Chapter 10 Part 2 – From Arkhangelsk to Kutaisi

From Arkhangelsk to Kutaisi

“Who knows the tears that have yet to be shed, the storms that have yet to strike?”
“”Mishut ba-Merhakim” (Back from the Distance)
H.N. Bialik

After a nerve-wracking two days, they told us to re-board the train, where we sat for a long time before it began its journey. It moved very slowly, crawling along like a snail. The Frenchman looked at me and explained: “The train’s speed has been limited in order to make sure that the newly repaired track can bear the weight.”
After several long minutes of traveling at a snail’s pace, the engine began to belch steam, gathered momentum and proceeded to move faster. We all breathed a sigh of relief. This leg of the trip lasted a long time, taking all night. Toward morning, the train stopped at a station, where we saw soldiers and some civilians. Around the station were a few houses with smoking chimneys, another small enclave of civilization in a godforsaken place. Several travelers got off to fill their vessels with water, as did the Frenchman. We knew that besides water, he would gather updated information about the place, about the direction in which we were going and—most importantly—about the situation on the war front.

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