Portal #atozchallenge #ukraine

My friend this is an interesting thing to have on a mirror. Vlad pointed to the lipstick heart.

My husband went in the bathroom and knew it was mine.

“You are alive.” He exhaled as if he had been holding his breath.

“Where?” Vlad looked in all directions. went to our secret cabinet and the note tumbled out.

“I know…” He looked at the envelop with the money. It was empty. “Good.” He patted his pocket grateful he had more just in case. “Let’s go find her.”

“Yes, now one suggestion. Those same people looking for her know about you. We need you to look more Ukrainian.”

Vlad always wore two pair of pants he pulled one pair off. “Put these on. Change sweaters.with me. Your beard looks good mess your hair. Take off your glasses. He pulled a wool beanie over my husband’s ears. Better.” He put my husband’s hat on.

“First, we go downstairs. Get some coffee. Watch some people then go…”

Olga was so glad to see me. When I told her that I would like to stay there was no argument. She needed extra hands and a nurse was a double bonus. I was glad I had left my duffle bag with supplies at the church. It would have been too obvious to have walked out of the hotel with it.

There were so many people that came through. Each night we laid out hundreds of mattresses and blankets for sleeping. Each morning we made borscht (cabbage soup) and bread. As the refugees made their way to the border, we wanted them to have strength.

I was broken hearted when one very pregnant woman made it all the way to us by walking. After she delivered her baby, she just had no more energy to live. Another family she had travelled with, took the baby willingly.

Every day there were people sick, some wounded with bullets, more with worn out shoes.

I looked up one day and there he was. I wanted to laugh and cry as I saw that silly wool cap pulled over his ears.

We just held each other no words were needed.

Ivan had a good talk with Olga and heard many things. Her sister was in Dnipro and their church was taking food into Mariople and bringing car loads of people out.

She chuckled as she told him about a car full of people with their stuff crammed to the roof. The car had been completely shot up as well as all the belongings but there was not a scratch on the driver or his 7 passengers.

“Sounds like we need to get help to Mariople, before too late.” Vlad slapped my husband on the back.

We talked quietly in a corner.

“Yes, good idea. What about the portal will it let us through?”

“Don’t know.” Vlad looked to the ceiling.

“What about the portal?” I asked

“It knew about the bomb and stopped letting people through/”

“So, you are going back today?” I looked at both men.

“We will try.” Vlad said.

My husband nodded. “Get you to safety and re-group.”

“I need to stay here and help.” I whispered really loud.

I saw the WHAT look on my husband’s face.

“We are in living in this war now.” I held his hand then let it drop.

Thanks for visiting Penned in Moondust by Moondustwriter. This month for the A to Z challenge I pulled out an archived story from 2007, dusted it off and reworked the year of entry 2022. This was originally written in Odessa, Ukraine. I hope you see the bravery and courage that I hope to convey in each episode.

Links to story in Order:

F- Friends and Family

G- Grumbling Titka

Hiding in 1991

I – Intensity

J- My Journal

K- Keep Moving