Good Medicine Senior YearChapter 56 Holy Week and Pascha Part I
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May 7, 1985, McKinley, Ohio
On Tuesday morning I went to Chancellor Evans’ office for a 9:00am appointment which had been scheduled by his secretary when she called me on Monday afternoon.
“Overall, I like it,” he said. “I half expected to find a note that said you were going to play your guitar! I very much enjoyed the concert and I was surprised that you’re forming a band.”
“José is the driving force, and Elizaveta encouraged me to do it as a way to relax and take my mind off my studies for a few hours each week.”
“But you were playing either solo or with Milena Blahnik, sorry Greene, before, right?”
“Yes, that’s true, and that was at the encouragement of both Doctor Blahnik and Milena. As I said, I’m not big on public speaking or performances.”
“Well, you could have fooled me! And your two friends did a great job as MCs. Anyway, back to your speech. I made a few notes in blue, some things for you to consider. That said, you are absolutely free to give the speech as written. Don’t think of the blue pencil as corrections, please; consider them suggestions for edits. I’m assuming you had someone read this over before you handed it in?”
“Clarissa and Robby both read it and made suggestions which I incorporated.”
“I think what I wrote is self-explanatory, but if you have any questions, please call. I look forward to hearing you deliver this speech.”
“Thank you!”
We shook hands and I headed back to the dorm. I made some tea and sat down to review the notations which Chancellor Evans had made on the pages. His comments and suggested edits were mostly good, though there were one or two where he tried to correct a Biblical idiom to ‘proper’ English. There were a few places where he asked questions for clarification, and I made some notes on how to say what it was I wanted to say more clearly. I looked at the clock and decided I had more than enough time to go to the computer lab so I could edit my document. Kristin had impressed on me the need to have an original and a backup, so I grabbed the two floppy disks, which really were rigid, not floppy, and headed to the computer lab.
I completed my changes and printed out two copies, and when I went back to the dorm, I gave one to Clarissa and one to Robby so they could proofread. Once they had their copies, we headed to lunch with the gang. After lunch, Clarissa and I walked to the clinic where Abby worked so I could have my pre-marital blood test. Abby promised the results no later than Friday afternoon. We walked back to campus and I read for an hour, then headed to the Country Club for a round of golf with Viktor and a nice dinner in the Club House dining room.
May 10, 1985, McKinley, Ohio
The week after the concert had flown by, and I had my first free Friday evening in a long time. I couldn’t spend it with Clarissa because she was at the bridal shower which the girls were throwing for Elizaveta at Doctor Blahnik’s, from which I had been firmly but tactfully asked to stay away. The chances I’d cross a collection of budding members of the «бабушки съборъ» were near zero, as it would make the next seventy or eighty years my own personal hell on earth!
“So, what are we doing tonight, just us boys?” Robby asked as he, Lee, José, Gene, Pete, Jason, Brandon, Jack, and I walked to dinner.
“It is pretty strange not having any of the girls around!” Jack said. “But I was warned that if I came within a hundred feet of Doctor Blahnik’s house, I’d regret it for the rest of my very short life!”
All the guys laughed.
“Hey, YOU chose to date a Russian girl!” Robby countered.
“I think we ALL got that same speech!” Brandon said. “Though Kimiko was a bit more circumspect about asking me to stay away.”
“What exactly happens at a bridal shower?” Jason asked.
“Nobody knows,” I replied piously. “It appears to be a very closely held secret!”
“Unlike bachelor parties,” Pete added. “Everyone knows what happens at those!”
“Not Mike’s,” Robby said. “I received clear instructions from Sophia about what was, and what wasn’t, acceptable for a future ‘man of the cloth’!”
“This group is the least likely to get arrested of ANY group you could name at Taft!” José declared.
“So, what are we doing?” Lee asked.
“There’s a Jazz group playing at Milton Lake,” José said. “They serve beer.”
“Sounds like a winner,” I said. “Dinner and Jazz.”
There was agreement from the other guys, so after we ate dinner in the cafeteria, we got into three cars and headed for Milton Lake. When we arrived, we got in line to get drinks, then found places to sit on the grass not too far from the stage.
“Anybody know how late this party is going to run?” Jack asked.
“Sophia’s comment was ‘do not wait up’,” Robby replied.
“That’s what Jocelyn said to me, too,” Gene added. “I have a feeling they’re going to stumble in around 3:00am!”
“Most of Elizaveta’s friends can’t legally drink,” I said. “So I doubt anyone will be drunk. Doctor Blahnik will let them drink responsibly, though.”
“She’s been playing mom to you for a long time, now,” Brandon said.
“Yeah, if your mom wanted to sleep with you!” José said.
