“How did you know Zelensky?” I had asked Luda when I first met her at her home in Mariople.
“He grew up next door. When my nephews visit, they played. They became very good friends. Those boys have been together through many things and now war. Do you know his name means ‘famous leader?'”
No I didnt not know the meaning of his name, but it fit. These were the few things I knew about Volodymyr Zelensky who was elected President of Ukraine in 2019:
Volodymyr was born in 1978. Ukrainian was then part of the Soviet Union. After the fall of communism, Zelenskyy co-founded a successful comedy troupe and studied law.
Volodymyr Zelensky had been in the position of President of Ukraine for a few years when Russia attacked on Feb 24. Zelensky grew up under the iron fist of Mother Russia and had no desire to see his country torn apart. once again.
In his nightly address to the nation, we heard Zelenskyy say:
Thanks to the courage, wisdom of our defenders, thanks to the courage of all Ukrainian men, all Ukrainian women our state is a real symbol of struggle for freedom. Everyone in the world – and even those who do not openly support us – agree that it is in Ukraine that the fate of Europe, the fate of global security, the fate of the democratic system is being decided. And above all, it is being decided what life in the center and east of our continent will be like and whether there will be life at all.
(excerpt of speech on April 26)
“Zelensky is meeting with the UN and EU as we were having this conversation. We hope for help and weapons.” Dmitre relayed to us.
“We are glad that you, your brother and the President are safe.” My husband said. “What can we do now to help?”
“I know the President would tell you to get into safety. Your wife is still recovering. “
“You are asking us to go into hiding while there is …”
“Yes, You must. “
“But Dmitre what about????” I was near tears.
“There is still my family. They are in danger.”
“Yes, they are in need of protection.” My husband said soberly not knowing the situation on the other side of the Portal.
“You watch out for them and get well. Maybe in several weeks we will talk.”
We were both weary as we said “Goodbye” to everyone at the refugee center / church/ kitchen/ hospital. I couldn’t think about tomorrow for each of them.
Two of Yevhen’s men half carried me to The Passage. They had returned to tell us that Yevhen had positioned the men to defend Mariople’s people.
The men looked like tired boys to me at that moment.
As we got to the third floor, I knew we were on our own.
“Be careful. This Uri is your enemy.”
My husband checked his pistol for the twentieth time and checked the strap to the rifle on his shoulder.
“We will see you soon.” I gripped their hands not wanting to let go. “Buvaite zdorovi”
They waved as they turned the corner of the hallway on the third floor of the Passage Hotel.
I have never hated goodbyes more than now…
So we say Buvaite zdorovi! (Ukrainian for Be Well / Be healthy) to each of you wonderful A to Z bloggers.
So sorry to leave you at a Time Portal with a War in Ukraine in 2022.
And so dear A to Z friends and Blogging faithfuls we are wrapping this part of “The Passage – A War Time Portal.” We (my husband who journeys with me) and myself will continue to write about people in the war and the world of the Portal. There is another element that we hinted at which is where we will go next.
“The Passage: Resistance in Time.”
“We are potentially entering a portal with a KGB operative. I need to man up.” I knew not to grab the gun from my husband, so I pleaded with my eyes.
The hour hand finally clicked to 3.
“Let’s go then.” My husband handed me the rifle.
We walked forward into 1991 uncertain of what we would face and who would greet us…
Thank you to the A to Z community and each blogger that joins in April.
This is the final letter for the A to Z challenge 2022. This fiction was originally written in 2007 in Odessa, Ukraine. I’ve tweeked it to arrive in 2022 but the elements of a multiaccess portal and a war (the original story had multiple wars) are original. The Passage that is central to this story is a real hotel built in 1880s.
If The Portal could have spoken to the couple trying to enter, it would have said “we are in trouble and we need Vlad.”
One man had patiently watched for years as people moved quietly through the Passage. There were several passageways; few knew all of them.
One passageway was the Passage Hotel’s passage that was intentional built through the structure. It had been storehouses, military barracks, and a beautiful shopping area with cafes during times when there weren’t soldiers stomping through Odessa.
Then there was the Portal. Uri only knew about the one side from observation. He had watched enough people come across to know that it was a time portal.
