Girl on the Other Side Read Online Free PDF Page A

— the one Grandpa had given to her on their wedding day in the place of a ring. They were living in Poland then, and it was the same bracelet his own grandmother had left it to him when she’d died and it was really, really old. The bracelet had meant so much to my grandma. The only times I ever saw her take it off was when she was letting me try it on. I remember loving the way the cream-coloured pearls slid like marbles up and down my small wrist and how, when I stood by the window, the tiny diamonds on the clasp would catch the sun and reflect little pinpricks of light off the walls.
    Every time I tried the bracelet on, Grandma would tell me a story about Grandpa. How they got married when they were both just eighteen and after only knowing each other a month. How Grandma was so shy the first year of their marriage that Grandpa used to make up love songs on their piano to win her over. How, after that first year of marriage, the Nazis invaded Poland and they were forced to go into hiding in a neighbour’s cellar, where they lived for five years. Grandma’s voice always lowered to a whisper when she talked about that time in her life. Like a part of her still worried she’d be discovered if she made too much noise.
    Down in that awful cellar, Grandpa had sung the love songs to her in soft whispers so he wouldn’t be overheard. She told me that during those long, dark years, that bracelet and Grandpa’s songs were her only reminders of the beauty and light that still existed in the world. Those two things gave her the hope she needed to keep going every day until the war was over.
    Grandma always cried happy tears when she talked about Grandpa. I wish I’d had the chance to know him, but he died long before I was born. She left me the bracelet in her will and Catherine had promised I could have it when I turned fifteen. Today is the day. Even though it’s a cold night, I make sure to wear short sleeves so I can show it off. I can’t wait to see it again. I’ve made myself a promise to wear it every day … just like Grandma used to when she was alive. Back then, Catherine used to drop me off at her house to get rid of me on weekends when Nanny wasn’t working. Grandma always tried her best to make me forget that I was being dumped there. We used to cuddle in her bed with a bowl of popcorn and watch movies for hours. And she always stocked her house with cookies and candy and let me eat as much as I wanted. And she would brush my hair until it shone and braid it just like she wore it when she was little and tell me stories from the “olden days.” I miss her so much. She was the only family member I ever had who really, truly loved me. I can’t wait to see her bracelet again. It’ll be like getting a little piece of my grandma back.
    We all arrive at the restaurant separately. Although David offered to pick me up on his way from the office, I refused and took a cab instead. I hate riding in his Bentley. It’s so pretentious. Of course, he has to drive the most expensive car anyone in this town has ever seen. It’s embarrassing how much he likes to shove his wealth down other people’s throats.
    Catherine is late, as usual. That means that David and I have to actually talk to each other. Not an easy thing to do, considering the fact that we have nothing in common. My father’s a strung-out workaholic. He’s spent virtually every waking minute of the last fifteen years building up his business into the most successful law practice in town. Sometimes entire weeks go by when I don’t see him. I didn’t realize he actually lived in the same house as me until I was six years old.
    I stare across the table into the green eyes that are so exactly like mine. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat and glances away. A second later, he opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. He clears his throat, checks his Rolex, and adjusts his tie. I