excerpt
In the afternoon, she met him on the hotel steps. They kissed shyly, like newlyweds. Today, he suggested going to a memorial cemetery which seemed a strange choice of tourist attractions.
“You asked me about the history of Leningrad, remember? Well, I will show you its history.” She knew he had lived in the city all of his life and he had told her briefly that his family had endured the three-year wartime siege when the area was surrounded by German troops.
They would go by taxi, which Volodya hired using the simple expedient of standing in the square until the vehicle approached, then throwing himself in front of it and smacking the hood. The car shuddered to a halt. Volodya and the driver haggled furiously in rapid Russian for a moment, then he and Jennifer climbed in.
“I thought you were crazy—jumping in front of the car!”
“It is difficult sometimes to find a taxi,” he said. “One must be courageous.”
She settled back in her seat. “Vlad, we have to talk,” she went on in English so the taxi driver would not understand. Volodya nodded but seemed disinclined to look her in the eye. She began, “There’s something I’d like to know about you. You haven’t told me much about your past. Have you never married? It may not be any of my business,” she went on, “but these last few days have been great…and I’m wondering….”
He only stared out the window at the passing cars.
“That woman, Alya, in your apartment. She’s more than a neighbour, isn’t she?”
“She’s my wife,” he answered glumly.
“You mean your ex-wife?”
“No,” he sighed. “We are still married. We live together.”
Jennifer’s heart gave a sickening lurch.
“Still married! But how could you…? Oh, I should never have stayed there last night. We made love in the same house—in the next room!”
“What is the word in English? I can’t remember…,” he asked.
“Adulterer, you mean?”
“No,” he grimaced. “Is that what you think? You Americans do not understand this. You have big homes—you even have homes for your dogs and for your cars. Here it is very difficult to find a home. One must have papers, a permit to live in certain cities.” He glanced at the driver to see if he showed signs of comprehension. “Alya and I have a residency permit to live together as husband and wife in Leningrad.”
Libros Libertad 