Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

existed no viable political alternatives. The political opposition followed chaotic mystical ideas
and was deeply split and leaderless. The possibility of a radical change was on everybody’s
mind.
She might one day have to provide for herself and her family, like Izabel. What better
profession could there be in such a case than medicine?
She would have a child, and was traditionally expected to stay at home and devote
herself to him entirely. She had grown up cared for by a succession of nursemaids and
governesses. She would get a live-in nursemaid for the child and come home as often as
possible during the day; both the university and the hospitals were close.
She had no doubt that Konrad would let her do what she wanted and made such
excellent sense in every way. No longer did she have to worry about her father’s opinion.
Where was Konrad? She needed to share her excitement with him.
To calm herself she went into the kitchen and prepared dinner. Cooking had become
one of her favorite pursuits. She decided on risotto con pollo to remind Konrad of Fiesole, and
as she patiently stirred the rice, her self-control and composure returned.
"Yes, that is what I need to do, for myself, for him, for the child, and for our future."
Konrad had been detained in a conference organizing the upcoming summer ball, which
was to take place in two weeks.
She suppressed her excitement and took him into her arms. "Come, let’s eat. I have
prepared one of Sally’s favorite dishes to take us back to Fiesole."
She asked him about the events of his day and let him unburden himself of his
concerns, who was to be invited to the ball? What to serve? Should he hire a modern dance
band in addition to the traditional university orchestra playing Mozart and Glinka?
"I am tempted to startle the establishment and engage a belly dancer. What do you
think? The ladies would die of shock."
Alexandra remembered his shock at their wedding but said nothing. Why should he not
engage a belly dancer?
"Ask in the Armenian community, they surely have one. Why don’t we invite Izabel and
Marti? He could help you."
Alexandra prepared a Turkish coffee, brought some fruit for desert and faced Konrad.
"May I ask your advice in a serious matter?"
Konrad raised his eyebrows. "A surprise? Oh, dear woman, I married you, so that my life
would never be boring again! What is on your mind?"
With great self-control she described her new plan, explaining the advantages and
complications it would bring. She ended in an expectant silence, the tenseness of which hung
palpable between them.
Konrad looked at her with loving, serious eyes. "Are you up to five or six years of hard
work? The child will be a burden to you, and a second one will have to wait until you are
finished with your degree, don’t you think so too?"
She agreed. She would engage a live-in nanny, which she had wanted to do in any
case. "I believe that with your cooperation I can manage the child and my studies. I am only
twenty-two, before I turn thirty I could be an experienced, practicing physician."
"You see," she continued, "this idea is only partially selfish or an insurance towards our
future in potentially unstable times. If I look at the human misery in this city, I feel a
responsibility to help. Maybe this stems from my listening to Ilia, whose ideas also have a
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