CHAPTER 10We started our seven-kilometer march through no-man’s land, an icy field, as flat and as bare as sheet-iron. A biting wind blew smudge-like clouds in front of the moon and snow into our faces. The few stars in the dark sky seemed cold and distant. My breath was thick smoke in front of my face. We walked in single file along the frozen canal. Guszti was up front, followed by his brother and mother. My aunt was next. Krisztina and I were last. I held on to Krisztina’s hand. The going was rough in the open field. Not only were we exposed to the wind, but the ground was uneven. The deep furrows were already frozen, stalks had turned into icicles. The wind whistled as we stumbled over snow mounds and frozen corn stubble.
My aunt’s cane didn’t do her any good. She almost fell when her
