Reunited After 25 Years

"You're a little cutie, aren't you?" The cat purred as Andrea stroked its fur.

Anton laughed. "That cat does not like Sallochka. When she comes over, it runs."

"Oh, so you call her Sallochka now?" Andrea's voice had a definite edge to it.

Anton frowned. "She is a friend."

"Suddenly Andrea laughed. "Just listen to me! Getting upset over what you call the next door neighbor!" she exclaimed. "You're turning me into a Russian, Anton."

Anton laughed out loud and slapped Andrea's bottom.

Sasha's gender soon became obvious as her belly became swollen with kittens.

"What shall I do? I must find homes for them all," Anton told Andrea.

"I'll ask some of the people at work," Andrea offered. "I work with some real cat lovers."

It was almost time for Thanksgiving. Anton had never heard of the holiday. Andrea tried to explain it to him.

"It's in celebration of when the Pilgrims first came to America from England," she told him. "Their first winter was very harsh, and they almost starved to death. The Native Americans saved their lives by bringing them food. Many years later, one of the Presidents decided to commemorate their experience on the last Thursday of every November."

"So the reason it is called 'Thanksgiving' is to thank the Native Americans for bringing food to the Pilgrims?"

"Well, not exactly," said Andrea. "Most people say they are thanking God for the food. The Native Americans have been kind of forgotten."

"That makes no sense," said Anton. "It is not fair to the Native Americans."

"Absolutely. The Native Americans have been treated very unfairly over the years," Andrea agreed.

"Where are they today?" asked Anton.

"Most of them just assimilated into mainstream American culture," Andrea told him. "Lots of Americans have Native American ancestors, including me. The ones who wanted to hang onto their own culture live on reservations, mostly in the southwest. They're very poor and have high rates of alcoholism and suicide."

"That is very sad," said Anton. "I have seen pictures of them before. They wear feather headdresses and beads, right?"

"They do on special occasions, like pow wows," said Andrea. "We could go to one sometime, if you'd like. They're quite interesting. They do traditional dancing and chants and things like that."

"I think I would like that very much," said Anton.

Andrea's parents invited Andrea, Anton, Denny, and Darya over for Thanksgiving dinner. It was the first time the Parkers had ever met Darya.

"You look just like your father," Jewel told her.

"I have hair like my mother," said Darya. "I have a picture of her if you want to see."

"Of course!" said Jewel.

It was the first time Andrea had ever seen a picture of Anton's wife, Nadya.

"She was beautiful," Jewel observed. It was true. Nadya had been a brunette, a bit taller than Andrea.

"Yes, she was," Anton said. He looked very sad. Andrea squeezed his hand, and he looked at her gratefully.

"Andrea was married for less than a year when she lost Dennis in 'Nam," Jewel told Anton. "That's his picture, there." She nodded toward Dennis and Andrea's wedding picture, which was on a stand in the living room.

Anton walked over to the picture and picked it up. "Oh, Andrea, you are so beautiful in this picture," he said.

"You mean I'm not beautiful now?" teased Andrea.

"You are even more beautiful now," said Anton.

"Aw. you're so sweet." Andrea went to him and hugged and kissed him.

"Andrea told me a sad story about the Native Americans," Anton told the Parkers.

"Oh, yes," Jewel said. "My grandmother was half Choctaw. I don't know if Andrea told you that."

"Yes, she said that she has some Native American ancestors."

"Just about everyone does," Jewel told him.

"It was very nice to have a traditional American Thanksgiving meal," Anton said on the way home. "I think that perhaps I ate too much, but it still was nice."

Andrea laughed. "That's an American tradition, to eat too much on Thanksgiving."

At last they reached Anton's house.

"Thank you for a lovely time," Anton said. "Won't you come in and visit for awhile?"

"If I do that, you know I'll probably end up spending the night." Andrea laughed.

"That is what I hope will happen." Anton laughed too.

After they entered the house, Anton's jovial mood turned to dismay when he saw the cat lying motionless on the floor.