excerpt
“Never felt saner.”
“You don’t know how horrible farm life will be here. Shortages of food. Rough living…”
“Since when are you an expert on Soviet farm life?”
“I know as much as you know…Oh come on! You’re not cut out to be a farmer.”
David seized the lack of response to ask, wide-eyed, “What’s going on?” They ignored him.
“Seriously, Jen, I’ve never felt clearer about anything in my life. I’m staying with Vera.”
“Wow! Is that the woman you met at the Workers’ Club visit?” David had come up to speed. “She’s gorgeous. Congratulations, you lucky sod.” Then he thought. “But you mean you’ll get her out of the country?”
“No. I’m staying here with her,” Paul replied firmly.
Jennifer discovered that, for some reason, her heart was not really in this dispute, but she tried again. “Think of my job,” she continued. “I’ll be in trouble for losing one of my students!”
“Jennifer, excuse me for noticing,” David pointed out, “but you’re already in deepest doo- doo with Chopyk for your affair with Volodya. Or did I mishear that dispute in the dining room yesterday?”
Jennifer stared as if she had just now noticed him. “Will everyone stop interfering with my life and ‘affair,’ as you call it?”
“That’s it!” retorted Paul. “That’s exactly how I feel. This is more than an ‘affair,’ a vacation fling with a local chick. I love Vera. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. And you should talk, Jennifer.” He levelled a fierce stare at her. “After chasing around Leningrad with your hunk of burning man. If you felt the same way about Volodya, you’d understand.”
There was silence in the cabin while Jennifer struggled with this revelation. He’s right. He loves the woman. He’s going to be with her. Would I do the same for Vlad? No. Yes. Yes, I would. Finally, she asked, “When will you go?”
“Later today when we put in at Ulyanovsk. Vera will come pick me up there. She’s got something planned.”
“Paul, please don’t tell anyone else. There’s no reason they should be involved or blamed.”
“Okay, except Ted and Maria—I’ll probably tell them when I say goodbye.”
Libros Libertad 