“Of course I will accept,” Christian said.
“As I said, the details will not be in place for several weeks. We must make contacts and arrangements. You will have time to get married first if you would like.”
“I would. I would like to get married as soon as we settle, even if it is only temporarily. I am not sure, but I think your sister would agree.”
“I believe she would. Again, I must thank you for my sister’s life. You saved her today.”
“I love her, Ion.” They were both rode in silence for several minutes. Then Christian spoke again, his voice soft and cracking, “I would give my life to protect her.”
“I know that, Christian, and that is why I am sure I made the right decision in giving my consent to the marriage.”
“I am honored, my brother.”
“And well you should be, because now you will be Roma, like us.”
“The only problem is that, since we have had these two close calls, first the attack and now the solider, I am concerned every time Nadya is out of my sight.”
“That makes these missions more difficult for you? I will understand if you chose to stop going with us.”
“Yes, it does make things more problematic. But I must do what I can to help.”
“If you are sure…then you are with us…”
“I am sure,” Christian nodded in the darkness.
“You are good man, Christian, and I will be proud to have you as my brother.” Ion kicked his horse and rode back up to ride beside the Shera Rom’s wagon.
Chapter 26
The Shera Rom was waiting for Ion. He watched as Ion rode up on horseback to ride beside his vurdun.
“Did Christian accept the mission?” the Shera Rom asked.
“He did.”
“He is brave for a gage.”
“That he is. Actually, he is brave for any race. I will be proud to have him as one of us.”
The Shera Rom nodded in agreement. “I have been thinking. We will have to teach the gage among us to build wagons. To sleep out in the open is all right as long as the weather holds up, but once the winter sets in, it will be a different story. And even if we are to keep moving, the nights will be very cold without wagons. You and Christian did well; you brought back several small vurduns, but that is still not enough for everyone to have shelter. No, the gage among us must learn to build wagons just as we do,” the Shera Rom said. “We will help them; we will show them how it is done.”
As they traveled deeper into the woods, the darkness grew thicker and blacker. An owl hooted softly in the distance as a tree branch slapped at Ion’s thigh.
“Building a vurdun is no small task,” Ion said.
“And it must be done quickly, because we must continue to move quickly, especially now, while we are in heavily infiltrated Nazi territory. We cannot remain stationary for long. It would be unsafe.”
“How long do you plan to stay at the site where we are now headed?”
“Until you return from the mission. Of course, that is only if nothing happens to force us to move before then,” the Shera Rom replied.
“Even with the wagons, it is difficult to move in the winter,” Ion said.
“I know, and that is why I am trying to head north to Switzerland as rapidly as we can. I am hoping to make it across the border before the onset of the truly cold weather. I know Switzerland has a brutal winter, but at least it is not occupied. If we can make it there, perhaps we can settle until the weather breaks.”
“Would it be wise to abort this mission Christian and I are about to undertake and just continue traveling?” Ion asked.
“No, we must stop to give the men the time they will need the time to build their wagons, so we might as well help this new group to safety if we can, and in the meantime it will give us the funds that we need to replenish the ammunition,” the Shera Rom said. Then he rubbed his chin as he continued speaking, “You have a vurdun, Ion. Will you share it with your sister and Christian once they are married?”
“I will, yes.” Ion said.
“And, of course, the chawy (the child)…you know…the simple boy with the dog…he will stay with you?”
“Yes.”
“Zadar is a master builder; he apprenticed under his father. Their whole family was full of wonderful wood workers; he will help to teach the others. In fact, it was his father who built my vurdun,” the Shera Rom said as he smiled in the darkness, remembering when he had first married his wife and commissioned the builder with his specifications. How excited the young couple had been when they entered their own home for the first time.
Chapter 27
This battle that the Resistance waged against the Germans was becoming overwhelming for Christian. Acquiring ammunition and weapons was becoming more and more difficult. Since his arrest, the danger of the operations kept him awake at night, where once they’d not even fazed him. It seemed so long ago, but once he’d wanted to be a hero, to change the course of history, to stop the Nazis single-handedly, but now he had Nadya to think of, and everything else seemed to pale in comparison. How would she fare when he was gone on a mission that was not his own? And once the winter set in, could she manage alone if he were to be gone for several weeks? Then, of course, he must consider that he could be killed or arrested again. What would become of Nadya then? Christian was no coward, and he would accept his own demise if fate had death in store for him, but he decided he must talk to Ion and ask him how Nadya would be cared for should he be killed on one of the missions. He must be assured that her safety would be of the utmost importance; that she would be cared and provided for, for the rest of her life. Sometimes Christian wanted to turn away from all of this. He was tired, tired of the struggle, tired of the constant worry, tired of looking over his shoulder. It would be wonderful to take his wife far away from this terror, to protect her, to live only for her. Yes, it would be truly glorious, but the guilt that ate away at him for having been born an Aryan forced him to forge on in his quest for a just world.
Chapter 28
When the dawn broke, the caravan stopped. The sun had yet to warm the earth, and the cool of the night still hung in the morning dew. Christian looked back into the vurdun where he saw Nadya, asleep. On one side of her was Hanzi, on the other the puppy, Lil. Christian took the blanket and gently covered her, watching as she slept. His heart ached with tenderness at her beauty.
