Of August 20-21, 1968. Memories come

At the seaVacation at the seaTo the sea we go wrapped up with love and family and splashy, splashy fun.Warm August happiness in the German sea....Next morning...panic.We children were protected.Things are fine, they said.A Czech convoy out of Germany under armed guard.Panicked, sleepy drivers, up all night. Mom at the wheel overtook. Honked.Detained by the guards. Warned to cooperate. Put at the front of the line.Czech border at night. Russian soldiers. Machine guns. Soldiers standing in a row.Green soldiers with guns. Machine guns pointing.Guns.In the back seat babi put my head in her lap and covered me with her coat.If they start shooting, will the coat protect me?Warm hands. Wrinkles in the shape of stars.Terror. Apprehension. Questions. Fears.Home.Huge hole in the wall of the Great Museum.Tanks. Shouting. So much shouting.So much silence.Rosy cheeks turned ash. All the colour drained.Written for Jane Ann's memoir challenge