Adam and Thomas

Chapter 28

But the night continued, long and dark. The cold grew more intense from hour to hour. Mina wasn’t breathing well. From time to time grunts of pain escaped her lips. Her mouth wouldn’t accept liquids, and the boys were afraid for her life.

Adam said, “In the morning we’ll go down and light a fire.”

Thomas agreed with him. “We mustn’t stay up in the nest and freeze.”

Trembling with fear and shivering with cold, at the first light they saw two people in the distance, stumbling through the snow, and Miro was running in front of them.

“Miro,” Adam called with all his strength.

Miro heard his voice and stood on his two hind legs, which was what he used to do when he had something to announce. “Miro,” Adam called again in a voice that shook the nest.

They were about to climb down, but they didn’t want to leave Mina alone. From above they observed the figures as they approached.

Fortunately the snow stopped and the visibility improved. Adam called out, “Mom!” and shook the nest.

“Are you sure?”

“I can see her.”

They wrapped Mina in blankets and the canvas and slowly, from branch to branch, they brought her down.

They were about to run together to their mothers, but they stopped their legs.

When their mothers were close to them, with Miro in front of them, Thomas couldn’t restrain himself and started running. He didn’t get very far. The deep snow stopped him. Their mothers were also struggling with the snow. They advanced slowly. The distance between them and Thomas grew shorter, but still a gap remained.

Adam called out from where he was, “Mom, not much more, just a little bit.”

The mothers arrived, out of breath, and fell onto the snow. Adam’s mother let out a loud moan such as Adam had never heard from her. He gripped her and called out, “Mom, it’s all over.”

She managed to say, “My hero,” before she fainted.

Adam put a few drops of milk on her lips. His mother opened her eyes and said, “Whom should I thank?”

Thomas’s mother didn’t say a word. Thomas hugged her hard and finally shook her and said, “Mom, why aren’t you talking?”

Adam’s mother asked, “Who’s the girl on the twigs?”

Adam answered with a stifled voice, “She’s Mina, a girl from out of this world. In the days when we had no food, she brought us bread and corn pie. She’s sick, very sick. The peasant who hid her beat her and threw her out of the house.”

“Good God!” said his mother. “We have to bring her to the Red Army infirmary right away. Where is the girl from?”

“She was in our class. We have to save her,” Thomas said.

Adam told her, “She’s our age, but she was always short. The peasant who hid her mistreated her, but she risked her life and brought us bread and corn pie, and thanks to her, Mom, we’re alive.”

“She’s an angel. I have no doubt she’s an angel,” said his mother, and her head sank down.