Reunited After 25 Years 38: Taking Care Of Andrea

The next morning Andrea awoke with a stuffy nose and scratchy throat. Before she could even say good morning, she let out a gigantic sneeze.

"Poor Andrea," Anton said sympathetically. "Just when I recover from my injury, you get sick."

"I think it's just a summer cold," Andrea told him. "But I am calling the library and telling them that I can't come in today."

"Do that," Anton told her. "Stay home and let me take care of you." He didn't have to go back to work himself until the following Monday.

Andrea made a quick call to the library, then yawned and returned to bed. She lay still as Anton ran his hand slowly up and down her back, ever so gently.

"Ah, that feels so good," she murmured.

Anton chuckled. "You are just like Malinka." At the sound of her name, the cat jumped up onto the bed and nuzzled Andrea, who stroked her fur.

Andrea began to shiver.

"You are cold, Andrea?" Anton pulled the quilt over her and tucked it under her chin.

"I think I have a slight fever," Andrea said. "Could you please bring me a couple of Tylenol?"

"Of course, moya lyubov." Anton brought Tylenol and 7-up, and within minutes Andrea felt well enough to sit up in bed and watch TV. Anton stayed with her, his arm around her, her head resting on his shoulder.

They watched a couple of movies on the Lifetime channel, and for lunch Anton made chicken noodle soup and fed it to Andrea. "I was going to make borscht, but then I thought, perhaps you would like this better."

"Thank you," she said. "It's very good."

After lunch Andrea took a nap that lasted a couple of hours, and when she awoke, she saw that Anton was sitting by the bed reading a letter.

"It is from my friend Yakov," he told Andrea. "He was my best friend all the way through school, and we kept in touch after we graduated. He wrote to me to tell me that he lives in Israel now. He is Jewish, and has always want to go to his homeland. Now he finally got the chance. I am happy for him."

"That's nice," said Andrea.

"I never told you before, but my Uncle Simeon, the one who is married to my Aunt Vera, is Jewish, too," Anton continued. "They have a son, my cousin, Veniamin. After Veniamin was born, Uncle Simeon wanted him to be circumcised, so they invited a rabbi to their apartment. Their next door neighbor was KGB. He knew, but they were his friends, so he looked the other way. They were lucky."

"I thought that kind of thing had to be done in a hospital," said Andrea. "Denny's was."

"You let them do that to your son, and you are not even Jewish?"

"It's the usual thing here in the United States."

"That is another thing that is different between my country and yours."

Andrea was happy that Anton was in a talkative mood because her throat was really scratchy now and she didn't feel like saying much.

"Anton, could you please see if we have any peppermint candy? My throat's sore," she said.

"Of course I will. Your voice sound very weak, Andrea. Perhaps you should go to the doctor."

"If I'm not feeling any better tomorrow, that's what I'll do," Andrea said, right before a violent coughing spell hit her.

As it turned out, there was no peppermint candy in the house, so Anton went to the drug store and returned with the candy, various over-the-counter meds, and a large helium balloon that said 'get well soon' on the side.

Andrea laughed when she saw it. "You always know just how to cheer me up," she told her husband.

That night she fell asleep snug and warm in Anton's arms.

As it turned out, Andrea did have to see a physician and take a course of antibiotics, but she felt better very shortly after starting the medication.

One day she took a walk out to Anton's greenhouse in the back yard. She looked around at all the dried, yellow plants that had been so vibrant and green just weeks before and felt as if she wanted to cry.

"Do not be sad, Andrea." She looked up and saw Anton standing in the doorway of the greenhouse. She went to him, and he embraced her as she rested her head on his shoulder. "We will have beautiful flowers and delicious vegetables again next year. It will only be a few months."

"I know," she whispered, still finding it difficult to shake the feeling of melancholy which suddenly seemed to overwhelm her.