazards, the trip down the mountain had been faster than the struggle up had been. Once the sun had taken away the darkness, their path was even more sure. The train station was packed already with travelers waiting for the first train.

  “Tourists,” Lidka said. “Zakopane is nice vacation town.”

  “Do you have enough money?” Kate asked.

  Lidka nodded. “Tony was generous.”

  They stood in line to buy tickets. Lidka handled everything, and it reminded Kate of the last time she’d let Lidka handle everything. This time she stuck by her side and tried to understand as best she could the fast Polish being spoken.

  They managed to be among the last set of passengers allowed on the crowded train. Kate smiled as she settled into her seat. “We made it.”

  Lidka stared out the window. “We got on train,” she whispered. “That is all we have done. We are last passengers, but here we sit not moving.” She never took her gaze off the platform.

  Dad crossed and uncrossed his legs. He shifted back in his seat.

  “You two are making me nervous,” Kate said.

  Ten more minutes went by before Lidka stood. “We getting off.” Lidka grabbed their bags and shoved them at Kate. She took off down the aisle and started banging on the locked door, yelling to be let off, that she was sick.

  “What’s happening?” Dad asked.

  “I don’t know. Follow me.”

  By the time they had made their way to Lidka, everyone was staring. There would certainly be enough witnesses if Malwinka started asking questions.

  “When they open door, we rush out. They not stop us all. Get lost in crowd, then meet me at corner near boy selling papers. The porters are so used to hearing boy’s voice they ignore him. If they take you, leave behind something from your bag and I will know. I will try to contact Fyodora for help.”

  The door opened and Lidka tumbled out, purposely crashing into the porter. Kate jumped out, then spun around to help her dad down. As soon as her father’s feet touched the ground, she pulled him into a trot, keeping her hand in front of him to push people aside. Lidka kept the surprised porter occupied, but a second porter noticed Kate and her father.

  Taking her cue from Lidka and using her best Polish, Kate called back, “He’s going to be sick,” hoping that would make the man pause. It did, but only long enough for Kate and her dad to duck into the nearest building and try to blend in. She spotted an abandoned newspaper on an empty chair as the porter outside pushed his way through the door.

  “Sit here, and pretend you’re reading the paper. If we separate, he might not notice us. I’ll be back.” Kate worked her way toward the ladies’ bathroom. Inside was a girl standing near the sink tying her hair back in a red-and-blue kerchief.

  “That is pretty,” she said in Polish. “Will you sell it to me?” She held out what she hoped was a reasonable amount of money.

  The girl’s eyes brightened, and she handed over the kerchief. When the girl left, Kate could see her father tucked behind the newspaper and the man who was chasing them working his way through the room. It looked like he had already passed by Dad.

  Agonizing over each second, Kate waited until she couldn’t stand it any longer. She casually walked out of the room with her new kerchief tied over her head. There was no sign of the porter. “Dad, I’m back,” she said, standing at his side.

  She had never felt so lost in her life. It must be worse for her dad, who knew even less of the language than she did and couldn’t see any danger until it was too late. Her heart pounded so hard it was a wonder she wasn’t calling more attention to herself.

  If only she had never noticed the royal crest on Aunt Elsie’s steamer trunk, how different her life would be right now.

  “Let’s go to the corner so she can find us.”

  Lidka was already at the rendezvous spot. She was pacing back and forth and running her hand through her hair. She motioned for them to follow her down the street and around the corner, where she slowed and let them catch up to her.

  “I overheard men talking. Malwinka got to them. They are checking all trains. I could maybe blend in enough to pass, but an American girl who speaks such little Polish and blind man who speaks none will be easily caught. We have to find another way. I used to have some contacts in this place. It may take some time to find them again.” She turned her back, looking for something. A safe place for them to wait, maybe.

  Dad cleared his throat meaningfully, and his hand went to the spot she had sewn in the diamond.

  He was right, but she wasn’t going to let him give up Elsie’s diamond. That hospital she was in was expensive. “I have something that might help us.”

  “What can the shoes do for us now?”

  “Not the shoes.” Kate lowered her voice. “I have the blue diamond.”

  Lidka’s eyes grew wide. “You telling me this now?” She sounded angry.

  Immediately, Kate’s ire shot up. “I couldn’t trust you before. I barely trust you now.”

  “Show it to me.”

  “No. Decide what to do with it first. I won’t let you have it until the last minute.”

  Lidka made a face. “Fine. Come with me to bar mleczny. You can eat while I take care of the things.”

  The milk bar was extremely plain, just tables, chairs, and bare white walls, but it was well-frequented. They sat at a cramped table near the back where they could keep an eye on the door. After Lidka left, they bought omelets and two glasses of milk. They came with straws.

  “This is not how I imagined vacationing in Poland,” Kate said, taking a sip.

  Dad chuckled. “It’s not how I expected to end my time in the war, either.” He took a bite of his omelet. “Mmmm. That’s surprisingly good.”

