Cilka's Journey(104)

Kate Parkin, Managing Director of Adult Trade Publishing, Bonnier Books UK. How many authors get to call their publisher a friend? I do. Your guidance, wisdom and support—past, present and future—is with me always. Thank you so much.

St. Martin’s Press in the U.S.—let’s start at the top: Sally Richardson, Chairman. You met me for the first time as I stepped out of an elevator at your New York office with the biggest smile and arms ready for an embrace. This welcome was soon followed by an introduction to Publisher extraordinaire Jennifer Enderlin. Thank you so much for a warm, embracing welcome which was then extended by others gathered with glasses of champagne in hand. To Creative Director Michael Storrings, thank you for the truly beautiful cover design. Further thanks to Tom Thompson, Director of Creative Services; Mary Beth Roche and Robert Allen in the audio department; Rebecca Lang and Tracey Guest in publicity; Lisa Senz, Associate Publisher for fiction; Jeff Dodes, Marketing Director, and his team that includes Brant Janeway, Erica Martirano and Jordan Hanley; Elizabeth Catalano, Managing Editor; Susan Joseph, Director of Production; and James Sinclair, Design Director.

At Zaffre, Bonnier Books UK: Margaret Stead (Maverick), fellow Kiwi, fellow traveler, Publishing Director: Mauruuru. What a talent, what a person to have on my team. Ruth Logan, Rights Director, thank you for making Cilka’s story fly to all four corners of the globe, ably assisted by the amazing Ilaria Tarasconi. Jennie Rothwell, Assistant Editor, your eagle eye in producing the highest-quality content makes my writing better than it would/should be. Indebted. Francesca Russell, Publicity Director, Clare Kelly, Publicity Manager; Nick Stearn; Stephen Dumughn and his team; and Nico Poilblanc and his team. The Slivovitz is on me.

Benny Agius (Thelma), General Manager, Echo Publishing, you are a shining, bubbling beacon, holding me together on many occasions. Someone I can laugh with, share concerns with when my life is pulled in many directions. Thank you for being there.

Thank you so much, Owen Matthews, for your brilliant essay on the Soviet Gulag system. You have condensed academic knowledge into a readable, easily understood description of this time and place.

Dakujem (thank you), Lenak Pustay. You got caught up in the spell of learning all you could about Cilka. Your time, effort and stubbornness to not leave any stone unturned in the pursuit of this information has been a joy to be on the receiving end of.

Anna Pustay—Dakujem. You started me on my journey to Krompachy. You embraced Lale’s story and became attached to Cilka’s story in the same way. You are a beautiful lady.

The people of Ko?ice who knew Cilka, invited me into their homes and shared stories of Cilka and her husband: Mr. and Mrs. Samuely, Valeria Feketova, Michael Klein—Dakujem.

My friends in Krompachy to whom I have become so attached who have assisted me in many ways with Cilka’s Journey—Lady Mayor Iveta Rusinova, Darius Dubinak, Stanislav Barbus and the always smiling driver who delivered me safe and sound to so many destinations around the countryside, Peter Lacko—Dakujem.

For her outstanding research uncovering life in the Gulags, in particular, Vorkuta, professional researcher Svetlana Chervonnaya in Moscow—Thank you.

Friends and family who supported me on my journey writing Cilka’s Journey who I am so happy to have in my life. I love them all dearly. My big brother John Williamson who sadly died before the book was released, but whom I consider a far superior writer to me, and for whose support to write I am eternally grateful. Ian Williamson, Peggi Shea, Bruce Williamson, Stuart Williamson, Kathie Fong Yoneda, Pamela Wallace, Denny Yoneda, Gloria Winstone, Ian Winstone.

Alyth and Alan Townsend, thank you for providing me with accomodation in my soul city—Christchurch, New Zealand—to write Cilka’s Journey.

To the people who matter the most to me who sometimes lose out as I devote time to research, writing and traveling—my children and partners. Ahren and Bronwyn, Jared and Rebecca, Azure-Dea and Evan, and the beautiful little people to whom I am just “Grandma”—Henry, Nathan, Jack, Rachel and Ashton. You are my life, my world.

And especially to the man of my life for forty-six years, Steve—it seems lately you are missing out the most in this crazy journey of mine. Thank you for your love, your understanding, your unquestioning support and yes, I know, you are my biggest fan.





PROLOGUE


Lale tries not to look up. He reaches out to take the piece of paper being handed to him. He must transfer the five digits onto the girl who held it. There is already a number there, but it has faded. He pushes the needle into her left arm, making a three, trying to be gentle. Blood oozes. But the needle hasn’t gone deep enough, and he has to trace the number again. She doesn’t flinch at the pain Lale knows he’s inflicting. They’ve been warned—say nothing, do nothing. He wipes away the blood and rubs green ink into the wound.

“Hurry up!” Pepan whispers.

Lale is taking too long. Tattooing the arms of men is one thing; defiling the bodies of young girls is horrifying. Glancing up, Lale sees a man in a white coat slowly walking up the row of girls. Every now and then he stops to inspect the face and body of a terrified young woman. Eventually he reaches Lale. While Lale holds the arm of the girl in front of him as gently as he can, the man takes her face in his hand and turns it roughly this way and that. Lale looks up into the frightened eyes. Her lips move in readiness to speak. Lale squeezes her arm tightly to stop her. She looks at him and he mouths, “Shh.” The man in the white coat releases her face and walks away.