Christian looked back as Ion led him away and thought he saw disappointment in Nadya’s dark eyes. He hoped that she had wanted him to stay with her instead of going off with Ion. And how he wished he had. Christian sighed as he realized Ion had been talking to him all the while as they walked along, and he had not heard a single word.
Chapter18
Several days passed without incident. Often Christian sought Nadya out, and they talked, laughed or played with Hanzi and Lil. Many times Ion would witness their banter and come to interrupt. Ion was confused. He wanted the match, but at the same time he knew the drawbacks. Ion knew he must go to the Shera Rom as he’d promised, but he feared that the leader of the Gypsies would frown upon a wedding between a Romany girl and a gage. And once the word was given by the Shera Rom that the match was not approved, all contact between the couple must cease immediately. It was easier to avoid the question. The longer he waited, the more he hoped that Christian would win the favor of the Shera Rom. Ion hoped that by giving the Shera Rom and all of the gypsies a chance to know Christian better, they would come to see his true heart. As things stood right now, Ion held the power to make the final decision, but once he went to the leader for advice, he gave up his power; and then he must adhere to the decision of the Shera Rom.
Every night Nadya made Christian’s plate and brought it to him when she brought Ion’s. She took special care when preparing Christian’s food, almost as if he were her husband. The thought frightened her, and so she pushed it out of her mind, but she still enjoyed his company so much that instead of avoiding him, she found that she made an effort to see him. He would search for her as the fires of the evening were being extinguished, only to bid her a good night, and if just for a moment, to see her lovely face once more at day’s end. More than a week had passed since Christian’s last mission, and he found that himself growing contented. Lying around much of the day, smoking cigarettes and drinking the sweet cherry liquor of the Rom which he had come to enjoy, for the first time in many years Christian felt at peace.
One night Christian and Nadya sat together watching the sun set. The smell of the campfires filled the air, and Christian realized he’d begun to love this way of life. As he lay back on a patch of thick grass, he gazed in awe at the blood-colored sky as it faded to the color of aged wine, and then mellowed to match the shade of a young girl’s blush. When the shadows of the trees came over the camp he took a deep breath and looked at Nadya, the girl who had changed him in so many ways. And he wondered how all of his life he had missed the beauty all around him. Now everywhere he looked, all of his five senses were alerted to the wonder of God’s incredible creations.
“You make me happy Nadya. I can’t say that I have been happy for too much of my adult life,” Christian said as he lay on his back looking at the sky.
She swallowed hard. She had never expressed an emotion to a man, and she felt shy as she whispered “You make me happy, too.”
From behind a tree, Hanzi came over and jumped into her lap, breaking the moment. Lil bounded behind him with her tail wagging.
“Well, hello Hanzi! And how are you this fine evening?” Christian sat up and winked at Nadya, and she winked back.
“Fine,” a thin line of drool ran from the side of Hanzi’s mouth. Christian watched as Nadya took the bottom of her purple flowered skirt to wipe it. Then she took Hanzi off of her lap and sat him down on the ground. The child smiled up at her.
“He thinks I am his mama,” Nadya said.
“Yes I can see that. It’s kind of you to take care of him.”
“It’s good for me also. After our family was taken, I needed to feel like I had a purpose. I missed mama and papa so much; I felt that if they were dead that I didn’t want to live. At first I was very sad, and Ion thought that I might die of a broken heart. And then this little boy came and everything changed. I had a reason to get up every morning. I had someone who needed me.”
“And now I have come into your life, and I hope that everything will change even more. I hope that you will never experience another day of unhappiness.”
Feeling her cheeks heat up, she could not meet his eyes. “You are so bold,” she whispered, laughing a little.
Hanzi saw Shmul walking across the field, and he ran to him, carrying the ball with Lil behind him.
Nadya watched as Shmul lifted the little boy high in the air, and she was glad that Hanzi had a family, even if it was a family of freedom fighters.
Christian glanced over at Nadya and was overcome once again by her beauty. It seemed that when she looked at the child the warmth of her heart shone through on her face. “Nadya, I should probably have asked your permission first,” Christian said.
She looked at him strangely, “My permission? For what?”
“Yes, your permission. I hope you won’t be angry…and…if you refuse, I will respect your wishes above all else. But I have asked your brother for your hand in marriage.” There, he’d said it. Now his body tingled with anticipation as he waited for her answer, an answer that meant everything to him.
Her hand flew to her mouth. She was shocked. “Was Ion angry?’ she asked.
“No. But he did say he could not make the decision himself. He said that he must go to the Shera Rom for permission.”
“Without our father here to guide him that would make sense,” she spoke her inner thoughts aloud.
“And if permission is granted, would you have me?” His heart felt as if it would jump out of his chest. He was so afraid she might reject him, so afraid that she planned to marry a Roma. Christian found he could not take a deep breath as he waited for her answer.
Nadya stared down at the ground for a moment.
“Nadya… I love you,” Christian said in a barely audible whisper.
When she looked up to meet his eyes he saw that she had tears on her cheeks.
“I love you too, Christian. And my answer is yes. Yes, I would marry you. But I am afraid that the Shera Rom will never approve this.”
