Reunited After 25 Years 27

Since Mrs. Kolchina and Katya were staying in the United States for a couple of weeks, Anton and Andrea had agreed to delay their honeymoon until they left. After the reception they returned to Anton's house. To give them more privacy, Anton's mother and sister rented a motel room for the remainder of their visit.

"I can't believe that last night was really the last night I'll ever spend in the house where I lived for twenty years," Andrea said to her new husband as they drove home. They'd decided to let Denny and Darya live together in Andrea's old home rather than selling it. It would be much less expensive than renting an apartment, and they both worked part time to meet their expenses while they were in college.

"Do you feel sad about that?" asked Anton.

"A little," Andrea admitted. "That house just holds so many memories for me...all Denny's growing up years..."

"I know just how you feel." Anton squeezed her knee affectionately. "I feel the same way about the apartment I shared with Nadya where Dasha grew up."

He parked the car and gave her a quick hug and kiss. "Now it is time to start making new memories, you and me together."

Andrea could hardly wait until they were inside the house.

"You look so sexy in that suit," she told Anton. "But you'd look even sexier with it off."

Anton laughed. "Anything for you, my dear wife."

Their clothing was quickly shed, and they made love as husband and wife for the first time. Afterwards, Anton held Andrea and rubbed her back.

"It was always her dream to join the Bolshoi Ballet, ever since she was a little girl," he said. "When she was a teenager she had an accident on a trampoline and suffered a very serious back injury. The doctor said she would be lucky to ever walk again. A few years later, she could not only walk but could even teach ballet as well." His eyes had the faraway look which she'd come to recognize and which usually made her feel sad, but today she didn't feel sad at all.

"You must have been so proud of her," she said.

"I was," he agreed.

"He was a football player all through high school," she told him. "He always said that when the war was over and he came back to the United States, he wanted to go to college and become a football coach."

"But he never came back," Anton said softly.

"He came back, all right, but in a casket." Her eyes met his, and in them she saw shared joy, shared sorrow.

"You and I, we have much in common," said Anton. "You would never guess how much."

"Not in a million years," Andrea agreed.

Early the following morning, Andrea heard her doorbell ring and, to her surprise, saw Mrs. Kolchina and Katya standing there. Mrs. Kolchina was holding a plate, which she hurled to the floor. Andrea gasped in astonishment.

"It is for good luck." Andrea turned to see Anton grinning at her. "We are supposed to pick up the pieces together." Andrea was startled for a moment, then shrugged, laughed, and picked up the pieces of broken plate with Anton.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to your strange customs," she teased him.

"I could say the same for yours," he teased back.

Later the phone rang. It was Katya.

"I wonder if you have an American movie I really want to see," she said. "It is called 'Gone With The Wind.' I have read the book, and I like it very much. Now I want to see the movie about it."

"As a matter of fact, I do have that movie," Andrea said. "Would you and your mom like to come over and watch it tonight?"

"Oh, yes!" Katya exclaimed.

Andrea popped popcorn and Anton poured vodka and made white Russians for Andrea. Katya teased Andrea about not drinking vodka straight and it hurt Andrea's feelings a little bit, but she smiled and didn't say anything. Anton and Andrea cuddled together on the sofa.

"It is easy to tell you are newlyweds,"Katya giggled.

"How'd you know about 'Gone With The Wind'?" Andrea asked her. "I know that a lot of American movies were banned in Russia."

"It used to be that way, but not so much anymore," Katya told her. "Our Prime Minister, Mikhail Gorbachev, gives us much more freedom now."

"He's been in the news a lot over here for the past few years," Andrea commented.

"He has brought many changes to our country," said Katya. "Not all of them are good. There is a bad economy, much unemployment and inflation. But we are happy to have freedom now."

"That was a very sad movie," Anton said when the movie had ended. "It has a lot of interesting information about the American Civil War. Now I want to learn more about it."

"Even though my mother knows no English, she says that she enjoyed the movie anyway. The actor who plays Rhett is very good looking, she sayid" said Katya.

Andrea laughed. "His name's Clark Gable. He's been in a lot of movies."

"Well, thank you for a lovely time, Andrea and Anton. We will have to do it again soon," said Katya.

"Next time, we'll watch 'Dr. Zhivago.' I have that movie as well," Andrea replied. Anton and Katya both laughed heartily.