From Russia to Family

Chapter 18 Reunion

Uppingham, England

1945, April

The three girls sat around the coffee table. Masha was colouring in a book, with Lyudmilla next to her helping stay inside the lines. Florence sat on the couch with a cup of tea, she watched the other two while a song played on the record player.

Till the end of time

Long as the stars are in the blue

Long as there's a spring, a bird to sing

I'll go on loving you

There was a knock at the door.

'I'll get it."

Florence sat her cup of tea on its sauce on the table. She flicked the vinyl off and straightened her dress. She opened the door and gasped.

"Oh my god."

"Good afternoon ma'am."

Lyudmilla looked up at Florence's reaction.

"Is everything ok?"

She looked down at the Russian woman.

"Oh yes, don't worry." She looked at the man at the door.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"I am Leon Hartmann, I'm looking for Masha."

At the mention of her name, and his, Masha froze. She ran to her room and shut the door.

Florence opened the door.

Lyudmilla stared as the dark grey uniformed man walked into the house, hanging his cap on a coat rack and setting his suitcase down.

She stood up instantly.

"NO!" Her face going red. "WE WILL HAVE NO SUCH MEN IN OUR HOUSE"

Leon turned around and was stuck in place as she got awfully close to his face.

"Lyudmilla." Florence warned her. She was ignored,

"What is this?" Why is he allowed in here? How does he know Masha's name."

Leon looked up at her, wiping his brow with his sleeve, revealing his burn marks slightly.

"I...I am her father."

Florence took Lyudmilla and sat down at the table. She gestured to him.

'Please, sit."

'Thank you miss."

The Russian Woman stared at him with her face still red.

"Explain exactly how you know her."

............

"That was when I sent her here by a boat. I actually had no idea if she was safe, or I would see her again. But I am happy to know she has been safe here with you."

Lyudmilla glared at her coke through its glass jail.

"So, you are not her father, but rather a father figure?"

"I suppose so, yes."

She sighed.

"I still don't like your uniform, or that you were a Nazi."

"I understand. I apologise about my uniform, however, no one exactly wants to sell me anything."

She chuckled.

"Yeah I guess that's true."

Florence came back from the hallway holding Masha's hand, leading her to a seat. Leon looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. His voice became soft and raspy.

"Hi."

She looked at him for a split second, focusing her gaze on the table.

"Hi."

Florence took Lyudmilla out into the back garden, allowing the two to catch up. Leon moved a seat closer and finished off his glass of water.

"I didn't know if I would see you again."

"..."

"Are you ok?"

Masha looked at him sternly. She had certainly grown since he had seen her last.

"You. How can you live with it?"

He cocked his head to one side.

"With...What?"

"With how you slaughtered people in those ghastly camps."

"What camps?"

"Don't play stupid with me."

"Masha I'm being honest, what camps?"

"Where you killed all those people, and starved them and forced them to work!"

He was silent.

"So that's what they were."

She glared at him. He noticed and continued.

"You see, the people I was with were never told what happened at those camps, they never told us."

She sighed and hung her head for a minute.

'Fine. But what about how you bombed innocent people here?"

"Please. Don't do that."

"Oh c'mon! I was in an air raid right after you sent me here! You should have seen how scared they were, and where the..."

Leon stood up and very nearly flipped the table.

"DO NOT TELL ME HOW BAD THEY ARE. DO NOT TRY AND MAKE ME GUILTY FOR SOMETHING I TOO ENDURED!"

She made herself smaller in her chair. He realised he was scaring her and calmed himself, dropping his sister's photo on the table. Masha picked it up.

"She was pretty."

"Her name was Marie. Masha, I lost my whole family in an air raid. Your people did it too. Masha I watched my whole city burn to the ground so please ..."

As he was getting hot, he took his jacket off, allowing Masha to see his left forearm, and its twisted, scarred skin. Masha gasped.

"My god, what happened to your arm?" He stayed silent for a few minutes.

"Burn marks. From the city."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok, you didn't know."

Masha's concerns had been settled. She again saw him as Leon, and not a soldier. She stood up and hugged him, he smiled and hugged her back. Florence and Lyudmilla re-entered almost half an hour later. Lyudmilla put a finger over her lips. The two listened and smiled. As they reached the hallways end, they poked their heads around the corner.

Never thought that you would be,

Standing here so close to me

"How cute." Florence whispered.

"It's more relieving than cute."

"Relieving?"

"Shush"

Leon and Masha slowly swivelled around in a circle, dancing softly.

It's been a long, long time