“What did I miss?”
“Nothing!” I said quickly.
“She’s had the hots for Mike for years,” Robby said with a sly grin. “But she’s a professor and he’s getting married the day after graduation!”
“She’s smoking hot!” Brandon declared. “And so is her daughter!”
“Guys,” I said firmly, “please do NOT mention Doctor Blahnik flirting with me. It could get her in trouble and would really upset Elizaveta.”
“Sorry, man,” José said. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I trust everyone here,” I said. “But it’s safer to just leave it unsaid.”
About fifteen minutes after we’d sat down, the concert began. The group was really good and José and I exchanged looks which communicated our thoughts - when we jammed, it was nothing like this. At the first break we got another round of drinks, though I opted for Coke rather than beer, and did the same after the second set. When the concert finished, we headed back to Taft and the guys came to my room to hang out. We listened to music and talked until just after 1:00am and the girls hadn’t returned, and then the guys all headed to bed.
May 11, 1985, McKinley, Ohio
On Saturday morning I called Liz, my grandparents, and parents to remind them about our family dinner with the Kozlovs at the Country Club on Sunday afternoon.
“How are things between Paul and Dad?” I asked when I spoke to Liz, whom I called first.
“No change, really. Mostly I just visit with Mom because Dad still can’t accept that I married Paul. Mom said Dad promised to be polite and not cause a scene at dinner. And you know Paul; he’s a sweetheart.”
A ‘sweetheart’ who cheated on his wife with a fourteen-year-old girl, I thought, but didn’t say. And really, I needed to get past those kinds of thoughts. Paul was my brother-in-law, and he obviously loved Liz, no matter what mistakes he’d made in the past.
“I’m not sure I’d call a male friend a sweetheart, so I’ll take your word for it!”
“Fine! He treats me right!”
“Which is all that matters, when it comes right down to it. Mom is OK with him?”
“I wouldn’t go THAT far, but she’s sociable and doesn’t treat him like a leper. I heard Mindy is coming to the wedding.”
“I hadn’t even thought to invite her,” I said. “We rarely see each other. Who is Emmy bringing?”
“John Rivers. He’s a dispatcher at Sheriff’s department. You didn’t invite Maggie, did you?”
“No. I told you I ran into her at the mall. Mindy says she’s dating Mike Palmer.”
“I’m pretty sure they’re engaged.”
“That was quick,” I replied.
“Says my brother who went from barely knowing Elizaveta to being betrothed in a few months!”
“Not everyone is as big an idiot as I am!”
Liz laughed, “Marrying a sexy sixteen year old? No. Agreeing to be ordained? Yes!”
“Neither of those makes me an idiot, despite your feelings to the contrary about church. It was the whirlwind romance.”
“Which was only necessary because you were dumb enough to agree to let the bishop ordain you!”
“At the specific request of the Parish Council.”
“You do know there’s this word in the English language - ‘no’ - right? And that it’s possible to say to a bishop just as you can to anyone else?”
“Can we just agree to disagree, please? I’m not going to change in that regard, and even though I hope you do, I’m not expecting it.”
“Don’t hold your breath! Anyway, we’ll see you tomorrow!”
“Thanks, Liz. See you!”
We said ‘goodbye’ and I hung up and made the other two calls. Once I finished, I sat down with Robby and Clarissa to go over my revised commencement speech. They both felt that it was in a state where changes wouldn’t really improve it, other than noting one typographical error which I would correct for the final copy from which I’d read at the graduation ceremony. I hoped the weather was nice on graduation day, because rain would mean a change of venue and that would mean tickets would be necessary and nobody was allowed more than four. That would exclude everyone except my parents, my sister, and Elizaveta, and would seriously disappoint my grandparents, Elizaveta’s parents, Father Nicholas and his wife, and my friends who weren’t Seniors. I’d already arranged with Clarissa for Jocelyn to have her fourth ticket if it came to that, because she was only inviting her parents and Abby. Dale would get a ticket from José, if necessary, as he was only inviting his parents.
Lee, Sophia, Jocelyn, José, and Dona came into the room once we opened the door.
“Has it sunk in that two weeks from tomorrow you’ll be married?” José asked.
“That’s when he’ll finally get to ‘sink in’ to his pussy cat,” Clarissa tittered.
“Ignore her!” I said firmly, then switched to a teasing voice, “She’s just jealous!”
“Me, too!” Robby declared, then paused for a beat before adding, “Of Elizaveta!”
Everyone laughed.
“Rumor has it that Clark is jealous of Mike!” Jocelyn said with a smirk.
“Now I really AM jealous of Elizaveta!” Robby smirked.
“Great,” Lee answered with a silly grin, “my boyfriend has become a ‘size queen’.”
