Bunny Tales Read Online Free

practice of religion was discouraged. The courts vigorously prosecuted anyone dissenting against Communist-Party rule. At my father’s work, when anti-Communist messages were written on the walls, my father was pressured to find out and reveal the names of the perpetrators. My dad was threatened with losing his job and his freedom if he did not collaborate with the Communists. But my father was not only an honorable man, but he also could not betray anyone. He was also a member of the Solidarity movement.
    Even though travel to western Europe was restricted, it was possible to get a visa if you knew someone with connections. Luckily, my mom was a resourceful person and had such connections. We were able to get permission to go on a bus trip to Greece. My parents planned that we would go to Greece, and when we got to Athens, we would stay behind and apply for a visa to immigrate to North America. We could tell no one except our closest family. We couldn’t sell any of our possessions before the trip because it would raise suspicion. Our extended family was present the day we left, and they were instructed to share the possessions we had to leave behind. Our car, our furniture, our souvenirs, and all our mementos were given away for free. We weren’t able to bring very much money with us because if had it been discovered by the border patrol, it would indicate our plan to leave the country.
    I was eleven years old, and I do not remember the planning of the trip or packing for it, but I vividly remember leaving my apartment, and in particular, saying good-bye to my beloved dog Nuka. As we were stepping out of our home, she followed me, happily wagging her tail. I turned around and held her in my arms one last time. With tears pouring down my cheeks, I grabbed some of her fur in my hand in a desperate attempt to take a piece of her with me. She was the first dog I ever had. My father took me to a local farmer’s market one cold morning, and I spotted a small box with a few puppies in it. They were so little and cold that I needed to do something. I noticed a tiny black fur ball looking at me and trying to get out. I picked her up and never put her back in. I immediately put her inside my winter coat, and she made herself comfortable somewhere in my sleeve. My dad bought her for me and I named her Nuka, after a small black orphaned bear from a popular Japanese cartoon at the time. I waited anxiously all day until my mom came home from work to see if I could keep her. Once my mom saw her, she fell in love, and Nuka quickly became a loved member of our family.
    I could not stop crying as we made our way to the bus. My mom told me I could not cry because my sorrowful behavior would imply something more than going on a holiday. But when I looked back at our house, I could see my family on the balcony and I could see my dog’s little head between the balcony railings; she was looking in my direction. It broke my heart, and I still cannot get through this memory without crying. She knew we were leaving her, and it killed me inside. My mom told me and I truly believed that we could come back soon and get the dog. The first time we returned to Poland was in 1990, and no one knew where the dog was. She was supposed to stay with my uncle, but he gave her to someone else because she chased his chickens. It was the first time in my life that I felt I failed someone. I could not find her, but I had to believe in my heart that wherever she was, she was loved and taken care of; who could deny such a beautiful, sweet, and loving dog? As for our belongings, they seemed to have disappeared. Some of the souvenirs had been scattered among family members, and I was able to retrieve a few mementos of my childhood. My vast collection of toys, which remained in a perfect state over all the years I had them, was gone without a trace. It does hurt me that my family never thought of putting aside and preserving a couple of dolls or teddy bears, or the