The family was harvesting day after day in the waves of heat under oppressive August sun. They put Maruska again on her blanket under a tree with her bowl of porridge and a spoon. Cans with cool water stood in the shade beside her. "Go and check on Maruska and bring us water to drink." Another time, when they went to check on her she wasn't there. Tolya was soon back without water. "She is not on the blanket and she is not nearby either." Whole family left work and ran to look for a baby girl. She could crawl but she wasn't walking yet. She couldn't get to far by herself. The family searched frantically. They found her in the woods about 200 meters away from her blanket. She was unharmed.
In the winter long evenings Maruska's disappearance was a favorite subject for a discussion. They agreed it was probably some animal - a fox perhaps - which dragged her into the woods. Why it didn't eat her? They didn't find an answer.
Copyright (c) Marie Neumann
Pottsville, Winter 2011
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