The President turned to his National Security Advisor. “I take it you agree as well?”
Brent Adams nodded. “All the intelligence assets are on the watch. They are being a little sneaky about things, but over the longer run, they are moving their assets closer. Our assets on the ground are reporting that whole classes of young men are now being trained for their army. It’s to the point that some villages have no young men left. One more thing. We have begun noticing that their submarine fleet is slowly being deployed a few ships at a time. Every few days a group of five or six get underway, but none are returning. We need to take this as a warning,” he said.
President O’Bannon took a deep breath. “Once again, we are faced with a conflict we did not start and will strain every aspect of our nation to counter. I am getting tired of war. At the same time we will not back away from it. We are going with this plan. Begin carrying out the various parts as we need to. All other departments are to begin reorganizing for a war footing. That means transportation, agriculture, commerce, all of you. Try and keep it low key so we don’t scare the masses, but we must be ready,” he said. Then he sat back in his chair. “I’d like to add one thing. When Roger had his confirmation hearing he mentioned that war was a consequence of a political failure. I thought about this a lot, and he’s right. Someone’s politics is making a change what the rest of us don’t like. Well, maybe we need to change that. I agree with that last recommendation of going after their infrastructure, but I want to do it for a different reason. More than one of us can learn from history. President Borodin has always bragged that he has kept the people of Russia warm and well fed. He boasts about keeping the electricity running and the trains moving. He’s made these promises ever since he gained power and I want their people to see that he can’t do that anymore. I want the Russian people to be cold, dark, and hungry. I want them to understand what their government is doing to them. I want them to blame that government. If they do, it may be like 1917 again. After all, they did it back then, and they might just do it again. Get our assets back online. Kick up Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, our satellite and other broadcast channels. The Russians watch and listen. They have tasted freedom and like it. Let’s see what they will do if they lose it again. Let’s get to work.”
Petyr couldn’t believe all the tanks that had shown up in the woods outside of town. While making a delivery, he looked across a field and there they were. Soldiers were at work around them and it looked like there were more even deeper into the trees. Despite the longer distances he was traveling on his bike to make the deliveries, lately there had been a lot of new things to see. It seemed like soldiers were camping everywhere. They had just about taken over the state park. Occasionally there would be a new plane flying overhead. On one day he saw several helicopters practicing at the edge of town. Petyr liked it because it broke up his ride. He liked seeing the big machines and with all the things on the news about Russia, it made him feel more secure.
The one dark side in his life had been Freda. It had been over a week since her mother had died and she had become more introverted. The smile had gone. The laugh he loved to hear had been replaced by silence. Even when she did see him, there wasn’t much more than a wave before she went back to her flat. Even her look had changed. Her eyes had become a little darker and she looked tired all the time. She was beginning to worry him, but he didn’t know what to do about it.
He had just returned home and put his bike away when he heard Mr. Polski call to him from above. Petyr rushed up the steps and was met at the door.
“Petyr, I would like to ask you to do something for me,” Mr. Polski said.
“Of course, how can I help?”
“Petyr, I understand you like to camp. Do you have a tent?”
“Yes, sir, I have all the camping gear. What do you need?”
“Well, Freda has been talking about going back to our farm for a day or so. The farmhouse and land have been rented, but if you could take her to the lake on the property, it might cheer her up. She hasn’t been sleeping much since her mother died and it has weighed very heavily on her. I can’t go, but if you could take her, I will drive you out there on Friday after school and come pick you up on Sunday. Could you do that?” Mr. Polski asked.
Petyr was taken aback. He was asking him to spend a weekend alone with his daughter. That was different. He nodded his head. “I’ll be happy to go with her. Has she got a sleeping bag?”
“I’ll get her one and will get the food for the two of you. I just hope it will get her mind off her mother and back to the present. It would mean very much to me,” Mr. Polski said almost pleadingly. It was clear he was concerned for his daughter.
About the same time, Freda came out of her room and came to her father. “Freda, Petyr is going to take you camping this weekend at our lake. Is that something you would like to do?” her father asked.
For a short instant, Petyr saw a light return to her eyes as she looked at him. There was a smile. “I would like that, Papa,” she said.
“Then I will get everything taken care of. Petyr if you can come by after school, I will have everything ready,” Mr. Polski said.
Petyr smiled at Freda. “Is there anything special you might want to do while we’re there?” he asked.
She shook her head, “No, I just want to see home,” she said. The smile had gone and the melancholy had returned.
Petyr looked at her father. “I’ll have everything ready,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said to her.
She nodded and went back inside. Mr. Polski smiled and said, “Thank you, Petyr.”
Going back to his home, Petyr told his mother what the plans were and she agreed. “Good. That poor girl needs to get away. Some fresh air will help her,” she said.
“What about the deliveries?” demanded Petyr’s father.
“You can do them in the car!” Mrs. Kursov demanded. “Does he not work hard enough for you? Let the boy become a man,” she said.
“Oh, he’ll become a man alright,” said Sasha from across the room. He was rewarded by having a spoon flung across the room at him.
***
School ended and Petyr rushed back to his home. He had put everything out the night before and was surprised when he got home and everything had already been placed into Mr. Polski’s car. Freda came out in some jeans and a flannel shirt. He was glad she had thought to dress warmly. Fall was already in the air and the nights would get much cooler. After saying their goodbyes Mr. Polski started the car and they drove off.
The countryside was beautiful. The leaves were starting to turn, adding color to the surrounding green landscape. It only took half an hour to get where they were going. Freda had been right. The house was what Petyr considered a typical Polish country house, two story with painted shutters and bright trim. Mr. Polski pulled up to the house and got out a moment to let the people know they would be camping by the lake, then drove farther down a dirt road across the now harvested fields to the forest at the far end. The road curved through the trees and came to an end beside a beautiful lake, about ten acres square. There was a small cleared area at the end of the road along with a short pier out into the water.
For Petyr, it was almost surreal. This kind of beauty he had only seen in photographs. The evening sun’s rays shown through the brightly colored trees, resting on the still waters of the lake. Occasionally the water would be disturbed by either a fish or insect and the only sound was the rustling of the leaves when the wind made its way. He stood and soaked the images in. “This place is amazing,” he finally said almost reverently.