TE20 Migrant Mosaics

Carmen-Francesca Banciu

do anything for you, Comrade. If your daughter is guilty, shemust pay for it. You didn’t raise her right. We didn’t expect this from you. Father came home troubled. He sat down and wrote a letter. He wrote for several days. Now and again he asked me. Are you sure you have nothing to blame yourself for. I didn’t feel guilty. I didn’t even know what the accusations were. Your pen pals in the West, said Father. The Party does not like that. You surely don’t want to go to the West.

No, I said. I want to paint churches. And write novels.

That, Father said, the Party definitely doesn’t like.

Mother said. For so many years the Party had nothing against that. Nothing against pen pals.

The times are changing, Father said. The class enemy lurks everywhere.

Mother went from one headache to the next. The pain didn’t stop at all. Mother’s pain hurt me. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t help her. She didn’t got to work. She lay pale and tense in bed. What have you done to us. What will become of you. Your father is right. I didn’t want to waste away. I didn’t want to drink anymore. I didn’t want to have to tolerate Comrade Lăpuşcă’s crooked smile. Answer the questions. I wondered what would happen if I 248