“Thank you, Marvin, for helping me up the stairs and for all you have done for my family. Vladimir was right to choose you as his brother.” Bella played with a crumpled piece of paper, unrolled it, then rolled it back up and, throwing it on the ground, began to speak. “My daughters helped me put words on paper, but I would rather tell you what my heart wants to say. For more than thirty years I loved this man, and he only brought me honor. Well…honor, a circus, and four lovely queens who are my daughters. All four are here, but sadly one is buried next to Vladimir.
“Vladimir loved the circus. He was breathing circus air in his mother’s womb. From the moment he was born, there was no question who he would become or what he would do. But he was also a generous and loving husband, and oh, how he loved his daughters, when everyone wished him a son.
“Most of you here know his favorite game was cards, poker in particular. You wonder why I bring that up.
“When our daughters were born, each was named after a queen in the deck of cards. At each birth, my Vladimir passed out Chas Goodall & Son playing cards instead of cigars. This morning, I took those two decks of cards Vladimir cherished, and before my sweet Vladimir’s casket was closed, I snuck into the room where he had been laid.” Bella looked down at Ann Marie, Diamond, and Lucky, who all looked surprised; this was the first they had heard of this.
Bella gave the girls a mischievous grin. “A wife must do what she has to do,” she said, and then continued with her story, “and from those decks of cards minted the years of our daughters’ births, I took two queens. From the first deck, I removed the queen of hearts and queen of spades, and from the second, I removed the queen of diamonds and queen of clubs. Then I put the four queens under Vladimir’s shirt and laid them on his chest, over his heart. I wanted my husband, my love, to never be without his daughters. Even buried in the ground, he would always have his queens to keep him company. And just in case they don’t have a deck where he has gone, I left the rest of the playing cards in his right hand.
“This makes many of you smile who played a hand with my Vladimir, especially his good friend Boris. But a woman must know her man and what makes him happy.” Then she paused, and tears welled up in her eyes. “I don’t know how to live without him. He was my everything. He was my passion, my life. And you, the circus and all of you who are here, and our family, you were his everything. He was my hero. I am honored to be the wife of such a man. Thank you for sharing your love with us today. Thank you for paying your respects.”
¯¯¯
That night I shared my bedroom with Bella. As I was drifting into sleep, I could hear her weeping and tossing and turning, as if her bed were too big for her. Then I began to weep, too.
When I woke in the morning, Bella had just finished washing her face. She looked at me and said, “I had the strangest dream last night. I was visited by a rather messy man with a towel wrapped around his head. He told me something was missing, and that I, or the queens, needed to find it. He sounded spiritual, but I got the impression that it was material.” Then she said firmly, “I’m going to Italy,” as if that were the most obvious course.
“What?” I said, taken aback.
“I’m going to Italy,” she repeated. “It’s time for me to redefine who I am. I was so young when I met Vladimir and came to this country. I had no idea what I was getting into. All I knew was that I was in love, and that this charismatic, funny, intriguing foreigner was doing everything he could to sweep me off my feet. Within a short time, his dreams became mine.”
“But Bella, what about the girls and the circus?”
“Ann Marie, Kyle, and the kids will be fine. If they want to start the circus again, I’ll leave it in Kyle’s hands. That Kyle is solid. He’ll know the right thing to do. Lucky is going to put that brain of hers and all her energy to good use, and her talent is working for her. And although I have not met him yet in person, I believe I’m going to like this Thomas fella.”
I had never heard Bella speak so frankly before. “But what about me?” I couldn’t stop myself from saying. “I want what’s best for my sister, but I’ll miss you terribly.”
“Oh, Donatella, you should go back to being Donatalia. I started calling you Donatella because I was homesick. It’s become clear these past days—” Bella paused. “Now, I’m not trying to take your place as a fortune-teller, but it’s become clear what your Russia has always meant to you.
“With Vladimir dead, the only concrete thing that binds you to your past is your name, the name your mother and father wanted for you. You would wear it well. You should try it on again.”
“Donatalia,” I said. I looked in the mirror. “Donatalia,” I said once more, glancing at my reflection in the window. “It feels strange to say it after so long a time, but I think I like it.”
“Good.” Bella smiled.
A stranger looking on at this moment would never have guessed that these were the same women who’d spent the night weeping after burying the dead. I wondered how our tears had made Bella so strong.
“Maybe you and Marvin can call me Donatalia,” I said.
¯¯¯
Bella didn’t waste any time. Once she’d made up her mind, she was ready to cross the Atlantic. She traveled with Diamond back to New York City, where she was able to see Diamond’s show before she boarded the ship to Italy. I was a little nervous about how she’d get back and worried for her safety. I read in the newspapers that matters all over Europe were getting more and more precarious. Mussolini had invaded Ethiopia, and he seemed to be as power-hungry as that German madman Hitler. But nothing would stop her. She was going home, for however long it took.
