Page 35 of The Storyteller of Krakow

‘Shall we tidy this up?’ I suggested, nodding at the winking shards of glass.

‘You’ve done enough, Lena, really. I’ll tidy it up. Why don’t you go and see Hana while I do it? She’s talked of nothing about you and the bear and the knickers since she last saw you!’

‘She has?’ I could not keep the excitement from my voice.

‘I think she’d appreciate a new tale about the bear. If you don’t mind staying awhile, that is? I mean, I could make us some dinner or order something?’

‘I don’t mind,’ I said as nonchalantly as I could. ‘And here.’ I delved into my handbag, careful that Kasia didn’t see the gun – I mean, come on, she’d never let me near her daughter again – and drew out my purse.

‘There’s money in there. Order something fancy. Don’t cook. Just do one of those delivery things. Spend as much as you like. You and Hana deserve it.’

‘Lena, I couldn’t,’ she said.

But I ignored her and made my way to Hana’s room.

As I opened Hana’s door, I could hear her talking to herself.

‘You can’t play with knickers!’ she said.

I knew what was going on. A make-believe game with her Wojtek bear, and I knew once I pushed open the door, I would be finding a bear with a pair of underwear on its head.

I was right. Hana had her bear on the bed, a pair of underwear on his head and others scattered about him.

She looked up at me, embarrassed for a moment, until I grinned. ‘You’ve got it pretty much right. That’s how he looked.’

She returned my smile.

‘Do you mind if I sit?’ I asked, gesturing at the bed. ‘I’m too old to stand too long.’

‘I don’t think you’re old,’ she said. ‘You are older than Mama, but you’re not that old.’

‘So sweet of you to say, kochanie, but I am, in fact, very old.’

‘Doesn’t matter,’ she said.

‘I suppose it doesn’t,’ I replied.

She sat next to me and held the bear close. ‘Has Ojciec gone?’

I noted how she used the formal Ojciec – Father – rather than Tata – Daddy. I don’t think I had ever said Ojciec in my life.

‘He has.’

‘Will he be back?’

‘No. He won’t be back.’

‘Mama says that all the time, but he still comes back.’

I placed my hand on her back, and just as I had done with Kasia, made small comforting circles.

‘It’s different this time,’ I said.

She fell quiet, and I was unsure whether to probe more. She had problems at home, at school, and it was clear that the two were intertwined. I was sure I could make it better somehow, to help her feel safe, but I was worried my words would come out wrong and make it worse.

Instead, then, I did what I knew would make her happy and told her a tale of Wojtek.

‘It wasn’t long after the knickers and after I had seen him again that I went to Egypt, and there I saw just how wonderful he was and how much he cared for all the soldiers.