  “A good appetite needs no sauce,” they both said at the same time. Kate grinned at her dad. This was what their reunion was supposed to feel like.

  Kate continued to fill him in as she watched customers come and go. The Burgosovs would have had time to hike down the mountain by now. If they got hungry, they could walk through the doors and see them.

  “I think I should try to send Floyd a telegram,” she said to Dad. “He can contact Mom, and I’ll let him know where we are. Will you be okay to stay here?” She tried not to think of how scary it would be to not see who was coming in the door, to not know you were found out until it was too late. “I’ll get you a paper before I leave. That seemed to work well in the train station.”

  “I don’t trust that girl, either. Do what you need to do.”

  Kate scanned the room and saw a man get up, tucking a paper under his arm. She went to him and asked in Polish, “Are you finished with the paper?” He nodded and handed it to her. “Thank you.”

  Dad taken care of, she wound her way back to the train station. She hoped she could find it again and not get lost. The next obstacle would be to not bring attention to herself.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  With a purposeful stride, she followed the streets she thought led to the station until she found it. There were even more people queued up than earlier this morning. Checking the trains was causing a backup. People were sitting on their luggage, like they had been waiting for a long time.

  Compared to the crowd waiting to get on the train, the telegraph line was short. Kate composed her note to Floyd while standing in line and was ready by the time she got there.

  In Zakopane on way to Gryfino

  Dad too. Meet us.

  It was a risk, but what else could she do? It was in English, so the o
perator might not understand it. Or, it might raise his suspicions and she’d be detained. But she couldn’t risk sending it to Floyd in Polish because he was a little rusty.

  She slid her slip across the counter, biting her lip as he read it. He scratched his cheek, nodded, and tapped it out for her.

  There. No matter what happened now, her backup plan had been enabled. Floyd would know the two locations they could be if they didn’t show up. And he’d know she’d found Dad. She left the counter with a light step. Until she noticed the porter who had chased her earlier. He wasn’t looking her way, so she wound her way around the other passengers, tucking herself in with a family. The mother was struggling with herding twin toddlers while holding a baby. Kate held her hands out for the baby. “Can I help?” she asked in Polish.

  With a grateful smile, the woman passed her the baby and took a hand of each of the boys. Kate helped her lug their bags and the kids outside, where they found a place to camp out. It looked like they were moving, as Kate caught glimpses of lace curtains and photos tucked in with their meager clothing. Kate cooed with the baby before handing the chubby darling back to the mom. She waved at the boys and jogged back into town.

  As she pulled open the door to the milk bar, she happened to look down the street and see the broad shoulders of Gustaw. Their eyes met, and Kate’s heart lunged into her throat. She held her breath as she quickly reviewed her escape routes. Then he blinked, looked away, turned around, and ambled down the street. Did he see her or didn’t he? He had to have seen her. She’d felt their gazes lock. She thought back to the day Nessa chided her for her paranoia. Not everyone is after the dresses, Kate. Maybe Gustaw, like his daughter the kitchen maid, was done. She could only pray.

  She continued into the milk bar. Her dad wasn’t at the back table. No, no, no. He had to be here. Several men were bent over papers. One turned a page and Kate saw his face. Dad. He had changed tables.

  “Why are you over here?” she asked him. “I about had a heart attack.” She decided not to tell him about seeing Gustaw. It would bring up more questions than she could give answers. Her guess was that Gustaw was upset about his daughter and was rebelling against Malwinka. She hoped it was that and not a trap.

  “Sorry, I heard them get up and thought it was a better location. It’s near the kitchens and there must be a back door. How did it go?”

  “Done. Floyd will know we’re together and where to meet us. Still no Lidka?”

  He shook his head. “Want to read the paper to me? I’ve gone through it all but haven’t learned a thing.”

  Kate laughed. “Sure.” She translated what she could but kept her attention on the front door should Gustaw change his mind.

  By late afternoon there was still no sign of Lidka. Kate’s heart skipped a beat every time the door opened. They bought some kind of meatless cabbage stew and some yogurt and continued to wait.

  “I’m beginning to think we should try to make it on our own,” Dad said. “The longer we sit, the greater the chance they will find us again.”

  “Let’s give her ten more minutes.”

  “Why do you think we should wait for this girl? She tricked you into coming here.”

  “I think she is trying to make up for it.” Kate looked out the window. “I hope.”

  Dad drummed his fingers on the table. “I still can’t figure out what they wanted with me. This whole time I thought maybe a civil war broke out and I was being kept by a remote family who didn’t know what to do with me once they had me. At the beginning they asked me lots of questions, but I was never tortured. It was as if they realized I was giving truthful answers and didn’t know anything of importance. When they found out I was an art professor, they started asking me questions about art.”

  “Two of them got caught in New York for art smuggling,” Kate said. “They were traveling throughout Europe stealing things. They tried to take the Kolodenkos’ heirloom dresses from the Harmon-Craig display, and that’s when they were caught.”

  “Hmm. It could be related.”

  “The two families have been feuding for centuries. You got caught in the cross fire.”

