TE19 Iberian Adventure

Gabi Csutak

straight at me through the closed window and with their orange beaks, would cling onto my eyelids. My skin would stretch and stretch and get thinner with the birds’ weight and their cold claws would clutch at my mouth. For some reason, I was unable to move my hand. I was scared that they would pull off my eyelids, and I would never wake up again. In the morning I had to put on my Pioneer uniform: a pleated skirt, a belt with a crest on it and a white nylon shirt. We weren’t allowed to wear anything civilian over the uniform, so in winter we put layers on underneath it: a T-shirt, a woollen sweater and then the shirt over the top. For this kind of occasion, you had to wear not only the red neckerchief held together with a plastic woggle, but every badge and symbol of rank. The worst thing was the hairband: it was plastic and rough to the touch, so it chafed at my temples. WhenMumstretched twowhite elasticated tulle roses over it, making me look like I had grown two horns, I had no strength to resist. And it wasn’t even part of the compulsory outfit. I put on my new mauve-coloured coat and then we set off. Mumtookme by car. Shedidn’t like to letme go to theother side alone. As she drove over the bridge, my temples pulsed even faster under the hairband and I felt like therewere ice- cubes sloshing around inmy stomach. Judging fromwhat I could see of it from the car, it reallywas an entirely different world over there. All the buildings looked identical, grey block after grey block, but there, blooming between them, were the playgrounds painted in the national colours. The 228