Sweet Lullaby

Her sweet snoring is my lullaby Goodnight.

We walk into the room of our hostel in Poland and our roommate seems a little flustered. We are being shown the beds and the storage and I can hear snoring coming from under the covers on the bottom bunk from the other side of the room. I can smell the soup and I see the food in the corner, it looks like they have been here for a while.

The door closes and we finally make introductions. All we can manage is names with the language barrier. She tucks the covers under the small bundle on the bed. We ask her name, her mother responds, “Anastasia.”

“Where are you from?”

“Ukraine.”

Everything pauses. All the pieces fall into place. A mom and daughter staying at a hostel in Poland. It seems like they have been here a while. Oh Lord have mercy.

When I return from the bathroom the sweetest face has revealed herself from under the covers. I smile that such a large snore is coming from such a tiny human. It only hits me when I am about to text my mom and ask her to pray for them. It’s real.