9
The Promised Land
voice. She squinted upwards towards the officer and straight into
the summer sun just behind his shoulder, him seated high up in the
saddle. The light glittered off the highly polished Shako, brim covering his
eyes, and glinted on his brass accoutrements and the horse's
harness and his sabre. His three little plaited pigtails were neatly tied
up at the ends. He was every inch a splendid cavalryman, but the
timbre of his voice gave him away. In truth he was only a lad in
a man's trappings and she addressed him as she would any of her
own younger brothers. In a slightly scolding tone she asked him in
Polish, "What would your mother say if she could see what her brave
son was up to?" He looked questioningly at the Lancer who spoke
a few words. He turned back to look down on her and seemed to
be in some confusion and hesitated. He half understood the tone
of her voice and realised he was being told off. The Lancer faltered
with embarrassment and struggled for a moment to re-translate her
comment. The Frenchman seemed at first affronted then abashed by
this spirited reply. He reined his mount around and galloped away
followed by his comrade. Shortly afterwards he gave some orders and
they all moved out still carrying what they had seized. Veronika knew
exactly what to do in any situation.
"What harm would he do me anyway?" she always said afterwards,
"He was only a bit of a boy!"
Jurgis had struggled for the best part of his adult life to work and
feed his wife and children as well as having to pay taxes to his local
overlord which could also be in kind, - a proportion of whatever they
grew or raised. It was only after that relentless debt was settled month
after month that there was barely enough left over from their land to
feed themselves. At those times they really suffered. There had been
bad harvests and famines forcing them to improvise with whatever
mushrooms or acorns or plants and lichens they could find, and game
they could snare or catch in the forest. Fishing was another source
of food down on the lake. He thanked God for the chickens. They