Ion tended to his horse. First he fed and watered the animal, then he hitched him to a tree and went to see Christian.
“So my brother… You don’t know this but you should be offering me a bride price,” Ion said, half joking.
“Oh?”
“Yes. My sister is smart, resourceful, she can read cards…and if I may say so myself, she is quite beautiful. That should bring a hefty pride price.”
“Although I don’t believe that people should be for sale, if I were to pay a bride price, I would give all that I have, and more, for her. Not because she could bring me money; I would do it because I love her,” Christian said as he set his eiderdown on the ground beneath a tree. He would go off hunting before Nadya awakened; then he would eat and try to get some precious hours of sleep before night fell and the traveling began again.
“Keep your money brother… We are family. I trust if I should need anything from you, you would not deny me,” Ion said.
“I would never deny you.”
The morning sun rose slowly in the sky, and by early afternoon she began to offer her warmth to the earth. After several of the men cleared an area, some they went off to find food. Christian knew that he must preserve ammunition. Later, once he’d rested, he would make a bow and arrow to use for future hunting, but for today he secured a rabbit and a squirrel without using more than a single bullet for each. For Christian, there was no thrill to killing. He hated it, in fact, but he knew that they must eat, and so he did what was necessary to take care of Nadya. He walked far from the campsite and built a small, smoldering fire where
he roasted the kill. Christian took great care not to allow the flames to grow. It was essential that the smoke not rise into the sky, giving their location away. When the food was ready, he returned and awakened Nadya gently, telling her that he had brought food, and that she and Hanzi must eat.
Christian deboned several pieces of the meat and gave them to the dog. Nadya set her eiderdown out on the forest floor; she would use it as a picnic blanket. Then she took out three plates and served the food.
Ion came walking over to the group.
“Join us, brother?” Christian asked.
“I would be honored,” Ion said.
Nadya got another plate.
When they finished eating, Ion wiped his fingers on his pants leg.
“I spoke to Christian last night, and he said he would like your wedding to take place as soon as possible. How do you feel about that?” Ion asked his sister.
Nadya blushed. “I agree; as soon as possible would be good.”
“So, how soon can it be done? And who here is qualified to marry us?” Christian asked.
“The Shera Rom will perform the ceremony…and is tomorrow night too soon? I would like to have the wedding done before we leave on our mission. We should be settled in our semi-permanent camp by then.”
“I was hoping for tonight, my friend,” Christian said. Laughing, they embraced again.
“This calls for a drink! Come, Christian… Soon you are to be a married man. Perhaps I will find someone and be next!”
As they walked together, Ion put his arm around Christian’s shoulder, “You know, for us gypsies, a man is not a real man until he takes a wife.”
Christian nodded.
Ion walked back to the tent of the Shera Rom, where he’d left his bottle of vodka. He lifted it and poured a hearty swig down his throat. “May you have many long, healthy years together, and dozens of children,” and then he passed the bottle to Christian, who lifted it high and drank.
Watching her betrothed from across the forest, Nadya swelled with pride.
As Christian walked back to the wagon, leaving Ion with the Shera Rom, he was approached by Tobar.
“Christian. You are planning to wed Nadya,” Tobar said.
“I am, Tobar,” Christian said.
“You do her a great injustice. You don’t know her way of life. You don’t understand our customs.”
“Love can override all of those things. I love her, Tobar.”
“And suppose I challenge you to a duel to the death?”
Suddenly Ion came up from behind; neither man realized he’d been listening.
“Tobar,” Ion said, “if you should challenge Christian it will be as if you have challenged my decision. For this slight I will have you sent away from our kumpania. I suggest that you leave things as they are.”
Tobar glared at Ion, “You behavior is appalling. You have surely chosen the gage over one of your own. I no longer wish to travel with you. I am going to saddle up my horse and go on my way. You will see, Ion, these gage are liars; they cannot be trusted. You have turned your back on a brother for the gage… The day will come when you will regret this moment.”
Chapter 29
Making arrangements for the wedding ceremony called the Tuminimos with the Shera Rom was not difficult for Ion. He explained what he needed, and the Shera Rom, who had accepted the gago man as one of them already, agreed to perform the wedding the night after they were settled in the place they had chosen as a temporary camp ground.
According to tradition, the groom’s friends were to stage a mock kidnapping of the bride, while the bride’s family barred the entrance to her vurdun. When Ion went to the other Romany men to arrange the traditional kidnapping, they all refused him. It seemed that Tobar had gotten to them first, and they felt their allegiance was to their blood.
“Is it not brother beside brother against the gage?” one of the men asked Ion. “I am sorry. We have lost a true Rom because of this marriage. I cannot participate in your arrangements.”
“I have given my consent to the marriage of my sister to Christian, should that not be enough for you?” Ion said.
“I am sorry Ion, but I must put Tobar before Christian.”
