Chapter 54: Halfway there ... Livin’ on a Prayer

March 15, 1985, McKinley, Ohio

"What did I hear you playing?" Clarissa asked when I came downstairs on Friday afternoon.

"Just practicing," I replied.

"Yes, but that was no guitar!" she protested.

I frowned, "I really should have skipped practicing this week. It's a surprise for my wedding."

"Wait! That's one of those Russian guitars like the girl had in Doctor Zhivago!"

"A balalaika," I confirmed. "It was Doctor Blahnik's suggestion."

"What songs can you play?"

"The only one I play reasonably well right now is Lara's Theme from Zhivago, though I'm working on a couple of traditional Russian folk songs. I plan to play Lara's Theme at the wedding after Elizaveta and I sing Up Where We Belong."

"How long have you been practicing?"

"Since January. Please, please don't tell anyone about this. You're the only one besides Doctor Blahnik who knows."

"You're sure that won't cause a problem with Elizaveta?"

"I'm sure. Keeping things from her for a surprise is OK. I'm sure not going to tell her about her birthday present in advance!"

"Will you let me hear you play?" she asked.

"I suppose now that the cat's out of the bag, it's OK."

"I take it you only practice here?"

"And in the music classroom on Thursdays for my lesson."

"That explains why you come here after classes on weekdays! I always thought it was just to get some 'me time'."

"It is!" I replied with a grin. "And in this case, 'me time' includes practicing the balalaika. And on Thursdays, I meet with Mark and Alyssa."

"So, play for me?"

"Sure. Let me go get the balalaika."

I went back upstairs to get it, then went back downstairs, and we went to the music room, where I played once through Lara's Theme.

"That sounded pretty good," Clarissa said when I finished. "I guess playing the guitar helps?"

"Yes and no. There are some similarities but also some major differences. Let me go put this away so I can get to Elizaveta's early enough to talk with her grandmothers about the wedding before our triple date tonight."

I took the instrument back up to my room, changed clothes, then left the house and headed to Elizaveta's. When I arrived, she greeted me with a kiss, and then we went to the kitchen to sit at the small table where she had tea set out. Her grandmothers joined us, and we went over the guest list. Most everyone had responded, and most of those responses were positive. Several of my cousins on my dad's side, as well as his brother's family, had declined, which didn't really surprise me. I didn't know them all that well and hadn't seen them in years. My dad's parents would attend, as well as basically everyone from my mom's side of the family.

I also wasn't surprised that Becky had decided, in the end, not to attend the wedding. Dale was going to attend despite it being the weekend before his finals. He planned to fly into Columbus on Friday morning and fly back to Madison late on Sunday evening. All of my local friends had responded in the affirmative, which I'd known from talking to them. That included Katy Malenkov, who was going to fly home from California for the wedding. On Elizaveta's list, everyone who had responded had responded affirmatively, with only some relatives in Alaska having not sent their response.

"What are we going to do for dance music?" Yekaterina, Elizaveta's maternal grandmother, asked.

"A DJ is fine," Elizaveta said. "Maybe Peter Sytsov could do it? I know he's been the DJ for dances at the High School."

"I think that's OK," I replied. "I have quite a few albums which he could use, if he doesn't have a large collection."

"Will you ask him, Elizaveta?" Yekaterina asked.

"I'll do that on Monday," she replied.

"Mike, is there anything you can't eat?" Tatyana, Elizaveta's paternal grandmother, asked.

"No," I shook my head. "No allergies of any kind. And I like most things."

"OK. We'll finish the meal planning with the country club this week, then send out the cards asking for choice of meals."

"What choices?" I asked.

"Roast beef or chicken, and macaroni with cheese or spaghetti with meatballs for the kids. Viktor will cover wine and beer, as well as the three vodka toasts, but after that, guests will have to pay for hard liquor."

"I think that's all we need you for," Yekaterina said.

Elizaveta and I thanked them, then headed out to my car so we could head to the Chinese restaurant for our triple date with Clarissa, Abby, Jocelyn, and Gene.

"It seems like they have everything under control," I said as I pulled out of the driveway.

"Why are some of your relatives not coming to the wedding?"

"Most of them wouldn't be caught dead inside an Orthodox Church."

"That's rude! Why?"

"Because they think we're Mary worshipers and that the church is full of idols. And that's just the start of it. They honestly don't think we're actually Christians."

"What?!" Elizaveta exclaimed in surprise.

"It's true. There are people at the church Mark and Alyssa used to go to who think the same thing. Remember, we think they are heterodox, which is one step shy of calling them heretics. Remember also, our clergy aren't allowed to participate in any ceremonies in any non-Orthodox churches because we aren't in communion with them."

"So we couldn't, like, stand up in someone else's wedding if they weren't Orthodox?"

"No, we couldn't. At least not if it's performed in a church or by a clergyman. If you wanted to follow the strictest rule, we shouldn't even set foot in non-Orthodox churches. The original canon was really meant to keep Christians out of Jewish temples, Arian churches, or pagan temples. Later, it was extended to mosques, which I think is obvious. The issue with the Roman Catholics has always been complicated, especially given the mutual anathemas. Our bishops believe that with our situation here, especially with having mixed families, enforcing the rule strictly would be detrimental to everyone's spiritual health. So it's just a prohibition on clergy participating in religious ceremonies."

