Father is Angry

We learned all the names of the explorers who had discovered America.  We even did a play where half the class wore paper beards and paper hats and got out of a boat (we walked in from the hall) and met the American Indians.  We told them about Russia, and they told us about their villages and their people.  Then we sat around a pretend fire and talked about how we would be good friends.  It was fun.

It took up most of the day.  In fact, it took up most of every day.  We talked about another explorer and another place in America that was started by Russians.  We started lots of cities almost all the way to San Francisco.

Some days we also had some spelling, but we almost never had arithmetic.  We spent most afternoons sewing costumes for Indians and explorers.  We would do a play for the whole school later in the year.  That sounded like fun.  And I am bad at sewing, but I am getting better.  I know that is important for a girl.

At home, Mother would give me a snack, and then we could use her computer to email my grandmother.  Mother knew how to send pictures, and we sent lots of me and Andrey and the family.  Grandmother sent pictures too.  Her garden in the backyard looked really good, and she also sent pictures of a family gathering.  My cousins were getting much bigger.  They said I looked bigger too.  I will be nine this winter, so I am getting a little bigger, but not as big as I would like to be.  Andrey is so bossy.  It would be nice to be big so I could push him back.  I suppose wives shouldn’t do that.

Father is at home all day now.  He has sold his businesses.  He says he is retired.  He says all the family should travel while the weather is still good.  He has said that in several emails to my grandmother.  She says that would be very nice.  Then he writes about visas.  Grandmother says she doesn’t know anything about them.  I don’t either.  But they seem important. 

One evening I heard Father yell at Mother about them.  She said he should just go to Germany instead.  They give Russians visas.  He started shouting something back at her, but then he dropped his voice very low and said something private to Mother.  I thought I heard my name.  I don’t know why.  I have been good.  I do almost all the cooking for dinner now, and all the cooking for breakfast.  And I keep Andrey’s room very clean.

I have stopped asking about Mommy.  They say she is busy.  Sometimes I still cry at night, but Mother doesn’t hold me anymore.  I know it is time I stopped crying.  I will soon be nine.  Not long after that I will be a wife.  Grownups don’t cry.  But I do miss Mommy.  I think she will be proud of me when she sees all the spelling words I have learned, and all the explorers I can name.  I am getting smarter.  I am sure she will like that.