The Heart Of A Gypsy (6 page)

Slowly, she fed him. Nadya knew she should not be having such open contact with a man. It was against the strict laws of virtue put upon Romany girls. If she were seen by any of the old gypsy women, she would surly acquire a nasty reputation, and probably have a terrible time finding a husband. But she didn’t care. At the moment…there was something captivating about this strange and wonderful
gage
.

His breath caught in his throat as he felt her tiny fingers upon his open mouth. If he thought it wouldn’t scare her, he would kiss and suckle each one. Never, not with any other woman, had he felt such desire.

The fire outside the tent was burning out, and just a small smoldering flame remained. It illuminated her face. When he opened his eyes, he saw the glow dancing in hers. 

“That was wonderful. I have never tasted a sweet potato like that before,” he sighed, taking a deep breath. What was this tiny girl doing to him?

“I hope you will like it here, and that you will learn to love the ways of our people.” Her heartbeat quickened as she realized how close she sat beside him. She felt the warmth of his thigh, only inches from her own.

“I think I already have. You are a strong and noble people,” Christian said. His voice was hoarse with emotion.

The moment was filled with sensations. She was afraid he might kiss her. Then again, she wanted his kiss more than anything she’d ever wanted. But she knew she must not feel this way. The inner chaos was overwhelming. Quickly, she turned away. “We have never been regarded as strong or noble by the
gage
; the stigma that follows us is one of fear and hatred,” she said, forcing herself to move a few feet farther away from him.

“People can be wrong. They fear what they don’t understand. Hatred and prejudice is something I have fought against my entire life,” Christian said, disappointed that she’d moved away.

“Yes, I have heard of your work. The men here talked a great deal about you before we actually brought you here. It is one thing for us to fight the Germans… They attacked our people, the Jews and the Poles as well…but you…you fight only because it is the right thing to do. You may not know this, but here amongst our little group, you are considered a hero.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I guess I wanted to be a hero at one time - that’s every boy’s dream. But now it’s not that I want to be admired anymore. It’s just that when I see the pain and suffering caused by the Reich, I feel compelled to stand up for those being persecuted. It’s almost as if I must fight against it or consider myself a part of it. So, I must choose to fight. Sometimes I want to run away. I have doubts and questions all the time. I am certainly not fearless, but I try to do what’s right.”

“And that makes you a hero - my hero, anyway!” She felt the color rising in her face and was stunned at her own admission.

He shook his head laughing, “You are an amazing little creature…lovely Nadya.”

“Would you like me to sing for you?” Nadya asked.

“Is that customary? That a woman sings for a man?”

“It is.”

“More lovely customs,” Christian nodded his head.

“Ah… You’ve not seen the best. Wait.  The women here are known for their dancing,” she said, and she giggled.

“Hmmm, I can’t wait.”

Nadya sang for Christian, her voice a soft, crystal-like soprano. He listened, and the tender notes touched something deep within him.

All of the cooking fires had been extinguished; only the fire at the center of camp remained. It was here that the Romany women would dance.

Christian found that he was sorer today than the previous day.  And so, when the fire was roaring and the achingly sweet cry of the gypsy violins filled the night, Nadya helped Christian to the fireside. 

She showed him over to a large rock where the men gathered to watch the dancers.

“Now, you will watch me,” she whispered. Every nerve fiber within him tingled with the sound of her voice.

All of the women danced, swaying around the fire. The flames cast a golden glow upon their faces. Christian sat transfixed by the colorful dresses as they twirled about in the light of the flames. But his eyes kept finding their way back to Nadya. She mesmerized him.

Once the girls finished, a gypsy man with a thick black mustache brought out a guitar and began to play.

Nadya sat beside Christian.

“I used to play guitar,” Christian remembered.

“If I ask Tomas if you can use his guitar, will you play for me?” she asked, indicating the man who held the instrument.

“Yes, if you’d like.”

Nadya walked over to Tomas and whispered something. She returned carrying the guitar. Christian took the instrument and began to strum. He sang along, his voice soft.  Nadya sat beside him, quiet and caught up in the lovely music.  He smiled at her as she listened. The second song Christian chose to play was a love song. As he crooned the words of longing, he noticed that her face turned a deep scarlet, and he wondered if she felt the same about him as he did about her.

Across the circle, Tobar sat, watching. He had been planning to ask Ion for Nadya’s hand in marriage. She was of age, and the time had come. Over the last year Tobar had acquired a nice bride price to offer Ion. It was customary among the
Rom
that a man seeking a wife should bring a suitable sum if he wanted to acquire a bride. And there could be no doubt that Nadya was a prize. She had beauty; she could also read cards and tell fortunes, which was considered a big asset in a wife because she could earn her keep. What else could a Romany man ask for? In good times, she would surely bring a high price. Now, because of the ways in which their lives had been altered by the Nazi regime, he hoped Ion would accept his offer. It was as generous as he could manage in these hard times. Tobar had wanted Nadya for his own since they were children. They had grown up in different
kumpanias
, but they had seen each other often. Their respective
kumpanias
had met as they traveled and spent days together in celebration, as was the custom.  Although he’d seen her, he’d never spoken directly to her. When they were young, they’d sat at the fire with a group of children and listened as the adults told stories or performed with the dancing bears.  While the youngsters had been enthralled in the storytelling, Tobar had watched her lovely face, always dreaming of the day when he would claim her as his own. As Tobar studied Nadya and Christian, he grew concerned. She seemed to be showing an unhealthy interest in this new
gage
. Tobar decided that it was best that he go to her brother as soon as possible and make the arrangements, before this man with the blond hair soiled her, ruining her forever.

