Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

Alexandra had been leafing through the Italian fashion magazine. From behind its pages she observed her motherintently. How little she knew about her. Had Deda been in love with Ilia as a young woman? She glanced at her father fora clue, but his face gave no hint.Irakli rose and left the room to get another pitcher of wine.Alexandra turned the page of the magazine and let out a cry of excitement. Triumphantly she held up a picture of a ladysheathed in a long, tightly fitting, silk dress."We are hopelessly behind in Tiflis. Look at this dress! I will have it made for my first public appearance in St. Petersburg.Look, Deda."But Deda was not amused. She gave Alexandra a stern look. "Alexandra, you cannot wear this dress to an officialreception, one can see every detail of your body! Will you ever grow up? You are going to be a married woman. You oweit to your husband’s reputation to be properly dressed."Alexandra stared at her mother in open rebellion. "Mama, I don’t care about convention. I will take the magazine toManana and have it made. But I will not embarrass you and wear it where I am known as your daughter. I will hide it inmy trousseau. You will see, it will become the rage of St. Petersburg."Konrad, the outsider, who amused by the family fireworks had quietly watched, shook his head. "We shall see. If wearrive in St. Petersburg from Italy, you may indeed win your bet."After dinner Olga took her husband by the arm. She gave Konrad a sympatheticsmile. "Can we give you a ride home, Konrad?" She turned to Irakli and said wearily. "As always we had an excitingevening at your house. You cheered up this husband of mine. It is late, may we go home."When Alexandra embraced Konrad to say good night, she whispered, "There is a ball at the Artist’s Club on New YearsEve, can we go? I want to dance with you!"9.New Year 's Ball at the Club des Artistes1899Konrad spent German Christmas Eve alone in his room. Eastern Orthodoxy celebrated Christmas on Epiphany, the 6thof January, and Leist had left for a party somewhere in town. Konrad had lit a candle and read the Christmas story in asmall Lutheran Bible he had brought from Germany. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. He opened. A radiantAlexandra, loaded with packages, and holding a tiny fir tree decorated with thin wax candles, stood before him. "FroheWeihnachten, Konrad!"She appeared to him like an angel out of his dreams. He embraced her.She freed herself and sang ‘Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen’ as his mother used to do when she opened the door to theChristmas room and he and his brother first stood before the lighted tree.Konrad tried to join her in the second stanza, but his voice deserted him."How do you know about German Christmas Eve?""I told you about Tante Berta, our German teacher. Every Christmas Eve we would bring her a present, and she wouldinvite us to sit under the lit tree and feed us German Christmas cookies. We also sang Christmas songs with her."They lit the candles on the little tree and Konrad unwrapped the parcels. There was a box of German Pfefferkuchen thatAlexandra had baked, Georgian walnuts, a silver candlestick that would remain with them throughout their life, and abook: Grimm’s Märchen."It’s from my bookshelf, maybe it will remind you of your mother."Konrad following a sudden inspiration, got up and rummaged through his drawers."Close your eyes and give me your hand. I have a Christmas present for you too."He carefully slipped the black pearl ring on her left finger.The jeunesse d’orée of Tiflis crowded the Artist’s Club on New Year’s Eve. Konrad helped Alexandra out of her burka.She wore the Italian silk dress, Manana had made. No frills, lemon yellow, of ankle length, with a slit on both sides itclung to her slender body. In its deep décolleté his necklace, the pearl ring on the finger of her left hand.She glowed in his admiration."Didn’t Manana surpass herself?" she asked, turning in front of him. "But don’t tell Mama that I wore it. I could not wait tomodel it for you."32