“You guys are BAD!” Dona said, shaking her head.
“Why do I suddenly feel inadequate?” José asked with a grin indicating he was teasing.
“You boys and your dicks!” Sophia laughed, shaking her head. “If Dona isn’t complaining, then don’t worry about it!!”
“Where’s Gene?” I asked Jocelyn, hoping to change the subject.
“In the computer lab. He’s setting up some kind of fluid dynamics program he has to run on the mainframe. He’s doing it today because computer time is cheaper on the weekend.”
“How does that work?”
“He’s allocated a certain amount of money towards mainframe usage. If he goes over that, he has to pay it himself if he’s not done with all of his work. He’s under his budget, but just barely, so he’s setting it up to run overnight tonight.”
“Did he write the program?” Robby asked.
“Yeah, it’s part of the class. It’s in FORTRAN, which is big in the scientific community, and Taft requires you learn it to complete the physics program.”
“We had to write a couple of FORTRAN programs in our CS class,” I replied. “And I remember Kristin mentioning other languages called ‘Pascal’ and ‘C’,” I said. “But it’s all effectively Greek to me!”
“Do I get to say it’s all Russian to me?” Sophia asked, causing everyone to laugh.
“So,” José said, “back to my question before Clarissa totally derailed the conversation...”
“Yes and no,” I replied. “I mean, I know it’s happening and I’m looking forward to it, but it doesn’t seem real yet. «Закрой свой рот», Svetlana Yakovovna! I see that smirk!”
“Wow,” she snickered. “You are just NO fun! But at least you didn’t call me a «сука»!”
“That’s what Tasha said to Janey, right?” Jocelyn asked.
“How do YOU know?” I inquired.
“Girls talk! I asked her about it. She told me the other thing she said to Janey, too!’
“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Dona said.
“That her «пизда» must be pretty rotten, because after Mike had it, he went back to Tasha, and Tasha was still a virgin!”
“I rue the day I introduced all of you,” I said, shaking my head.
“You know we won’t say anything in front of Elizaveta or anyone who might take it the wrong way,” Jocelyn replied. “But come on, Mik, you and Tasha have changed significantly from when you were in High School and these stories show just how far both of you have come. That’s especially true about both of you being able to talk this way in front of others.”
“Says the woman who had hissy fits when Dale, Karl, and I said anything even SLIGHTLY risqué!”
“I’ve changed, too!”
“True,” I replied. “And that’s the basic theme of my commencement speech. Not you personally, but about growth and maturity and change.”
“That’s going to be a heck of a weekend!” she replied. “Two parties, graduation, your wedding, and the reception. Then a trip to Niagara Falls and your trip to Europe.”
“I’ll sleep on the plane!” I chuckled.
“Rebekah told me about the ‘Mile High Club’,” José said.
“That might work in a private plane,” Robby said. “But on a passenger jet? Where? The lavatory? That’s disgusting!”
“I have to agree,” Sophia said. “Mike, have you flown before?”
“Nope. First time. It’ll be my first time out of the country and my first time on a train once we get to Europe.”
“Have any of you been to Europe?” Sophia asked.
“I know Pete went to England when he was little,” I replied, “but I don’t know about Abby.”
“She went to France and Italy the Summer after she graduated from High School,” Clarissa said.
“How is she getting the time off?” Sophia asked.
“She’s saved up enough vacation time,” Clarissa replied. “And there are nurses from the hospital who are always looking for hours, so the clinic has no trouble finding people to cover shifts.”
“What are the rest of you doing over the Summer?” I asked.
“Being bums in Lima!” Sophia laughed. “All three of us.”
“Gene and I are going to Myrtle Beach with his parents in July,” Jocelyn said. “Otherwise, just being a bum like Robby, Lee, and Sophia!”
“I’m taking Dona to visit my grandparents in Buenos Aires,” José said.
“It’s Winter there during our Summer, right?” I asked.
“Yes, but the normal temperature ranges between about 45°F and 60°F. It can be as much as twenty degrees warmer, and it can drop for a few days when cold air moves in from Antarctica. The last major snowfall was in 1918 when they had the coldest day on record, which was 22°F.”
“That’s a freaking heatwave for January here!” Dona said, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t mind living someplace where it never got below freezing!”
“Not never, but rarely,” José said. “The further north you go, the warmer it gets. But Buenos Aires is really nice.”
“The name means ‘fair winds’, right?” Sophia asked.
“Yes, though like Los Angeles it has a very long original name - «Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María del Buen Aire»; ‘City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Holy Mary of the Fair Winds’. That’s Mary, the Mother of God, who was a patron for the sailors who first founded the city.”