“We must stay hopeful.” His heart sang. She loved him. Those words filled his ears. And they filled his eyes, turning the world a lovely shade of rose. The loveliest shade of the sunset…the loveliest shade he’d ever seen. All of his five senses came alive, and he was overcome with joy.
“Has Ion spoken to the Shera Rom yet?” Nadya asked.
“I am not sure.”
“Go with him when he goes… Plead your case. If this marriage is what you truly want, then you must talk to the Shera Rom. You must convince him yourself.”
“Not only are you beautiful, my sweet Nadya, but you are wise. I will talk to your brother tonight.”
“Christian,” she whispered.
“Yes, my love…”
“Before you go…”
“Yes…”
“You may kiss me.”
He trembled as he leaned over, his face just inches from hers. She felt the warmth of his lips and her entire body cried out for his touch.
Chapter 19
After Christian left to find Ion to go to the Shera Rom with their request, Nadya sat alone and lost in thought. How strange life was. All of her life she’d believed she would marry a man of the Roma. Never in her most vivid dreams could she have considered herself the wife of a gage. Yet, Christian was not a typical gage. In fact, it was true; it was as everyone said, he did have the heart of a gypsy. How quickly he had acclimated to their way of life, and how easily he’d accepted their food and their customs. She smiled thinking of how he’d looked the first time he ate using his fingers. A giggle escaped her lips when she remembered his face the first time she told him he was eating hedgehog. His face had gone pale, but only for a moment. Then he’d said, “You know, it tastes good. I like it.” Christian, sweet, thoughtful Christian… It had touched her heart so when he’d given Hanzi the ball and taught him to play fetch with the puppy.
Nadya was so deeply wrapped up in thought that she didn’t realize what had happened. Popping sounds, like
firecrackers, surrounded her, and the camp filled with smoke. She jumped to her feet and stood in a daze, just watching as men fell from gunshots all around her. It took several moments for her to realize that they were under siege. Nadya ran to find Hanzi. She raced through the camp. Terror filled her as she saw men and women lying, bleeding, on the ground. From out of nowhere Christian appeared. He carried Hanzi in his strong, capable arms. She felt her heart leap and almost jumped into his arms. The dog followed close behind. Christian put his arm around her waist. Then, practically carrying her, he led her quickly away from the fighting and out into the dense woodlands. Piles of richly-colored leaves were scattered upon ground of the forest. The blanket of foliage rustled, crackling beneath their feet as they ran. Without looking back, Christian held fast to Nadya, carrying the child farther into the woods. Finally, when he deemed it safe enough to stop, Christian looked back to see the camp ablaze with gunfire. After Christian found what he felt to be a safe gully hidden deep within the trees, he helped Nadya and Hanzi down into the hiding place. “Nadya, keep the boy and the dog quiet. I will return as soon as I can.” he said.
“Please, Christian, don’t leave us. I am terrified.”
“You will be all right here. I must go back and help defend the camp. Stay and be quiet; do not return until I come for you. Do you understand?”
Her black, almond-shaped eyes dark and wide with fear looked so young as she nodded.
“You will be safe here,” he said. Then he left to return to the camp.
Christian knew where the guns and ammunition were kept, and he quickly armed himself. He knew how to handle a gun, but had never killed anyone before. It was essential that he not let sentimentality enter his thoughts. He could not think about the lives of those he must kill. Instead he realized he must act as a machine, without feeling, if he were to survive. The ammunition was too hard to come by; he must not waste a single bullet. Shots rang out all around him, but Christian was so caught up in his worries about Nadya that he forgot to be afraid for his own safety. Instead he continued to fight, always glancing back towards the gully where he’d left the woman he loved. Men fell, and he knew their deaths were on his hands, but he continued to fight.
After the invasion was over, a great many of the offending group lay dead all about the camp. But there was also loss of life among the freedom fighters. Christian was sickened at the sight of blood and wasted life. He walked through the ravaged camp, stepping over bodies, in search of Ion, silently praying that he would not find him among the dead.
Ion walked towards him, covered in blood and grit, but alive.
“Are you alright?’ Christian asked him.
“Yes, this blood you see all over me is from a Nazi. He attacked me and I killed him with my knife. More importantly, have you seen Nadya?”
“I have. I put her in a safe hiding place with the child when the attack first began.”
“Bless you…” Ion sighed with relief.
“Come with me, we will go to Nadya. She is waiting until I come for her. I wanted to be sure things were safe before I brought her back to camp.”
“Good thinking, my brother.” Ion slapped Christian’s shoulder.
As the two men walked toward the gully where Nadya and Hanzi awaited, Ion looked over at Christian, “Thank you for getting my sister out of here safely during the battle.”
“No need to thank me. You know how I feel about Nadya.”
“Yes… I do know.” Ion stopped for a moment and looked at Christian. He’d come to a decision. “And I believe you should be her husband.”
“I will join you if you if you will allow me to, and together we will speak to the Shera Rom. In fact, I was on my way to find you when the shooting began,” Christian said.
