Chapter 13

I awoke refreshed from yet another night of restful sleep. I had dreamed some unusual dreams, but could not remember much about them. All I knew was that I awoke with the feeling that something good was going to happen.

I listened to the sounds of life, as the noise of the city came through the panes of my windows. Cars, motorcycles, and trucks moved through the streets as their drivers went about the process of obtaining funds with which they hoped to make a better future.

I briefly paused to recall the events of the previous evening. Once again I was thankful for the opportunity to observe that special time. I guessed that those folks would be returning to their daily duties of milking cows, cultivating gardens, or working with theirs hands to produce some item for the market.

I went downstairs and proceeded to the breakfast area. I decided on a couple of soft boiled eggs, brown bread, yogurt, and kasha. Kasha is the Russian word for porridge. I placed a little dollop of butter on top of the cereal. I continued to be impressed by the quality of their yogurt. I wondered if it was due to the lack of additives that are routinely added to so many products back home.

When I was done enjoying my chai, I went to my room and made a few notes in my journal. From my window, I spotted a large group of people heading off to some destination in the distance. With my curiosity piqued, I decided to check it out.

I left my hotel and walked in the direction of the bustle of activity. As I drew closer, I could see that it was a bazaar. I noticed a large number of booths from which people were selling a wide variety of items. Some of the more enterprising stands even supplied a mirror so that you could see how an item might look on you.

One booth sold silk ties, another sold shirts, while another might be selling wooden lacquer boxes. I even noticed an old lady, on the outskirts, selling a few containers of strawberries she had probably picked out in the fields.

I stopped to look at the lacquer boxes. I was very impressed by the fine detail in the painting. I found one that I especially appreciated. It was a depiction of a winter landscape. Some unknown noble in an elaborate coat was riding in a sleigh across a snow covered field. In the background was a dark wooded area.

Onion domes could be seen in the distance. I even noticed the outline of a bear along the edge of the woods. It was definitely a piece of artwork and I decided to purchase it for myself. It cost me nine hundred rubles for a memory that would last a lifetime.

I proceeded to take a short walk along the edge of town. Once I was out in the open, I realized that the day was heating up. It was hot. By my estimation, it was somewhere in the nineties with a very high humidity. All of the beauty I had seen the previous day had vanished. In its place was the drudgery of overwhelming heat. Many plants were wilted and the fields were turning brown. The sky even looked hazy. It's interesting how a hot day can take the luster out of the world around you.

I headed back to my hotel and called Ivan. He arrived quickly and we headed for the birch wood facility. Ivan told me that he had visited an old friend. From the smile on his face and his pleasant demeanor, I surmised that his friend was female. We eventually came to a road that was not paved, but it was well maintained.

At one point we passed what looked like a large concrete area with slopping sides. It was located in the middle of nowhere. Ivan told me that it had been used as a place to park mobile missile launchers during the cold war. Camouflaged nets would have been strung over the site to keep it invisible from passing spy planes.

Once again I was reminded that relationships had not always been good between our two countries. Even at the present time, tensions could build to a point where one might wonder what it would take to plunge our two governments back into that world of distrust and hate.

At the birch plant, I was greeted by a big burly man with a very stern face. He looked like he could have easily been a former KGB officer. In fact, he probably was. I had learned that many officers in the service had been given positions of responsibility after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

He greeted me cordially and then took me on a tour of his facility. From what I could see, it appeared that it would be very capable of producing the product that we required. I was surprised to learn that the company did a managed harvest of the trees. I was told that one of his employees had traveled to the U.S. to observe the techniques that we had developed for forest management.

The quality of wood was very high. I was assured that they could meet the quota that I mentioned. It finally came down to pricing. I figured that he saw a rich American business man standing in front of him with limitless pockets. From what my driver had told me, we would probably be negotiating the cost over the next few days.

The head of the company took me to a church that had been converted into a restaurant. The exterior of the building was white and constructed of stone. It was evident that it was very old. Inside the building, the ceilings were high, which lent a very open air to the dining area. We were quickly seated and proceeded to order our food.

We had a very nice meal. I ordered a salad, borscht, sausage, and some bread. Of course, everything was followed by a glass of vodka. It was very evident that it was of high quality. Despite the protestations of my host, I only had one glass.

The meeting and lunch had gone well and I could definitely see a future with my new acquaintance. After he had downed a few glasses of the Russian nectar, he became a much more likable chap. I left him on good terms with the promise of getting back to him after I had contacted my associate back home.

At my request, my driver took me to a location about an hour away, where I could get wireless reception. While we were driving, the sky began to cloud up and become overcast. It wasn't long before the rains came. The temperature dropped considerably and I was relieved to feel the coolness that had now enveloped the land.

After I had talked with my partner back home, Ivan took me to a picturesque little town that could have come right out the pages of an old story book. The recent rain had reinvigorated the plants and given a sparkling surface to all the buildings.

Through the town flowed a winding, lazy river. The banks were scattered with trees and beautiful flowering bushes. The domes of a large number of churches shone brightly in the sky. The buildings ranged in color from pink to an almost pure white. It was a very clean town.

The once hazy sky was now a brilliant blue. I learned that the city was known as a place where folks came to be married. It was very evident why that was true. At almost every turn there was a setting worthy of a wonderful wedding photo.

It was beginning to get late and I wanted to be well rested for my lady in the morning. We headed back, stopping at a barbeque stand along the road. The meat was very good and I complemented Ivan on his choice of a place for food. He informed me that the business was owned by one of his cousins. When we were full, we headed back to my hotel. Once there, I dismissed my driver and prepared to await the arrival of the big day.

That night, I once again went on a long walk. The evening was nice enough, but unlike the day before, the magic was no longer present. I returned to my hotel, hoping that it was not a bad omen.

The next morning, after breakfast, I walked down to an area by the river. I found it to be very quiet and peaceful. I located a flat area where I could sit and contemplate my upcoming reunion. Anna would not return until later in the afternoon, so I would have some time to kill. Ivan had told me that he would be happy to have a little extra time to sleep in. I was fairly sure I could guess what he was really asking for.

I wondered how the initial meeting with Anna would go. Would she be mad at me for standing her up? Would she run to me with open arms? Would she believe what her relatives told her, that I was just another American guy looking for some quick fun? What would I say? Would we even speak? All these thoughts and many more bounced around in my head.

As I sat there, I began to notice that the birds were singing. When I paused to listen, I also noticed wispy clouds drifting across the sky. I could see the reflection of trees in the water from the opposite shore. A couple of ducks swam by that I could not identify. In the water I could see the long blades of grass as they bent in the direction of the flow. Several small fish could be seen darting around below the surface.

It was a beautiful scene and I had it all to myself. Most folks were currently busy going about their daily lives. Unfortunately, I knew that not everyone was engaged in productive activity. A good number of men were probably stuck in some dingy bar. I had learned that the alcoholism rate was very high, as men sought escape from a system where there were few jobs and not much hope for a better tomorrow. It was the old fisherman and the dancing couples who had discovered the true reward for hard work and hopeful thinking.