“What is Los Angeles full name?” Dona asked.
“It’s also named for Mary, the Mother of God - «El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles»; ‘The Village of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels’.”
“So not ‘The City of Angels’, Jocelyn asked.”
“No, but modern usage is just ‘Los Angeles’, so it makes sense. Quite a few cities in California have really long original names; Texas and New Mexico, too. For example, San Jose is «Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe», or ‘Village of Saint Joseph of Guadalupe’. Santa Fe, New Mexico is «La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asís», or ‘The Royal Village of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi’, which means it’s actually the same as San Francisco, which was also named after Saint Francis of Assisi.”
“Were you born in Argentina?” Robby asked.
“No. My parents moved to the US before I was born. My dad worked for Grumman Aerospace, eventually as part of the team designing and building the Lunar Module. After that program ended, and Rockwell won the Space Shuttle contract, he took a job with GE out east, then was transferred to Cincinnati three years ago.”
“What does he work on?”
“Mostly turbine engines for military helicopters, though there are versions for civilian aircraft.”
“Dona, what does your dad do?”
“He’s a machine tool operator at GE. He and José’s dad didn’t know each other before we started dating.”
Gene came into the room just then and plopped down on the couch next to Jocelyn.
“All set?” Jocelyn asked.
“The test ran OK, so I scheduled the main run for tonight. I won’t know if it’s OK until tomorrow morning.”
“How will you know?” I asked.
“My results have to match the ones the professor obtained. He gave us a small test set, and my results matched, so it should be OK with the full data set. I’ll compare the results he provided for the full set in the morning.”
“That seems pretty advanced for a Freshman.”
“Honors,” he replied. “I had a couple of computer classes in my High School, and worked in the computer lab. We had Apple IIs, TRS-80s, and Commodore PETs. Dad bought me a computer when I was fifteen after my first computer class. That let me skip the computer class here. I also tested out of first semester physics and first semester calculus.”
“Damn!” Lee replied. “Can I ask about your SAT and ACT scores?”
“1560 and a 34 composite.”
“And you came to Taft?”
He shrugged, “Nerd from a small town. I wasn’t interested in going to a big school. Being here has helped, and I’ll likely go to Ohio State for my Master’s and PhD.”
December 30, 1984, McKinley, Ohio On Sunday, after church, Clarissa, Elizaveta and I went to Tasha’s apartment to spend the afternoon with her and Nik. Tasha and Elizaveta prepared dinner together, and had a quiet conversation in Russian, while Nik, Clarissa, and I talked. From their body language, I got the impression that «бабушка» Natalya was giving Matushka Elizaveta advice. My first thought was that I should be very afraid, but that thought was fleeting, and I realized that if there was...
March 28, 1985, McKinley, Ohio On Thursday, after my lesson with Doctor Blahnik, I met with Mark and Alyssa for our final catechism class. We finished reviewing the Nicene Creed, and then went over the baptismal rite to ensure they knew exactly what would happen on Holy Saturday morning. “Seriously?” Mark asked. “A horse trough?” “It’s painted gold with three-bar crosses on each side,” I offered. “The only other options are a river or a lake. We could probably arrange that, if you felt it...
August 21, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “When’s your last day?” Grace asked on Tuesday morning. “Tomorrow. I need to participate in checking in Freshmen starting Thursday. Are you working Thursday and Friday?” “Thursday, because it’s check-in. Friday I’ll be at orientation. Do you think we could keep our chess dates?” “Evenings are out because of studying, but Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are completely free, except for my guitar lesson on Thursday right after lunch.” “What about Tuesday...
June 5, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Do you want me to sleep at Doctor Blahnik’s house tonight?” Clarissa asked when she arrived at the dorm early on Tuesday evening so we could go to dinner. “No,” I replied. “Ice cream with Grace isn’t a date. And besides, you know the score.” “So this doesn’t end with her licking your cone?” she teased. I laughed, “No. I won’t be more than an hour or so.” “I’ll hang out with Jocelyn and Dona. I don’t want Kelly to complain I was in your room without you...
June 9, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “I’ve figured out what’s wrong with this game,” Dona said after we’d played the first nine holes. “What’s that?” “Using as few strokes as possible to get it in the hole!” I guffawed. “I mean, seriously, who wants FEWER strokes than average?” she continued. I laughed harder. “And who thinks that the best possible way to score is one stroke, then you take it out and move on to the next hole, never to put it in the first one again? GUYS! That’s who!” I...
June 2, 1984, McKinley, Ohio On Saturday morning, Clarissa left for her volunteer job at the local free clinic and I headed to the dorm to move my things from eight to two. It took about an hour to move everything and get it set up again. I’d just finished when I heard a very familiar voice call my name. “Hi, Jos!” I replied happily, holding out my arms. We hugged and exchanged a gentle kiss and then I pushed her cart down the hallway to her room. “You could have come up to get me to help...
