Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

His hair had turned completely white, and he stooped more than she remembered. An old man. She embraced him. Butwhere were Konrad and Otto, were they all right? "They are fine, they are in St. Petersburg. Everything has changed,there will be no wedding."Irakli handed Alexandra’s luggage to the houseboy and suggested they walk home. "I have to talk to you. Let’s go to theGerman café at the bridge."She linked her arm under her father’s to support him. He let it happen. They slowly walked through the streets on thedismal left bank. The old, white-haired gentleman was led by his young, tall daughter.At the café Irakli ordered coffee for them, and Alexandra selected two pieces of torte.He spoke with a tired voice. "The wedding had to be called off. Tamara left with Vladimir in a dramatic show of rage. Itried my very best to patch the rift between her and David, but both were equally intransigent."He glanced helplessly at his daughter."David came down to stay with us after Tamara and Vladimir had arrived. Tamara and he had a terrible argument in myhouse. If David had not been such an old friend of mine, I would have thrown them both out. It was most embarrassingfor all of us—and yet I do sympathize with David."Alexandra gave her father an affectionate kiss. A little embarrassed, he looked around, but then smiled gratefully at hisbeloved daughter."Chemo mama,”she said, “it took me many years to understand your unusual relationship with me. I know of no otherGeorgian woman who has such an understanding father. I will love you forever for what you did for me and Konrad andlook, it has worked so well."Irakli took her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed her ring finger. "When you wanted to marry Konrad, I was not alone.Your mother, remembering her wild days before her marriage, helped me to let go of you. But Konrad is an unusual man.I don’t think Tamara and Vladimir will ever be happy together. But it is not for me to say so."He let go of her hand and gave her a bewildered glance. "Tamara wanted it her way, no church wedding, no ‘oldfashioned’rituals. Getting married was a concession to the child she carries, not to her parents. That broke David’s pride,he had barely swallowed the idea that she was pregnant. And you can imagine, neither of them wanted to give in."He raised his hands in despair. "At the height of their argument David slapped her, and Tamara stormed screaming outof the room where they had been shouting at each other. She collected her belongings and the sheepish-lookingVladimir, and took the next train back to St. Petersburg. They will have a simple, expedient wedding there. Mostembarrassing was that David had to write letters to all the people he had invited. He left for Svaneti a broken man."Irakli touched her arm. "Are you going to stay with us for a few days? I can understand that you would like to be withKonrad and your children, but please give us a few days to reassure us."She gently pulled him out of his chair. "Come, let’s go home, Deda will be waiting anxiously. I will stay with you for aweek."On the way home, while Alexandra answered her father’s questions about Niko and Claudia and the Dahls, the eventsthat had led to this Georgian family disaster went through her mind. Had she overestimated her powers? She had beenthe one who had made it possible for Tamara to come to St. Petersburg. She had acted from the confidence of herexperiences, built on the unusual trust the old man on her arm had given her. Her dejected mood suddenly turned into awave of loving affection for her father, and in the middle of the street she embraced him spontaneously and kissed him."Thank you, mama, for your faith and your enduring love.""Ah, child, how often have I asked God's forgiveness that I loved you too much? May He hold His hand over you, Konrad,and your children."60.St. Petersburg Winter 1913 - 1914On his China trip Konrad had let his beard grow, not the wild, untamed one he had previously had, but a well-trimmed,civilized beard. It had turned out white. With his copious brown hair turning gray at the temples he looked dashinglyelegant. Helena, who had long had a crush on Konrad, "fell in love" with him, as she said.Alexandra, feeling that she had abandoned Konrad in too brusque a manner, asked Helena to occasionally visit Konradwhile she was away. Thus Konrad found himself in the company of an adoring, striking woman.He invited Helena to dinner with Vitali Alekseev and El-Zafaran, to whom he owed a report on his searches for the Sufiand Ch'an. Konrad introduced El-Zafaran with a taunting smile, not as a Sufi sheikh, but as a Doctor of ComparativeLanguages, which quickly dispelled the initial formality. El-Zafaran laughed, he shouldn't have sent Konrad to Ramitani191