The phone rang and Anya answered it. She went into the kitchen and shut the door behind her after hearing what the speaker had to say. She was in there for a long time and Zosia became curious as to what her mama was doing. She made her way to the kitchen, stood on her tiptoes to reach the handle and opened the door.
"Mama are you crying?" She asked in genuine concern. Anya was sat at the table with her head in her hands. She quickly looked up, wiping the tears from her face. Zosia approached her and climbed onto her lap.
"No Zoshie, mama's not crying. Now listen to me." She told the three-year-old. "Grandpapa is very poorly and mama has to go to Poland to look after him but Colette is going to look after you for tonight."
"What? All night?" Zosia asked. Anya nodded.
"Yes, all night but just for one night. Daddy is going to get an aeroplane back from his meeting in Russia as soon as he can so he should be there to pick you up tomorrow."
"Will Colette sleep on the sofa?"
"No, I am going to take you to her house and you will sleep there." The child thought for a moment.
"When will you come back from Poland mama?"
"I don't know yet sweetheart. It depends if grandpapa gets better quickly."
"Will grandpapa die?"
"Maybe. He is very poorly." Anya gently explained, tears rolling down her cheeks. Zosia looked at her mama, a heartbroken look upon her face. She put her arms around her neck and hugged her tightly. Even though she was only three, she understood only too well what was going on, even though Anya didn't quite say it how it was.
"Don't worry mama, when you come back from Poland I will look after you because I know you will miss grandpapa. I will make sure you are happy." Anya could not help but smile at her daughter's kindness.
"Oh Zoshie I do love you." She said, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her daughter's ear. "Now, you go and put the clothes you want to wear tomorrow and some pyjamas in your rucksack and any toys or books you want to take with you. Alright?" Zosia nodded and slid off of Anya's lap.
"Do I need my duvet and pillow? Because I don't think they will fit in my rucksack." Zosia questioned, in complete seriousness. Again, Anya laughed.
"No Zoshie, you don't need your duvet and pillow." She told her.
Half an hour later, Zosia had packed her things, which Anya had checked, being very impressed to see that her daughter had remembered everything, even her toothbrush, toothpaste and flannel. Anya had also packed her suitcase, as she was going straight to the airport after dropping Zosia off and they were now en route to Colette's house. When they eventually arrived, Zosia went quiet. This would be her first night away from home. Her first night without either of her parents. Anya walked up to the door, which almost immediately opened when she rang the doorbell. Zosia hid behind her, clinging onto her cardigan.
"Hello Anya. How are you? How's your dad?" Colette asked sympathetically.
"He's okay at the moment but he's getting worse quickly." Anya replied sadly.
"And how are you?" Colette asked again.
"Oh, you know. I'll cope. I just want to get out there and be with him."
"I know you do." She said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Anya turned to Zosia and bent down to her level.
"Come on now Zoshie, you go with Colette and be a good girl for her. No nonsense and no naughtiness you got that?" She said.
"But I'll miss you mama. And daddy." Zosia said, tears forming in her deep brown eyes and her voice wobbling as she entwined a length of her mother's hair around her fingers. She was quite used to her father being away but not her mother, and them both being away upset her a great deal. "Please don't leave me mama." Anya wiped the tears from her daughter's cheeks.
"No tears baby okay? I promise I will phone you when I am waiting at the airport. You had better go inside now before you turn into an icicle. I want to see that pretty smile before I go." She requested softly. Reluctantly, Zosia forced a smile.
"Good girl." Anya smiled in return. "Kocham cię sweetie." She said, kissing the little girl on the head before standing up.
"Kocham cię mama." She replied through her tears. Anya retreated back down the drive and Zosia called after her.
"She will be back soon." Colette said, picking the child up. "In the meantime, how about we find some dinner and put on one of your videos your mum said you would bring?" She suggested.
"Can we watch the 'Wizard of Oz' please?" Zosia asked.
"Of course we can. That was my favourite film when I was a little girl. Although I was scared of the Wicked Witch!" She told her, taking the child inside.
"Me and mama always watch 'Wizard of Oz' when daddy is away at meetings in different countries. The Wicked Witch isn't scary at all!" Colette laughed.
"You are obviously a braver girl than I was then! Now, what do you want for your dinner?"
"Nothing." Zosia said.
"You have to eat something. Shall we go and see what I have in my kitchen?" To this, Zosia agreed. "Right." Colette set the child down on the worktop. "I have spaghetti hoops, sausages with baked beans, alphabet spaghetti and there are probably fish fingers or chicken nuggets and chips in the freezer. What would you like?" Zosia thought for a bit.
"Please can I have chicken nuggets and chips?" She asked.
"Absolutely. And how about jelly and ice-cream for pudding?" The little girl nodded eagerly, seeming slightly happier. "Excellent. Shall I put you in the bath first? Then as soon as you come out it will be cooked." Again, she nodded.
Colette had Zosia bathed and in her pyjamas in no more than twenty minutes and as good as her word, dinner was ready as soon as they got downstairs. The video was put on and they both settled down together on the sofa.
"Mama and daddy never let me have my dinner in the living room." Zosia told Colette.