April 28, 1985, McKinley, Ohio On Sunday, after the Divine Liturgy, Father Nicholas asked me to come to his office. “I spoke with Vladyka last evening. He gave his blessing for you to play in your band with a couple of conditions, which I don’t think will be a problem. The venues are important - no bars or clubs. He’d prefer you play things like High School dances, or venues where no alcohol is served. The key is decorum.” “Thank you. I’ll make sure I discuss any concerts with you in...
June 17, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “I’m going to break things off with Maggie tomorrow,” I said after Clarissa, Jocelyn, and I arrived at Tasha’s apartment for our usual Sunday dinner. “What?!” Jocelyn exclaimed. “I thought you were going to take the Summer.” “I’ve thought a lot about it, talked with Tasha, talked with Clarissa, and had a short talk with Doctor Blahnik. Basically, I let my promise to Maggie cause me to ignore the reality of the situation.” “Lara?” Jocelyn asked. “It’s...
January 2, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “Well?” Clarissa asked after I returned to the great room. “Wait and see. Angie’s next appointment is a week from tomorrow. I’m hoping Doctor Mercer waits until then to talk to Angie, but I’m afraid she’ll call Angie’s mom and THAT will cause Angie all sorts of heartache and might even set off her condition.” “Wouldn’t Doctor Mercer know that?” “Yes, but the problem is that Angie did something Doctor Mercer thinks is inherently dangerous. She’s almost...
October 20, 1984, McKinley, Ohio After Vespers on Saturday night, I headed back to campus and found a note saying the gang had gone to see Thief of Hearts and would be back around 10:00pm. I was dying to know if Clarissa and Sandy had received their letters from McKinley, but it looked as if I’d have to wait a few hours to find out. Given that my close friends were out, I really didn’t have much to do, so I picked up my guitar and played, though I didn’t sing. I started messing around with...
July 29, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Your mom hasn’t called you yet?” Tasha asked when our small group gathered at her apartment on Sunday afternoon. “No,” I replied. “But I figured it would take a couple of weeks of not hearing from me or Liz before she decides she needs to talk to me.” “You’re doing OK?” “Yes. It’s not all that different from you and Sasha, except that your dad figured it out quickly.” “If by that you mean you shamed him into behaving as a Christian should, then yes.” “How...
May 13, 1985, McKinley, Ohio The phone rang very early on Monday morning, startling me awake. A quick glance at the clock told me that it had to be Angie calling, and I dreaded answering the phone. Reluctantly, I got out of bed and moved across the room to answer it. “Mike,” I said after I picked up the handset. “Mike? It’s Mom.” “Mom?” I gasped in surprise. “What’s wrong?” “Grandpa Loucks had a heart attack,” she said. “Dad is on his way to Chicago.” “How bad?” I asked. “His prognosis...
June 16, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “So that’s it?” Clarissa asked when I hung up the phone on Saturday morning. “Yes. After I talked to the investigators on Thursday morning, they closed the investigation and late yesterday the base commander told Maggie’s dad he wasn’t going to take any action. According to what Karl said, the base commander gave Maggie’s dad an unofficial reprimand about what he said to me, but that won’t have any negative effect on his career.” “And Maggie is going to see...
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January 24, 1985, McKinley, Ohio The phone rang on Thursday evening while we were studying and I went to my room to answer it. “Hi, Mike; It’s Fran Mercer.” “Hi, Doctor Mercer.” “I had a session with Angie today and explained to her about why the state wouldn’t let her marry. It didn’t go well.” “What happened?” I asked apprehensively. “She became very angry and agitated. Her psychiatrist ordered a mild sedative, but she’s refusing to take it.” “Lord have mercy,” I replied softly. “So...
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February 9, 1985, Milford, Ohio “Do you mind sitting in the waiting room for five minutes while I talk to Doctor Mercer about Angie?” “That’s fine,” Elizaveta replied as we walked through the door of the building where Doctor Mercer had her office. We went upstairs and into the waiting room and Doctor Mercer greeted us. Elizaveta sat on the couch and Doctor Mercer and I went into her office. “Elizaveta will join us after we talk about Angie,” I said. “You don’t need any private...
August 31, 1984, Duquesne, Pennsylvania “Anything I need to know?” I said as we neared Lara’s house. “Not really. I told you about both sets of parents.” “Names? I mean other than I know your biological dad is Sergei Viktorovich Federov.” “My step-mom is Alisa, my step-dad is Albert, and my biological mom is Elena. My step-siblings are Karolina and Pavel. Oh, and my cat is named Lilia Felicksovna Koshkaa,” she added with a laugh. “Cute! I take it that your step-dad’s house is typically...