"I never knew that."

"It's not something most people know because it really only affects clergy."

"I have to let Marjorie, Britney, and Johanna know because all of us were going to stand up for each other. Well, not for me because we don't have attendants in a traditional wedding."

"What were they going to do for you?" I asked.

"I'd thought about having them sit with us at the head table, but once we asked the bishop to perform the ceremony, he'll be with us at the head table, and so will our godparents. And because the bishop is there, Father Nicholas and Matushka Natalya need to sit with us, and probably Matushka Anastasia. At that point, the table is full, and, honestly, I'm not sure it's a good idea to have any non-Orthodox sitting with the bishop."

"I don't think that would bother Vladyka."

"No, but I don't want any of them to do or say something that might cause problems or give offense. And besides, you'd need three guys, too, and that creates a space issue. It's OK. They knew they couldn't participate in the wedding."

"OK. I'll leave that up to you and your grandmothers."

"When are we going to play and sing our song?"

"I think right before our first dance makes the most sense."

"That's what I thought, too. I'll make sure my grandmothers know."

"Did your dad call my dad about giving a toast?"

"I think so, but I'll double-check. Do you have a preference for who makes the third one?"

"Given it should be someone Orthodox, I'd say your brother would be a good choice. The person I'd choose probably isn't the right one for a church gathering."

"Robby?"

"Yes."

"Why not Dale?"

"We haven't really seen each other much for nearly four years. We talk on the phone about once a month, but honestly, I'm closer to Robby than anyone. I'd say Clarissa, but tradition is that it's a male friend or relative. Let's have Gennady do it."

"OK. I'll call him tomorrow and ask him. I'm sure he'll say 'yes'."

"Is your dad flying Anna here for the wedding?"

"Obviously! She'll sleep in our guest room. Mom and Dad would never permit anything else!"

"You're making an assumption, aren't you?"

Elizaveta giggled, "I might have accidentally discovered them in a compromising situation!"

"Oops!" I chuckled. "Do they know?"

"No! I wasn't going to embarrass them!"

"And how long did you watch?" I asked with a grin.

"I didn't!" Elizaveta protested, sounding slightly outraged. "I turned crimson when I realized what they were doing, and I ran away!"

"Is it OK to ask when this was?"

"Last Summer, when she visited."

"I think I'd continue to keep that secret," I said.

"I agree!" Elizaveta replied firmly.

March 18, 1985, McKinley, Ohio

On Monday, when Clarissa, Sandy, Fran, and I came back to the dorm from chemistry class, I checked my mailbox and found a brown envelope from the State Department. I quickly opened it and found my passport. When Clarissa checked her mailbox, she found hers as well.

"Elizaveta got hers last week," I said. "Abby has hers, so we just need Sandy and Pete to get theirs."

"We applied about two weeks after you guys," Sandy said. "So I suspect it'll be another couple of weeks before ours arrive. I take it everything else is set?"

"Yes. We need to pay for the tickets and train passes by April 12th. The travel agent will take cash, check, or credit card."

"I'll just whip out my American Express and pay for it!" Sandy laughed. "Not!"

"Don't forget you're going to want to get traveler's checks, so we don't have to carry a lot of cash. Fifth/Third has American Express traveler's checks available, and they're the best option according to the travel agent."

We moved to the elevators and got into one that was waiting. I pressed '8', the doors closed, and the elevator began moving.

"How much are you bringing with you?" Sandy asked.

"Between Elizaveta and me, $2000. That will cover everything we need, including food, souvenirs, paying for tours, film for our camera, and so on, with some left over in case of an emergency. I have my MasterCard, but according to the travel agent, you can't count on places taking credit cards in Europe the way you can here."

"I've never seen you use it except for the motels when we went to Gettysburg," Clarissa said.

"I use it about once every month, just to keep the account in good standing and have that reported to the credit bureau. That was the advice I got from my dad when I first got the card. I use it mostly at the record store, but as I said, just once a month. I don't like the idea of owing anyone money unless there's a really good reason, like a mortgage, student loans, or a car, though, for the car, I'd prefer to pay cash if I could. That won't work for a house, even when we're all doctors!"

Sandy laughed, "Can you imagine walking into a real estate office with a suitcase full of twenties and saying, 'I want to buy a house'!"

"I do believe you could use a check," I chuckled. "It's a bit safer."

"Is there anything else we need to do?" she asked.

"Not that I can think of. The travel agent arranged everything for us, including putting together a list of trains we should take to meet our specific goals and travel efficiently. He's going to get us a copy of something called Cooks Continental Time Tables in case we need to make any changes while we're traveling."

"Is Doctor Blahnik going to be at the villa in Spain when we're there?" Clarissa asked.

"It's possible, but she and Derek are talking about going to the Caribbean. She has friends with a place on the French side of Saint Martin."

