Free The Wooden Chair by Rayne E. Golay

of Whitey and me,” she said, undecided where to put them so they were safe. “And Papi’s drawing…the one Karl made.”
    Grandma Britta found an old envelope which she stuck between the covers of Scheherazade .
    “They’ll be all right there, don’t you think?”
    “I think,” Leini answered.
    With Grandma Britta’s help, she carried the carton downstairs to place it with all the others.
    Grandpa hugged her to him. “After breakfast we’ll go to say good-bye to Whitey.”
    Leini nodded. She was glad to return to Helsinki. Maybe Papi would come home soon. At the same time she was sad to leave Veteli. All her friends had already returned to their homes. She missed them, feeling alone now they were gone. She squeezed Grandpa’s hand as they followed the path dusted with snow from last night.
    “Grandpa, can’t we take Whitey to Helsinki? Please, Grandpa.”
    “My princess, I wish we could, but Whitey would be very unhappy in an apartment. He’d miss the grass and fresh air.”
    Her eyes misted, throat too tight for talking. Sadness was like a dense fog inside. She inhaled a tremulous breath.
    In the henhouse, she played with Whitey a long time, while Grandpa sat silent on a stool watching them. When it was time to go, she held Whitey against her cheek as if to imprint the feel of his soft fur on her mind. She kissed his little wet nose. Caressing the long ears, she whispered, “I love you, Whitey. I’ll always, always think of you.”
    She placed Whitey in his cage, carefully securing the little door. Whitey sniffed the finger she poked through the netting. Soon, tempted by carrot stalks on the other side of the pen, he turned away from her to start munching.
    Grandpa took her in his arms, holding her close. With her head buried against his shoulder, she let the tears flow. Grandpa stroked a gentle caress over her hair, again and again.
    “I know it’s hard, Leini. It hurts to say good-bye. Try to think of all the good times you had with Whitey—they are good memories.”
    Nodding, she raised her wet face to his. With a weak smile, she handed him the smeared glasses.
    “Please make them clean, Grandpa.”
    * * *
    The train ride to Helsinki was long, with many stops. Upon entering the apartment building where they lived, Mamma scrutinized the empty foyer.
    “ Hmm ,” she said. “Harry must still be in the army or he’d be here.”
    This was a new name to Leini. “Harry? Who’s Harry?”
    “You were too small when he was called up, you can’t remember him. Harry Nordman, he’s our doorman.” The corners of Mamma’s mouth pulled down in displeasure. “It’s a nuisance he’s still away. I’d counted on him to be here to give me a hand with getting the apartment fixed the way it was before the war.” Mamma sighed.
    The annoyance in Mamma’s voice stopped Leini from asking what a doorman was. It was better to wait until Harry returned so she could see for herself.
    Leini remembered the elevator was out of order before they left for Veteli, but it was now functioning. While the cage climbed to the fifth floor, Leini huddled in a corner, frightened by the purr of the elevator as it rose, feeling dizzy from the lift shaft as it rushed by faster than her eyes could follow.
    In the apartment, Leini trailed Mamma from room to room. She’d forgotten what her home was like. Throughout the day something bad churned inside, as if she wanted to throw up but not quite. Nothing was like it was in Veteli. She wrinkled her nose at the strange smells, not as nice as the house in Veteli, filled with the aroma of brewing coffee and fresh bread.
    Under her bed she discovered her dolls and toys. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, she pulled them out, one after the other.
    Whispering, she hugged the bear to her breast. “Hey, Björn. I’ve been away for a long time, but now I’m home.” She patted his head. “I’m going to stay here now, not leave you alone again. Soon my papi will be home. Mamma’s going