  “The Hatfields and the McCoys. Feuds don’t end well.”

  Finally, Lidka opened the door of the milk bar. She motioned for Kate to come.

  Relief washed over Kate. “She’s here. Let’s go.”

  Lidka was already partway down the block. “I have friend who can get us on train after inspections. They are going through the trains all day long.” She sighed deeply. “I am surprised they did not find you here.”

  Kate looked away, not wanting to tell Lidka about Gustaw in case she would want to change the plan again. Sneaking on after inspections sounded like a great idea to her.

  “You give me diamond now?”

  Kate nodded and started looking in her bag for her sewing kit.

  Lidka produced a knife.

  “Oh. That’ll work.” Kate eyed the knife with suspicion. Of course Lidka would have a knife. “You’ll need to cut into my waistband.”

  “You are more clever than I gave you credit for,” Lidka said. She sidled up to Kate and, with a quick motion, cut the place Kate indicated.

  Kate worked the diamond out. With a pause, she handed it to Lidka. “Thank you,” she said, hoping her words were also interpreted as, I trust you, but I don’t trust you, so please don’t make me regret giving you the only item of value I have.

  With a nod, Lidka led the way back to the station. They worked their way along the outside edge, crossing the tracks ahead of the station, then sneaking back between the trains. Kate wished sunset would hurry up, but the summer sun was holding strong.

  A tall, skinny man was hanging out by the train closest to the station. He stood by a pile of crates. Lidka shook his hand.

  “Punia.” He dipped his head in greeting, then piled up the crates so she could climb into the open window.

  Something about the way the man said Lidka’s nickname struck a memory. Kate watched the girl disappear through the window, and the memory went with it.

  It was Kate’s turn next. Lidka made it look easy, the way she hopped up and was in. She must have been used to getting into places in unusual ways. Kate was used to following the rules, walking in the door with a ticket in hand. The first attempt, she came back down on the guy’s head. He grunted but gave her more of a shove the second time, sending her flailing across the rough opening and into Lidka’s arms, who then dragged her through the window. Last was Dad.

  The passengers already inside looked away as if nothing unusual were happening. Since they had already been waiting for hours to go, one more inconvenience wouldn’t bother them. Especially with the cold stare Lidka gave the few who turned for a second glance. Folks slid over to make room for three more people.

  The man outside raised his hand, his fingers pinching something as he nodded to them. Lidka must have slipped him the diamond when they shook hands.

  As the train started to move, Lidka crashed back into an empty seat. Soon she was soundly sleeping, leaving Kate to wrestle anxiously through their plans on her own. Kate could hash things out with Dad, but the less she said the better. She didn’t want him asking too many questions. They had to find some way out of Poland, beyond Malwinka’s supporters. Surely they could cross at a remote location on the German border. Kate smiled reassuringly at her dad before she remembered he couldn’t see her. She reached for his hand instead and gave it a squeeze. While Lidka slept, Kate had to be the eyes for all of them.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Kate didn’t know how Lidka could sleep. The seats were uncomfortable, and the passenger car was heating up with all those bodies inside. Not to mention that Kate was expecting to get thrown off the train at any moment. She looked down and saw that her clenched hands were white, she was squeezing them so hard. She let go and wiped the sweat off her palms. She looked out at the scenery, reminding herself she was in Elsie’s beloved Poland. She should check on Mr. G’s ca
mera after that ungraceful leap into the train, but the furtive glances she was getting now that Lidka was asleep changed her mind.

  She couldn’t help thinking that they got away too easily. After spending the entire day at the milk bar, it seemed unlikely no one would think to look for them there. She pictured Gustaw turning away from her and hoped that he was on their side, not that they were being pushed into another trap.

  They arrived in Gryfino early morning. The sky was beginning to light as if it were only waking up itself and needed more time asleep. They stepped down from the train, directly to the track level, just like in Zakopane, as there were no platforms. Several others got off the train with them, carrying odd assortments of items. These were definitely refugees.

  “Why are all these people leaving?” she asked Lidka. It’s not like the war was forcing them on.

  “Operation Vistula,” she answered.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “The Ukrainians were supposed to leave Poland after the war, but some did not. Now the border is closed and government of Poland is spreading them around country so they become diluted. They want them to forget they are Ukrainian.”

  Kate couldn’t tell if Lidka approved or disapproved. “Why can’t they stay where they were living?” Kate whispered.

  Lidka lilted her head, like she was tired of explaining the simplest things to Kate. “They are making us go back into our pens. Germans are over there. Ukrainians there. Poles here. Is for good of the people. Poland is for Poles. Is not America for Americans? Is reason why you did not allow refugees to go to America?”

  Kate didn’t know how to answer that one. She had learned a lot about politics over the years, but it didn’t always make sense.

  The thin man standing closest to them scowled at Lidka. “I am Polish. I’ve never lived in Ukraine. I was kicked out of my home in Poland and only allowed to leave with what I could carry. That is, after they took anything of worth.”