Between Two Oceans - Book 2

Chapter 3

- Catherine -

I landed at 1 p.m. Mom couldn't come pick me up since she taught classes until 2 p.m. then, for students who were interested, she gave Irish lessons until 4 p.m.

Grandpa had to avoid long car journeys, at least that's what he claimed, in reality the doctor had told him that he could no longer drive. Never.

I could have taken the bus to Galway, but instead I preferred to take the train to enjoy the landscapes of my country. I never realized how much I loved Ireland until I wanted to leave Scotland as quickly as possible. Still, being home didn't make me feel any better and the letter from Blaine in the inside pocket of my jacket seemed to weigh a ton. I was hesitant to take it out and read it again when my train arrived. The station master helped me carry my suitcase to my seat and wished me a safe journey before checking to see if the train could start again.

My father promised me he wouldn't call my mother. I was an adult, it was up to me to decide whether I wanted to tell her or not. He hadn't responded to the texts I sent him when I arrived in Dublin but I didn't care. All I wanted was to go home, to the comfort of my room, Grandpa's garden and Sam's licking.

I dozed several times while admiring the green landscape before falling asleep for good. I was dreaming of a lake in which I was swimming. Blaine was there. His brown curls flew around his head as he observed me with his piercing eyes. In my dream he scared me, it was like I didn't know who he was. He wore a military uniform like you see in old period films, with badges that I couldn't recognize and a cap in the middle of which was a skull surmounted by an eagle with open wings. I didn't dare get out of the lake even though I really wanted to, instead I just looked at him like he did with me.

"I find you very beautiful... Pretty Eyes." he said in a whisper.

I woke up with startled as the train had suddenly stopped. A voice soon echoed throughout the car, announcing to us that an object was blocking the track and that we would have to wait.

"Great." I mumbled, pulling out my phone to let my mom know I'd be arriving later than expected.

It was hot outside and even hotter on the train. I regretted not buying a bottle of water before leaving the airport. And also something to snack on. I was about to pull out Blaine's letter when a notebook protruding from my purse stopped me. Catrina's diary. The first of five, or four if we excluded the recipe book. I put it away more carefully before trying to go back to sleep, to no avail. We were stopped in the middle of nowhere with only sheep marked with a blue spot looking at the train with a stupid look.

Blaine had his grandmother's other journals but he promised to send them to me when he read them. I hoped he was a fast reader and that the Australian postal service wasn't too slow. However, I could try to imagine what she might have written. The rest seemed obvious to me. I had done a lot of research on Ravensbrück when I was waiting for my plane in Edinburgh. I then read testimonies from former deportees which sent shivers down my spine. I closed my eyes and let myself be transported to another time. I couldn't be near Blaine, but joining Catrina was like being able to keep him close to me a little bit.

September 1941

The weakest would not be able to hold out. Not without water. Not with the little food we had and not with this unbearable heat. One look at Varez made me want to cry. I didn't want to see him die, not here, not like this.

"It's going to be okay, Catrina." he told me as if he had read my thoughts.

I tried to smile at him, but to no avail. The straw that covered the ground scratched my bare feet and my legs hurt excruciatingly. When I tried to bend over to remove a piece of straw stuck between my toes, I bumped into the plump buttocks of the lady in front of me. It was an old lady who was not offended by my clumsiness. She gave me a big smile, revealing a gold molar, and suggested that I wrap them in the shirt she had just taken off to keep her cooler.