Chapter 29 Section 29

Little Yiluo's eyes were sharp, and he was the first to see a blue smoke rising from the treetops in the distant woods and dissipating into the blue sky. Originally, I deliberately avoided the forest in the distance, fearing that if I walked into its unkind shadow, I would attract the attention of wolves or bears. We walked close to the slopes of the highlands, thinking that in this way we could detect approaching threats-whether human or beast-and dodge them in time.So far, though, the only threat posed was a curious ibex so close we could reach out and feel its shaggy beard.In fact, I'm not sure if I was more nervous than the two kids, but despite those formidable horns, the goat didn't hurt us, it just went about its business and let it go. We panicked.

But now, I am faced with a more serious choice: the smoke above the forest indicates that there should be a small village there, we can go to seek help, escape from the hardships in front of us, maybe have a meal, and ask questions again. Or should we not venture there at all, but avoid it, in case it brings dire doom?I was reminded of images of Nazi atrocities, from the trampling of little Ilo at the Bucharest station, to the machine-gun massacre we miraculously survived... I don't know if the residents there are supporters of the Nazis?Or worse, a Nazi soldier's camp? Rationally, the latter was unlikely, and although I knew nothing about military tactics, I couldn't imagine any reason for the occupying forces to be in such isolation.I also deduced that the people living in this backwoods forest were probably the native population of Poland, who had absolutely no sympathy for foreign invaders like the Nazis.

With these vague and contradictory thoughts in mind, I decided to approach there quietly, observe from a concealed distance, and then make a final judgment.At the age of twelve, I still knew very little about the world, and my two children who followed me were even less so. They were so young that I had to use a lot of imagination to explain my intentions clearly. Nicholas and Ilo were sitting on a ledge. When Ilo noticed the smoke column in the forest in the distance, I was telling everyone to rest here. The two children were busy chatting.I knew that whenever the sun went down or the weather turned bad, their spirits would sink and they would be homesick again.So, I have to hurry up while they are in a good mood.

"Ilo, Nicholas. May I interrupt you for a moment?" The kids looked up at the same time and giggled, as if sharing a joke I didn't know about.I sat down among them and put my arms around them. "Stay tight, little ones. I've got a new game in mind." "Game?" Nicholas' eyes lit up, "What kind of game, Anka?" "It's a pretend game." I said, seeing Yiluo's eyes widen with joy, I quietly held back my smile. "Yes! Let's play a pretend game!" She laughed happily, her eyes were shining with a look that she hadn't seen for several days, and it was almost radiant against the muddy face.I have not had time to take a bath for several days, and now I suddenly realized this, and decided to let everyone take a good wash next time I get a chance.

"Quickly, Anka, how are we going to play?" Nikolay demanded, impatient to hear the detailed explanation, "What are the rules of the game?" My mind was racing to come up with a plan that would satisfy the kids while serving our true purpose. "Did you see that smoke?" All three pairs of eyes turned to the distant forest. "All we have to do is to grope into the woods, and then quietly, covertly, get close to the bonfire to keep warm." "What is a hiding place?" asked Nicholas. "It means to stay hidden," Ilo explained, my brother still confused.He looked at me for a clearer explanation.

I lowered my voice mysteriously, letting the heads of the two children come together. "Concealment means not being seen," I said. "What we have to do is try to get close to the fire and not be seen by people there. We must pretend that we are invisible. No one can see us. We have to stay close to the fire." ground, hiding behind bushes and trees, and above all, we had to be very, very quiet." The kids were clearly fascinated by the project, and I explained and got excited too, because I was a kid after all, even though two younger kids forced me to take on the adult role.

Nikolay asked: "What if we are discovered, Anka?" I thought quickly, "Then you're out! Game over!" Yiluo clapped his hands happily: "Yes! Anka, I will be very, very concealed, so that you can't see at all!" "I'll be very, very quiet too, making you think I'm asleep." Nicholas said not to be outdone. "That's not okay, little one," I reproached me, "you snored so loudly in your sleep that everyone could hear it." This little joke got the kids laughing and trying to imitate the snoring, and I got up and walked away to get a closer look at the terrain.

The forest is still several kilometers away from us, and the place where the smoke column rises is still deeper into the forest.I watched the sky and estimated the time.It's past noon, which is worrying, because I know the forest is dark and gloomy even during the day, and I don't want to get lost in the depths of the forest after dark, when hungry beasts will come out to feed. Wouldn't it be wiser to just stay out of the forest today, get a good night's sleep, and go into the forest tomorrow morning at sunrise to allow more time for action?However, I heard Nicholas and Yiluo acting like a baby behind me. They wanted to start the game immediately, and I knew I had no choice.I had to capitalize on their interest and enthusiasm right away because, who knows how long this will last.

Tomorrow, the weather may turn unfavorable again, leaving us depressed and weak.At the same time, I also know that when we approach the fire, our life and death may depend on whether the children take this game seriously and regard it as extremely important. I considered various factors, and finally, I chose a suitable route to reach the edge of the forest, and then I took the children and started our action.