Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

Alexandra had phonetically transliterated for him. The audience applauded enthusiastically
shouting "Well done!" and "More!" So he gave another, freelance speech starting in Russian
which he slowly turned into German thanking his parents-in-law for accepting him so graciously
into their family and remembering his own parents. In the end he raised his glass to Alexandra
and expressed his hopes for a long shared life in which they would try to bring together their
two countries and two cultures.
Alexandra rose and embraced him and together they sang one of the Georgian drinking
songs they had practiced on their rides, and now the cheers knew no limit and everybody
joined in the refrains.
As the evening continued the party grew noisier. The orchestra began playing Georgian
dances. At first only a few dancers dared to try the old steps; too many people came from the
city. Later torches and wind lights were brought and Ilia presented Darejan, the singer.
The tall, dark-haired woman began with several of the familiar, sad tunes accompanied
by the orchestra, but then she tried to provoke young, innocent Niko Dadiani by teasing him
with her Byzantine eyes to sing with her. She would start a song and call on Niko to finish the
verse. They were love songs, the lines of which were alternatingly sung by the lover and his
woman. Niko blushed deeply, but could not produce a single sound.
Suddenly George Chavchavadze answered Darejan’s couplets, and soon an improvised
poetic exchange between them ensued. As George caught on to her mood, Darejan
interspersed her songs with single verse lines to which David responded with the appropriate
rhyming line, to eventually join her in another duet.
The guests listened in breathless silence. As David became bolder the verses flew back
and forth in rapid succession. Darejan challenged David in no uncertain ways as man and
lover, but the exchange remained in perfect taste. Konrad, sensing that this was an ancient art,
was enraptured. The audience was obviously familiar with it, but George became quite
enamored with Darejan, far beyond convention.
"Darejan is famous in Tiflis," whispered Alexandra. "Family rumors claim that David’s
father had a passionate affair with Darejan when she was very young. Some even maintain
that she had born him a daughter, but nobody seems to have ever seen the child."
Around midnight Ilia, to loud shouts of "Bravo!" from the men, unveiled his surprise—a
belly dancer. Konrad had never seen a belly dancer before and was surprised by her advanced
age. He made a whispered remark to Alexandra, who with a devastating glance put a finger on
her lips. Watching he sensed that this dance demanded a full figure. A young girl would not
have possessed the body control, nor radiated the mysterious aura this experienced woman of
forty showed.
She had appeared covered by a veil which she used to play hide and seek with the men
in the front row and especially Konrad who blushed in nervous embarrassment. Slowly she let
one after the other of her veils fall. She was in control of every muscle of her beautifully
proportioned body. Finally the music stopped. She ended her long dance on the floor, nude,
except for one last veil.
After an almost reverent silence the audience broke out in wild applause.
Konrad wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but Alexandra cut him short: he was childish
and had no appreciation for the high art of this woman, who was one of the best dancers in
Georgia. He shook his head, how could Alexandra, a woman, defend this dubious
86