Part Two. War
Days passed, followed by months. The artificial famine in Ukraine lasted more than a year, taking millions of innocent lives. The Bilashchenko family was one of the few to survive the genocide intact. Over the years, Soviet policies softened a bit, at least the survivors wanted to believe so.
In the late 1930s, the mass workers’ movement for increased productivity — the Stakhanov movement — gained popularity. Mother Hanna Ivanivna worked on the collective farm and was influenced by the movement.
When the father of the family died from bone tuberculosis, the local authorities decided to repair the family’s house, partly because of the four children and Hanna Ivanivna’s work achievements. Thus, the family received a new, larger house. It felt as if life was starting to improve.
Time passed relentlessly. The children studied, grew up, and ran the household with their mother. Uncle and grandfather were in demand as blacksmiths on the collective farm; the family did not complain about life, as they lived in abundance and supported each other.
That Saturday morning was extraordinarily sunny. In the first half of the day, Ivan and Hryhoriy helped their mother in the garden, while the girls busily worked in the kitchen. The boys could smell the delicious aromas, which only sped up their work. After working hard, the family gathered at the lunch table.
— Who is coming with me to the club today? Musicians from the city are coming, that popular band, what’s their name… the ones who were invited to Bondar’s wedding last year, — Hryhoriy started the conversation, gesticulating actively.
— I’d love to go, — the youngest sister continued but quickly stopped and changed her expression.
— You know the elders won’t permit me to go there, so why even ask?
The mother intervened in the conversation, interrupting the beginning of the argument between brother and sister.
— Dear, there is a celebration every weekend in the village. You’ll have time to dance. Better get ready; you’ll go with Ivan and Uncle to Shabelnyky to visit your aunt.
Hanna Ivanivna was right; after hard times, Dmytrivka was finally starting to recover. People were celebrating, enjoying the early mornings, organizing concerts, and festivals. Everything was going its way and seemed unchangeable.
Marigolds and peonies, planted by the aunt two years ago, thrived abundantly near the house. She loved flowers, although she didn’t always have time to care for them due to household chores. The guests enjoyed fragrant mint tea and pancakes with honey. Suddenly, agitated women burst into the house.
— Petro, — the woman shouted, — I finally made it. We need to pack our stuff and get to the Kharkiv region, as far away as possible.
— What for? — her husband replied, shocked. He hadn’t seen his wife this nervous in a long time, so he couldn’t fathom what was happening in broad daylight.
— The war! The war! Haven’t you been listening to the news at all? — she exclaimed, exhausted from anxiety and trying to explain what was happening.
The children widened their eyes in shock and confusion. What kind war? To them, it was unimaginable. They couldn’t believe that after the World War, people would take up arms again. And where? In Ukraine? No, something must be wrong here. Ivan’s thoughts were interrupted by his grandmother, who had returned to Shabelnyky two hours later than he and his sister.
— Mother said you should hurry home because the eldest will be sent to the front either today or tomorrow.
There was no time to find someone to take him back, so Ivan left his sister with their aunt and hurried back to Dmytrivka. Within an hour, he was home, and the next day he became a driver at the military enlistment office.
Five days had passed since the war started. The eldest son of the family, Hryhoriy, was sent to the front. Ivan was involved in the military enlistment office, moving mobilized people from Dmytrivka to Zolotonosha. Every day, he transported 20-30 people, and then worked on the collective farm, as there was no one else. They took everyone.
In the morning, Ivan went as usual to take the guys to the city and then returned to the field. It was sunny and unbearably hot, but the grain needed to be harvested. Despite the war, people continued to work. It was hard and dangerous, but those who had experienced hunger wouldn’t ever waste bread. He arrived with a huge barrel of water and started serving it to the mowers in cups. Suddenly, something roared loudly over the field.
It quickly became clear that these were fighter planes. Right over the field, a firefight broke out between German and Soviet planes. Terrified to the core, people dropped their things and ran home, there was nothing left to do but wait and hope for the best.
Guided by tenets, driven by purpose
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