Alicja Mackiewicz, “A shell roofed house”

A mother, a father, a child. A stable home waiting. A brother, a sister, a wild youth. A peaceful old age. Small, gentle, strong, supportive mother. Caring, resourceful, courageous, protective father. A child growing up in harmony. Infantile at the start of life, wild in youth, serious and stable in adulthood. A job, a flat, independence, earning, spending. Family.

This home is made of starch, an unspoken thirst for revenge, a stifled scream, a mysterious illness. Whispers to beware of. Threads in a biscuit tin. Oranges and mothballs. A walk to the other end of town. A turquoise Trabant car. A broken hip. An escape. Piles of furniture. A guard dog. A cry and a questioned life. A child born of loneliness. A facade maintained.