The last Passage was the reason he had been stationed at this location years ago. This Passage was where resistance leaders from earlier wars hid and met and stored weapons. Some knew it existed but no one could find the access points. Was The Portal and the Passage some- how connected?
Uri knew he had to get through the time portal to find out. He thought he knew the combination; he never was able to gain access. But then the day came when bombs were falling. He was fortunate to have been in the hallway when dozens of Vlad’s men were coming though. Just like any door he knew there was an opening even if you could not see it.
He watched and as the last two men came through, he squeezed in the other direction.
Equipped with palm sized scanners, camera and audio recorders, Uri knew he had to stay out of sight. What he would not learn till later was all the Portal’s protection military and otherwise had just passed into 2022. What remained was a scientist from another century, women, children and a few old men. But he would find that out over the days to come.
He knew he had to establish himself as a guest of the hotel. He carried gold and silver with him that he knew could be turned into currency for any time period.
Uri was patient and methodical; he ascertained that there were guests in 1991 who had no idea there was a Time Portal in their hotel. He also learned that there was an entire wing that was reserved for Time Portal “passengers.”
Uri did not engage. He watched. The loud one named Luda he knew would give him information and it was probably as easy as a conversation over chai.
His primary purpose was to find the Resistance headquarters so he could destroy it.
*
I stood at the Portal point for another minute.
“Valeria?” I know you are there. “What do you need?”
We both heard it, “Vlad!”
“Okay.” I said to an open space in a hotel hallway.
“This time is locked. Try another entry time. Vlad knows.”
We tried to leave the hotel not looking confused.
“Something has to be wrong,” we both said at the same time.
“Hopefully, Vlad has the solution,” my husband said as a bomb dropped across the street…
Thank you to the A to Z community and each blogger that joins in April.
This on-going story for A to Z challenge 2022 was originally written in 2007 in Odessa, Ukraine. I’ve tweeked it to arrive in 2022 but the elements of a multiaccess portal and a war (the original story had multiple wars) are original. The Passage that is central to this story is a real hotel built in 1880s. She’s seen alot of history stomp through her doors and I could feel the past while I lived there. I hope you see the tenacity of the Ukrainian people through this attempt to honor their bravery. There is always a sense that someone is watching you. Uri (a spy) is doing his job well..
It was days but it felt like weeks before we saw Vlad and his boys. They all were wearing the ugly tshirts that we had bought at the beginning of our journey before we even knew about a portal.
“We are getting in…” Vlad whispered to my husband. “two or three men only. But we are getting food in and children and babushkas out.”
I put a chair behind Vlad and he immediately slumped into it. I gave him some borscht and brown bread. I had gotten pretty good at making this Ukrainian staple.
I went around to all the men giving them their food and pointing to where they could clean up and rest after dinner. None of the guys complained though there was grime and blood and bruises all over their bodies.
“Vlad what happened…” My husband rushed into the church frantic.
Vlad held up the hand that was holding the bread. “Let me explain.”
In between bites, Vlad told us of the last group he had gotten out of Mariople.
“These soldiers are heartless. We loaded up many people into small car. They each needed help to walk with canes or even wheelchair. They needed to get out of Mariople. Wheelchair and canes thrown in trunk and clothes and pillows to the roof of the car. How anyone could breathe I don’t know.”
“The car is covered in bullet holes, Vlad.”
“Getting to that.” He chewed. “They started shooting at all the cars getting out. Car in front and me pushed the petal down quick. Glass sprayed everywhere from the shattered windows, tires blown and pillow stuffing flew all around. Not one of us got one tiny scratch. The cars behind us was much worse. “
“What do we do with the car now?”
“Of course we fix it…” Vlad smiled that Ukrainian confidence that I had grown to love about the man who I figured was nigh on 100 – give or take.
I looked in my medical bag and pulled out scissors and a roll of duct tape.
My husband chuckled “You know that book titled 1001 uses for duct tape? I think we can make filling bullet holes and repairing car windows 1002 and 1003.”
