Chapter 4: I Would Never Have Believed It!

February 6, 1986, Rutherford, Ohio

When my grandfather invited me into his study, I had a very bad feeling because he had a bottle of iced vodka and two glasses. If he felt we needed to drink, that meant things might be even worse than I'd expected. It also meant that Elizaveta would need to drive home.

"If you have vodka out for me, it must be pretty bad," I observed, sitting down in one of the comfortable leather chairs.

"You have no idea, Mikhail Petrovich," my grandfather replied, sitting down in the second comfortable leather chair.

He poured us each a glass of vodka, toasted our health in Russian, and I reluctantly drank it down.

"Before you continue," I said, "I should tell you that Bishop ARKADY forbade me from speaking to you about this, and Bishop PAUL instructed me to leave things to the Metropolitan and the Holy Synod."

My grandfather frowned, "As for my former friend Timofei Andreyevich, he is suspended and will never stand on the ambo again, even if only over the financial scandal and the cover-up."

"Which does not negate his instructions," I replied.

"It does if your silence was ordered because of the cover-up!"

"Perhaps," I replied. "But that wouldn't negate Bishop PAUL's direction to let it be. The simple act of you telling me could lead to me being deposed. I'm willing to take that risk to do the right thing, but are you sure you want to take that risk?"

"As much as I want you to remain in the ranks of the clergy, the continuation of the Holy Church must take precedence, Mischa. Beyond you, I trust nobody except Vasily Aleksandrovich, Ivan Nikolay'ich, and Alexey Ivanovich. I cannot discuss this with anyone else. Well, Yuri Valentinovich, but he is in Florida now."

I was surprised at the very short list — Tasha's father, Mr. Orlov, Mr. Sokolov, and Mr. Zhuravlyov.

"And my father-in-law?" I asked.

"Yes, but he is serving on the investigation committee, and it's best if I don't speak to him or his father or father-in-law unless I'm invited to give testimony."

He poured a second glass, and we drank again. At this rate, I was going to be as drunk as I had been at age fourteen, and that wasn't acceptable. I ate some black bread with butter and a pickle, knowing that if I didn't, the ill effects would be even worse.

"Can you tell me why you think it's so important that I know?"

"For one, the Spiritual Court was a farce, and the Metropolitan needs to know it."

"Yes, it was, and I'll support a petition for reinstatement when the other matter is settled. That's the correct approach, and I believe it would be successful."

"And the dismissal of the Parish Council and a ban on us ever serving again?"

"Is a matter for a newly elected bishop," I replied. "Again, if there is proof of blackmail and a cover-up, then every act taken by Bishop ARKADY will be reviewed, including my ordination."

My grandfather frowned, "Your advice is to simply sit and wait?"

"I believe, in the end, the Holy Synod will get it right."

"And in the meantime, Holy Transfiguration collapses into dust."

He poured vodka for both of us, but I didn't pick up my glass, so my grandfather simply downed his and set it down.

"You have an interim priest who has a lifetime of experience," I said, "and it's very likely that a new seminarian will be assigned here during the Summer."

"Father Patrick Rourke may have experience, but he doesn't know the people here, and neither will a new seminarian."

"I'm sure that's true, but wasn't that the case when Father Alexi reposed eighteen years ago? Father Herman and his wife came here less than a year after he graduated from seminary."

"To a strong, unified parish. That is not the case this time. And, back then, Deacon Viktor was here for five years before his company moved him to California, and he was reassigned to a parish in San Francisco. In addition, the Parish Council was intact, and helped with the transition."

He had a point, but I wasn't sure it was enough of a point. He poured himself another glass of vodka, and I sipped a bit from the previous one he'd poured for me. That gave me a moment to think.

"I see your point," I replied carefully. "But I'm not assigned to this parish, so I'm not sure what I could do."

"Mischa, you know everyone here. A temporary assignment would allow you to help resolve the significant problems here."

"I'm temporarily assigned to the Cathedral to assist Father James."

My grandfather's eyes narrowed, "Someone who I believe is up to his eyeballs in this scandal but has managed to avoid any scrutiny."

