In Transition

 

            In what would be their last Russian winter, the extremely cold temperatures slowly began to rise, bringing a sliver of joy to their lives, thankful for the opportunity to reduce the multiple layers of clothing to fight off the threat of frostbite. Nikolai watched his breath turn into clouds as he spoke with his beautiful wife, Tatyana in their tiny three-room apartment. They had burned the last of their firewood only three days hence, struggling to stay warm with their multiple layers of clothing.

              Ivan, their oldest son had completed university, began his work as a software developer, and purchased his own home on the other side of the city. Svetlana, their second oldest child, had met a wonderful young man as she worked as a barista. After six months of interaction, he proposed, promised to care for her, and free her from the necessity to work a job that she really didn’t care for all that much. Their youngest child, Dmitri was nearing his final year of university with a promise of employment with a local manufacturing company as its production manager.

              Nikolai rose from his lumpy and old recliner, turned on Rachmaninoff on their very old record player, and invited his wife to dance with him, knowing that a little activity would warm them both. As they danced, the idea of moving to somewhere warmer came to mind, and he made the suggestion, trusting that some financial help was available from both Ivan and Svetlana.

“I think we should move to Berlin,” he said. “I know a few people there from my time working as a salesman. It is warmer, cleaner, and safer there. I really don’t want to suffer through another winter, and it destroys my soul to see you suffer alongside me. I know we can do better.”

Tatyana hugged him with a ferocity that he had not experienced in many years. They had both reached their sixty-fifth year and were tired of the cold, the loss of friends, and had both been dreaming of making a new start. He glanced at the clock, made a mental note to call Svetlana right away, knowing that she was always home and call Ivan in about ninety minutes when he would arrive home from work. The two phone calls were made, and they received encouragement and promises of help with their financial needs, which triggered many plans in Nikolai’s active mind.

By the end of the week, Ivan and Svetlana visited for a short time, gave them the money they needed to buy train tickets to Berlin and as time passed, they watched all of their belongings slowly disappear as they sold them to friends and neighbors. Now standing in an empty home with two full suitcases and two train tickets, they left behind the apartment that had been their home for the last ten years with visions of a bright new future and hopes for new friends, and the opportunity to grow and learn.

Ivan and Svetlana drove them to the train station, gave them another handful of money and the address for the apartment that they had secured for them in one of the best neighborhoods in west Berlin. They exchanged hugs, said goodbye and made promises to frequently remain in contact as their lives progressed, as decisions were made and as exciting new things took place.

Nikolai helped Tatyana board the train, he loaded their luggage in the overhead bin and took their seats in their private sleep chamber. They sat in silence and watched their beloved Russia disappear behind them as they passed through Belarus and Poland, eventually crossing the German border and entering the outskirts of Berlin. They traveled through late afternoon, early evening, ate a small dinner, and slept the rest of the trip to awaken to a glorious day of sunshine.

Nikolai retrieved their luggage and walked with Tatyana off of the train, to find a taxi to bring them to their new home, which at this point they had not yet seen, trusting that Ivan had thoughtfully considered their needs and dreams of finding a good community. They ascended one flight of stairs to enter a spacious and warm four room apartment already filled with furniture and food.

Tatyana pulled out her list of phone numbers, a list that Svetlana had put together for her. The list would put them in contact with the local priest and many other Russian immigrants who lived nearby. They unloaded their suitcases, found an electric kettle to make some tea to be accompanied by some biscuits before their dinner that evening.

After placing a call to the priest, they received an invitation to travel a few blocks to his house for dinner with three other couples in the parish. As the dinner hour drew close, they dressed for the weather, locked their new apartment when they left, and walked the few blocks to his home. Upon entering his house, they were warmly greeted by three other couples approximately their age and enjoyed a glorious dinner of prime rib, roasted vegetables, and red wine.

Though they greatly missed their native Russia, they immediately felt at home, as if this was a new family they did not know they had so many hours away. The priest drew a small map for them that provided specific directions to the parish, and an approximation of travel time. Weeks turned into months and months turned into years, giving both Nikolai and Tatyana a wonderful new life, new friends, safety and comfort they had not experienced since retiring so many years before.

Four years turned into five and they received an invitation to relocate to the United States to a new growing community of Russian immigrants. The location was safe, beautiful, with reasonably balanced weather, not too extreme in either direction. Knowing that the US was a land of opportunity, they could not resist or pass up this unusual and unexpected chance. They had remained in contact with Ivan, Svetlana, and Dmitri, to again receive financial assistance from them, allowing them to update their passports, buy airplane tickets, and turn in their notice to the apartment landlord of their intent to no longer rent.

Once again laden with two suitcases and a pocket full of cash, they retrieved their airplane tickets from the counter at the airport, formerly reserved by Ivan several days before. The flight from Berlin to Paris was relatively quick, at which time they changed planes and took a very long flight into New York City where they again changed planes to travel to a small city on the opposite side of the country near the Canadian border.

Having no grasp on the English language, they interacted as little as possible with everyone around them, to find that most people were more than happy to help them with whatever needs they had at any particular moment. When they landed in the small city near the Canadian border, they were greeted by another Russian couple who introduced themselves, welcomed them, and allowed them to stay in their home for a few days until they finally gained access to their new home, which had been secured for them by Ivan several months before.

“Tatyana,” Nikolai said, “I have to say that this new city and parish feels so very much like our community in Berlin. It is so wonderful to have many people who understand us and believe the same as we believe. The priest is a wonderful man as well.”

Nikolai received a warm and thankful hug from his beautiful bride of forty-five years. Their original hosts drove them to their home and left them with a phone number for a personal friend who operated a used car dealership. They walked into a spacious, warm, and beautiful home in a safe and comfortable neighborhood. Just like their home in Berlin, it too was fully furnished, and the refrigerator was fully stocked. They immediately placed three phone calls to their children, assuring them that their time traveling was good and uneventful and that a friend would be delivering a car for them the next day.

They learned that their home was only a few minutes away from their new parish, where they immediately connected with many different people. Elderly folk, older families, younger families, and several good and kind widows, who offered to help them establish themselves in this radically different new world, so unlike their native Russia. Their first visit to a grocery store was nearly overwhelming with so many choices.

Each Sunday after the Divine Liturgy, they sat with many from the parish and enjoyed a wonderful meal among lovely friends. Both Nikolai and Tatyana put in great effort to learn a few English words, which gave them a small handle with which to connect and interact with those who only knew the English tongue. They could feel the hope growing within them as they slowly built their vocabulary to become connected with non-Russians and neighbors, genuinely establishing themselves as part of their new world.