In my cozy bed
Today was the best day that I have had since we came to Canada. They moved all the furniture back against the wall and there were lots of people. Many of my classmates were there, including Mary, and there were boys from Sarsfield School. There were also lots of adults so it was crowded, but they opened the windows and let in the breeze. The band played so many familiar songs that I almost started to cry, especially when the tsymbalist was playing. It reminded me of dear Volodymyr. I wonder how Halyna is doing? Does she miss me? I am so glad Volodymyr taught her how to read and write too, because tomorrow I want to write her a letter.
Tato and Mama danced the polka and they were spinning so fast that my eyes blurred. I haven’t seen them dance together for so long.
Stefan is a good dancer. He did all the flips and kicks beautifully. He asked me to polka with him, but I am not a good dancer and I was embarrassed. He said he would show me how to dance. We did the polka and I didn’t even step on his toes. After that, he danced with Mary. She is much better than I am.
Mama says I must sleep.
Monday, May 18, 1914
Mama insisted that I go to school today. I didn’t want to walk alone because I am afraid of that man who called us names. I knocked on Stefan’s door but no one answered so I had to walk by myself.
Unfortunately, that awful man was leaning against the door of his flat with a smirky look on his face. I had no choice except to pass him because there was too much traffic to cross over to the other side. I kept my eyes on the sidewalk and walked as close to the road as I dared. Just as I passed, I heard a smacking noise and then I looked down and saw a splat of greeny-yellow. It had barely missed me. I walked fast, keeping my head down. Why would he do that? He doesn’t even know me.
When I went back out to the schoolyard, I saw that Slava was there and she was in the clean clothing that Baba and Mrs. Sonechko found for her on Saturday night. Those Canadian girls pretended they didn’t see her. I know their names now: Ellen, Louisa and Annie (!!!).
I have to help Baba with the supper and then I’m going up to the roof where it’s safe. I’ll write more later.
Tuesday, May 19, 1914
Miss Boyko is teaching us a song in English. It is “God Save the King.” We need to know it by Friday because that is Empire Day, which is sort of like the King’s namesday. We stayed inside over recess and lunch to practise.
These are the girls in my class:
— Mary and Slava you already know.
— Sofia, Pasha and Olga are sisters. Sofia is twelve but she’s very short, Pasha cries a lot, and Olga pinches.
— Genya is about ten — I think — and her English is rather good.
— Natalka has been in Canada for four years but she is not bright. She struggles with the Ukrainian classes as much as the English lessons. She is a friendly girl and has a singing voice like a nightingale.
— Marusia is friendly and she’s smart too. She is also a good singer.
— Stefania has been sick more days than not so I don’t know her very well. She’s eight years old. She was at school today but her throat hurt too much to sing.
The only Canadian girl whose name I know besides the mean girls is Maureen. She is picked on by the mean girls too. Is it horrible for me to admit that I am relieved that they don’t only pick on Ukrainian girls?
Maureen seems lonely and sad. I didn’t realize until today that she lives on Grand Trunk Street not too far from me!
Wednesday, May 20, 1914
We painted flags called the Red Ensign in school today. They’re very pretty and quite complicated.
The top left corner is the British flag, and the crest is made up of symbols from the provinces. Quebec’s symbol is the group of lilies. I wish I could find lilies like that. It is spring, yet I still haven’t seen flowers except for the sunflower Tato grew for Mama, and it doesn’t count because it is not blooming yet. Mary said she would take me to a forest on Sunday and show me Canadian flowers.
Miss Boyko says that Canada’s flag has a British flag inside of it because Britain owns Canada. She says that it is sort of like how Austria owns Galicia.
It was fun painting. After I finished my flag, Miss Boyko gave me another sheet of paper. I made a picture of our village, with the stork, the cemetery and church, and our house. Miss Boyko hung it up on the wall. She says that I am a good artist!
On the way home from school today, I saw Maureen walking about three houses in front of me and she was all alone. I walked very quickly to catch up with her. I think I scared her because she started to walk faster, so I called. She turned around and gave me a big grin. It is nice to walk home together. I wonder if that man does mean things to her also?
Friday, May 22, 1914
Empire Day, after school
We were supposed to have an outdoor assembly today, but it poured rain. We crammed together in the common room instead and listened to a man in a fancy uniform. It was so hot that I thought I was going to faint. Mary said that he talked about how proud he was to be a British subject. She said that part of the speech was said to us in particular, and that we should think of ourselves as British subjects now, and we should learn the languages and the culture as quickly as possible. I agree with him.
After the speech, we held our flag paintings high. Then we sang “God Save the King.” Everyone in our class got the words right, which relieved me because I don’t want the Canadian girls to think we are stupid.
Saturday May 23, 1914
at night in my cozy bed
The rain on our window makes me sad. It is like tears from the sky. Whenever it rains, it reminds me of Volodymyr.
Dear Diary, I have never told you about my brother, but I will now. I would rather talk about how he lived than how he died, so I’ll start with that.
My brother’s moustache was just a wisp and it tickled when he kissed me. He was taller than Tato and stronger than you’d think, being so skinny. Because of his beautiful voice, he would be asked to read the newspapers aloud in the chytalnya and that is what started the problem. The more he read, the more hopeless he realized our lot was as long as we stayed in Horoshova.
We had so much debt and no way to get out. Tato didn’t like to think about it and he and Volodymyr would have words.
When Volodymyr first fell in love with Halyna I was furious. I felt like I was losing my brother and my best friend all at once. I wouldn’t speak to Halyna for a week, but then Volodymyr declared that he was going to teach us both how to read and write. You see, Dear Diary, the young girls in our village were not allowed in the chytalnya and many did not go to school. But Volodymyr declared that his wife and his sister would be educated and he taught us together.
He wrote me a lovely tsymbaly song about raindrops and sisters and how they are both sweet yet annoying, but always loved. He put it on a piece of paper and made me learn how to read it before he would play it for me. He wrote Halyna a love song, but he wouldn’t sing it to her until she could read it to him. He read us the newspapers and tried to get us to understand why he felt the way he did.
If he hadn’t read the newspapers, he would have been content with his lot, but he got it into his head that he would make his fortune in the coal mines of Germany.