Ion walked through the path separating the wagons, filled with disgust. He knew Nadya would be disappointed, but he could not change things. It would take time for the others to accept Christian, but at least Tobar was gone now. Ion wondered if he’d made a mistake by alienating his sister from her people, because once she married Christian they would look at her differently. And would they blame her for Tobar’s leaving? With so much to be concerned about, just in his own small family, Ion wondered how he would ever fare as the Shera Rom.
Chapter 30
Ion went to Nadya and Christian to explain that the Romany traditions would be broken because of the lack of cooperation from the others.
The couple listened, but they were not discouraged from marrying.
“If I am ostracized by my people for marrying the man I love, then so be it. I accept their decision,” Nadya said, and she folded her arms across her chest.
“I am sorry to cause you all of this pain, my love,” Christian put his arm around her shoulder.
“It isn’t you; it’s them.” She turned to walk away, but then she turned back and she glared at Ion. “Tell them, tell all of them, that until they accept my husband, I want nothing to do with any of them. And tell Tobar that I am ashamed of him. I thought he had more character than this,” Nadya said.
“Tobar is gone. He left the kumpania last night, Ion said.
Chapter 31
They spent a full day at the temporary campsite before the wedding was to take place. There was much to prepare for the celebration. Both Nadya and Christian tried to rest, but neither was able to; they were both far too excited to sleep. Still, the Shera Rom insisted that they wait until the following day for the ceremony to take place. Food needed to be gathered, and the women needed time for preparations.
On the morning of her wedding, Nadya bathed and washed her hair with a sweet floral-smelling soap that she’d saved for years for a special occasion. It had been given to her by her mother when she was just a child, with the understanding that she would use it to wash her hair the day she got married. She had a dress that she’d salvaged from her parents vurdun after they’d been arrested. It was her mother’s wedding gown. And although it was too big for her she planned to use pins to shape it the dress to her body enabling her to wear it that night. With Hanzi at her side, Nadya went into the forest and picked wildflowers which she used to made a bridal headpiece. As was the custom, she spent the entire day far away from Christian. They would not see each other until they met in front of the Shera Rom to be married. Kizzy, the wife of the Shera Rom, asked Ion to send Nadya to her wagon. When Nadya arrived, the woman gave her a small bottle of perfume. “Use this magical scent tonight. It will keep your man faithful throughout your lives together,” Kizzy said.
“Thank you, and many blessings to you, my mother,” Nadya said as she kissed the older woman. The perfume had the intoxicating fragrance; it smelled like a garden of roses.
Nadya had been kind to the older woman on many occasions, and the woman had grown fond of her. Hanzi even made a contribution to the reception by picking wildflowers and strewing them about the large rocks that would be used as tables for the coming celebration. Christian and Ion had spent several hours on previous day hunting, and they had brought back a large bounty. Now the women of the camp would spend the entire day cooking for the Abiav, the wedding feast. They had to set up the low cooking fires five miles away from the campsite, and carry the cooked food back once it was ready. But even so, it had been a long time since they’d feasted, and the entire camp was filled with an air of festivity.
All day, nervous and filled with excitement, Christian paced the camp like a large feline caged in a zoo, waiting for the moment to arrive.
And then, finally, the time had come.
> Descending softly, the night fell over them like a velvet blanket. Silver stars winked down, and the moon smiled with illuminated approval. Christian waited for Nadya in front of the red- and gold-trimmed vurdun of the Shera Rom, while the crowd stood watching in silence. The wedding cast a magical glow over the entire campsite.
Now, a violinist began to play a sweet, haunting gypsy melody, and from the back of the celebration Ion and Nadya walked forward arm-in-arm until Nadya stood at Christian’s side. Seven candles had been lit, surrounding the bride and groom, and their tiny flames cast a glow that radiated around the lovers. The Shera Rom instructed the couple to put their hands out. Then he tied a handkerchief around Nadya’s and Christian’s wrists, binding them together. With his left hand the Shera Rom turned an imaginary key, as if locking the couple together forever. Then the key was given to Ion, who walked to the river and tossed it into the flowing water. “This key I have used to lock you two together for eternity. Because the key is now gone forever, taken by the water, your marriage ties will never be unfastened,” the Shera Rom said.
Then the oldest woman in the crowd took a huge clay pitcher and broke it onto a rock, into more pieces than could be counted. Then the woman looked at the couple and said, “As many pieces as you see here are the number of years that this union will last.”
After that, the Shera Rom cut the handkerchief which bound their hands, and the couple was joined forever by marriage. As he placed crowns upon each of their heads, the Shera Rom said, “Now you are married in the eyes of the Roma and in the eyes of God.”
Christian looked down at Nadya’s lovely face, which glowed with love, and whispered, “I am so happy.”
A single tear fell as she smiled back at him, “And so am I.”
The crowd cheered as they passed bottles of cherry liqueur. When the bottle was passed to Christian, he drank deeply, then he offered it to his new bride. Timidly taking her first sip of alcohol, and scrunching her face in disapproval, Nadya invited laughter throughout the camp. Even Tobar’s poisonous words could not stifle the joy that emulated from the newlyweds, and soon everyone drank and wished the couple much happiness and long life.
The Heart Of A Gypsy Page 10
