Among the Shrouded (6 page)

CHAPTER

10

T
HOMAS

It was a very good thing Thomas was a proficient pianist, for as he sat at the piano located in the atrium of one of the largest shopping centers in the city, the movement of his fingers was the last thing on his mind.

For several days,
he had become preoccupied with the young officer he had spoken to at the police station.  He had returned to the station each afternoon, hoping to be chosen for a lineup, only to be disappointed when the officer in charge announced they would not be requiring his services.  In addition to the money he was losing out on, he was also dismayed he wouldn’t be able to linger by the hallway door on the off chance she would pass by once again.

Each piece
he played flowed seamlessly into the next and he closed his eyes.  The composition he was playing, the Piano Sonata in B Minor by Franz Liszt, was a piece he had learned during his brief stay with his second foster family.

After being removed from
his first family by the Department of Social Services, he had initially been content with the second family into which he was placed.  The most exciting part for him, when he arrived with two small bags and the coat on his back, was seeing the piano against the far wall in the formal living room of the house.

Se
veral weeks after settling in, he had cautiously approached the piano.  He had pulled the bench out quietly, taking special care to avoid scratching the feet across the hardwood floor.  At first, his fingers seemed to have forgotten their place on the keys.  He plunked out a simple tune that echoed throughout the house.  After several minutes however, he found he was able to remember much of what Mrs. Lawson had taught him.  He surrendered himself to the music and was surprised when minutes later, his new foster mother, Beatrice, appeared beside him on the bench.  She urged him to continue and began playing harmonies at her end of the keyboard.  He had enjoyed a few precious months of peace playing the piano with Beatrice.  Until the drunken beatings began. 

As an adult
, he acknowledged he was never meant to stay with his second family because, of course, then Mildred would have never become his mother.  However, it was a shocking blow as a child when Beatrice’s husband, Frank, began using a belt on him whenever the opportunity arose. 

At that time,
he was just beginning to understand what the voice in his head was suggesting when it woke him at two in the morning and urged him to hide from a drunken Frank who was arriving home from the local bar.  He had initially ignored the nagging feelings of anxiety that began cluttering his thoughts. However, after several unprovoked lashings, he began listening to the fear that boiled up inside his gut.  Hiding and avoiding confrontation became a way of life for him.  And, on the handful of occasions when he suppressed the anxiety and attempted to stand up to his foster father, he found he was no match for Frank physically and proved unable to protect either himself or Beatrice from her husband’s rage.

He
knew if Frank had taught him anything, it was to listen to the protective counseling his gift provided.  It was a lesson he carried with him every day. 

As
his next selection wove its way through the noisy chaos of the atrium, he could not help but wonder what had happened to Beatrice in the years since he had been removed from her home.  He hoped she was safe, wherever she was.

His tip jar was quite full and
he was considering packing his belongings to head home when he noticed a young woman standing at the far side of the atrium.  She bore a striking resemblance to the woman from the police station, but he was cautious about approaching her after what had transpired with the woman on the bus the week before.  He waited to confirm she was actually the officer before chancing another awkward situation.  His fingers continued to play, but he watched the woman who was standing patiently outside the jewelry store.  After several moments, she turned so he could see her face. He realized he had been holding his breath and released it slowly when he saw it was indeed the officer from the station.  His fingers hurried to complete the song he was playing, as he was unwilling to cut off the piece before its end. He hoped he would be able to finish before she moved out of sight. 

And then, with only several measures to go, a man came out of the jewelry store and
placed his arm around her shoulders.  She returned his ridiculously large grin and they began walking together out of the atrium.  He was carrying a small bag, and it was obvious to him they had just purchased the jewelry together.

His
heart sank and he felt as though he had been punched in the gut.  He conjured up the most melancholy song in his repertoire and began to play, without regard to the listeners of whom he was requesting tips.  He was angry at himself for the way he was reacting, but found he could do nothing to suppress it.  Like it or not, he was heartbroken at the sight of the officer with another man.

After packing up his belongings,
he took the number seven bus home.  Although Mildred often waited up, he was especially happy to see the kitchen light on as he entered the tiny row home they shared.

“Well, goodness, who died?”
she said as soon as she saw him coming through the door.

“Aw, Ma
, it’s so stupid,” he said.  He threw down his backpack and sat beside his mother at the kitchen table, resting his head in his hands.