"Don't they? Oh well, don't tell them that I let you then or I will be in trouble!" She joked.
"They can't tell you off because you are a grown-up." Zosia told her matter-of-factly.
"Your mum can, she's my boss at work!"
"But you're not at work now!" The girl protested, much to Colette's amusement. Colette was surprised at how engrossed Zosia was with 'The Wizard of Oz'. She watched it intently, joining in with 'Over the Rainbow' and 'Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead!', even going "uh oh!" when the Wicked Witch appeared and tapping her heels together, saying "there's no place like home" when Dorothy did. The film finished and Colette looked at the time, half past seven. She knew that Zosia should be put to bed about this time but she felt tonight was an exception and after the way she had been when Anya left, she was unlikely to settle and anyway, Anya had promised to phone as soon as she had a chance at the airport. Besides, Colette was rather enjoying the company. Zosia looked at Colette questioningly.
"Yes?" Colette asked.
"Do I have to go to bed now?"
"Do you want to?"
"No, I miss mama." Zosia sniffled.
"I know you do love but your mum needs to be with her daddy doesn't she? You would want to be with your mum and dad if they were poorly wouldn't you?" Zosia nodded sadly. Just then, the phone rang.
"Mama!" Zosia exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. She leapt off of the sofa and followed Colette to the phone. Colette answered it and after a few minutes of conversation, handed it over to Zosia. "I miss you mama." Was the first thing the little girl said. They spoke for around ten minutes before Anya had to go and board her flight. After Colette hung up, she noticed Zosia rubbing her eyes.
"Tired?" She asked. The child nodded. "Shall we get you up to bed then?"
"Yes." She agreed tearfully.
"Go on then. Go and clean your teeth and I will follow you up. Would you like some water?"
"Yes please."
"Okay. I'll bring some up." Zosia obeyed Colette and sure enough, she arrived upstairs a few minutes later to find her sat on the top step waiting patiently, clutching her teddy. "Good girl." She said, steering Zosia to the spare bedroom. The girl climbed into the bed and snuggled down under the covers and Colette read her a bedtime story as she usually had.
"Will daddy be here in the morning or will I have breakfast at your house?" Zosia enquired.
"You will have breakfast at my house then I will take you home to daddy." Colette explained.
"What time?"
"About ten o'clock. Is that alright?" Zosia nodded. "Good. Alright then, you get some sleep now and when you wake up in the morning it will nearly be time to go home."
"Night night Colette." She said, kissing Colette's cheek.
"Goodnight Zosia. See you in the morning." She replied, pulling the door almost-shut behind her. Zosia turned over and sighed. She was ever so tired but she was anxious about being away from her parents and from her home. Colette's spare room was lovely but it was strange to the three-year-old. The furniture was in different places and their figures looked strange in the dark. There was no denying it, Zosia was scared and with good reason too but she was determined not to go down and disturb Colette because she had promised her mama that she would be a good girl and going downstairs when you were supposed to be getting to sleep was not being a good girl to Zosia's mind. After much wriggling about, she soon fell fast asleep, however not for very long. She awoke again and was startled, before remembering where she was. As much as she felt like a naughty girl, she jumped out of the bed and went downstairs, where Colette was still watching television.
"Colette?" She asked in a small voice from the doorway.
"Yes sweetie? Are you okay?" Colette replied in concern. Zosia was relieved that Colette was not angry at her.
"I woke up again and can't sleep." She told her, upset.
"Come here." Zosia ran to Colette, who hugged her.
"I thought you would be cross because I am a naughty girl for getting out of bed when I am supposed to be asleep." She admitted.
"Of course I'm not angry. This is all very strange and scary isn't it?" She nodded. "No-one can blame you for being unsettled but you know what? You are not a naughty girl, you are a very brave girl for being so good whilst your mum has to go and see your granddad." Colette reassured the child. She cradled her until eventually, she fell fast asleep in her arms. Carefully, Colette carried her upstairs and tucked her back into bed before going to bed herself.
In the morning, Zosia woke up a couple of hours after Colette, who was always an early riser. She had slept through the remainder of the night and as a special treat for being so good and brave, Colette made pancakes for breakfast, which Zosia gobbled down faster than they took to cook. For a couple of hours, they watched television together and read books until, finally, it was time for Colette to take Zosia home.
"Have you got everything?" She asked.
"Yes, it's all in my bag." Zosia replied with a grin.
"Good. Right, come on then, out the door and into the car." She did exactly as she was told and was very chatty on the car-journey home. Even before Colette cut the engine, Guy had appeared at the door. The car stopped and Zosia shot out and up to the door.
"Daddy!" She cried with joy, leaping into his arms.
"Hello there Zoshie. Have you had a nice time with Colette?" Guy asked.
"Yes it was fantastic!" She told him happily. "At first I was scared because you and mama weren't there but Colette stopped me being scared and we had lots of fun!" She gabbled excitedly.
"Did she wear you out?" Guy asked Colette.
"No. She was as good as gold. We had a great time, didn't we Zosia?" She questioned, ruffling the little girl's hair.
"Yes yes yes we did!"