Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

was it? Her father was such an easygoing man and Claudia’s father such a thoughtful,
intelligent, and worldly person? How was it possible that they seemed unable to find a common
ground? Earlier she had noticed that her father appeared to avoid Mr. Dahl, but why?
Clara and Mrs. Dahl took over the conversation, and the tense moment passed.
At night Alexandra told Konrad of the puzzling tensions between her father and Dahl.
Konrad was not surprised.
"Dahl involved me in a long, rambling discussion about his impressions of Georgia. It
was a mistake to take him to the baptism, he was horrified by the ‘barbarian’ customs of
‘forcing an innocent child into a religious system like that.’ Religions were a dangerous humbug
which obfuscated man’s clear, rational mind—the reason for our lack of humanism. Whether it
was Judaism, Christianity, or Islam, ‘we need to eradicate religion by the roots.’
Konrad said. "Remember the day in Andechs with Claudia and Friedrich? You eloped
with Katharina, happy to have found a kindred spirit. I had to listen to a long diatribe by
Friedrich on the subject of religion. And you know how apprehensive Claudia is about the
wedding and churches in general."
Alexandra nodded. "At Manana’s, who is fitting my wedding dress for her, I tried to help
Claudia over her irrational fears. But Dahl is a sensible, intelligent man, why can’t he accept
that other people have different traditions, needs, and emotions from his? He, as a
psychologist, should understand that. Is that humanism? And why lay it on Papa who is such a
cheerful, generous person?"
Konrad began pacing the room. He hesitated to voice what had occurred to him during
the conversation with Dahl. After all he agreed with Dahl in principle, though, of course, with
more moderate conclusions.
"You know that I am not a psychologist, it is you who has that sixth sense for the
emotional traumata that warp people’s views and behavior, but you seem to have no clue in
this case."
He stopped his walking and looked at her. "During my talk with Dahl, it occurred to me
that the origin of Dahl’s impeccable distaste for religion may well have to do with his past. By
the power of his sharp mind, he extracted himself from what was probably a very narrowminded,
Rabbinical upbringing, deeply steeped in ancient and, for him, meaningless rituals.
That may be one of the reasons why he chose psychology for his profession: He is not fighting
religion but his own ethnic inheritance, and you know how difficult that can be."
Without a moment of thought Alexandra agreed. "Sure, this could explain his dislike of
churches, priests, and religious rituals, but it does not solve my puzzle about his dislike of
father and…"
She interrupted herself hitting her forehead with her flat hand. "Come to think of, it is
quite possible that father does not like Dahl either. Why?"
"Did you listen to their conversation?"
"Unfortunately not, it was still hanging in the air when I arrived with the Bredows."
Rowing his arms Konrad took up his pacing again. "You see, Lexako, there is an aspect
of Georgian sensibility you are not aware of, and I, for good reasons, have never mentioned to
you. It has to do with what the Russians call dusha, ‘soul.’ There are people who have a soul
and others who don’t have a soul. Irakli has a soul, Dahl, in Irakli’s eyes, doesn’t. Don’t ask
your father for an explanation, he cannot verbalize it, nor could most anybody who functions
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