I really shouldn't have been surprised, given the accusations leveled against the bishop and the protodeacon. Thinking about the situation, I had to admit to myself it would be nearly impossible for Father James not to know what was going on, even if he wasn't directly involved. And if he knew, then he was guilty of a cover-up, even if he wasn't being blackmailed. I stared at the vodka glass, downed the remaining 'shot of courage', and set the glass down.

"Tell me," I said firmly but with a combined feeling of dread and resignation.

"Were you aware of the «agápē» meals program?"

"Yes. There is some talk of doing something similar at Saint Michael. You know Elizaveta and I have a weekly dinner with Tasha and Nik, plus two other couples. It's a good way to keep young couples involved and faithful."

"In your case, I'm sure it is, because you would never allow what happened. In one group, and I obviously can't name names, two young women decided to have a contest to seduce the husband of a third woman, and that man's wife began an affair with the husband of the fourth woman."

"Lord have mercy!" I gasped.

"I expect three, probably four, divorces from that disaster."

"I think I can see why Father Herman elected to ask for reassignment."

"He failed to detect ANY signs. I believe he was far too hands-off. I strongly suspect Father Nicholas inquires regularly about your group? And all of you go to confession?"

I nodded, "He does, and we discuss any difficulties any of us are having. And, yes, of course, all eight of us regularly go to confession."

"The first warning sign was when all of them, except the spouse of the fourth man, stopped going to confession, and Father Herman didn't pick up on it. Deacon Vasily became aware because of something that happened at his pharmacy, and went to Father Herman, who, rather than address the problems, asked for reassignment. That led Father Deacon Vasily to approach the bishop at the same time he was asking questions about some anomalies in financial reports."

"It's WAY more complicated than I thought."

"Oh, it's worse."

"How CAN it be worse?"

"One of our acolytes was discovered by the Sheriff, at a spot where teens go parking, with his English teacher. His married English teacher. He was seventeen, so there were no criminal charges. Father didn't suspend him."

My grandfather poured more vodka, and I took just a sip of 'liquid courage' before revealing my own indiscretion.

"Not to excuse Father Herman, nor cast aspersions on Father Nicholas, but I was an acolyte and wasn't suspended for engaging in pre-marital sex."

My grandfather actually laughed, hard.

"Because," he said with a silly grin, "there is not a man in either parish who would not want Natalya Vasilyevna, if circumstances permitted it, and there is also not one who would dare cross her!"

"You knew?"

"I'm an old man, Mischa, but I still remember what it was like to be young and in love. And, given how close you and Rachel are, I'm sure you know that problem runs in the family."

It was all I could do to keep from bursting out laughing. My grandfather had once hinted at my mom's 'modern sensibilities' and now was admitting that he actually knew.

"When did you know?" I asked evenly, trying not to laugh.

"Around the time it happened. Your mother is too much like me, and you are very much like her."

"I threatened to become like you if she continued to nag me."

My grandfather laughed, "No idle threat! But you must know an affair with a married woman is far different from two love-struck teenagers expressing their feelings for each other in what the church calls an inappropriate manner."

I actually did know, I thought, because THAT was the root cause for why I had turned Paul into the cops.

"I do," I said.

My grandfather nodded, "After the situation with your sister, you should."

"You knew?"

My grandfather smiled, "I may be old, but I'm not a fool, Mischa! I worked out what happened after speaking with Yuri Valentinovich, then looking up the records at the courthouse. Your mother still thinks I'm unaware. It's probably better to keep it that way."

"Because you knew and didn't do anything to prevent it."

"Yes. I might survive simply because you acted directly and helped them, which, mind you, was the right thing to do at THAT point. The horse was, as they say, already out of the barn."

"Mom doesn't know I helped Paul get the job from Yuri Valentinovich," I said.

"No, she doesn't, and it's best to keep it that way. Yuri Valentinovich simply told her that the man from the halfway house called him in response to a 'Help Wanted' sign that had been posted. That HAD happened, but Yuri Valentinovich had no interest in whichever man the halfway house wanted to send there. You approached him perhaps two weeks later about Paul."

