This story will be about my grandmother. When I started to write I didn’t know what title this story should have because most of our grandparents have there own exiting stories. They are all very old, most of them were born before World War Two (WWII) like my grandmother and of course it changed all their lives. They saw death of their close relatives and friend of their families. WWII made a great influence on many people.
My granny’s way to Almaty was very long. My grandmother was born very far from Almaty in Vladivostok in 1931. In her family were 4 daughters and 2 sons. She was fourth. When WWII started she was only 10 years old but she worked the field to help her parents. Her older brother went to the Front in 1943 before he reached 17. My great-grandfather fought against the Japanese.
In 1945 my grandmother’s family moved to Republic of Bashkiriya. They were Tatar. My great-grandmother said “If we have to die we will do it in our Motherland”. Time after war was full of hunger, poverty and unemployment. People were tired of war. The family was very big and they needed to find more food to feed all the family members. Grand-ma and her sisters and brothers couldn’t find a job. Her father did all the work that he could and worked very hard. He was the bread-winner, because of it he must be strong. Also my great-grandfather grazed cows. Once while on the pasture, he heard that in Almaty life is easier and people are very friendly. After that, he decided to move to Almaty so they sold all they had and went to Almaty.
They arrived to Almaty on April 6, 1947 and had no place where to go and live. They spent 15 days on the square near railway in the open air. Great-grandfather met a Tatar family who helped him get a job and found where to live. Grandmother got a job in a sewing-factory. Some times later her family got an apartment from the government. Life started to come right. Grandmother met her husband in 1951 in the House of Culture of Dance. They get married in 1953. For a long time she couldn’t become pregnant. My father’s oldest child was born 5 years later in 1958. But it wasn’t my grandmother’s last ordeal. Also she had 2 daughters. One of her daughters became drug addicted and her husband was killed 17 years ago.
Every time she says to us that life is very difficult thing but even though, she never complains. Three month ago she was in hospital. She didn’t want to go there but she understood that it will be better for her health. When we went to hospital there was no free places. Nurse said to her, “a few hours you will lie in hall, before we find a place for you”. She said “it won’t be difficult and uncomfortable for me, I will wait”. When we visited her, she never was in a bad mood. She is really strong person.
Some time ago she again surprised me. I thought that she to old to understand my problems. But she noticed that I was upset and gave me really good advice. I didn’t know anything about her life before I asked her to tell me something. Now I understand that her experience is very big, strong, powerful and enough to grow up her 6 grandchildren.
