Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

mother’s abduction and her heroic escape with the gun.From the very beginning little Sophia’s baptism turned into a worldly and ecclesiastical altercation. They had planned tobaptize her following Niko and Claudia’s wedding, but Deda objected. Would it not look like she was Claudia’s child? Inan Orthodox baptism the mother is excluded from the service, she is considered unclean, and no ranting against thesetraditions by Alexandra could sway the priest. The child is held by her godmother and is surrounded by witnesses, mostof them male.In addition Claudia’s father, frowning, voiced objections against a church wedding: Claudia and Niko were legally marriedunder German law, so why was there a need for a church wedding? Russia did not recognize a civil service, explainedAlexandra, by Russian law Niko’s was an illegal marriage.The greatest obstacle, however, turned out to be the priest of the church the Dadiani’s usually attended. He refused toperform the rites without Claudia taking instructions from him and converting to Orthodoxy. Irakli, exasperated by thepriest’s intransigence, turned to another church and bribed its priest with a liberal donation. For once the universalpoverty of the clergy proved beneficial. The man consented, provided it would not be a widely publicized event and takeplace on a weekday in the late afternoon. With another liberal bonus Irakli enticed him to also perform Sophia’s baptism afew days before the wedding.Sophia screamed throughout the entire ancient rite. She was submerged in a huge, gilded cauldron of water, while thepriest read his incantations over her. Niko and Otar, Sophia’s natlimamanebi, helplessly poured a handful of water overthe head of their roaring niece. Aunt Sophia, who looked like a black angel in her severe widow’s dress, finally quietedthe child."Another unwilling soul pressed into the fold of the almighty church," joked Irakli at the reception a glass of champagne inhis hand, "Only this child," he pointed with his glass at Alexandra, "rebelled louder against this ordeal than little Sophia,and you see what has become of her, always of her own mind, always unruly."Alexandra gave her father a kiss and excused herself. Professor Dahl glanced at Irakli. "Alexandra once indicated thatGeorgia was a matriarchal society. She did not elaborate on her remark, and all I see is a deeply entrenched patriarchalsystem."Irakli tilted his head and smiled awkwardly. "She did not divulge our best-kept secret? Yes, our patriarchy is a deception.But you should get that information from one of our ladies, I am implicated by my vested interests." He pushed out hischest and twirling the tips of his mustache laughed evasively. "You should pay a visit to the local synagogue. The TiflisJewish community consists mostly of native Georgians who were converted in the first century. They call themselvesMosaic Jews and are not Hebrews. Their rites are ancient, their history is very interesting."Dahl shrugged and said coldly, "Thank you for the suggestion, but what do I have in common with Oriental Jews?"Their conversation would have ended in an embarrassed stalemate had Alexandra not brought the Bredows along."Papa, it is such a pleasure to see our best friends from Munich united in your house. We spent many wonderfulevenings at Mrs. Dahl’s house, she was like a second mother to Niko and me. It is a pity that Friedrich and Katharina arenot here."Alexandra sensed that something had gone wrong between Dahl and her father. What was it? Her father was such aneasygoing man and Claudia’s father such a thoughtful, intelligent, and worldly person? How was it possible that theyseemed 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."Dahlinvolved 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 werea dangerous humbug which obfuscated man’s clear, rational mind—the reason for our lack of humanism. Whether it wasJudaism, 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 havefound a kindred spirit. I had to listen to a long diatribe by Friedrich on the subject of religion. And you know howapprehensive 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, andemotions from his? He, as a psychologist, should understand that. Is that humanism? And why lay it on Papa who issuch a cheerful, generous person?"Konrad began pacing the room. He hesitated to voice what had occurred to him during the conversation with Dahl. Afterall 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’sviews 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’simpeccable distaste for religion may well have to do with his past. By the power of his sharp mind, he extracted himselffrom what was probably a very narrow-minded, Rabbinical upbringing, deeply steeped in ancient and, for him,138