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Back The Hiding Place
Chapters (46)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. EPILOGUE
  42. Acknowledgements
  43. Read More
  44. Praise
  45. About the Author
  46. Also by Jenny Quintana

The darkness was falling, like fog descending. Connie felt a pain so great she thought her heart was breaking. She knew she was going to die. There was no one here to save her. She was alone; even her baby had gone. Kenneth had taken her, wrapped in the blue shawl. What was that colour? It had a name, Connie was sure.

Questions filled her mind.

Who would take care of Sarah? Who would feed her and clothe her? Who would listen to her first words or witness her first steps? Who would take her to school and fetch her again? Who would teach her to be strong and fearless? Who would advise her to head for the horizon and not be satisfied with standing still? Who would love her as only a mother could?

She wanted to howl, but no sound came. She wanted to cry, but had no tears left. She wanted to live for the sake of her baby but she knew it was no longer her choice.

She reached again for the missing word, the colour of the painting, but it wouldn’t come. It was as if every thought and memory were draining from her mind and every colour around her was leaking into nothingness. Soon there would only be grey left, and silence.

But she could still hear. A voice speaking gently.

I will watch over her.

Had she imagined those words?

I will watch over her. The voice came again.

And Connie’s pain lessened. Because she believed these words. She believed this voice. She tried to smile as the woman’s fingers curled around her own.

EPILOGUE

Marina

March 1992

It’s early evening. The window on the top floor is open, but there is no piano music slipping through the gap. Eva is out. Marina can see her in the distance, walking with Ron, going slowly, heading for the common.

She smiles and takes the last of her suitcases to the car. She puts the bag in the boot, slides into the driver’s seat and rolls down the window.

She is going home to Ruth and David, but then she plans to visit Paris. The vision she had of searching for her mother has changed, though the details are the same – the boulevard, the apartment. Only now in her imagination it’s her father who will open the door. What will he make of her? Will he want to know? She hopes that he will because she would like to stay a while. But she will return to Ruth and David, because they are the people who have loved her unconditionally. They are the people who have taught her to be strong and fearless, to look ahead and not give up.