Paullina Simons - The Bronze Horseman

Also by Paullina Simons

Tully

Red Leaves

Eleven Hours

T HE
B RONZE
H ORSEMAN

Paullina Simons

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

THE BRONZE HORSEMAN. Copyright 2001 Paullina Simons. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

LEV AND MARIAS STORY: PAULLINA SIMONSS TRIBUTE TO HER GRANDPARENTS, SURVIVORS OF RUSSIAS TERRIBLE TWENTIETH CENTURY 2001 by Paullina Simons

Paullina Simons asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

MS Reader edition v 1. May 2001 ISBN 0-06-000609-9

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

For my beloved grandparents, Maria and Lev Handler, who have lived through World War I, the Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War, who have lived through World War II, the siege of Leningrad and evacuation, through famine and purges, through Lenin and Stalin, and in the golden twilight of their lives, through twenty non-air-conditioned summers in New York. God bless you.

Hence in a season of calm weather

Though inland far we be,

Our Souls have sight of that immortal sea

Which brought us hither,

Can in a moment travel thither,

And see the children sport upon the shore,

And hear the mighty waters rolling evermore.

William Wordsworth

Book One

L ENINGRAD

L IGHT came through the window, trickling morning all over the room. Tatiana Metanova slept the sleep of the innocent, the sleep of restless joy, of warm, white Leningrad nights, of jasmine June. But most of all, intoxicated with life, she slept the exuberant sleep of undaunted youth.

She did not sleep for much longer.

When the suns rays moved across the room to rest at the foot of Tatianas bed, she pulled the sheet over her head, trying to keep the daylight out. The bedroom door opened, and she heard the floor creak once. It was her sister, Dasha.

Daria, Dasha, Dashenka, Dashka.

She represented everything that was dear to Tatiana.

Right now, however, Tatiana wanted to smother her. Dasha was trying to wake her up and, unfortunately, succeeding. Dashas strong hands were vigorously shaking Tatiana, while her usually harmonious voice was dissonantly hissing, Psst! Tania! Wake up. Wake up!

Tatiana groaned. Dasha pulled back the sheet.

Never was their seven-year age difference more apparent than now, when Tatiana wanted to sleep and Dasha was...

Stop it, Tatiana muttered, fishing helplessly behind her for the sheet and pulling it back over her. Cant you see Im sleeping? What are you? My mother?

The door to the room opened. Two creaks on the floor. It was her mother. Tania? You awake? Get up right now.

Tatiana could never say that her mothers voice was harmonious. There was nothing soft about Irina Metanova. She was small, boisterous, and full of indignant, overflowing energy. She wore a kerchief to keep her hair back from her face, for she had probably already been down on her knees washing the communal bathroom in her blue summer frock. She looked bedraggled and done with her Sunday.

What, Mama? Tatiana said, not lifting her head from the pillow. Dashas hair touched Tatianas back. Her hand was on Tatianas leg, and Dasha bent over as if to kiss her. Tatiana felt a momentary tenderness, but before Dasha could say anything, Mamas grating voice intruded. Get up quick. Theres going to be an important announcement on the radio in a few minutes.

Tatiana whispered to Dasha, Where were you last night? You didnt come in till well past dawn.

Can I help it, Dasha whispered with pleasure, that last night dawn was at midnight? I came in at the perfectly respectable hour of midnight. She was grinning. You were all asleep.

Dawn was at three, and you werent home.

Dasha paused. Ill tell Papa I got caught on the other side of the river when the bridges went up at three.

Yes, you do that. Explain to him what you were doing on the other side of the river at three in the morning. Tatiana turned over. Dasha looked particularly striking this morning. She had unruly dark brown hair and an animated, round, dark-eyed face that had a reaction for everything. Right now that reaction was cheerful exasperation. Tatiana was exasperated herselfless cheerfully. She wanted to continue sleeping.

She caught a glimpse of her mothers tense expression. What announcement?

Her mother was taking the bedclothes off the sofa.

Mama! What announcement? Tatiana repeated.

There is going to be a government announcement in a few minutes. Thats all I know, Mama said doggedly, shaking her head, as if to say, whats not to understand?

Tatiana was reluctantly awake. Announcement. It was a rare event when music would be interrupted for a word from the government. Maybe we invaded Finland again. She rubbed her eyes.

Quiet, Mama said.

Or maybe they invaded us. Theyve been wanting their borders back ever since losing them last year.

We didnt invade them, said Dasha. Last year we went to get our borders back. The ones we lost in the Great War. And you should stop listening to adult conversations.

We didnt lose our borders, Tatiana said. Comrade Lenin gave them away freely and willingly. That doesnt count.

Tania, we are not at war with Finland. Get out of bed.

Tatiana did not get out of bed. Latvia, then? Lithuania? Byelorussia? Didnt we just help ourselves to them, too, after the Hitler-Stalin pact?

Tatiana Georgievna! Stop it! Her mother always called her by her first and patronymic names whenever she wanted to show Tatiana she was not in the mood to be fooled with.

Tatiana pretended to be serious. What else is left? We already have half of Poland.

I said stop! Mama exclaimed. Enough of your games. Get out of bed. Daria Georgievna, get that sister of yours out of bed.

Dasha did not move.

Growling, Mama left the room.

Turning quickly to Tatiana, Dasha whispered conspiratorially, Ive got something to tell you!

Something good? Tatiana was instantly curious. Dasha usually revealed little about her grown-up life. Tatiana sat up.

Something great! said Dasha. Im in love!

Tatiana rolled her eyes and fell back on the bed.

Stop it! Dasha said, jumping on top of her. This is serious, Tania.