“Did you get dinner?” she asked.

“A little.  Not really.  No,” he replied.

“I made
soup.  Would you like some?  You can tell me what’s going on while you eat.”

“Sure
, Ma.  I’d love some,” he said.  He hesitated to go on, fully aware of how his mother would react to anything he had to share concerning a woman.  He waited until she placed the bowl of soup in front of him before he began.  The steam from the bowl warmed his cheeks and the familiar aroma seemed somehow to calm his weary soul.

“So I met this girl…”

“A girl!” Mildred exclaimed.

“Yes, Ma.  A girl.  But don’t get too excited yet.  I saw her tonight.  And she was with someone else.”

“No!” she said, genuinely devastated by the news.

“Yeah.  Like I said, it’s stup
id.  I don’t really know her.  I don’t even know her name.  All I do know is she’s a cop.”

“A cop?  Did you meet her doing those lineups?”

“No.  That’s the weird thing.  I first saw her at Belinda’s the other morning.  She was having brunch with some friends.  I felt her staring at me while I was bussing tables.  She kept looking at me like she knew me.  And I got this feeling.  I don’t know how to describe it.  It was like she was pulling me toward her.  It was as if I was supposed to meet her for some reason.”

“Well, did you talk to her?” Mildred asked.

“No.  Not at Belinda’s.  But then, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.  She’s been right here,” he said, pointing to his forehead, “and I can’t get her out.”

“But you did talk to her?” Mildred interrupted again.

“Yes, Ma, I’m getting there.  So I didn’t say anything to her at Belinda’s, but later in the week, while I was at the police station doing another lineup, I saw her walk by the door to the waiting room.”

“And she saw you?”

“No, I followed her down the hallway like some crazy stalker.”

“And then you talked to her?” Mildred asked anxiously.

“Yes, Ma!  Then I talked to her!”

“And what did you talk about?”

“Nothing.  It was ridiculous.  I had nothing important or interesting to say.  I told her you were upset about me doing the lineups.”

“Well, that was truthful.”

“Terrific.  At least I’m a
truthful
24-year-old who still lives at home with his mom…”

Mildred deflated, her shoulders slumping beneath her.

“Aw, Ma.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean it that way.  You know I want to be here with you.  But this girl, she doesn’t know the circumstances.  It just makes me look like a failure.”

“So what happened tonight?”
she asked, composing herself and taking his hand in her own.

“I played tonight at the atrium in the mall and I saw her standing outside the jewelry store.  I was just abou
t to walk over to her when a guy came out of the store and put his arm around her and they walked out together.  It was stupid of me to think she wasn’t already involved with somebody else.  It was even stupider of me to think she would be interested in me, even if she wasn’t with another guy.”

“Thomas
Pritchett, I don’t ever want to hear you say that again.  Do you understand me?  That is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.  You are a wonderful young man.  Honest.  Hardworking.  Faithful.  Any woman should be honored to know you.”

“Thanks
, Ma,” was all he could reply.

“So this girl’s not the one.  So what?  When I met Howard, I knew.  When the right girl meets you, she’ll know too.  Have a little faith.”

He was ready to change the subject.  “Well, the good news is, I earned enough tonight that we will easily make the mortgage payment this month.  We might even have enough extra for that application to Peabody.”

“Thomas!  That’s fabulous news!  I just know your piano playing is going to be your bread and butter.  We just need to get your feet through the right doors.”

“I’m trying, Ma,” he replied. “I’m trying.”

CHAPTER

11

KATE

The email inviting Kate to the informational seminar arrived in her inbox the day after the phone call.  Desperate to make a good impression, she raided both he
r sisters’ and her mother’s wardrobes in search of the perfect outfit.  Each piece she tried on seemed too worn or outdated, and so, without her parent’s permission, she borrowed a few hryvnia from the stash her parents kept in the jar on the top pantry shelf.  She promised herself that once she was able, she would return the money, with interest.

On Wednesday afternoon,
she was having difficulty concentrating during Biology. Her class was discussing meiosis and mitosis, but she was preoccupied with the seminar and the ramifications of the evening’s events.  As soon as the professor dismissed her class, she raced from the room, hoping to catch the 3:11 metro into Kiev’s elite shopping district.  Both of her sisters were planning on meeting her at oz.store, one of the trendiest clothing stores in the city.