"«Маскировка» (maskirovka)," I chuckled. "Telling the truth but not telling the full truth, so as to make someone see things as they are not, rather than as they are."

"Something I am sure you engaged in, most likely with your father."

"Mom, too, but Dad more."

"Father Herman failed to see the trouble developing between your parents as well. Your father stopped going to confession and stopped receiving the Eucharist, and other than one casual question, nothing was said. Early intervention might have salvaged the situation."

"How long before everything blew up did that happen?"

"Right around the time Liz moved out and began seeing Paul."

I nodded, "That actually isn't a surprise."

"I take it you see the problem?"

"What is Father Patrick doing?"

"More or less hiding in the altar."

"You know that neither Vasily Antonov nor I could act in a pastoral manner. That's a priest's role, not a deacon's."

"A deacon MAY be involved in pastoral activity under the guidance of the priest, with the bishop's permission."

"Did someone request that?"

"I believe it was mentioned after Deacon Vasily was suspended. Why do you ask?"

Why indeed?! I wondered if the decision to reassign me to the Cathedral was solely to help Father James, or if Bishop PAUL wanted me 'out of the way', as it were. Given my grandfather's involvement and my direct involvement with the Antonovs, plus my friendship with several of the men formerly on the Holy Transfiguration Parish Council, it might well be that someone decided I needed to be out of the way. I couldn't imagine Father Nicholas being part of that, and the fact that he'd convinced the bishop to allow me to only serve at the Cathedral on Sundays indicated no complicity in such a scheme, IF such a scheme existed.

"«Дедушка» (dedushka), do you really think there is a huge conspiracy?" ("Grandpa")

"It doesn't have to be huge, Mischa. It's very likely someone whispered into Bishop PAUL's ear, and given he's not familiar with any of us, a whisper from the right person might be very effective, even if there was no malice on the part of the Bishop."

"Father James?"

"I would say that was likely. But he appears as pure as new snow, though I fear that might not be true."

"Well, what do you propose?"

"That after you speak to them, you take a letter, signed by Vasily Aleksandrovich, Ivan Nikolay'ich, and Alexey Ivanovich to the Metropolitan."

"Take? As in, go to New York?"

"Yes. A good friend of mine in New York, Pyotr Borisovich Krasnov, will arrange a private meeting between you and the Metropolitan to deliver the letter."

"Haven't you expressed all of this already?"

My grandfather shook his head, "No. We wrote only in protest of the kangaroo court created by my former friend Timofei, which had no more relationship with the truth than Stalin's show trials in Moscow in the 1930s!"

My grandfather had obviously reached the same conclusion I had — that Bishop ARKADY was going to be deposed, though I couldn't, at least at this point, refer to him in any other way than as 'bishop'. Similarly, I had to be careful about referring to Tasha's father as 'Deacon Vasily', as he had been deposed from his rank, though I hoped that would be overturned and that he would be restored.

"The timing is difficult because I have class every day, and I have to serve at the Cathedral on Sundays."

"When is your Spring Break?"

I couldn't help but laugh, "There is no such thing in medical school. We had one week at Christmas this year, and we'll have the first week in June, and then there are no vacations or breaks until we have two weeks between graduation and Residency."

"I didn't realize."

"Neither did I until late last Summer. But if you think about it, hospitals don't close on Christmas or Thanksgiving, and they certainly don't close for a week so everyone can go on break! We do get Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day for this year and the start of next. After that, it all depends on our assignments."

"And church?"

"I discussed it all with Bishop ARKADY before I accepted ordination. I'll do my best to make every service, but there is no way I will make them all. I have to hope that a new bishop, if we get one, keeps to the commitments made by Bishop ARKADY."

"When, Mischa, not if."

"And now that I've thrown a monkey wrench into your plans, what do you propose?"

"Well, as the English saying goes, if the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain!"