September 29, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Yes!” Elizaveta squealed. Everyone clapped and the grandmothers put the choker and bracelet on Elizaveta, who was impatiently waiting to come to me. Just before she did, Gennady hurried over, winked, and we exchanged a Russian greeting, causing everyone but Elizaveta, who simply rolled her eyes, to laugh. Once Gennady moved away, Elizaveta quickly came to me and we hugged tightly, then Elizaveta turned to her maternal grandmother. “Grandmother, may I...
October 13, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “I’d like you each to fill out this worksheet,” Father Nicholas said. “Please do not collaborate on the answers. It’s important for me to understand our starting point. Please don’t overthink this, or write down what you think I want to hear or what you think the other person wants to hear.” I scanned the worksheet before I began, something I did for every exam, quiz, or worksheet, then began with the first questions which mostly had to do with how well I...
November 17, 1984, West Monroe, Ohio “What did you say to get your dad to come upstairs?” Elizaveta asked as we climbed into my Mustang for the drive back to McKinley. “I just insisted he keep his word to you.” “To me? I’ve never spoken to him until today!” “The promise he made, three years ago, to love any girl I married and treat her like a daughter, was made to you. Well, assuming I’m not in enough trouble with you that you’re going to call off the wedding.” “You said you wanted to be...
January 17, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “My parents were kicked out of the church because they wouldn’t make me stop coming to Saint Michael the Archangel,” Mark said when I greeted him and Alyssa on Thursday afternoon. “Are they going to the Lutheran Church?” “Starting on Sunday, yes.” “What about yours, Alyssa?” “They’re supposed to have a meeting with the elders on Saturday morning. I invited them to Saint Michael, and Mark’s parents suggested they go to the Lutheran church.” “But it’s not...
February 16, 1985, Greater Cincinnati, Ohio “Good morning, Subdeacon,” Father Stephen said when Elizaveta and I walked into the main lobby of The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. The hospital was on Mt. Auburn, one of the highest points in the city, and offered a nice view of the city below. Father Stephen was clad in his ryasa. “Father, bless!” I said, holding my cupped hands for his blessing. “Bless you, Subdeacon,” he said, making the sign of the cross over my upturned palms. I kissed...
May 26, 1985, McKinley, Ohio On Sunday morning, I decided to walk my usual route through Doctor Blahnik’s neighborhood, rather than run. I had nervous energy I needed to burn off, but I didn’t want to burn off ALL my energy. I put on my shorts, t-shirt, and running shoes, and went out the front door. I was surprised to find Clarissa sitting on the steps waiting for me. She hopped up and we exchanged a hug. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “Waiting for you! Ready?” “For?” She laughed,...
September 20, 1984, Milford, Ohio “Thanks for coming here, Mike,” Doctor Mercer said when I walked into her office. “I felt I had to. Clarissa and Sandy are at Frisch’s, and I’ll join them when we’re done. They know it could be a while.” “Have a seat,” she invited. Instead of sitting down, I went to the couch, took off my shoes, lay down, and stretched out. Doctor Mercer got up and moved to the chair which was positioned just behind my head. “This is different,” she said. “I know,” I...
December 24, 1984, McKinley, Ohio On Monday, which was Christmas Eve, I slept in, ate a light breakfast, then made some tea and went to sit in the music room to start reading Foundation. I read for about fifteen minutes before Doctor Blahnik came into the room. “What time are you leaving?” she asked “About 11:00am.” “And you’ll be back tonight?” “Around 9:30pm, most likely. We’ll go to Vespers, then have a light meal.” “Will you join Milena, Joel, Derek, and me to decorate the tree? I...
Theophany, January 6, 1985, McKinley, Ohio After I dropped Elizaveta at home, I took a chance and drove to Father Nicholas’ house. Matushka Natalya greeted me at the door and let me in. Father Nicholas invited me to his study. “Sorry to bother you at home, but the bishop suggested I speak to you.” “Am I going to be happy at the end of this conversation?” “Angie drove from Cincinnati on New Year’s Day to talk to me.” “I thought she wasn’t supposed to drive!” “She’s not. She did it...
March 15, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “What did I hear you playing?” Clarissa asked when I came downstairs on Friday afternoon. “Just practicing,” I replied. “Yes, but that was no guitar!” she protested. I frowned, “I really should have skipped practicing this week. It’s a surprise for my wedding.” “Wait! That’s one of those Russian guitars like the girl had in Doctor Zhivago!” “A balalaika,” I confirmed. “It was Doctor Blahnik’s suggestion.” “What songs can you play?” “The only one I play...
