Timeline The NVKD rush into our Kaunas house and take mom, Jonas, and me. They throw us into a truck and leave before I pack everything I should have. As we are thrown in, I recognize many others. Were all on the list. We have to wait four hours at a hospital for a woman to have her baby. When the baby is born, theyre immediately thrown in the truck. JUNE 14, 1941 Kaunas, Lithuania We are in the train car with 46 people for six weeks. After the first day, I meet Andrius and him, Jonas, and I sneak out and find Papa in another car. Andrius goes looking but shows back up with a black eye. One day later, the train cars with the men are separated from the ones with women and children. Theres very little to eat and we try to ration what we can. Mother bribes a guard to let her out at Omsk about 30 days into our trip. She brings back candies and cigarettes. Its like a feast for us. Sad. Onas baby dies after eight days on the trip. JUNE 15 JULY 26, 1941 Six weeks in, the train finally stops. I havent eaten in three days, some people even longer. As we get out, were thrown into groups. Mother can translate their Russian to understand were being sold to work. Our group is taken last. Were forced to shower in groups after driven miles to this desolate wooden building. After we get out, were back in the trucks. Ona cant control her grieving. One soldier pulls her out of the truck and Ona attacks him. He throws her to the ground and shoots her. JULY 26, 1941 We arrive at our destination, a small shanty town in the Altai region of Russia. Each family is forced to live in one of the shacks, whether its already occupied or not. We have to live with a bitter old woman in a 10x12 foot shack, barely enough room for her, let alone all four of us. The woman makes us pay rent, or whatever we have to offer to her to stay there, even though we had no choice. There is no sink, table, or bed. Moms demeanor, consistently high through all of this, has us start cleaning and trying to make ourselves at home. JULY 26, 1941 (LATER) Were in a labor camp. At first, Im required to dig long, deep ditches and not really given a reason why. Then sent into the beet and potato fields. We try to steal what we can but know the punishment is horrendous if we get caught. Jonas is making shoes. Hes getting really good and makes some for us too. His Russian is coming along a lot faster than mine. Every other night, the NVKD wakes us up and tries to make us sign a contract making it so we are under their service for 25 years. We cant let this happen! They cannot break our spirit! I keep seeing Mother talk to Kretzsky. I dont like it FALL WINTER 1941 I didnt know if Jonas would make it to Christmas. He came down with scurvy because hes been malnourished. The 30 grams of bread we get a day isnt enough. Andrius had come with a can of tomatoes. He was able to get it because his mom works in the NKVD offices. But she has to sleep with the men to keep Andrius alive. I wish I knew what to say to him. We celebrated Christmas at the bald mans shack. Everyone had saved a little bit of their ration to celebrate. The bald man even had chocolate! Andrius and his mother showed up with a bottle of vodka. CHRISTMAS EVE, 1941 My 16 th birthday! I thought Mother had forgot! But they surprised me after I got my bread ration. I was worried I wouldnt make it this far. Twice, Ive had to go to the NKVD offices. Once to draw a map, the other to draw a portrait of the commander. The desire to draw snakes out of his collar was almost too much Andrius gave me the best present of all, Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens. Its in Russian, so I have another reason to learn. It was such a great gift, I couldnt help it. I kissed him. MARCH 22, 1942 Word has gotten around camp that theres another list being made. Mother, Jonas, and I are on the list. It looks like were going to be leaving. Nobody knows where. Some are hopeful. Others are more scared. Im sad to be leaving Andrius. Sure enough, they rushed in before sunrise and made us pack and leave. We got on another train which headed us to Makarov. The NKVD is feeding us more. Jonas says its to get us stronger for work. Were able to shower too, but were shoved back into trucks and were now at the Angara River. I dont like that were closer and closer to Siberia. But if its closer to Papa, I cant help but think Ill see him soon. APRIL MAY 1942 After weeks on the barge, they leave us in Trofimovsk, as far up the Arctic Circle as can be. They made us make a bakery and barracks for them from the materials in the barge. We had to make our own housing with whatever we could find in the area. Were packed dozens into each little hut. Jonas was able to find a barrel we can use as a stove, but many dont have heat. Theres no way we can survive the winter without heat. The Americans arrived one day with supplies, but the NKVD made us hide. Why wouldnt they want them to see us? If theyre giving the NKVD supplies, arent they on the same side? What would it matter? SEPTEMBER 1942 Mother is dead. She became really sick, just like many others as the winter lags on. Theres nothing we can do. We tried holding her close, warming bricks to put by her body. But we couldnt do anything. Before she died, I tried begging Kretzsky as a last resort. Mother told me he saved her from other NVKD officers when she was alone. It gained him her trust. So I went to him. He was with Ivanov who just made me feel more humiliated, but I couldnt just give up like that. Mrs. Rimas and I buried her today. The ice made the grave so shallowbut at least she wasnt thrown out like many of the others. JANUARY 7, 1943 Just before it seemed like we were to all die, a man Dr. Samodurov came out of nowhere. He showed up with native hunters with proper clothing and ordered all of us to have warm good food for the first time in almost two years. When I asked him how he found us, he told me that Kretzsky told him. Jonas is starting to feel better. Weve had to bury a few more. I had to go back to work, but as I did, I saw the sun shine for the first time since the beginning of winter. We made it this far. How much longer do we have to go? AROUND MARCH 1943