“There is no need. I was only going to him for advice, but in the end it is my choice, and after all I have seen and all I know of you…I say yes. I give you my permission to take my sister’s hand in marriage. That is, if she will have you. And somehow I think she will.”
Christian stopped and turned to Ion. He hugged him. “My brother… Now you are truly my brother.”
“And you are mine also.”
They walked silently for a while. Both of them knew that their happiness was to be short-lived. There was a greater problem to be concerned with.
“It looks as if the Nazis have found our camp, unless this was a renegade group. But still, it is not safe here anymore. We must move…and quickly,” Ion said as he lit a cigarette.
“I agree with you. I think that perhaps we should keep moving. It is harder to find a moving target than one that is stationary.” Christian answered.
“True, my friend; I have to agree. I plan to bring this to the attention of the Shera Rom. We must go as soon as possible.”
“Have you seen any of the others? Do you know who has survived the attack?”
“Yes, many; Shmul and his company had just arrived back at camp when the invasion began. I wonder if he was followed by our enemies, and that is how we were found.”
“A distinct possibility… Is Shmul alive?” Christian rubbed his chin.
“Fortunately, yes. We have lost many others though, and I am still not sure of the total damages to our supplies, but we will assess more when we clean up the campsite.
Chapter 20
Nadya and Hanzi huddled together deep in the gulley as they waited and listed. When they heard footsteps coming toward them, Nadya held her hand over Hanzis mouth so that he would not call out. She felt the fear rise within her. It could be Christian or it could be a Nazi; she could not be sure which, but she must keep the boy silent until she heard Christian’s voice. The tension made her itch and feel as if she needed to clear her throat. Her hands trembled, and in response she felt the child quiver as she held him close to her. It seemed as if hours passed when in fact it was only minutes before she heard his voice. Tears of relief filled her face as she took a deep breath.
“Nadya, it’s all right; it’s me, Christian. Ion is with me. Come out.” Night had set in, and it had grown dark in the forest because the trees blocked the moonlight.
“Christian…” her voice was hoarse as she realized she was weeping. Her limbs hurt from being tensed up, but she lifted Hanzi and handed him to Christian, who helped him out of the gully. Lil jumped after him.
When Nadya saw Christian, she fell into his arms, sobbing. He held her tenderly and whispered in her ear. “You’re all right now. I’m here. Shhhh… Don’t cry. It will be all right.” Ion watched his sister and his new brother-in-law-to-be and knew that he’d made the correct decision. Christian was the right choice of husband for Nadya.
“Are either of you hurt?” Christian lifted Nadya’s face so that he could see her eyes.
“No, we’re fine. I played a game with Hanzi to keep him quiet,” she smiled through her tears.
“That’s my girl; smart thinking.” Although throughout the entire attack he’d continued to glance over at the gully, and therefore he knew that Nadya and Hanzi had not been discovered, he was relieved to find that they were both unharmed.
Christian helped Nadya walk back to camp. It was apparent that the ordeal had taken a toll on her, and she was clearly unnerved and exhausted.
As he held her arm, Christian’s mind wandered. Once he had heard some Jewish friends at a party talking about marriage. They had mentioned a word he had not understood, so he had asked what it meant. The word was bashart; it meant, they’d told him, the one and only person who you are destined to spend your life with. It is your true twin soul, they’d said, the other half that makes you whole. She is my bashart, he thought, the only woman for me.
Chapter 21
The camp was filled with people, living and dead. There was a buzz of activity as the group prepared to move. The assault, it seemed, had taken twelve of their members, and Ion was distraught at the loss. Pacing the camp and wringing his hands, he knew that time was passing, and they must make a plan to move before morning. While
the others mourned their losses, Ion went to the Shera Rom.
“May I have a moment of your time?’
“Come in, Ion… Sit.”
Ion sat down on a rock. The Shera Rom offered him a drink from his bottle. Ion took a long swig, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“So… You have come to see me?” the Shera Rom asked.
“We must move from this location, and quickly. The Nazis know we are here, and they will come again,” Ion told the older man.
“I agree with you. In fact I was thinking the same thing just moments ago before you arrived. Gather the men together. We must tell them what we plan to do, and those who choose to follow will join us.”
“I will bring the group together in front of your tent.” Ion stood to leave.
“Before you go, I have something to speak with you about. Stay seated, Ion.” The Shera Rom studied Ion’s face as he spoke, “I have great hopes for your future, Ion.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“I do not have a son. You are the one I have chosen. If you will accept my offer…you are my choice…my successor as Shera Rom. Now of course, as you know, there will be a vote and the final outcome will be decided by the men. But the one whom I select will be the first to be nominated for the position. And as you are well aware, it is usually the man who is chosen by the former Shera Rom who is elected. So chances are that if you accept, you will be the next leader of our kumpania.”
Ion was stunned. This was the utmost honor that could be bestowed upon a man. But he must tell the leader of his agreement with Christian and see if the leader of the gypsies’ offer still stood once he realized that Ion had agreed to a marriage between his own sister and a gago. “Before you chose me, I must tell you of a decision I have made. It may very well change your mind about claiming me as your successor.”
The Heart Of A Gypsy Page 8
