Chapter 6 Section VI

I opened my eyes to see sunlight streaming in through the shattered panes.Overhead, for what seemed like an eternity, motes glistened in the light, whirled and floated, beams of light cutting through the gloom of the room, and falling nonchalantly on the splintered wooden floor. Outside the shattered glass window, the branches of an olive tree softened the rays of the rising sun rushing over the horizon, and a few clouds still gathered in the sky to challenge the sun that announces each new day.I reached out to touch the light beam, enjoying the warmth of being illuminated by it, and the dust swirled around my arms, as if trapped by an invisible boundary.

Outside, everything is beating the dawn to a new beginning, seemingly unaffected by the recent social and political turmoil. I heard my mother doing housework, cleaning up the leftovers that could not be cleaned up in the dark at night, determined to make our house tidy and decent for the new day. I couldn't help but smile, and even more so when I realized I was doing it.Pleasure is not something that is in abundant supply these days, so I welcome her with an open heart.Maybe it's a good sign that everything will turn around. I got up quietly and washed my face with a basin of water prepared the night before.For almost a year we followed this cumbersome procedure where the water was taken from a public tap several miles away and we had to let the scum in the water settle overnight before we could use it.

I didn't wake Nikolai while I was scrubbing, as I'd hoped.For as long as I can remember, I've lived in the same room as my brother, but at this age, I'm becoming more and more concerned about privacy. It's a tough time for me right now.I'm aware that the body is changing, but don't fully understand the change.I had no one to ask, and my mother still treated me like a child. I found that I lacked someone to confide in and talk about my troubles, a friend or a teacher. Mom was still busy with the housework, and after saying good morning to each other, I ran into the garden and looked at the big church clock, which we all use to check the time.It is the symbol of our village, no matter how many people change, it will always be there.In times of national turmoil, it is a symbol of some kind of security and stability.

As King Carol abdicated, it was not surprising that our whole village gathered under the bell.Everyone stared intently at the hands on the clock, waiting for the moment when the prince ascended the throne and bowed their heads in respect. Only Dad didn't come.His contempt for the new King Michael cost him many friends.I've heard whispers that, besides the strike at the Ploiesti oilfields, it was a key factor in Baba's arrest.But the political machinations of the adult world remain beyond my comprehension so far. For me, this church clock is there to remind me of school time. Dad has always insisted that I go to school to get an education, and regard this as the most important thing.Not many children are lucky enough to receive a formal education, especially girls, and I should be honored.

But even when my father was still alive, I never got the slightest happiness and satisfaction from receiving the scholarship.My peers looked down on me because I came from a bad family background, my father was a working class, a humble petroleum engineer, not a member of the intellectual class. Despite this, I made a few friends, and my advisors were kind enough to encourage me initially and help me with my studies. But after that strike, Dad was arrested, and everything changed.