Chapter 48
Nikola checked the date on his calendar. It was still 2013, December 1st. That was when he freshly moved into the apartment. A little bit before, he landed the job at the factory.
The Bulgarian went and cut himself above a slightly wilted flower. It bloomed again and Nikola breathed a sigh of relief. He was still an angel. He was not starting from zero.
Furthermore, he saw that his laptop was open and that there was a notification in his email of a new job application. It was the one for the factory. He remembered subscribing for similar jobs when he first moved here.
Now, he was not sure if he should go ahead and apply for it. With his knowledge, he knew that he could work as pretty much anything. So, instead, he turned back and went to the nearest workshop.
From then, it was buying everything he needed to create one of his crowning inventions, the electricity from salt water, and he began to assemble everything from memory. It took him a couple of trips to Florida to test it, but in three months, he was done.
He patented the invention quickly and landed a deal with a major electricity provider to mass produce his invention. His parents had been proud of him when his invention hit the news. So, they called him back for a visit, and Nikola was quick to accept.
That afternoon, on the 1st of March, Nikola carried red and white strings for his parents, as was the Bulgarian custom. He had made them himself and had even gotten beads to make them into real martenitsi.
Pavlina, his mother, hugged him at the door and Anton, his father, clapped him on the back.
“Hey, kiddo, you don’t suppose you can fix our toaster? Seeing as you are a big shot inventor now?” Asked Anton, and Nikola blinked. He had forgotten about their toaster that got the toasts done only on the one side.
“I’ll give it a look, dad,” Pavlina swatted Anton’s arm.
“He hasn’t been here in four months and that is the first thing you ask of him?” The truth was that Nikola hasn’t been there since that Christmas dinner he had during his best life, but they didn’t know that.
“That toaster was the first thing we bought here, in the states. Just after we got married. Remember?” Asked his father, and his mother got agitated.
“I wanted a washing machine, and your father came back home with a toaster. Then, on the 8th of March, he had the washing machine delivered. I had to use the public ones for months. And we had the money saved up!” Nikola knew that story.
His mother brought it up every time Anton brought up the toaster. Nikola supposed that his mother hated the yellow thing with a passion, even if it had been Anton who carried their clothes to the washing machines every day after he brought the toaster.
“And then he brought Rositza, the rose bush, didn’t he?” Asked Nikola, pretending not to remember. “Is it as tall as the house now?”
“No, but it took over the whole of the east wall,” said his father proudly. “You should see her, blooming strong and proud. I should give her the pest control treatment, son. Can you hold the ladder as I spray her?”
Nikola had always done that. Because, rather than to pacify his mother, the rose bush had gotten her angrier. She never liked it when people made empty excuses for her.
“We can look at your old photos, you used to have such chubby cheeks, Niki. Now you are all high cheekbones and I have nothing to pinch,” Pavlina petted Nikola’s cheek, and he grinned.
“Can’t be blamed for the good looks I inherited from the two of you,” said Nikola, and his mother giggled and extended her hand. Nikola placed the red and white thread he had made and secured the bead. Then, he did the same for his father.
Anton took out a real martenitsa, one from Bulgaria, and pinned it on Nikola’s sweater.
“Your grandma Boika sends her love and your other grandma Todora wants for you to go and see her. It seems she has found us a daughter-in-law,” Nikola groaned. Todora, Pavlina’s mother, always attempted to hook him up with the girls from her neighborhood when he visited.
“I can’t visit Bulgaria this summer, I have a new invention planned,” said Nikola and both of his parents gushed.
“Niki, since when have you been tinkering? I thought you liked to cook, like your mother,” said Anton, and Nikola gave them both a smile.
“If you can both recall, I finished first in the science fair when I was five,” the three burst out laughing, remembering the volcano that squirted tomato juice. It only got first place because it looked like Yellowstone. The organizers had marveled at the accuracy.
“Ok, keep your secrets,” said Pavlina, and she hooked an arm around Nikola’s and led him inside. “But just visit us more often. I know you have your place. One bought with your money.”
His mother teared up at that, looking proud.
“And that you can pay your loan for it now,” added his father, just as proud.
“But, Niki, we are not getting any younger and would like grandchildren soon. So go to your baba Todora and let her hook you up with a nice Bulgarian girl,” finished Pavlina, and Nikola gulped. Here went nothing.
“I’m gay,” yes, Vasilisa could take female forms, but he behaved like a man, so that didn’t count. Both of his parents looked at him, shocked.
“No grandchildren?” Asked his mother, lip quivering. Nikola was glad that this was what they had a problem with and not his orientation.
“Not unless I adopt,” said Nikola, and his parents brightened again.
“Well, then, when do we meet him?” Anton clapped Nikola on the back as he said that.
“There is no one in my life, yet,” but there will be. He would make sure of that.