On the other hand, Lucky and Thomas, having known each other for little more than a month, were ready to settle down. As soon as school ended, Thomas had made his way south. I liked him quite a bit. He seemed to bring out the best in Lucky. He found endearing the very eccentricities that had sometimes annoyed us. The way Lucky shrieked sometimes when she got excited used to drive us crazy, but with Thomas around, we began smiling at that habit rather than gritting our teeth. And when she composed one too many limericks and wanted us to listen to every last rhyme, we were amused rather than irritated.
The first several months after Vladimir passed, I visited his grave every day. I talked to him about his family, Marvin, and the circus. I could feel he was particularly concerned for Ann Marie; he needed to know she was fine before his soul could float away and become one with the heavens. But what can one do for a dead man but help him get to God, knowing it’s okay to leave?
Two other souls still needed my help. I worked hard and watched over the farm, but whatever extra time I had I put into learning as much as I could about Big Jim and a little zoo in Mississippi.
Chapter 50
Even with Bella and Diamond gone, we were a full house, with Ann Marie, Kyle and the kids, Lucky, Harsita, Roman, Marvin, and me.
Kyle Jr. had started school. Scarlett was walking and getting into anything she could open or climb into. I’m not certain if I had ever met a child more curious. “Don’t forget to shut that bottom drawer,” I constantly reminded everyone. “More than once I have found our dear Scarlett napping with the linens.”
One morning over coffee, Anne Marie asked, “Would it be okay for us to stay longer than we had expected? Kyle Jr. has been through so much, and he’s happy here.”
“You know the answer, Ann Marie. The farm would seem empty now without you and the children. I’ve been thinking about that pasture near where Kyle keeps the horses. The shack next to it is falling apart, but its foundation is surprisingly well built. I was thinking we could tear it down and replace it with a house. What kind of house do you think would look nice there?”
Ann Marie’s face lit up. “Oh, that would be wonderful, Donatella. I’m sure Kyle will have some ideas.” We’d just started to talk happily about porches, how many windows a
nd bedrooms for the children, when there was a knock on the door. A few minutes later, Ben said some of my favorite words: “Got one for you, Miss Donatella.” It was a letter from Diamond, so I read it out loud to Ann Marie.
“Neither of us wants to let go of what we have,” Diamond wrote. Though she and Roman talked every week on the phone, things between them were still unsettled. “I’m not sure what to do. There’s no question that I love him, and I’m certain he loves me, but we love our lives, too. Roman said that perhaps he would apply for a job at the zoo, but he’s not sure if it’s the right move. You said time would tell what we are meant to be, but no matter what the outcome, I will always be grateful knowing we have loved each other freely.”
“It looks like what’s good for one—right now, at least—isn’t the right life for the other,” Ann Marie said.
I had to agree, sadly. “Roman’s told me that as much he loves Diamond, he’s always been a lion tamer’s son, and he wonders what more might be waiting for him. I think he’s finally ready to explore more of the world and himself. But Diamond, I believe, is exactly where she belongs. It’s hard to admit there might be no happy ending.”
Diamond had relied on Roman during the difficult time after Vladimir’s death. I’d seen them sneaking off at night, unaware of anyone but themselves, but I couldn’t see how their two very different worlds could meet. I was afraid they might have to learn the lesson no young person quite understands: that sometimes love isn’t enough.
¯¯¯
That afternoon, I found Marvin sitting at his big oak desk, sifting through some papers Kyle had just handed him, looking very much the prosperous man of affairs. It made me smile. “Getting on top of things?” I asked.
He grimaced. “Vladimir left us a mountain of work.”
Vladimir’s death had left us with a lot of loose ends to tie up, and I wondered what surprises we might have in store. The circus as a business was in disarray, and no one knew much about his personal affairs.
“I know he had no intention of dying that day, but I do wish he’d been more organized. From now on, I’ll try to keep my own affairs in order in case anything happens to me,” I replied.
Sometimes I felt that Bella had abandoned us, although she had more than earned her right to leave. Vladimir’s will had named Kyle as executor but asked that Marvin be consulted on anything related to the circus. Without Bella’s guidance, the task of deciding how to distribute Vladimir’s possessions, many of which were purely sentimental in value, was not always easy.
¯¯¯
Kyle and Marvin went through the stacks of papers a little at a time. Months after Vladimir died, they came to me with something quite mysterious.
“We found this buried at the bottom of one of Vladimir’s trunks full of circus memorabilia. What do you make of it?” Kyle asked.
Wrapped in an embroidered Russian shawl was a beautiful black-lacquered box. I immediately recognized the hand-painted scene on it; it was from a Russian folktale, the story of Alyonushka and Ivanushka. The box showed the sister carrying her brother across a river. Inside the box, under a silk kerchief, I found a key and a sealed envelope. I knew the contents had to be something special. Why else would they have gone to all this trouble? These boxes were painted in only a small handful of Russian villages; this one, I believed, came from Fedoskino.
I looked up at Kyle and Marvin. “This key makes the sealed envelope inside even more mysterious.” They waited, but for a while I was silent. I was lost in a memory of a day many years before. “Vladimir received a package along with a letter from his parents,” I said finally. “At the time, he was frustrated because he couldn’t convince them to leave Russia, even though they were in grave danger. Receiving anything from Russia was highly unusual. He told me he didn’t want to open the envelope—he’d wait until he was in a better mood. ‘Be certain you put this someplace safe,’ I told him.
