December 1972
Saturday morning! Exciting things always happened then. Dad didn't disappear for work and Mom was in a much better mood. There would probably be some sort of family outing.
I'd been up for ages, first reading a Farley Mowat book. I was working through "Lost in the Barrens." It was about the adventures of Awasin and Jamie. They were on their own in the Arctic. They had their own canoe, axe and rifle. They'd been left behind when Cree hunters canoed south for winter. To survive all winter on their own, Awasin and Jamie would need to make a shelter and hunt their own food. I was so jealous! How could I have a Great Big Adventure when I was stuck in the suburbs with Mom and Dad?
After reading in bed for a while, I got my own breakfast while Mom and Dad were still asleep. At 6 a.m. the only thing on TV for kids was "Cartoon Playhouse." It had Pinocchio puppet cartoons and "Wizard of Oz." I liked the songs.
I can walk and talk and fly
Do anything I try.
But, never, never, never, never
Never, never, never, never
Never should I ever tell a lie.
And, for "Wizard of Oz,"
Oh, the World of Oz is a funny, funny place
Where everyone wears a funny, funny face.
All the streets are paved with gold
And no one ever grows old.
Sometimes I'd catch myself humming these at school but would stop, so the other kids wouldn't hear.
"Zofia, are you nearly ready to go?" It was my mother calling! I turned off the TV and raced to the front door. Both my parents were already putting their winter coats on.
I quickly looked for my mittens and toque. They were nearly new since this was our first winter in Canada after living in Poland. As I ran out to the car after my parents, I called out, "Where are we going?" It didn't matter where we went, it was just fun to go anywhere with my family. But as I rounded the car over to the driver's side, I could see our neighbour Mr. Kennedy with a snow shovel.
I could hear him mutter under his breath, "If you go anywhere, it should be back to Poland." Luckily, my parents were already in the car, which coughed and sputtered as Dad tried to get the engine going, so they didn't hear Mr. Kennedy.
I was embarrassed for them. Dad had worked as an accountant in Poland, but his credentials weren't accepted in Canada, and they said his English wasn't good enough, so he ended up driving a garbage truck here for the city. On weekdays, he left the house at 5:30 in the morning, so I never saw him then. Mom got up when he did to make his breakfast, so she always looked tired when I came into the kitchen sometime around eight. The good thing was, Dad was home from work before I got back from school, so we had some time together then. But he always insisted I do all of my homework before we could do anything fun.
