Autumn
Ivan reads the paper, his gaze calculating. I sit in the sofa, stroking Katyusha's sleeping head. She's tired from the effort she's had to use in the farms. I'm much stronger than her. We both have to help mother now, since her age has been affecting her in more than one bad way. I hope she appreciates it.
"So it is true that the Germans have declared war on Russia." He murmurs, running his hand through his hair. He does that when he's thinking. It makes me wonder if he thinks at all, since he only does this frequently. It adds years to his measly seven.
"Don't worry Ivan. They won't attack the rural areas that we live in." Mother wheezes, knitting her wool. Ivan continues to stare at her for a bit, but eventually resides back to the paper.
"Anyway, it's time for you all to be getting to bed." She says, after glancing at the ornate clock. I shake Katyusha awake, watching adoringly as her sleepy eyes open. She gives me a faint smile before placing her hand on my cheek.
"Don't worry sweet heart. No harm's going to come to us." She whispers before residing back to her original position. Just as her eyes flutter shut, Ivan begins looking at us. He knows about our relationship.
And it disgusts him.
His stare is broken when he, drops off the sofa to help Mother move closer to the radio.
"Turn it a little louder Ivan dear." She murmurs, watching him fiddle with the knobs on the strange machine. I've never liked it and never will. All it does is bring news of peoples deaths and stupid conspiracy theories such as this one. They would never attack the Motherland.
Why would anyone be so boneheaded as to strike us anyway?
Slowly, after a minute we hear the familiar rumble of static then loud voice of deceleration shouting, Hide your children, run, run to Moscow the safest land at this tragic time... That's when I switched it off. Ivan glares at me, his gaze following me to the couch as I snuggle into Katyusha's soft, hay coloured.
"Please God," I whisper. "Let me have one moment of peace with the one I love."