“But why did he open the box and not the envelope?” Marvin asked.
“I think he thought it might be their final farewell, and he didn’t want to face it. So instead he put the box and envelope in a safe place and told himself he would open it later. Over time, it just became easier to let it sit.”
I stared at the envelope. “Okay, Vladimir, here we go.” Very carefully I broke the seal, as if the envelope had come from the czar himself.
I pulled out the note inside, gently unfolded the thin, yellowed paper, and read it to myself. Kyle and Marvin sat next to me, anxiously waiting. When I was through, I gave them a translation:
Dearest Vladimir,
We have come to believe that our Russia, the Russia you were raised in and taught to hold in high esteem, will soon be no longer.
We hired at a considerable sum a man—who, for obvious reasons, will remain nameless—to make a delivery to a bank in Charleston, South Carolina. The bank is located at the corner of Broad and State Streets. This key will unlock a box that’s registered in your name, and inside it you will find our gift. In case something happens to us, this should secure your future and that of the circus.
Presently, Russia is dangerous, and travel is out of the question. When this upheaval comes to a peaceful end, we will reunite, if possible. Be safe, son, and give our love to your wife and family. You are in our hearts.
Your loving parents
The letter was dated October 23, 1916. “Whatever is in the box is probably worthless at this point,” Ann Marie said when I read the letter at dinnertime.
“But we have to find out,” I countered. “Whatever is, or was, in the bank is your heritage, and your grandparents wanted you to have it.”
The next day, Kyle and Marvin called the bank manager in Charleston. He would need us to come in person, he said, with a death certificate, identification, supporting evidence, and, of course, the key.
¯¯¯
Two days later, on a crisp autumn morning, Ann Marie, Lucky, Kyle, Marvin, and I all went to Charleston. Roman and Harsita stayed at the farm to take care of the children and chores that needed to be completed.
Before leaving, I decided to give Officer Harper a call. I knew getting through this web of papers and officials was not going to be easy, and we might need someone to vouch for our character and confirm that we were who we said we were. Who would be better than a police officer?
When I called the station, I was told that no Officer Harper worked there, but if I wanted to speak with Captain Harper, they would give me the number.
The bank was exactly as I imagined: a big ornate granite building, very airy, with fourteen-foot ceilings. I thought that Charleston had the most elegant architecture in the South—with the exception of Savannah, of course.
The manager who approached us looked as if he belonged on Wall Street. He wore a neatly pressed gray suit, an impeccable light blue shirt, and a tie that looked very expensive. Not one hair was out of place.
Framed pictures on the wall showed that the building had been remodeled. We were told the safe deposit boxes had been, too, and the locks to those boxes had new keys that matched these more modern times. But wax imprints of the old locks and keys had been made, and if our key matched their wax-cast mold, we would be given a new key and be taken downstairs where the boxes were kept.
We were all nervous, the queens especially. Whatever was inside the safe deposit box would soon belong to them. I looked at my watch. “I hope he didn’t get called someplace else,” I fretted.
The manager introduced himself as Mr. Charles Milton. “We spoke on the phone the other day,” he said. “Do you have the papers I asked you to bring, and of course the key? I need to gather a little more information.” Then he took what we’d brought and went back into his office and closed the door. Behind the glass, we could see him walking back and forth as he made several calls. We were left wondering what was being said.
When I looked up and saw Captain Harp
er walk through the front door, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was certain that with his help, everything would get settled.
Captain Harper walked straight into the manager’s office, leaving the door open, and proclaimed, “These people are my friends.” Captain Harper then turned back to me. “Hello, Donatella, it’s good to see all of you again. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll make certain you are shown the best of Charleston hospitality. Mr. Milton happens to be an old school buddy of mine. Isn’t that right, Charles? Donatella is not just my friend but a friend of my entire department, and you know what that means.”
Immediately following Captain Harper’s speech, the secretary came in carrying a shiny new key, and handed it to the manager. Captain Harper winked at me and then nodded to Mr. Milton. “If Donatella runs into any trouble or needs anything, she knows where to find me.
“By the way I was very sad to hear about Vladimir,” he said to Lucky and Ann Marie. “Your father was a hero and will be missed.”
I thanked Captain Harper and congratulated him again on his promotion. Almost out the door, he turned to me. “It’s because of that trickster rabbit we became friends. Funny.” And he tipped his cap to us and left.
We walked down the stairs to where the boxes were kept. Mr. Milton handed me back our old key. Once so light, it now felt like a ten-pound weight, but I held onto it for good luck. I thought about Vladimir’s parents and wondered what we would find.
“I can only let two people in at a time,” the manager said. Then he unlocked two steel doors. Kyle and I were the first to enter. We had all decided Kyle would be the most sensible, and more than likely we would need a Russian translator.
Mr. Milton put the key in our box, turned it to the right, and pulled it out. Leaving the box closed, he laid it on a table and handed Kyle another key. “I’ll be right outside the door when you are through. If you want to change places, let me know. But remember, there can only be two of you at one time.”
The Fortune Teller's Fate Page 31