April 19, 1985, McKinley, Ohio Elizaveta drove my car to Pizza Inn, where her friends had reserved the small banquet room for the party. She’d be taking her driving test Thursday, and wanted a bit more practice. I was sure she’d pass, but with BMV employees, one never knew what might happen. When we arrived, Elizaveta backed into the parking spot just as I’d taught her, and after locking up the car, we went inside to where ten of her friends and their boyfriends or girlfriends were waiting,...
September 29, 1984, McKinley, Ohio At the close of Vespers, Father Nicholas, I, and two acolytes left the altar. He completed the prayers which served as the Dismissal, then turned to the congregation. “One announcement,” he said. “Tomorrow, immediately following the Divine Liturgy, we’ll have a betrothal ceremony for Subdeacon Michael and Elizaveta Kozlova.” There were a few gasps, but otherwise, no real reaction because we were in the nave, where applause or chatter was completely...
December 31, 1984, McKinley, Ohio Elizaveta greeted me at the door with a soft kiss, then took me to her father’s study. She left me with him and Gennady, then went to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meal. I accepted a splash of brandy from Viktor and we toasted. “When do you head back to Harvard?” I asked Gennady. “Wednesday afternoon,” he replied. “You know, I never asked if you had a girlfriend.” “I do. A girl who lives in Boston, but who’ll move here if I ask her to...
Sunday Of The Prodigal Son - February 10, 1985, McKinley, Ohio On Sunday morning, when I left the altar during the canon of Matins to retrieve Father Nicholas’ homily which he’d left in his office, I was pleased to see Mr. and Mrs. Greenwald standing near Mark and Alyssa. When I returned to the altar with Father Nicholas’ notecards, I quietly let him know that they were in attendance. As the Matins moved to the Divine Liturgy, the hymns foretold the destination of our Lenten journey, which...
May 25, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “In Psalm 8, we read - When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers; The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You are mindful of him; And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels; And You have crowned him with glory and honor; You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. “‘Crowned him with glory and honor’ - that is us,...
December 27, 1984, Rutherford and McKinley, Ohio “Marie, this is my friend Dale Melrose. Dale, this is my friend Marie De Santis.” I could tell by the look on Dale’s face he was VERY attracted to Marie, and knowing Marie, she’d be more than happy to entertain him, if that’s what he wanted. “Dale,” Jocelyn said, “this is my boyfriend, Bill Ebersole. Bill, Dale.” They shook hands and I suppressed a chuckle at the thought that Dale didn’t look at Bill the same way he had at Marie. We walked...
December 28, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “That’s how you left it?” Clarissa asked, later that evening, as we sat by the fireplace. “Given I didn’t have an answer to her question, there wasn’t really anything more I could say. She didn’t make me leave or anything, and we had a nice dinner with her parents and maternal grandparents. And she kissed me properly when I left.” “That’s good, I think.” “I think it’s neutral, which is, I suppose, ‘good’ from one perspective.” “I think you were right...
March 9, 1985, McKinley, Ohio On Saturday morning, Clarissa and I had breakfast together at Doctor Blahnik’s house where we were both staying during break. I’d slept at the dorm the previous night because it didn’t officially close until Saturday at noon. I had walked over from the dorm, made my toast with jam and sliced a grapefruit, then poured a glass of grapefruit juice and joined Clarissa at the kitchen table where she was eating bacon and pancakes with maple syrup. “How are things at...
April 15, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “How are you feeling, Petrovich?” Clarissa asked when she came to my door on Monday morning after I’d run and prayed. “Fine. I slept like a log last night! What did Abby think?” “She was pretty awestruck by the service and had a good time at the party. Everyone else seemed to have a great time, too.” “I think Clark made some new friends,” I chuckled. “He spent like three hours with the old men smoking and drinking!” “So did Gene. Did Jocelyn have to pour...
May 25, 1984, West Monroe, Ohio After our second round, Violet and I went to her bathroom to shower. We needed to get back to the party, so we didn’t take too long, and once we were clean and dry, we dressed and I helped her change the sheets on her bed. She put them in the washing machine, and checked the time so she could return to put them in the dryer. Once she was satisfied there was no remaining evidence, we left the house to walk back to the party. “Thank you for fucking my brains...
Chapter 10: Love And Other Things June 23, 1984, West Monroe, Ohio I’d had to skip my Saturday morning mini-golfing with Dona because Clarissa and I needed to be in McKinley for Sasha’s 11:00am wedding. Saturday weddings were not the norm, but Vladyka ARKADY had granted «ekonomia» because of the circumstances. While we were in the Apostle’s Fast, there were no strict canons against marriage during the Apostles Fast like there were for the Dormition Fast which would begin in a week. Given...
