Friday, May 8, 1914
very early in the morning, sitting on the edge of my new bed
Sorry, Diary. Mama made me turn the lights out.
I miss Irena and I miss Halyna and I miss my dear little house in Horoshova. At least the sun shines brightly through our window here.
It is hard to keep track of Canadian money. They have pennies and dollars instead of kronen. They have other coins too, with names like “nickel” and “dime,” but I cannot keep them straight. Thankfully, each coin has a number on it that tells how many pennies it’s worth.
We spent 5 dollars and 90 pennies at the dry goods store yesterday. That is more than half a week’s pay for Tato. It is lucky that Mykola and Baba don’t need Canadian clothing just yet.
Here’s what happened:
A lady named Lydia helped us. I never would have guessed that she was from the old country because she wears a long black skirt and a high-necked white blouse.
She helped us pick out stockings and shoes and a blouse for Mama. Then she told us that Canadians wear drawers. They look like men’s trousers with the bottom part of the leg cut off. I don’t know why we have to buy these drawers, especially when money is so precious. But Mama says that we’re Canadian now and have to do things the Canadian way.
These drawers will make it complicated in the outhouse!
We had two bags of items to bring home, but what I really love are my new shoes. They are made of smooth black leather. They lace up the front and they go past my ankles, so I guess they’re really boots. They have a little heel and they make me look tall. I just love them!
Later
On our way home, we saw a most unusual sight. There were two ladies dressed in white and they were ladling out milk to children. When we got home, Mama asked Pemlych’s wife to explain. It seems that both Mykola and I can each get a pitcher of milk every day. Isn’t that wonderful? She said that there was a milk scandal in Montreal. The milk being sold was dirty and babies were dying. Since then, the city set up milk depots so that children could have clean milk. I am very happy about this because it means that we can save our money!
Bedtime
Baba has scrubbed the house fresh and she has put out our embroidery and pillows. She hung up the Icon, but Tato says that we should leave all that behind us now that we are in Canada.
Mama was in the middle of rolling out pyrohy dough, and when he said this, she frowned. The two of them went into the bedroom, so I pressed my ear against the door to listen. Baba and Mykola were right beside me.
We could hear them having the same old argument about religion. Tato said that religion should be left in the old country but Mama said, “If you don’t want to go to church, that is your decision, but God is welcome in our house.”
Usually Mama lets Tato think that everything is his idea. The only thing I have ever heard them argue about is religion. Tato didn’t say anything for a long time. I could hear him pacing in the room. Then the door handle turned. We almost didn’t get out of the way before he opened it.
He turned to Baba and said, “You can leave that Icon up.”
Almost forgot! Mama has given me her hope chest! It is beautiful dark carved wood and it smells so nice. Dido made it for her when she was my age. She says that she wants me to start my embroidery so that I can have a traditional wedding even if I am in a new country. I will need cloth and embroidery thread. I am anxious to start.
So much is happening and there is so much to write about. I am glad that Tato gave me a diary with lots of pages!
Saturday, May 9, 1914
Stefan is the meanest, ugliest boy I have ever met. I’m going to get back at him if it is the last thing I do. Here is what happened:
Tato only works half a day on Saturday, so this morning after he left for the factory, Mama took Baba with her to the open market and I was supposed to stay with Mykola. There is no place to play inside our house, so I took Mykola outside to play tag on the steps. It was nice to see him giggling and having a good time, and I love being outside with just my brother and no mother or grandmother to tell me what to do, but then Stefan arrived. He was carrying a large empty cloth bag, but I don’t know why.
— pimply Stefan
— mean Stefan
— know-it-all Stefan
He made fun of me for wearing my embroidered skirt and even laughed at the lovely beads that Irena made for me. He said I looked like a “dirtybohunk.” I asked him what that means and he said that’s what Canadians call Ukrainians because they don’t wash.
He knows we wash!! I said, “Maybe in your village it was dirty, but not in mine.”
He said, “Even after you wash, you stink like garlic.”
It seems that Canadians don’t like garlic. I told him if I was a dirtybohunk then he was too, but he said that he is now a Canadian because he speaks French and English. He still eats garlic though and he makes me angry.
I yelled at him and he went away.
At night
I am snuggled in my end of the bed and I have just enough light to write with because the light from the street lamp is shining through my window. Stefan came to our door after lunch. He was carrying a ball and two wooden sticks. He apologized for being mean and asked if I wanted to play street hockey. Mama said Mykola had to take a nap but I could go if I wanted to.
I should have said no, but I wanted to find out what street hockey was. There isn’t anyplace on our street to play. I am amazed at all the wagons loaded with barrels and bolts and metal things that go through our street. I think it’s because there are a lot of factories on our street and the ships are close by too.
Anyway, Stefan took me about two blocks away from our house to this tall building that had a big dirt yard to play in. He told me that this is where he goes to school. It is called Sarsfield School.
We played this street hockey for a little bit. You shoot the ball back and forth with the stick. Stefan says that we weren’t playing real street hockey, just a warm-up, but I liked it until he started shooting the ball at me so hard that I couldn’t catch it with my stick. He said that I play hockey like a dirtybohunk girl.
Then a group of boys came along and said something to Stefan in English. He took my stick and left me standing there all by myself! It was a mean thing to do, especially because I don’t know the area very well.
Why have I not met any girls? I wonder if I’ll be going to Sarsfield School. I shall ask Tato.
Sunday, May 10, 1914
after everyone else is asleep
I can’t sleep because tomorrow is the first day of school. I don’t go to Sarsfield School. Tato says I will be going to Notre Dame des Anges school. That’s French. Tato says it means Our Lady of Angels. Isn’t that a lovely name? I wish Mama could walk me to school tomorrow, but it is her first day at work. She’s nervous about taking the trolley but Tato said that he would go with her the first time. Thank goodness my school is only two streets away. We found it after we went to church. I wonder if the classes will be in French or English there?
Speaking of church, we almost had another big fight in our house because Mama wanted us all to go to church. Tato said that there are no Ukrainian churches nearby and Mama should take the hint.
Pemlych’s wife knocked on the door just as the argument was getting started. She told Mama that she was going to church and would we like to go with her? You should have seen the look on Tato’s face! We were all going to leave with him sitting there at the table. At the last minute he said to me, “Anya, you look like a princess. I think I’ll come too so that everyone knows you’re my daughter.”