The Broken Violin

The Broken Violin

Andre Tarkowsky is a well know figure in his neighbourhood. He is 6 ft 4 inches tall with blue eyes and white skin. You can easily identify him as Russian not just by his name but by his accent. He got the beautiful voice with beautiful accent. Though his voice is mesmerizing, he was destined to be the violinist. He plays violin in the local club everynight and his show invites more drinkers making it housefull.

His house is located on the western banks of river olga. His wife Anna Terekhova , a teacher at the local school, is a pianist. But she chose to play inside their house only. Many times Andre told her to perform at the club but she politely rejected it saying that the woman is meant to take care of her husband and kids. They are blessed with two beautiful girls one of age 9 and another of age 6.

Andre returned home now by 5 pm, walks and sits in a wooden chair at the right corner of the hall.He is wearing a grey coat and black shoes. He is sitting calmly as he is very tired. He leans at the back of the chair and close his eyes. He thinks about the quarrel that happened in the morning between him and his wife.
"Don't you see what's happening around the neighborhood? " asked Anna.
" Of course I am watching what's happening!! " replied Andre in a little serious tone.
" We must leave this place soon".
"Where do you want us to move? "

" Somewhere to a place far far away! " said Anna.
" Honey! I want to tell u something. Actually I want to remind you something . I am afraid you forgot everything. " said Andre without taking Anna's anger into consideration.

" We belong to this place. This is where I grew. This is where I saw you for the first time and fell in love with you. This is where our kids born and played.

This is where I work. This is where I am living my dream life. Don't you know this?? " said Andre.

" Baby! Baby! Baby! Please listen to me. " Continued Anna, " I am not telling you to forget this place completely and move out permanently. All I am saying is let's get the hell outta here for about three or six months and we get back once everything become normal".

Now Andre raise his voice " Anna! We will wait for few more days. Eveything will be ok. What will you do if the same thing happen at the new place where we moved? Then will you again say to move to new place again abandoning that place?? "
Their daughters who were watching the streets come inside the house when they hear Andre's voice rising. They asked their parents " Dad! ? Mom! Is everything ok? "

" Yes Eveything is ok kids. Your dad and I are just discussing. Nothing else. You go upstairs. " replied Anna.

Margaretta, their 9 year old kid said to her father

" Dad! I saw people leaving this place with loads in their cars. Why are we not leaving yet dad? We must go dad" .

Andre, after his daughter said like this, sits in the wooden chair and ask her to come closer to him. Margaretta comes near to him.
Andre said to her in a slow but in asad tone: " Honey! We cannot afford to shift to another town right now. I am dependent on the income I am getting from playing violin at the club. You know this well. It would be hard for us to settle in a new place with less or no money at all. "

"But Andre...!! " interferes Anna. Andre shows his hand towards her signalling not to interfere.
He continued : " Margie! Everything will be ok soon honey! Just few more days " .

Margaretta continued : " But papa! What to do if something happened? Don't you want us to live papa! " .

This word from his daughter made Andre to break down. Anna suddenly came to Andre and hugged him and consoled him. " Don't worry Andre! We will wait few more days! "

Now Andre , looking at his wife and his kids got up from the chair, took his violin and walks towards to door. He turned back to them and said : " I will arrange money dears . Don't worry. You three are eveything for me.
We will leave by 6 pm today. "

After hearing this their face got brightened and Andre could see happy tears in their eyes. He left home by 11 am.

Now, it's 6 pm, opens his eyes, leaning in the same wooden chair, turns his head towards the corner of the hall. There lied three dead bodies.. They were of his wife and kids. He could not control himselfTears rolled from his eyes and started to scream in frustration looking at them. He ran to them, hugged them and cried loudly. He cried: " I must have listened to your words earlier itself. It was my mistake. What can I do without you three?? God...!! "
He saw his violin and took it and hit it in the broken wall and broke it into pieces.

The city they lived was Stalingrad during second World War.

The day was 23 August 1942. That was the day German Nazi airforce Luftwaffe bombarded Stalingrad continuously starting from 03:18 pm.

Anna and her kids talked to Andre about the offensive attacks by German forces that started few days ago.

Now Andre crying looked at his house. His entire house turned into rubble. The once beautiful neighbourhood with beautiful buildings shattered into pieces, covered with smoke, fire and ashes. He kneel on the ground and thuds the rubble with his hands, saliva coming out of his mouth.

He screamed out of frustration and anger looking at the sky again. He hear loud noise of Luftwaffe (German nazi Airforce) approaching again.. This time he saw the plane approaching towards his house. Once he saw it, he started to smile, turned back , went and sit near his wife and kids hugging them..

Within a fraction of seconds the entire place turned into smoke and ashes completely.. Nobody survived at the end of the day.