I chuckled, "I'm not sure invoking Islam is the best idea, and I'm not sure calling me the 'mountain' is appropriate, and I'm positive comparing the Metropolitan to Muhammad is totally inappropriate!"

"Everyone is a literalist!" my grandfather complained.

"Sorry, but I can't imagine His Beatitude coming to visit me!"

"Let me speak to my friend Pyotr Borisovich and see what is possible."

"Until you do that, I need to keep my head down and be obedient."

"And if it can be arranged?"

"For you, «Дедушка» (dedushka), I'll stick my head into the lion's mouth." ("Grandpa")

He nodded, poured another glass of vodka for each of us, and I downed what amounted to a shot with him. We ate some black bread with butter, and then we left his study.

"You'll need to drive home, Kitten," I said.

"How much did you drink?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Three or four shots," I replied. "A light night for a traditional Russian man!"

My grandparents both laughed, but my wife just rolled her eyes.

"Are you ready to go home, then?"

"Yes."

As we were in private, my grandmother hugged me and kissed my cheek, and my grandfather and I shook hands. Elizaveta exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheek from both of them, then she and I left the house. I unlocked the passenger door, handed Elizaveta the keys, and a minute later, we were on our way home.

"How bad is it?" Elizaveta asked.

"So bad that if anyone other than my grandfather had made such outrageous claims, I'd never believe them."

"Can you tell me?"

"I think it would be better not to, but I promised to share everything with you. None of this can ever be repeated to anyone, including Father Nicholas. I could get in a lot of trouble just for knowing, given the instructions I was given by Bishop ARKADY and Bishop PAUL."

"I promise."

"I'll get to the details, but the bottom line is that Vasily Antonov discovered that Father Herman had badly mishandled his pastoral duties, and Father Herman asked for reassignment to avoid any recriminations."

"What could possibly have happened?!"

"Well, probably the least problematic is that one of the acolytes was caught in the back seat of a car with his married teacher."

"No way!" Elizaveta gasped, then recovered to ask, "But how is that Father's problem?"

"The acolyte wasn't suspended from serving in the altar even after Father Herman heard about it."

"Why?"

"Well, putting two and two together, I can guess who it was, and that young man's father is an important donor."

"Was the teacher arrested?"

"Apparently not, because the acolyte was seventeen. And I can guess who the teacher was, given there's only one female English teacher."

"How old is she? I mean, if you know?"

"About twenty-eight, I'd guess. Her first year was my Senior year, and she taught Freshman English."

"And that's the least problematic?"

"Yes. The much larger problem was with the «agápē» meals. In one group, two young women decided to have a contest to seduce the husband of a third woman, and that man's wife began an affair with the husband of the fourth woman."

"NO!" Elizaveta gasped.

"I have no reason to doubt my grandfather. Apparently, Vasily Antonov became aware, first from something which happened at the pharmacy, and then by noticing that some of the people had stopped receiving the Eucharist. He went to Father Herman, who, instead of dealing with it, immediately asked for reassignment. Vasily Antonov went to the bishop, and it was around that time that Vasily Antonov discovered the financial irregularities."

"This is unbelievable! A contest to seduce a married man? Between two married women? Who does that?!"

"I don't know, and I don't want to know."

"Now what?"

"My grandfather suggested I hand-carry a letter to the Metropolitan."

"In New York?"

"Yes, but given my schedule, that's impossible. I also question whether it will do any good."

"What would the letter say?"

"Everything I just told you and a request that I be assigned to Holy Transfiguration to provide stability."

"But you were assigned to the Cathedral!" Elizaveta protested.

"An assignment of which my grandfather was unaware, and the more I think about it, was meant to keep me out of something that is going to be very embarrassing to the bishops and to Father Herman."

"Does Father Nicholas know?"

"Not to my knowledge, and there's no reasonable way to find out if he does. And something else I don't think my grandfather considered is that I would, at a minimum, have to tell Father Nicholas before I approached the Metropolitan, and probably tell Bishop PAUL as well. If I didn't do either of those, I'd risk being deposed. That said, my grandfather is aware of that possible outcome."