June 30, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “I was right!” I said when I arrived at Doctor Blahnik’s house after lunch with Mr. Kozlov. “No way!” “He asked me to take responsibility for the distribution of charity to individuals and families in need. He’s been doing it, temporarily, because of Deacon Grigory’s heart attack. As he said, it does belong with clergy, and typically falls to the deacon.” “Good call, Petrovich.” “He did have a second matter to discuss,” I grinned. “So, actually, we were both...
August 4, 1984, Rutherford, Ohio “Hi!” Liz exclaimed when Lara and I walked into the restaurant in Rutherford on Saturday morning. “Hi!” I replied, hugging her. Paul and I shook hands with a nod, I hugged Emmy, and then the five of us sat in a round corner booth. “Liz said you did really well on your test,” Paul said. I nodded, “I’ll get into the school I want, which is all that really mattered to me. Well, I have to have an interview, but I don’t foresee any problems there. Clarissa did...
October 1, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Hi, Ang,” I said when she came to the phone. “Hi, Mike!” she answered. “How are you?” “Fine. How are you?” “OK. Have you thought about what I asked?” “Yes. Has Doctor Mercer talked to you about it?” “Yes,” Angie sighed. “And you agree with her?” “It’s more complicated than that,” I replied gently. “At this point, with my upcoming ordination, that kind of sin would be a serious problem. Father Nicholas warned me, without us talking about you, that he’d...
October 18, 1984, McKinley, Ohio On Thursday Clarissa, Sandy, and I had our fifth and final interviews in Pittsburgh. It followed the same basic pattern as the other four. Each of the schools - McKinley, OSU, UC, Indiana, and Pittsburgh had something to recommend itself. The girls and I discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each of the four schools besides McKinley, and decided, if we all didn’t get into McKinley, our order of choices would be UC, Indiana, Pittsburgh, and then OSU. Any...
October 20, 1984, West Monroe, Ohio “Please do not let my parents bait you into an emotional response,” I said to Elizaveta as I turned off Route 50 in West Monroe. “You think they will?” “I have no idea; I just wanted to warn you.” “Paul seems really nice,” Elizaveta said. “And yes, it was bad that he broke the law, but he and Liz are getting married. So in the end, they’re doing the right thing. You’re five years older than I am, and right now, I’m only about a year older than Liz...
November 3, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “That was fantastic, Mike!” Melody gushed when the debate ended about two hours after it had begun. “He served me up a series of fastballs right over the plate,” I replied. “His mistake was attacking externals at first, because that put him on the wrong foot from the get-go. If he had focused purely on theology, I wouldn’t have been able to score so many points with what amounted to ‘zingers’.” “You had him too tied up in knots trying to explain how he knew...
December 11, 1984, Rutherford, Ohio “What do you want us to do?” Clarissa asked. “If you and Jocelyn will just wait here, Elizaveta and I will go get my dad.” “You’re that confident?” “No, but I have to seem confident to successfully make the case to my dad. And I have less than ten minutes in which to do that.” Jocelyn and I got out of the car, then Clarissa and Elizaveta got out of the back seats. I took Elizaveta’s hand and led her into the County Administration Building. We took the...
January 12, 1985, Greater Cincinnati, Ohio “You came alone?” Doctor Mercer asked when I walked into her office in Milford. “I did. I’m going to see Angie’s pastor after you and I finish our session.” “Did you tell Elizaveta you were going to be here?” “Yes.” “Did you tell her WHY you were going to be here?” “No. That seemed to me to introduce unnecessary turmoil. I did tell my bishop and priest about the situation.” “That’s unexpected. Why tell them and not her?” “I saw my bishop on...
January 12, 1985, McKinley, Ohio “How are you, Mik?” Jocelyn asked when I arrived back at the dorm. “I feel like I’ve gone fifteen rounds with Ali.” “Would you even last one round?” “No, of course not, but I STILL feel like I was in the ring for the full fifteen.” “I know you usually talk to Clarissa, but she’s with Abby. I have an ear if you want.” “I love you, Jos; that’s never changed. And I can use an ear.” “Then come on,” she said. “Your room?” “We’ll leave the door open if you...
Great and Holy Thursday, April 11, 1985, McKinley, Ohio I slept in Thursday morning, then ran, showered, dressed, and then, because Elizaveta was in school, drove directly to the church. Elizaveta would be there, but her mom would pick her up just in time to get to the service, then take her back to school immediately afterwards. Attendance at the service, which commemorated the Last Supper, was usually sparse as people had to work or be in school. The same would be true for the Friday...