Chapter 15

During our times together, Anna would occasionally open up to me about various events in her past. I had learned that she had lived through the latter part of the Cold War. It was a period in her life when times had been very tough. She told me that she could remember standing in line for hours just to get some of the basic items they would need to survive.

I tried to imagine what it would be like to be unsure of where your next meal was coming from. I recalled one fishing trip where I had packed only the essentials needed for the frying of our fish. I was positive we would be able to live off the land and catch all our food. The lake we visited had always supplied us with abundant amounts of fish on previous trips. On the first day, my friend made a mistake when netting a nice five pounder and we found ourselves with no food. He actually knocked the hook out of the fish's mouth and I sat by helplessly as it swam away. Because of our extreme hunger, we had been forced to travel miles to find a town where we could get something to eat. From that time on, I always packed extra food.

Jobs had been scarce and her father had taken up drinking. Up until that point, he had been a good father. After the drinking increased, his life seemed to spiral out of control. After one particularly bad binge, he disappeared completely. Some folks believed he may have owed the Mafia too much and they had finally decided to make an example out of him.

Her mother had sunk into a deep state of despair. Despite the fact that Anna was just a girl, she had taken on the duties of an adult and had lovingly taken care of her mother. She had attempted to learn everything she could about the workings of the mind. One of her neighbors had worked as a doctor in the military before losing an arm. Anna had gone to him on many occasions to ask for advice and help.

Through the unwavering love and care of her daughter, and some help from the neighbors, Anna's mother had eventually returned to a more stable state of mind. Anna had gradually encouraged her to get back into the craft of embroidery. Her mother's skill level was so high that she was soon turning out pieces of exceptional beauty. Anna had proudly taken me around the house, pointing out some of the items that her mother had made. I don't know much about the craft, but from the fine detail, I could see that it was excellent workmanship.

Some of the more well off families, around the area, soon learned about her mother's skill. At least once a month, someone would come to the house to purchase several of her items. That money had brought them some extra income, which they then used to buy food and other necessities. Occasionally there would be some funds left over which would be used to obtain additional craft materials. Life had gradually become a little better for the two and they eventually discovered that they were able to survive without wondering if they would have food for the next day.

One day, when Anna was about twelve, she went for a walk in a nearby forest of trees. It had been a beautiful day and the sky had been filled with numerous puffy white clouds. She had noticed an older boy walking ahead of her and had decided to take the next fork in the path so as to avoid running into him.

After some time, she had felt somewhat uneasy and had turned to look back. She saw that the older boy was walking behind her. She smiled and continued on her way, but he grabbed her by the arm and threw her to the ground. Anna got off one scream before he clasped his hand over her mouth.

He quickly began to tear off her clothes and proceeded to undo his pants. Anna had been wearing a light sundress that had been given to her by a kind neighbor. Before he could go any farther, she saw him suddenly lifted into the air by a powerful older man.

Anna recognized the man as one of the Mafia men that her mother had told her about. What had amazed her so much about this man was the massive amount of muscle his body possessed. She watched with surprise as the boy's face turned almost completely white.

The man continued to lift the boy and then threw him into a patch of nettles. He had then taken off his own jacket and handed it to Anna so that she could cover herself. He then helped her to her feet and walked her to her home. Once she was safely inside, he had retrieved his jacket and left.

After that incident, Anna was never bothered again. Word seemed to spread throughout the whole community that she was untouchable. Although hesitant at first, Anna had eventually learned that she was free to take long walks wherever she wanted.

Neighbors and friends would occasionally come to her for advice when their animals or kids became sick. The remedies that Anna dispensed were often able to cure many of the patients from their maladies. Word spread about her skills and folks began to encourage her to become a doctor.

Anna told me that, after the incident in the woods, it had seemed like she had acquired some unknown benefactor. On many occasions, events would unfold that made it appear to be the case that someone was working behind the scenes. Whenever a difficult situation would come up, something would happen to cause the problem to go away. If someone came to inquire about an overdue bill, they were much more patient than usual. When she had applied to medical school, the process had gone very easily. She told me that she had always suspected it was someone in the Mafia.

Anna explained that she had worked very hard to get to the point where she now found herself. She was widely respected throughout the area and at other hospitals. She said when she had met me, a part of her being, which had been repressed for a very long time, had suddenly been reawakened. She relayed how she had discovered that there was now an additional purpose in life. Besides being a doctor, she now wanted to share her life with another person.

"Clint, that person is you. You are now most important person in my life."

The way she said it, with her unique accent, made the words seem even more special to me.

I had pulled her close and our lips had locked into a passionate kiss. We held each other, in that tender embrace, for a very long time.

...

Returning to the present, I realized that I had a whole new day ahead of me with nothing scheduled. Once again, I found myself with a large chunk of free time on my hands.

I climbed out of bed and marveled at how refreshed I felt. I recalled the beating I had taken the night before, in the banya, and realized the benefits that had come from that experience. I quickly dressed and walked out to the edge of town to see what surprises the morning would bring.

I was pleased to see a weathered old farmer, his knee length rubber boots plodding across the ground, leading his cows out to the fields to graze. The sun was still low on the horizon and I heard a few birds singing sweetly in the trees.

Anna would be working for most of the day, so I called Ivan and told him when to meet me. I sensed it was time to meet with Sergei and attempt to finalize our contract. Despite my aversion to the whole idea, I found that my time was running out and I would soon need to return home.

I discovered that I really enjoyed the Russian people. As is always the case, the common people are generally kind and friendly. It is the governments, spewing their propaganda and mistrust, which make life so difficult for everyone else.

I thought about my soldier friend who would be pedaling his bike off to his assignment at the base. I had learned that his wife would walk a long, well-worn path to a stop near the highway. There she would catch a bus, which would then take her to the workplace. I could see people bustling about as they each began preparations for the new day. I walked back to my hotel to wait for Ivan to pick me up.

When I arrived at the plant, I asked Sergei for permission to visit some of the departments which I wanted to observe once more. I took notes on their processes and also made a few measurements. When I was finished with my review, I returned to meet with Sergei.

I wanted Sergei to know that I expected nothing but a quality product from him. Anything less would void our contract and put a crimp in my plans to return to see Anna.

Sergei and I quickly came to an agreement on a price for the products that my company would need. After that, we continued to work on ironing out a few additional details. I informed Sergei that I would be returning at various intervals to check on the quality of the merchandise.

Sergei asked if I needed anything. He had a beautiful young woman brought in and told me that she was mine if I wanted her. The girl was stunningly beautiful, but I was not tempted in any way. I thanked him, but replied that I was already in a committed relationship.

He laughed and said;

"But why would that stop you?"

I just smiled in response.