Stay, I Pray You

Part 2

"Anya, would you like to go to the tea shop near where we met earlier? You're shaking again." The man who Anya now knew as Gleb asked.

"Oh, I couldn't, but thank you for your offer." Gleb looked confused as Anya rejected his offer.

He slowly realized why as he looked at her. She was a street sweeper without a broom, who had likely been fired from her job. She didn't want to waste what little money she had.

"Would you go if I paid for us to go?" Anya shook her head. Gleb nodded, then a thought came to mind.

"Anya, at least let me walk you home." If what he suspected was true and she was homeless he could offer aid, and if not, he knew where she lived and could come visit her.

Anya was about to shake her head when she realized that if she said no he would think something is up, but if she said yes what would she do?

Anya decided to head to Maria's house. Maria was one of the nurses at the hospital she was taken to ten years ago. She had left a month after Anya had gotten there to move to St. Petersburg. When Anya got to St. Petersburg, she sought out Maria to have a safety net if things went wrong.

"Alright."

***

Anya led Gleb to Maria's house near the center of Petersburg.

"Mamma? Are you home?" Anya called into the small house. Gleb was surprised that she had a nice place to live like this. A woman walked out of a back room.

"Anya, what are you doing home?" This was their code for when Anya needed help. If Anya said that he was just here for a visit everything was mostly ok. If she said that she came home because she had been fired or that work was done, she needed help.

"I've been fired from both of my jobs today, Mamma." She replied. Maria's heart sank. Something was wrong.

Someone cleared their throat from behind Anya. Maria looked at the figure and was startled when she saw a Bolshevik officer. "I'm sorry to barge in, I was just walking your daughter home. May I speak to her alone for a moment?"

Anya turned towards Gleb and nodded. Gleb led Anya back outside the house, and began to talk. "You said you lost both of your jobs today. Is that true?"

When she nodded, Gleb continued on. "I can get you a job, comrade."

Anya froze. She needed a job so she could get out of Russia, but she didn't think she could trust him yet, based on his uniform and habit of calling everyone comrade. "Would you like to have a cup of tea?" She asked him, curious about the job.

***

Back inside Maria's house, Anya and Gleb were having a cup of tea in her small kitchen. "Where are you from?"

"Nowhere." Anya replied. Gleb was shocked that a beautiful young woman like her could be from nowhere, so Anya added to her previous statement. "At least, I don't remember."

Gleb sipped his tea, so Anya continued. "They said I was found by the side of the road. There were tracks all around, and it had recently snowed." Gleb fought to keep his face neutral, as he had tried to save a girl on a night like she was describing ten long years ago. He had needed to leave her there, on the road, as there were people nearby who could help more than a 22 year old boy could help a girl who looked around 16.

Anya kept going with her story. "In the darkness and cold, the wind in the trees, a girl with no name, and no memories but these." Anya's face slowly fell as she told her story. She was sad that she had no one. Now she can only trust Maria.

"Rain against a window. Sheets upon a bed. Terrifying nurses whispering overhead. They said 'Call the child Anya, and give her a hat' I don't know a thing before that."

Anya stands up before continuing. Gleb could tell that telling her sad story was taking a toll on her. He stood up, and said "Anya. You don't have to continue with your story. It's ok."

She shook her head. "I have to keep going. I traveled on the backroads, slept in the woods. I got work when I could.

Anya turns towards Gleb, and keeps going, but her face darkens. "You don't know what it's like, not to know who you are. To live in the shadows, and traveled this far. I've seen flashes of fire, and heard the echoes of screams. I had to tell myself 'Don't be afraid to go on. Don't give up hope. And come what may, I know it all will come back one day."

Gleb sits frozen in his chair. He knew life was hard under the Tsar's but Anya didn't deserve that. "Anya. I'm going to help you get your memories back."