In the days since she and her family had sailed away from Germany and the refugee camp, Liisi had spent many hours staring out a
t the ocean waves from the deck. Somehow, in the back of her mind, she had always believed they would return home to Estonia after the war. Yet, every time she had mentioned this to her parents, they just frowned and changed the subject. After they had escaped the Russians and fled to Germany, there had been no real home for them except the cramped apartment in the little German town of Geislingen where the U.S. Army housed Estonian refugees. Liisi had made good friends there—her Girl Scout troop of five had been inseparable—but now they were all scattered to the winds. Two of the girls had stayed in Germany, and the other two were going to Canada. Here she was all alone sailing to America.
Feeling mighty lonely, Liisi reached into the inside pocket of her coat and pulled out a photograph. On it was her Girl Scout troop, all dressed in traditional Estonian costumes for a dance they had organized at the refugee camp. The dress Liisi wore was too small, as she had worn it back in Tallinn when she was younger. Liisi ran her thumb over the image of herself and closed her eyes as she remembered.
"Liisi, hold still while I button your dress!" Her mother scolded.
But Liisi was so eager to join the other kids in Tallinn's town square, she could not stop moving. At 10, she was just old enough to join in the folk dances as the city celebrated Jaanipäev—John's Day, or Midsummer's Eve. The June 23 festival always made her giddy with delight, and as her mother finally released her, she gave her a swift hug and flew out the door.
The square was just a few blocks away, and Liisi could hear the cheers of the crowd as she raced down the cobblestone streets. As she rounded the last corner and entered the square, the dancing had already begun. She was so glad she had paid attention when her mom taught her the traditional steps. Making her way to the front of the crowd, Liisi's school friends waved to her. She caught up to them just as the band started playing, and they arranged themselves in a line for the next dance. At that moment, Liisi could not imagine ever living anywhere else.
The wind had picked up, and the ocean spray woke Liisi from her reverie. A tear had made its way down her cheek, and she wiped it away before replacing the photo in her pocket.
"That was then," she told herself sternly and pushed those other thoughts away. Then, she turned her back to the ocean as if to leave her entire past behind her and went to find her parents.
1
Select the correct answer.
How does Liisi's cultural background affect her perception of the photograph?
A.
She values maintaining traditions in order to understand Estonian history.
B.
She associates Estonian traditions with a sense of community.
C.
She realizes the difficulty of preserving Estonian traditions in different locations.
D.
She appreciates her Estonian friends for more easily understanding her experiences.
