Chapter 28 Section 28

It was spring, and the weather was mild, with warm winds blowing in from the southwest, and our first few days in the wilderness were surprisingly easy.During the day, the sky is clear and cloudless, and the sunshine in spring makes the temperature rise rapidly, while at night, the heavy clouds keep the temperature from dropping too low. After such a miserable trip not so long ago, we can now snuggle up under the bushes to keep warm and sleep soundly, and the abundant streams in the Alpine sides are always available for us to drink.We had grown accustomed to eating half-baked fruit and unfamiliar plants in Mejdiya, so it wasn't much of a pain, though we missed hot meals, too.

We steered by the sun and headed northwest, keeping the mountains behind us at all times.I hoped to come across a road or railroad, so that we could keep a safe distance, follow it carefully, and find a better direction. On the second day, I finally couldn't bear it any longer and asked Nicholas and Yiluo to treat it as a game, and then the three of them stripped naked and jumped into a shallow stream to wash their bodies and clothes.The distant peaks were still covered in ice and snow, and the stream that ran from them was too cold to bear, but I'm sure we all felt more comfortable after the bath.

Our clothes are so dirty it would be nice to have some detergent.But running water plus my vigorous scrubbing, even the stubborn stains were compromised. After washing, the three of us became decent again.Although I still have the luxury of thinking about a comb, so that we can comb our hair again. Luckily, Ilo's parents dressed her carefully in a thick winter coat with a warm skirt and vest, and even underwear, which I myself have run out of for a long time.I guessed that the Yiluo family must have been relatively wealthy not long ago, but I dared not ask her anything, for fear of reminding her of her parents again.

Nikolai's and my own clothes were not enough.Nikolay was still wearing my coat, which was too big for him and wrapped awkwardly around him.His own clothes were washed in the stream and dried quickly.My linen skirt was much worse. One shoulder was torn off by my rescuer to bandage my wound, and the whole skirt hung over the other shoulder. The necklace and amulet that Raisa gave me were all exposed. outside. Fortunately, the few days I spent with the Resistance soldiers, they wrapped me in an old blanket and gave it to me when they left, and I now treat it like a jacket to wear at night. Use it as a comforter cover when snuggling with the kids.

I'm thankful that spring is drawing to a close, the weather is nice, and summer is just around the corner.I know it's going to be a slow road, especially with two young kids, but I don't think it's going to be a few days, a week at most, and we'll definitely get to Krakow and figure out which camp mum was sent to . Unfortunately I was wrong.And that wasn't my only misjudgment. By day three, the weather had changed, and by day four, it was clear that our luck had run out.The sky is covered with dark clouds and heavy rain is approaching. The direction of the sun cannot be distinguished at all. We can only rely on guesswork in the direction we are heading.The cloud cover was so low, the fog in the valley was so thick that even the mountains disappeared from view, and we lost all direction.

When the rain falls, there are no raindrops, only torrents, and the wind penetrates our clothes and hits our bodies.We had nowhere to live, but huddled under a bush or a small tree, and let the rain besiege us from all sides, drenching us completely. At first I pretended to be relaxed, applauding the thunder, pretending to marvel at the lightning, and gleefully greeted the cool rain so that Nicholas and Illoy would have fun too.However, when the downpour poured down unabated, hour after hour, and drenched us freezing, it was difficult for me to divert the children's attention from their situation.

At last the storm abated, and we took advantage of the moment to resume our journey in the hope of finding a better shelter, but our energies and strength were dampened by our soaked clothes. A few days ago, the process of putting on the laundered clothes and letting them slowly dry in the spring sun refreshed us, refreshed and refreshed, and now these rain-soaked clothes became a kind of torture. Lo, obviously unbearable, soon began complaining about sex, leaving me in a hopeless and helpless situation. The sixth night we spent crouching under a lonely tree with little shelter, our damp clothes seeming to constantly draw the cold wind towards us.

In this situation, Nicholas and Yiluo had already started to cry, and they finally said the words I was most afraid of hearing, first Nicholas, then Yiluo.They wanted a mom, and I myself was too wet, cold, and tired to provide the comfort and reassurance they needed. They cried for missing Mom and Dad, and I cried for them, and we cried most of the night together until we were exhausted and finally fell asleep.In such a helpless situation, I could only make up my mind to stop advancing at the first sign of a change in the weather, and seek shelter at once until the bad weather passed, no matter how long it might delay our journey.

However, this could not solve the immediate difficulties. The next morning, the two children were still depressed. Although the rain had stopped and the dark clouds had cleared, the cold wind was still blowing from the north, making us cold all over. There is no sign of the weather getting better. As if that wasn't bad enough, the ground beneath our feet became a swamp of sludge, and the surrounding mountains gathered clouds and poured down rain, making the creeks all terrible torrents that we couldn't get close to. To quench your thirst, it is more difficult to cross them, you can only detour far away, and you can't figure out the north, south, east, and west.

Our burdens increased, our hunger weakened day by day, and our malnourished bodies could not stand up to the exhausting weather and terrain.Because the season is not here, edible wild fruits are very scarce. As for the plants, there is almost nothing but rushes and long grasses. We can only carefully pick berries and grass leaves, and we can survive for several days by eating these things. . If it weren't for the hope of finding my mother in Krakow, I'm afraid I couldn't hold on any longer, because at this time, it would be a much easier choice to turn around and return to Mejdia.

But on the ninth day, the sun finally came out, and our spirits were lifted when we saw this long-lost friend appear in the blue sky.We continued on towards Krakow, seeking shelter at the first sign of a change of weather.Sometimes we could hear wolves howling in the distance, but luckily we didn't encounter any wild beasts, although my fear of them was always in my heart. In fact, we are infesting local animals instead.As long as a small animal such as a hare comes into view, Nicholas will excitedly chase it and promise to catch it back so that I can make a delicious meal for everyone.I like to think, how could Nikolay actually kill such a small animal, even if he could catch one?And even if Nicola succeeds, how am I going to cook food?I can't make a fire without a brimstone match.