Chapter 31

Monika lowered her head. She looked so miserable and I understood what she might be feeling at that moment...

"It happened so suddenly..." She continued her story. "Mom and I were washing dishes after dinner when someone started banging on the door. Arek wanted to open it and got hit in the nose with the fist of a soldier. The Germans ran into the apartment, chased us into the living room and began to overturn everything in front of our eyes. Mother faked a heart attack, which distracted them for few seconds, and Arek and I got to the window. Thankfully we live on the ground floor. I jumped out first and was already outside when I noticed that Arek wasn't coming. I didn't have much time so quickly I hid in a nearby pile of garbage and waited for them to leave. When they had left I went back to the apartment. Mother was lay motionless on the ground in the paddle of blood and I found Arek lying by the window. I tried to pick him up and ran to you guys..."

"Oh Sweet Jesus..." Grandma had already begun to lament while I and Mateusz were simply stunned. Monika and Arek were obviously being chased and suspected of something. And they were just hiding here in our apartment. What should we do? If they find them here, they will certainly kill us all. And Alex won't be able to help us. Not in this case... However, one thing was certain - we couldn't kick them out of the house, not in their mental and physical condition. Now they were orphans. Their mother was killed, and as Mateusz once told me, a year ago their father died at the front.

Monika began to sob, and Mateusz sat down next to her and hugged her tenderly. Grandma didn't seem to even notice that. She was too absorbed in analyzing what she had just heard.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." I said quietly and Monika looked at me with understanding and hid her face in Mateusz's chest again.

" There's no time for sobs, my child." Grandma suddenly jumped up from her seat. She had an idea. "We have to get you false documents and change your appearance. And you must leave! As soon as possible!"

"We will help you go through this." Mateusz whispered soothingly to Monika. "Everything will be fine...-"

"Nothing will be fine anymore!" She protested with tears in her eyes. " We have no place to live, we've lost everything!"

"Pola also lost everything and look. Somehow she's alive now." Grandma drew the attention to me and I felt uncomfortable. Monika gave me a belligerent look and her expression got more serious.

"May I talk to you in private?" She asked me a question gravely and all eyes were on me...