Chapter 7

I sat in my room for a while with the wedding ring in my hands, not answering any questions that came from behind the door. Grandma Pola was worried and camped outside my door, but Mateusz finally pulled her away and explained everything. Apparently, he knew that Alex was in possession of the wedding ring, after all, he had good contact with him.

I sat on the bed and watched it. Nothing has changed. The same scratches still remained on it, as did the inscription on the inside. The wedding date almost coincided with the birthday of my brother Romek. He was also born in 1923. Dad forcibly married my mother when he found out she was pregnant with him. After birth, apparently my dad took care of my mom and brother, and three years later I showed up ... I wasn't planned. Then my father started drinking. He did not want a daughter because it was impractical. These were the times when Poland was still rebuilding itself after the First World War and needed strong pairs of male hands to help it rise again. For my dad, the daughter meant only more problems. He was afraid that I might get pregnant too after I grew and he would have to support not only himself, his wife and children, but also his grandchildren. Anka was born from rape ten years after me. My father then drank so hard that he threw Romek to the other end of the room, and he unfortunately stuck a nail into his knee, which, as it turned out later, could never be pulled out. I was sitting hidden in the wardrobe and watching everything. The father beat my mother and dragged her to bed by the hair. She screamed and broke free, but that didn't bother him at all ...

We all breathed a sigh of relief when the letter of conscription to the army arrived. Only my father was appointed, because Romek was still underage then. He was fourteen, I was eleven, and Anka was one year old. I remember us all standing together on the doorstep and waving goodbye to my dad, but he didn't even turn around. He didn't want such a family. And now he could be free, as long as he survived at the frontline.

Suddenly someone knocked on my door and I didn't even realize when I was getting a voice out of me. My whole face was wet from the tears.

"You okay?" Mateusz asked, standing in the doorway "I brought you tea and biscuits."

"I'm fine. Thank you. '' I put the wedding ring back on the table and picked up a tray of steaming tea and a few cookies from him.

"You've been sitting here alone for whole day." He noticed. "Do you want to talk? With my grandmother or with me? " He offered, clearly embarrassed, that he had to make such an offer to me, most likely on the orders of Grandma Pola.

"Thanks for now. Maybe another time. Everything is all right now." I assured. " Will you ask Grandma if she has some kind of chain to borrow?"

"Silver or gold?" He asked me a question.

"Whatever.", I replied, "And thank you again."

" No problem. '' He closed the door and that's all I've seen him ...