Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

thought, I am the representative of the "other" world that Alexandra sees in me. A remarkably antiquated idea afterhaving been in Tsinandali!Konrad, Ilia, and Bredow arrived at the venerable cathedral early, which gave them time to admire the arrangements Ilia,Irakli, and Alexandra’s brothers had labored at.They had set up several long refectory tables and benches and a platform with a magnificent, old Caucasian rug as abackdrop. A second smaller stage served the orchestra.Four cooks were busy stirring enormous pots with vegetables heavily laced with walnut puree. Suckling pigs, chicken,and lamb shashlik roasted over several fires, from which wafted most unholy aromas across the churchyard. In onecorner wine skins lay stacked reaching with their short legs heavenwards.Ilia, in great spirits, told them that to complete the Old Georgian scene, the guests would be given only spoons and a fewsharp knives to carve the meat, otherwise they would have to use their teeth and fingers. Young boys would carry waterbasins, soap and towels around, so the guests could wash their hands before and after the meal.The traveling orchestra from Tsinandali would be augmented with drums and a virtuoso violinist. Ilia had also brought afamous female singer all the way from Tiflis, and he was hiding, as he told Konrad with a smile, a surprise to be revealedlate at night, when the mood would be suitable.Horn blasts announced the arrival of the bride’s train. Encouraged by Ilia’s doubtful jokes, Konrad and the Bredowspositioned themselves halfway between the gate to the churchyard and the door of the cathedral.The riders and footmen helped the guests descend from their carriages and then formed an honor guard through whichIrakli led the completely veiled bride. Two young cousins of Alexandra’s strew flowers before the bride. Following themwalked Deda and George, and David escorting their old mother.Excruciatingly slowly Irakli and Alexandra moved towards the groom.Bredow and Konrad pulled their hats, and Konrad made a deep bow before Irakli. He had been encouraged to repeat hisGeorgian marriage proposal, which he did now. Under the applause of the guests Irakli and Konrad embraced.Konrad, with the Bredows at his side arranged himself behind the bride and her father, and together they walked into thechurch.As was customary in Orthodoxy they entered in complete silence accompanied only by the crackle of hundreds offlickering candles. In front of the iconostasis waited two priests and their young acolytes in full ecclesiastical regalia. Thepriests placed the customary interconnected wreaths on the couple’s heads and began chanting the wedding service. Itwas all very slow and solemn. The wreaths had to be exchanged three times between them, and eventually Konrad wasallowed to remove the veil from Alexandra’s face. She looked pale but managed a brave smile.Briefly Alexandra’s mind wandered back to the scene in Shuamta a month ago. She was startled by the priest’s question,"Are you willing to be husband and wife until death separates you?" But Konrad’s "Yes" returned Alexandra’s composure.Loud and clear she made her own vow. "Yes, I will to the end of my days."Niko produced the rings on a small cushion. Konrad put hers on her finger, and she the other one on his. The priestpronounced them husband and wife, and they kissed. A loud, cheerful murmur went through the guests. Deda could beheard crying copiously.Konrad had been given precise instructions: hand in hand they would have to follow the priests into the otherwiseinaccessible Holy of Holiest behind the iconostasis. There Konrad was to deposit a sizable amount of money on asquare, one-legged marble table that he would find in the sanctum. He should not be surprised, this circumambulationwas usually performed in a great hurry.A surprise awaited Konrad behind the iconostasis—he found the one-legged table at exactly the same spot as the"phallic post" in the desecrated sanctum of Zedazeni...!To the applause of the guests, they walked arm in arm, a radiant Alexandra waving with her white glove to her friends,behind the singing priests back out of the church, where the liveried horsemen stood at attention forming an arch withtheir sabers through which they had to duck.David Chavchavadze acted as the delicately circumspect tamada at the big feast that night. Toasts alternated with longspeeches in German, Russian, and Georgian praising the couple, telling stories from their lives, and making jokes aboutKonrad’s red beard and their future children. Konrad amused the guests by reading a short speech in Georgian whichAlexandra 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 hisparents-in-law for accepting him so graciously into their family and remembering his own parents. In the end he raisedhis glass to Alexandra and expressed his hopes for a long shared life in which they would try to bring together their twocountries and two cultures.Alexandra rose and embraced him and together they sang one of the Georgian drinking songs they had practiced ontheir 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 fewdancers dared to try the old steps; too many people came from the city. Later torches and wind lights were brought andIlia presented Darejan, the singer.44