As she rounded the corner from the metro station,
she spotted both Tetyana and Natalya waiting outside the entrance to the store.

“This is so exciting!” Natalya exclaimed, running to her as she approached the storefront.

“What are you going to buy?” Tetyana asked.

“I don’t know.  I don’t have much money.  I need to find something that makes me look dependable.  And hard working.  Like I would be a good investment.”

“You are a good investment, Kate,” Tetyana said
, smiling at her sister.

“Well, I’m sure there are going to be other students there, so I need to make sure I stand out. 
I need them to notice me and remember me when it’s time to give out money for school.”

The girls wove through the aisles of clothing, each of them picking up pieces to show the other two.  The
y finally decided she should wear a dress, but a professional looking one with a collar and full sleeves.  At long last, they came upon the perfect dress.

“Get th
e blue,” Natalya encouraged her.

“No, the green is better.  It matches your eyes,” Tetyana chimed in.

“I think,” she said, “I’m going to get the red.”

“It is beautiful,” Natalya said.

“And they will certainly remember you,” Tetyana agreed.

“Then the red it is,”
she said, holding the dress at arm’s length, knowing at once it was the perfect selection.

By the time the girls made their way home
during the busy rush hour commute, there was very little time left for her to prepare for the seminar.  They had already agreed upon the story they were going to tell their parents regarding where she was going for the evening.

After changing from her street clothes into the form fitting red dress,
she applied a layer of mascara to her lashes and put on a touch of lipstick.  Satisfied she was as ready as she was going to get, she succeeded in slipping unnoticed out of the apartment.

Although she was upset about having to spend more money
on another metro ticket, she was realistic enough to know she would never make it to the seminar on foot, especially given the impractical shoes Natalya had forced her to wear. 

When she arrived at the address, she was confused by
her surroundings.  She had expected she would be meeting the investors in a business office or perhaps someone’s home.  Instead, the address she was given led her to a building which resembled a small, aging warehouse.  There was no front entrance but, after exploring a side ally, she found a large steel door on the back of the dilapidated brick structure.  Unsure about what to do next, she cautiously knocked on the door.

A heavyset man opened the door from within.  He was dressed fully in black – a black oxford shirt and black dress slacks.  His face was partially obscured by a beard and there was a noticeable scar down his left cheek.

“Welcome!” he said warmly, his voice in stark contrast to his outward appearance.

“Hello,”
she replied.

“Come in,” said the man, “Who can I announce has arrived?”

“My name is Yekaterina Malinov.”

The man led
her down a narrow stairway into a cavernous room in the basement of the building.  The ceiling of the room was low and the floor was made of concrete.  There were a few scattered rugs positioned between several groups of mismatched chairs.  The only light was provided by three industrial looking fluorescents which did nothing to soften the harshness of the space.

The burly man announced
her arrival to the handful of other guests who were already mingling with one another around the room.  She immediately picked out two distinguished looking men wearing business suits and what appeared to be very expensive shoes.  It was obvious they were the American investors.  She knew they were the people she needed to impress, and as if drawn to her by some unseen force, they immediately approached her.  She smiled, knowing her gift was once again helping her to get what she wanted. 

“Yekaterina, a pleasure,” said the first man
, taking her hand and kissing it gently.  “My name is Henry, and this,” he said, motioning to his companion, “is my business partner, Patrick.”

“It’s nice to meet you,”
she said, suddenly very grateful for the English classes her parents had forced her to take her entire life.

“No, it’s nice to meet you,” said Patrick.  “You look
absolutely exquisite!”

She
felt her cheeks blushing to match the shade of her dress and averted her eyes, no longer able to maintain their gaze.  “Thank you,” she said modestly.

“Come
, sit down,” Henry encouraged her.  “We are about to get started.

She
crossed the room and sat beside another young woman who looked to be about her age.  She scanned the room and saw there were six other young men and women in attendance.  She assumed they had all responded to the same flyer she had seen in the student union.

As soon as she was seated, Henry and Patrick began their presentation in the center of the room.

“Welcome,” Henry began.  “We are so glad you have come to join us this evening to find out more about what we can do to help you fulfill your dreams.”

