Part 53: Memory of Vera: Lost

Lost

Vera hugs her kness but her shivering won't cease. Three pairs of eyes watch her--concern clouding their faces. Vera's mind spins: Are my parents really gone? And Ludomir's family--is my new family? Please, let this be a mistake...

But it wasn't a mistake, Vera knew. Ratika had explained everything but disbelief clung to Vera.

Ludomir's mother asks, "Are you hungry?"

The question hangs in the air. Vera looks away.

"Why isn't she answering you, mum?" Ludomir whispers.

"She's going through a very difficult time, son."

Claustrophobia siezes Vera and she bursts out the door clutching her only possession, the Balalaika. A nearby tree becomes her refuge. A voice echoes in Vera's mind. Her mother's voice: When faced with adversity, play the Balalaika. It is a sacred instrument. A powerful wielder of bardic magic.

Vera lifts the strings and plays until she sees movement below. Ludomir looms at the base of the tree. "Are you up there?" he calls. Vera doesn't answer and assumes Ludomir will retreat. Instead, Ludomir surprises her and begins to climb. As Ludomir reaches for a parallel branch he slips. Vera catches him with her free hand. "That was close," he says. "Thanks."

Vera stays quiet.

"I got separated from my mum once," Ludomir says suddenly.

Vera goes rigid.

"Never been that far. I was lost for hours. Scared, hungry. But while I was lost, I discovered something. An amazing glade. I'm not the smartest boy, mum says I'm a late bloomer. But that glade was something special. It felt magical, like... like being lost didn't matter."

Something warms inside Vera. Ludomir looks so haphazard. Vera's mother had taught her to be meticulous. But where's her mother now? Vera forces the memory away and tightens her grip on her Balalaika. "Let's find that glade of yours. This time, I'll help you find your way back."