We left at eight, while Rena was still sleeping. It took an hour and a half for us to walk through the streets and wastelands, but neither of us was tired.
A couple of big trucks and the presence of military personnel identified the location of our destination. As we approached a wooden building, a military man stopped us. Mother showed him our coupons. He opened a door and called to another man. We entered a small room, loaded to the ceiling with empty boxes and cartons. A big-nosed, foppish captain with brilliantine black hair and a foxlike face was sitting at a desk. Mother again showed our coupons. The captain found our name on the list and made a check mark. Then he stood up and walked us to a large room full of goods. He pointed to the piles of clothing, cartons, and boxes with shoes and boots on the floor.
“You have ten minutes to choose your two items.” He returned to the door where he stood, watching us from a distance. Mother went to the boxes containing shoes.
Left alone, I observed the premises. Perhaps it was a former meeting room because the walls did not have wallpaper but were plastered. The windows were nailed shut, and two bright bulbs in the ceiling lit the room like two bright suns. The piles of clothing and cartons of shoes made me nervous. I stood there confused, unable to move.
“Simona, don’t waste time. Go and choose a dress. Other people will come soon, and they’ll take the best items.” I moved toward a pile of clothing and stopped. I was dazzled. Never had I seen such a diversity of colors. We were the children of war. We saw black, brown, and dark blue. We had no idea of a pink or yellow dress. I was mesmerized by the variety and brightness of the colors.
“Simona, what’s the matter with you? Choose a dress, fast,” Mother yelled from another side of the room, her hands inside a carton of shoes.
What a task it was! My beloved yellow color was out of the question—I couldn’t wear a yellow dress. But I didn’t see any brown dresses; no black or dark blue dresses either. I saw a beige one and lifted it out of the pile. No. It was the size of a big woman. I put it back. Behind it, I saw a green one with white polka dots. My heart began pounding. I took it out of the pile. I had good luck! The dress was a small size. I was lost in admiration.
“Mama, come here, I found a dress.” I was holding it up to myself while waiting for Mother. She approached me with a pair of yellow shoes in her hands.
“Show me what you found.” I lifted the dress with two hands. She shook her head. “Simona, be practical. The dress is very light colored. You’ll have to clean it every week. Besides, the girls in school will mock you by calling you a frog. We have a few minutes; find something else.”
“No, Mama. I don’t want anything else. The other dresses are all big sizes. I like this one. I want it. Please, Mama.” I clasped it to my chest with both hands.
“Please, Mama, the dress is just my size—”
Mother was strangely speechless, looking at somebody behind me. An authoritarian voice announced, “Your time is up. Vacate the premises.” Behind me stood the captain with the foxlike face pointing his finger toward the door. I didn’t move. Mother took my hand and dragged me to the exit. Passing the small room, she gave me one yellow shoe and whispered, “Simona, try it on quickly.”
“It’s forbidden to stay in this room,” the foxlike face yelled. Sweaty and nervous, we left the building. Outside, we saw a line of five or six people waiting for their turn.
When we got home, I tried on my dress. There was no end to my happiness. It fit me as if it were tailored for me. The yellow shoes brought me even more joy; they were exactly my size, and the white rubber soles allowed me to wear them in summer, fall, and spring. Yes, Mother was a very smart and practical woman.
In the evening, I met my father wearing the new dress and shoes. He could not hide his delight. “Wow, what a wonderful dress it is! Simosha, wear it in good health; the dress is very becoming to you.” Smiling, I lifted a foot to show him my new yellow shoes. “Congratulations, you finally have good shoes. Enjoy both your new dress and shoes. But . . . Renochka didn’t get anything, and I’m in a very tough situation, Verochka.”
“Why, what are you talking about, Dodik?” Father put on the table a small package. The smile disappeared from his face. “Today, people from our office brought a box of the Lend-Lease clothes. The women distributed it between themselves and gave me a small blouse. It’s too big for Renochka, but too small for you, Verochka. It means that Simosha will get the blouse too.”
“No, I want the blouse,” Rena yelled and ran up to the table. She unwrapped the small package. A white-and-blue-striped jersey blouse fell to the floor. Father picked it up. My heart sped up—I adored the stripes.
“Renochka, don’t try it. You can see, my girl, that the blouse is an adult size. Don’t be upset; I’ll give you Simona’s brown blouse,” Mother said.
Returning to her cot, Rena yelled, “No! I do not want Simona’s blouse; I want the American one.” She started crying, her big belly shaking. Her small mouth became a big one. Her cry got louder as she swung and gnashed on her metal cot. Father couldn’t tolerate it. He sat down and said sadly, “I told you, Verochka, it’s tough to deal with two girls. I leave it to your discretion.”
“Don’t worry, Dodik; I’ll cope with them. Simona, come here and try on the blouse.” I took the blouse and went to the mirror to try it on. My God! It was as if a bright light lit me up in our dark room. The blouse was so becoming on me! I had never imagined having such a beautiful piece of clothing. I didn’t want to take it off, admiring myself in the mirror. Mother cut my dreams short.
“Simona, take it off and help me set the table for dinner.” I obeyed her. Rena stopped crying. We ate our dinner in silence. I washed all the dishes and dried them while Mother narrated the entire story of our visit to the Lend-Lease storage, even describing the stern captain with the foxlike face. That night, only one thing was on my mind—how I would meet the young officer again, wearing my new dress and shoes.
Mother didn’t wake me up in the morning. Summer was the only time of the year I could sleep late. When I woke up, I looked around for my new dress. It was hanging on the chair, and my new shoes were waiting for me on the floor. But I didn’t see the blouse. “Mother, where is my blouse?”
“Calm down, Simona. I put it in our suitcase. The blouse is a dressy one. You can’t wear it now. September first is your birthday, and the blouse will be a present for you. I’ll also make a skirt for you from Father’s pants, and you will wear both in Leningrad. Get up now, we’ll have breakfast, and after that we’ll go to the market to buy some vegetables.” Then she called, “Rena, get up, we are going to the market” and said to me, “Simona, you shouldn’t wear your new dress to the market.”
“OK, Mother, but I can’t wear my old shoes; they’re too tight on me.”
“Wear your new shoes, but don’t throw out the old ones. We’ll save them for Renochka.”
The entire day I had to help Mother. But I couldn’t stop thinking about meeting the young officer in the park.
The next day I wore my new dress and shoes, and with trepidation, I walked to my park. Fortunately, there was no rain; a hot and shining sun greeted me. It was the middle of July, and the young trees in my park with overgrowing foliage looked like the guards of Buckingham Palace wearing their fur hats.
I sat on the bench pretending that my open book was my only concern, my thoughts preoccupied with only one scenario—meeting the young officer. Vivid pictures danced across my mind. The sun moved to the center of the sky, and the heat became unbearable. Usually, by that time of day, I would be home helping my mother set the table for lunch. My parents would be puzzled by my absence. I had to go home.
“Simona, why aren’t you eating?” Mother asked me at dinner. “You’re red, like a lobster. Go and put sour milk on your face. You got a sunburn.” My forehead