Page 36 of The Storyteller of Krakow

‘I found myself in a desert far away, where the sun blazed overhead, and the air was thick with dust. I was there to help those in need, working with brave soldiers who had left their homes and families behind. Among those soldiers was, of course, Wojtek.

‘He would dance on his hind legs, peep his snout out between his paws, carry all these boxes about, just as if he were human. He’d sit and eat with us too, and liked it when Piotr or the other men would sing a song. He’d make this rumbling sound as if he, too, were trying to sing along.

‘One day, a sandstorm swept through our camp. Everyone hurried to secure their belongings, but in the chaos, I realised Wojtek was missing. I panicked. How could I lose a bear who could carry a crate of ammunition? The soldiers called out, their voices cutting through the howling wind.

‘It was then I found him, not too far away, crouched at the entrance of a makeshift tent, comforting a young soldier who was feeling frightened and alone. Wojtek nudged him gently and made soft grunting sounds, as if to say, “You’re not alone. We’re all in this together.”

‘I sat with Wojtek and the young soldier, stroking Wojtek’s thick fur, tickling him under his ears. He actually ended up falling asleep with his head in my lap!’

‘Really?’ Hana asked. ‘Like this?’ She placed her stuffed bear’s head in her own lap.

‘Exactly like that.’

‘Weren’t you a little bit afraid of him?’

‘Not one bit. He was a friend to all of us, you see. He thought we were his family. In fact, I don’t think that Wojtek knew that he was a bear at all.’

‘It’s nice that he was kind to that scared man,’ she said. ‘I wish Wojtek were still alive. I’d like him to live here with me and Mama. I think it would be nice.’

‘Oh, it would be,’ I said, ‘until of course he stole all of your underwear!’

Hana gave a little giggle. ‘Did he steal other things?’

‘Oh, he stole lots of things. Anything shiny. Like a magpie, he was. But I don’t think he was being naughty, not really. He just wanted to investigate things and see how they work.’

‘Do you have more stories about him?’

‘I do,’ I said, and took a deep breath, ready to launch into the next tale when Kasia appeared and told us the food had arrived.

‘Let’s eat, and I’ll tell you soon.’

Kasia, thank goodness, had listened to me and bought a proper feast. None of that pizza and rubbish that so many places seemed to sell now. Instead, she had ordered proper home-cooked food: pierogi, gołąbki, and placki ziemniaczane.

It made me feel as though I were a child again when, on a Saturday, my mama would spend all day in the kitchen, stuffing cabbage leaves with mince and rice, making those perfect little dumplings to go alongside and frying up potato pancakes and fritters.

Not one to usually eat a lot, I found that I cleared my plate quickly and took a second helping while Kasia talked about the weather, about the people at the home, while Hana asked question after question about Wojtek.

‘Lena, will you please tell me another story?’ she whined as soon as Kasia told her it was bedtime.

‘Another time,’ I said, rising from my chair.

‘No, Lena, please stay a while longer. I’ll order you a taxi. I just want to speak to you for a moment, after I’ve put Hana to bed.’

I nodded and took myself to the couch, away from the rickety wooden chairs Kasia had in the kitchen-cum-dining area.

As I sat, I looked about her apartment. Cluttered, it was, and the furniture, all of it had seen better times. And yet, it was cosy and warm, and as the rain pattered gently on the windows, I felt strangely at home for once.

I suddenly did not want to go back to my bedroom in the home. I wanted to stay here. I wanted to tell Hana stories. I wanted to wake up in the morning and have someone to talk to.

Stupidly, I felt tearful. I had barely cried my whole adult life, and now here I was, at the age I was, feeling alone and emotional.

Doctors had warned me this could happen. Said it probably would and were surprised to hear that all these years had gone by and I had never felt a tiny bit sorry for myself, and had always managed to keep my emotions in check.

I swallowed it away. I would not cry. Not here anyway. I could at least hold it together until I got back to my room.

‘Lena.’ Kasia came into the room, a bundle of clothes in her arms. ‘Laundry, it never ends,’ she said, then dumped it at the side of the couch and sat down next to me.

‘Did she go to sleep okay?’ I asked.