When Christian finished playing he placed the guitar against a tree.

“You make beautiful music. You could have been born a
Sinti
,” she smiled.

“Thank you. I take that as the highest compliment,” Christian said.

“As it was meant,” she got up and took the guitar back to Tomas. When she returned, she held a deck of cards in her hand. Spreading her skirt beneath her, she sat on the solid ground. “Would you like me to read your cards and tell you your future?” she asked Christian.

“Would you? I would love that.”

“But of course. I would be happy to.” A coy smile came over her face as she began to shuffle the deck. Then she handed the cards to Christian, “Cut them three times towards you, and make a wish.”

“Ahhh… I love wishes.” He winked and she turned away, embarrassed by the warm feeling that began in her lower belly and moved down between her thighs.

After he’d laid the cards down, she began her spread. 

“Let’s see what we have here… We have the queen of pentacles…with the lovers…and the ten of cups… Do you know what that means?” she asked with a giggle. Her laughter, a mixture of embarrassment and desire, rang out like a crystal bell.

“I have no idea what all of that means… Tell me.” He gave her a mock serious gaze, and her eyes sparkled back at his like black diamonds.

“It means that you will fall in love with a woman with dark hair. She will be very beautiful.” A giggle escaped her lips. “You will marry, have many children, and be happy forever. Until of course,” she jested, “she grows old and fat.”

“I already have fallen in love with just such a woman. And if she should grow old and fat, I will love her anyway,” smiling slyly, he stared deeply into her eyes.

She was suddenly shocked by her own bold behavior. The realization that she had been flirting made her self conscious. Gathering up the cards quickly, she got up and turned to go.

“I must leave you. I have to go now… Good night.” She ran away so quickly that she never heard him as he said, “Wait… Don’t go.” He felt his stomach drop. Had he offended her? Had he gone too far?  Again he said, “Don’t go…” in a whisper he knew that she could not hear because she was already gone.

Chapter 6

That night Christian slept restlessly. His mind was filled with dreams of Nadya. As he slept, images of her whirling as she danced came upon him with full clarity.  Her eyes gazed into his, while the flame of the fire cast an orange glow over her hair.  He was spellbound. Then the pictures from the cards that she had used to tell his fortune appeared, each of them smiling at him as they came to life. The two lovers gazing fondly at each other turned toward him, and when they did, they bore his own face and that of Nadya.  The woman with the dark hair and golden earrings beckoned him to come to her.  She reached out her hand as a smile came over her face. Christian’s heart beat faster as he walked toward her and gave her his hand. “Do you know what this means?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered. And then he woke up.

C
hapter
7

The following night after dinner, Christian was seated by the campfire with Ion. They smoked cigarettes and sipped the cherry liquor. Christian tried to sound casual as he asked, “Is the boy who follows Nadya her son?” 

“Goodness, no. He is just a child who wandered into camp one day. She took to him, and has been caring for him ever since. He is a pathetic little boy, quiet and dim-witted. But he’s so sweet and affectionate that you can’t help but like him,” Ion said.

Christian nodded.

It was late that evening, after the campfire had been extinguished and the group had retired to their tents or laid their eiderdowns under the stars to sleep, that Tobar went to Ion’s tent. To his dismay, Tobar found Christian there when he arrived.

“Why are you here?” Tobar asked.

“Ion has generously allowed me to stay here until I am healed and can build a tent of my own. I was just going outside to sleep beneath the stars,” Christian answered.

“Where is Ion?”

“He went to tend to the horses. He should return in a few minutes.”

“Tell him I am waiting by the common circle. I would like to see him.”

“I will tell him,” Christian told Tobar.

When Ion returned, Christian relayed the message, “Tobar is waiting for you at the circle. He says he needs to see you about something.”

“Tobar? I can’t imagine what he wants.” Ion laid his eiderdown on the ground and turned to Christian, “I’ll be back.”

Tobar sat on a rock, alone, illuminated only by a few stars and the light of the new moon.

“Ion,” Tobar smiled.

“Tobar,” he nodded in greeting.

“I need to speak to you on a matter of great importance.”

“Go ahead. I am listening,” Ion said.

“Well,” Tobar stammered. If things had been different…if times had not changed…their fathers would have been performing these negotiations. But now, both Nadya’s father and Tobar’s had been killed. Ion, Nadya’s brother, was her guardian, and so he was the one to decide who she would marry. If Ion approved of Tobar, he could choose to ask his sister if she would agree to this match. But even if she did not wish to marry Tobar, in the end she must do as her brother commanded. “Well,” Tobar cleared his throat, “I don’t know how to do this actually. I have no experience, but I want to ask for Nadya’s hand in marriage. I can pay a small bride price. Far less, I know, than one such as she is worth…but it is all I have. I will be a good husband to her. I am a
Sinti
like you and I have my own v
urdun
. It has come to my attention that you sleep in the tent so that she can use your
vurdun
. When we marry, if you will give your approval, of course, I will see to it that she will have her own home.”

Ion was caught off guard. He’d hardly expected this. If he agreed to the marriage, then Nadya must comply. But he could not do that without discussing it with her. Since the loss of the rest of their family, they had made all decisions together.

“I would like to give Nadya the option before I say yes. I like you, Tobar. I always have, but I cannot agree to this without her consent.”

“We are as
bars
…brothers. It is the way of the Rom to put our own first. I hope she is not considering marriage to a
gage
?”

“Why do you say such a thing? I see no
gage
she might be interested in marrying.”