Though we were all getting weary from no nights of sleep, bombs falling, and air raid sirens blaring, we were still able to smile at the little miracles in a war zone…
Thank you to the A to Z community and each blogger that joins in April.
This on-going story for A to Z challenge 2022 was originally written in 2007 in Odessa, Ukraine. I’ve tweeked it to arrive in 2022 but the elements of a multiaccess portal and a war (the original story had multiple wars) are original. The Passage that is central to this story is a real hotel built in 1880s. She’s seen alot of history stomp through her doors and I could feel the past while I lived there. I hope you see the tenacity of the Ukrainian people through this attempt to honor their bravery. The story about the shot up car and the people is one of many stories we got from friends helping people escape Mariople.
I ran, hopped down the hall away from the men pursuing me. I couldn’t afford the time to look back.
“Please God help them stumble.”
I double timed it up the back stairs to my room on the fifth floor. I pulled the key that my husband always held onto out of my pocket and opened my door. I closed it quietly, locking both bolts. I slid the secret panel away knowing it would be tight but I could fit. I grabbed a large bottle of water and closed the panel behind me. I slowed my breathing and was grateful for the thick walls around me.
I didn’t know how many days I was curled up in that secret closet. Fortunately, I had packages of biscuits and almonds. I ate at night so I sounded like a mouse scratching about in the walls. Though I didn’t know if old hotel walls had mice. Twice I heard someone come in my room. It sounded like everything was overturned the first time. The second time sounded like everything was put back in its place. I hoped it was the housekeeper. The last time I heard a voice say:.
“It’s safe if you are hiding.” It’s Sveti.
I waited til she went out then climbed out and quickly stuck my head out the door. She was right outside.
“Oh I am so glad.” She hugged me.
The woman down the stairs told me you helped then men came for you.
“Have you seen…?”
“Only that day. Mean faces. Russian with money.” She made a face.
“What should I do?” I wanted to weep at my predicament but I was safer than most people in Ukraine in 2022.
“Not stay here. Go anywhere.”
“I think I know where. But my husband, I lost him.”
“Leave note…”
“But a careful note.” I said in a whisper.
“Da..”
My dear Svetlana brought me food for several days. I gave her as much money as I could spare for her kindness.
“Go when dark.” We go together.
“Yes, I’ll be ready.”
I spent the next several hours washing up and changing into clean but shabby clothes. Everything I needed to keep secret was put back in the closet. I took money and the cell phone. My note was cryptic.
“I am fine as of ____. The boy with the metal in his arm might use my help.”
I signed my name with my fancy initials. I then drew a heart on the mirror in lipstick. I hoped he would know I had been there.
Svetlana brought an old coat to put over my wool coat. She also gave me a worn- out hat. She knew I was going to Olga’s church but when we got close to her street she waved goodbye to me. She would watch for trouble as I continued to walk into the night.
*
*
“We have to find a way through the portal.” My husband was exasperated.
“Maybe today,” Vlad said with expectation.
“We will hope.”.
Vlad and my husband were at the clock at 1 minute before 9am.
They tried not to run but they were anxious. As they got to the carpet design, it changed.
Vlad and my husband made it.
My husband tried to remain calm but the hotel was a mess. There was much debris but minimal damage as far as he could tell.
He ran to room 502 and knocked on the door. No answer.
He got a key from the front desk and when he went back. I wasn’t there.
“How many days.” he mouthed to Vlad?
Vlad held up eight fingers.
He grabbed his head trying to think what could have happened to me. He kneeled on the floor.
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.
Gud skaper noko nytt ved sitt Ord og sin Ande, vi kan ta imot det i tru og få oppleve at han gjer sitt verk med oss. Hans skaparkraft verkar konstuktivt i våre liv og skaper noko som er verdifullt for oss. Naturkreftene verkar nedebrytande, i fylgje entropilova, men Gud er Ånd og det som er født av hans Ande består. Jesu frelsesverk er fullbrakt og fullkome. Han er den siste Adam, som er ifrå himmelen og som for oss har vorte ei livgjevande ånd. Han gjev oss den Heilage Ande frå himmelen av berre nåde. Han gjev oss det evige livet.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. - Edgar Allan Poe
penned in moon dust 