Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

affectionately: "Frau Doktor in action! You are doing very well! Mein Gott, so much has
happened to you since Florence! Do tell me!"
Alexandra described the events of the last four years, Otto’s birth, their expedition to the
High Caucasus, the restless political situation in St. Petersburg, and her relentless drive to get
through her medical studies. Everybody listened and asked questions including Anna and her
husband
Niko and Konrad had gone to get some beer and food and returned with Claudia who
had been searching for them among the crowd.
Alexandra’s eyebrows arched in surprise. Claudia appeared entirely different from the
girl she had thought Niko was looking for. Not tall, but delicately proportioned, straight dark hair
done in a boyish page-cut, and a narrow intelligent face with two deep-set brown eyes that
seemed to hold the knowledge of centuries. Despite her smile and lively, fluid gestures an aura
of veiled tragedy surrounded her.
She has mediumistic powers! Persephone crossed Alexandra's mind, but her fleeting
defensive mistrust was dispelled by Claudia’s guileless exclamation, "I am so happy to finally
meet Niko’s beloved sister. You have no idea how often he talks of you, Alexandra."
Alexandra recalled that Claudia studied medicine, and soon the two were engaged in a
lively discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the Munich hospitals where
Alexandra intended to spend her second clinical year.
The beer arrived, zwei Kleine for Alexandra and Claudia and each ein ganzes Mass for
the others. Konrad had also thoughtfully brought two big glasses for their new friends. To
accompany the beer he brought Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut, sweet mustard, and huge pretzels.
Taken aback by the gigantic size of the beer glasses and the pretzels, Alexandra
watched with mild horror how Katharina attacked her beer with gusto. Blond, full-bosomed
Katharina, happy and spontaneous, completely at home, was the irrepressible life of the
evening. What a robust woman compared to the fragile, complicated Claudia.
Katharina raised her glass to this unexpected, happy reunion, and wished herself many
more such gemütliche evenings. Everyone clinked glasses.
Later, when Katharina distracted the others with a description of Kandinsky’s painting
classes, Anna asked Alexandra in a hushed voice. "How long are you married, Frau
Alexandra?"
Alexandra told her, and Anna asked surprised. "And you have only one child? I suffered
through two pregnancies in less than three years. How did you keep from getting pregnant?
The many births are too much for me, but the church is preaching that we should have more
children."
How often Alexandra had heard this plea from the indigent women she treated in the
workers’ housings in St. Petersburg. But this was no place to discuss such matters. At first
Alexandra considered giving Anna her address, but her mentioning of the church kept her from
doing so.
She looked at Anna and her youngest child. "Are you still nursing?"
"Yes," said Anna, "the midwife says that as long as I am nursing I cannot get pregnant,
that’s why."
"That is not true, and you know it, Anna. You conceived your second child when you
were nursing the first, am I right?"
Anna nodded.
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