We got off the elevator, and all of us went to my room.

"I'm a bit curious, and if it's none of my business, tell me, but how does a professor at a small State college have a villa in Spain and a very nice house here in the US?"

"She doesn't hide what happened," I replied. "She told me that when she defected in the early 70s, there was a group which offered significant financial assistance, as well as help finding work, to East Bloc defectors. They arranged for a series of piano recitals around the country which were apparently very lucrative because they solicited donations for her support as well as paying her a handsome fee. She did that for nearly two years, then turned down an offer from the Chicago Symphony to teach here. She preferred the more relaxed life in a small city, teaching at a small college. And she felt this was a better place to raise Milena. Given Milena met Joel here, I'd say that was right!"

"Do you know when she met Derek?"

"About six years ago," I said. "They've been lovers from the first day they met, but it's a strange, casual-but-not-casual relationship. They'll never marry, and they can both see other people if they want to, but I get the picture that doesn't happen very often."

"Except perhaps with a certain well-hung college student with a reputation for being a good lover," Sandy teased.

"Wait!" Fran gasped. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing!" I declared emphatically. "She flirted, that's all."

"If you call basically offering to fuck him senseless after taking a bubble bath together 'flirting'," Sandy said, barely suppressing her laughter.

"That sounds like a proposition!" Fran replied.

"Whatever you want to call it," I replied, "nothing happened. First of all, it would have been against the rules. Second of all, I'm engaged."

"You weren't when she first propositioned you!" Sandy smirked. "That was the night when I could have had Derek if I'd wanted!"

I chuckled, "You DID want to, but you knew I couldn't break the rules."

"Holy crap!" Fran exclaimed, shaking her head. "The things I missed because Jason and I spend so much time together!"

"Only the two of us know all the details," Clarissa replied. "And it really shouldn't be discussed."

"Uhm, sorry," Sandy said, sounding chagrined.

"It's OK," I replied. "Fran is part of the gang, even if she prefers shacking up with Jason to hanging out with us!"

"She's going to study with us full-time next year," Clarissa said. "Not just work with you on lab reports."

"I have no complaints," I replied. "She and I made a good team in that regard, and if she wanted to spend time with the future Mr. Fran Carlson, I'm the LAST person to be in a position to complain!"

"Thank you!" Fran exclaimed.

"Mike," Sandy said, "I should have asked, but are you going to try to go to church in Europe?"

"Maybe in Athens or London," I replied. "It'll depend on the timing. Paris is also possible because there's an émigré community there. But I don't want to take away time that the six of us are planning to spend together sightseeing and enjoying ourselves."

"I don't think anyone would object to you taking a morning out for church," Clarissa said. "I'd probably go, too, just to see what those churches are like."

"Let's worry about that when we're there," I replied. "We have a full agenda, and this may be the one and only time we get to Europe in our lives."

"You don't think you'll go again when you're a successful doctor?" Fran asked.

"A lot depends on how many kids we have, and when, and what the job allows. I'd like to think we'd have a chance to go again, but I'm not going to make any assumptions. That's why we're seeing as much as we can by visiting Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Athens, Vienna, Geneva, Munich, Copenhagen, and London."

"Did you guys decide what to do about a wedding?" Sandy asked Fran.

"Given that the only income we're going to have is Jason's stipend for being a teaching assistant, finances are a real concern. I don't think we can afford an apartment, but we could manage living in the married dorms here because Jason can borrow enough to cover tuition and room and board. You know I'm borrowing some for medical school, and my parents are kicking in some. So it turns out we'll probably get hitched sometime this Summer, mainly for practical reasons."

"You two have effectively been married since Sophomore year!" Sandy said with a soft laugh. "A piece of paper might matter to the university, but that's about it."

"And my parents!" she said. "They haven't given me any real grief because they know Jason and I are going to marry, but they're old-fashioned about marriage. They officially don't know that I pretty much never use my dorm room."

"Life would be so much easier if they just allowed unmarried couples into the married dorms," Sandy replied.

"But think what happens if a couple breaks up," I countered. "Granted, that happens with married couples, but in those cases, you usually have some kind of divorce decree or separation agreement or whatever. If it's just two people living together, that could put the university in the position of having to intervene in a relationship dispute that isn't easily solved by swapping roommates."

"Now THERE is an interesting idea," Sandy said with a smirk.

"I'm sure if you talked to Derek, he'd be happy to take you up on that," I chuckled. "Though Pete might have an issue."

"Things are a bit different from Sophomore year!" she replied.

"Clarissa, what are you doing?" Fran asked.

"Moving in with Abby as soon as we graduate. She has a nice apartment with lots of room, and it even has a fireplace."

"I know you can't get married, but is it that serious?"

Clarissa smiled, "I think so, and so does she."

"Sandy?" Fran asked.

"Just shacking up with Pete and living in sin! We're pretty sure, but he hasn't asked, and I'm not quite ready to say 'yes' to anyone. If he asked, I'd probably say 'yes', but I'd prefer he not ask until some point in the future."