Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

a peaceful compromise, the bands would play alternatingly German and Georgian music, and Schulenburg offered toclimb back onto the train to pose with his wife for the photographers. It became the biggest welcoming reception inmemory.Alexandra, overwhelmed by this unexpected production, surprised herself by emotional tears at so much good, old Tiflis.Otto self-importantly saluted the band, Deda cried, and Irakli had an unquenchable attack of laughter. Irakli had grownvisibly older, his hair was now completely white, but his black mustache was still a splendid affair. Alexandra hugged him.Did he dye it?Two days later, accompanied by Niko and Claudia, the Dahls arrived. They had taken the boat from Italy to Batumi.Niko volunteered to pick up Vladimir at the station. Alexandra, feeling giddy, had found an excuse not to go. Use yourhead, she admonished herself, he is a good friend, no more.Vladimir showed himself from his best side, the perfect gentleman without affectations or airs. He quickly woneverybody’s liking.The big house had not seen so much life since Alexandra’s wedding. Deda, alternating between crying and clowning,was deliriously happy. Alexandra searched Deda’s still delicate face, now full of creases and wrinkles. "How are you,dearest mother of mine?"Deda stepped back, she now had trouble seeing things close up, pouting and rowing her arms in the so familiar way, herhead cocked at an angle. "I am at peace and happier than you have ever known me. Can’t you see? I have missed youbadly. Since I saw you last in St. Petersburg, you have become even more beautiful. And you are so slender after twochildren, how do you do it? Papa retired from teaching and is devoting his whole time to the revised edition of hisanthology of Georgian poetry. He has become more tolerant. We are both very well.""How are Olga and Ilia, and how is Sophia taking the death of her husband?"A cloud crossed Deda’s face. "Olga, as always, followed Ilia into exile. They live under surveillance near Sevastopol, tooclose to for comfort. The house in Zaguramo stands empty."She became animated. "You should soon go to Kaspi to visit Sophia. She has been hiding in mourning out there for toolong. Maybe you can lure her here for little Sophia’s christening. Take Otto along. She has not stopped talking aboutOtto’s miraculous ‘Tibetan’ birth."Alexandra laughed. "I saw those lights again when Sophia was born, it was very enjoyable and not Tibetan at all."They took the old phaeton to Kaspi. Otto was happy, he had rediscovered Tante Claudia who spoiled him. Amazing,thought Alexandra, how easily children negotiate time and space. Otto was neither surprised nor curious how Claudiahad materialized suddenly so far from Munich. Alexandra thought of their discussions in Fiesole. Children seemed tohave neither a time nor a space consciousness. What was Uncle Mouravi’s car going to look like? She had never seen it,some primitive, early three-wheeler?She gasped when she saw the machine, a state-coach in immaculate condition, four doors, a sofa in the rear, room forsix people, a sliding-glass window behind the front seats, eight cylinders, a pneumatic starter, at least sixty horses! Thebeauty shimmered in the sun. Niko and Konrad, excited like little boys, looked under the hood, fabulous workmanshipgood for another twenty years.Alexandra slipped behind the wheel and pressed the starter. The monster roared."Easy, easy," shouted Konrad, "or you will take off and land on the moon."Otto knocked on her door wanting to be taken along. She took him on her lap and allowed him to help her steer.Cautiously she turned a circle in the courtyard and then drove out onto the road to Kaspi. The feeling of power andelegance was fantastic, if only Friedrich could see this car."Well, we have found a fitting vehicle for Claudia and Niko’s wedding! Tiflis is going to be dumbfounded."Konrad and Niko took Claudia to Uplistsikhe on horseback. Otto, who at first wanted to stay with Alexandra and drive thecar finally trembled with excitement when Konrad took him on his horse.Alexandra stayed behind with Aunt Sophia. Sophia, dressed in black, in unusually sparse gestures, made Alexandra talkof their visit to Florence, the summer on the beach, life and friends in Munich, and the shock of their return to St.Petersburg."How is your marriage with this unusual man?""Ach, dear natlideda, we have weathered highs and lows, slowly exploring each other and the limits of our love. Theemotional wasteland of my medical education was a hard test for both of us. But my profession now provides me with afocal point outside the family and Konrad, which allows me to see myself and our future with greater clarity."She looked out the window at the peaceful countryside, the hills in the distance. "Konrad would like to leave the tensionsand the chaos of St. Petersburg behind. When we were stuck in the snow on the train at the gates of the RussianEmpire, he reproached himself for not having persuading me to stay in Germany. He is not often overcome by blackvisions of the future. Then he was."She faced Sophia, her eyes lit up. "At that critical moment—a threatening gang of revolutionaries, barring our journey,were swinging red flags at the border station—I was asked to help a woman in labor on the train. I who had neverattended to the delivery of a child! There was no time for anxieties or philosophical considerations only actions counted. I136