The shopping centre's fluorescent lighting seemed to exacerbate the girl's crying. Maria was drawn to the girl. A shop assistant was holding the girl's hand trying to calm her. Maria watched the woman bend down to be at the child's eyeline. The girl pointed away from the shop, presumably to where she last saw her mother. The shop assistant stood up and looked around to see if anyone was looking for her.
Maria assumed the girl was the same age she was when she had come to Australia, migrating from Poland after World War 2. Her father had died of tuberculosis in a refugee camp in Italy. Then sometime later, her mother had re-married Visali, a Lithuanian man. He was not cruel or mean, but Maria thought that often she was an afterthought when Visali and her mother were together. Visali said Maria talked too much and asked too many questions. Like many displaced persons, Maria and her family arrived in Australia on the Fairsea arriving at Newcastle. She had few memories of the voyage, but could remember the vile smell of strong disinfectant everywhere.