“We will start by explaining what the program is all about,” continued Patrick.  “It is actually quite simple.  Henry and I are interested in the financial prosperity of this wonderful country of yours.  We know the Ukrainian people have been hit hard over the past several years by a terrible recession.  We believe one of the best ways to improve the prospects of the country is to improve the prospects of its
people.  And the people with the most to offer are college students.”

Henry took over for Patrick, “And that is why you are here.  Every month, we select several students to go to the United States.  We provide work visas and all of your transportation needs.  While you are in the states, you will be given high paying American jobs.  You will live communally, which helps to keep living expenses to a minimum.  Therefore, you are able to quickly save money that you will be able to use to complete your education when you return home.  Our typical students are able to return to the Ukraine in as little as six months to a year with enough money to pay for the remainder of their studies.  Then you can start your lives here as well educated, debt free adults who will help improve the financial stability of the country.”

“All we ask is for you to fill out our questionnaire and spend some time with us tonight while we get to know you.  Within several days, we will contact you to let you know if you have been selected.  Are there any questions?” Patrick finished.

Each of the students looked expectantly around the room at one another. 
She took the opportunity to set herself apart from the crowd by speaking first. 

“I have a question,” she began.  “I was unaware we were going to be asked to leave the country.  I have never been outside of
the Ukraine and have never been away from my family.  Will we be able to communicate with them?”

“That is a great question, Yekaterina.  Yes, of course.  You will have internet and telephone services available to you so you may keep in contact with your family throughout your entire stay.”

“Why can’t we just get jobs here?” one of the boys asked.

“As you may know, the job market here in the Ukraine is very tight.  In the United States, jobs are much more plentiful.  Additionally, the pay is considerably higher in the U.S. as compared to the pay you would make for the same
job here in the Ukraine.  Great questions.  Anyone else?” Henry asked.

The girl seated
beside her spoke up.  “What type of jobs will we be given?”

“Depending on what you fill out on your questionnaire, we will try to match you to a job that meets your specific qualifications and training.  So to that end, it will depend on you.  If you have a business backgroun
d, you may be working for a Fortune 500 company.  If you have a science background, you may be working in pharmacuticals.”

“Where will we be living
in the United States?” asked a girl who was seated at the far corner of the room.

“Again, that will depend on the job you are assigned.  We have apartments set up for you in many cities around the country.”

The room fell silent.  Each of the students looked carefully at one another, suddenly aware they were actually each other’s competition for the few coveted positions.

“Well, if th
ose are all the questions you have for now, let’s move to the questionnaire portion of the evening.  As soon as you have finished, you are welcome to speak with each other and get to know one another a little better.  Who knows, perhaps you may be roommates sometime soon!” Henry said.

The two men passed out questionnaires and pens to each of the students. 
She quickly filled hers out.  Most of the questions revolved around her educational background and skill set.  There were a few personal questions which inquired about her family and the jobs each of her family members held.  She was required to submit her tax identification number.  She assumed they would be looking into her financial need.  The final question asked what her goals were with regard to the income she would be making in the United States.  She listed two: become a physician and assist in paying for her sisters’ educations.  She felt no one in the room would have more noble goals. 

As the rest of the students were finishing their sheets, the girl beside
her introduced herself as Lera.  “Can you believe this opportunity?”

“No.  These men must be angels,”
she replied.  “I wonder how many of us will be selected?”

“I don’t know.  I wish they could take us all.”

“Me too.  I wish they would take my sisters.  All three of us could use the money.”

“Are they in college too?”

“No,” she explained, “they will graduate from secondary this year and start university in the fall.  But only if our family can afford to send them.”

“You have two sisters graduating
at the same time?”

“They’
re twins.”

“Who are twins?” asked Henry
as he approached the girls and joined in on their conversation.

“My sisters,”
she replied.

“Oh, and are they as
beautiful as you?” he asked. 

She
found herself blushing again.  Unaccustomed to the forwardness of the American men, she was unsure how to respond.

“My sisters,”
she began, “will be starting university in the fall and they would benefit greatly from this opportunity.  Probably even more than I.”

“I see,” said Henry, pausing briefly to think.  “Here’s what we can do.  Why don’t you fill out questionnaires for your sisters as well and we will keep them in our files.  When they
are ready, we will consider them for our program.  How does that sound?”