Doll's Eye by Leah Kaminsky

Author:Leah Kaminsky [Kaminsky, Leah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781761043758
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

CHAPTER 15

MUNICH

THURSDAY 19TH JUNE, 1924

Papa sat beside her on the sofa, reading The Adventures of Pinocchio, her favourite story. Anna imagined the wooden puppet’s nose growing longer with each outlandish lie he told. More than his naughty ways of fakery and deception, it was his yearning to become a real child that fascinated her. For this to happen, Papa explained, he would have to prove himself unselfish, brave and, above all, truthful. But Anna knew real children were nothing like that at all. Anyway, who would want to be a human child? Surely Pinocchio’s mechanical reactions were far better than having to feel real heartache? The puppet had to spend hours practising crying, whereas a sea of tears could spring from Anna’s eyes in an instant.

The book lay open on Papa’s lap. He had fallen asleep mid-sentence, but it didn’t matter – they had read it so many times, Anna could recite the story off by heart. She sat still so as not to disturb him; he had been very tired lately. He woke with a start at a sudden knock on the door and threw the book onto the sofa. The pages fell open at a picture of Pinocchio hanging from a scaffold. Anna thought it was just deserts for the puppet after he behaved so appallingly to his father, Geppetto, who had lovingly carved him out of a piece of enchanted wood. Pinocchio’s name meant ‘eyes of pine’, which made him blind to knowing right from wrong. Anna would never lie to her father.

A woman stood at the entrance of their apartment. She had long eyelashes and red lips, her hair perfectly coiffed. Papa was a good man, gentle and calm, aside from the night following the funeral when he had smashed a mirror, distraught after the loss of his beloved wife. Anna felt safe under the canopy of his love. They didn’t need anyone else. But the Lady of the Flowery Dress – carnations, tulips and roses – whom Papa had tipped his hat to in the park during their Sunday stroll last week had brought over a plate of Linzer torte.

Papa bowed awkwardly and invited her in. ‘Anna, of course you remember Fraulein Nachtnebel, our neighbour?’ He took the woman’s fur coat and hung it in the hallway.

She headed straight across the room and draped herself on the sofa. ‘You may call me Tantine, my dear.’ She smelled of stale cigarettes and wet vegetables, with a hint of lilac perfume sprayed over the top. ‘What a pretty dolly you have.’

She reached out to touch Lalka’s hair, but Anna refused to give her up. Lalka might be brilliant and strong, but she was anything but pretty. Anna was sure, in fact, her doll would consider that description insulting. It made Anna feel doubtful Papa would ever become friends with Tantine. He deplored liars.

It was through Lalka that Anna was learning the rules of the world. She provided answers that none of the adults could. Or would. Lalka

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