by Finian Blake
“I would like some spaghetti.” Blossom said in a small voice. “Can Cherry join us?”
“No dear,” Nadia picked her up heading for the door. “Cherry has an errand to run with Boris and Rhonda, but we will have dinner with them to night.”
Cherry and Rhonda stood back to watch Boris, as they waited at the exit for customs. When each small group walked through the doors he made a small hopping motion that reminded her of a kid at Christmas. Xavier was in his formal chauffer’s uniform holding a sign with Tamar Bagrationi spelled in Russian script. The door opened and before the doors closed Cherry could see an electric cart pull up with a fashionable looking older woman on it. Boris was looking past her when she walked up to Xavier.
“That is me.” Boris could not believe his eyes. His mother looked like a pampered rich lady not the tired looking woman that he left fifteen years ago just before the first revolution.
“Mother…?” Boris let out the only word that came to mind, but it came out as more of a squawk than a word. She must have kissed Boris twenty times before she released him. His face was a smear of lipstick. Tamar looked much younger than Boris remembered her. She worked hard and was always doing extra for the family and neighbors some of whom had come with her and were still making their way through customs.
“Boris I don’t understand an official met me at the door of the plane and stamped my passport. He led me to that cart and we are here. I thought that I was under arrest.” Rhonda leaned forward to whisper in his ear.
“I told State that she was a dignitary.”
Tamar looked approvingly at Rhonda, “Do I thank this beautiful lady for my royal treatment?”
“You have both of these ladies to thank for your royal treatment,” Boris said indicating Cherry and Rhonda. Tamar leaned close to Boris’s ear.
“What are these women to you?”
“We are both his lovers.” Cherry said brazenly as she switched from English to Georgian. “And he drives us absolutely mad.” Cherry switched back to English. “Your English is quite good. Where did you learn?”
“When Dimitiry left to go to the United States my aunt’s husband had a cousin working at the spy school and she arranged for a tutor.”
“My mother Seraphina was a colonel at the spy school,” Nadia said. “And my aunt was married to a Russian general, but they left Russia twenty-five years ago. Perhaps they know each other.”
The other nine travelers came through the exit doors of customs. Tamar made the introductions and Boris led the way out to the parking lot with his mother on his arm. There was a small bus waiting for the others as he looked around Boris realized that everybody was only carrying a small weekend bag.
“Where…?”
Cherry placed her hand lightly on his forearm, Boris darling. “We do this all the time all of their possessions were shipped and are in the correct apartment.”
“So Cherry you have set this up?” Cherry wagged her finger back and forth between her, Rhonda and Boris.
“Tamar, please be assured that we have done this with Boris whom we dearly love. I must go with the bus and Rhonda will go with you and Boris.” Cherry kissed Boris passionately leading the others to the bus. Xavier held the door for Tamar and Rhonda took the seat facing him. As the door closed the door she put one foot on the outside of his legs sliding her open toes seductively up and down his calves.
“Both Cherry and I love Boris he has a very big…” Rhonda let the statement hang while a look of horror appeared in his eyes, “…brain.” There was an audible gasp as Boris and his mother let their breath out in relief. Rhonda leaned back in her seat and let them enjoy their reunion continuing to rake his leg with her toes.
“Tamar, Boris has never been to the Inn. Why don’t you tell him whether or not you enjoyed it?” Tamar launched into her account of the last few days enthusiastically filling the rest of their ride with her glowing account.
Rhonda threw the door of the apartment open so that Tamar could be the first one to enter. She slowly walked in the room and ran to the corner which held a beautifully restored antique foot pedal sewing machine. Tamar moved the pedal observing that it worked smoothly and that it was in fact a working machine.
“Who does this belong to, Rhonda?”
“Tamar, it belongs to you just like everything else in this apartment.” A surprised look came over Tamar’s face and she turned walking back into the apartment stunned by Rhonda’s pronouncement.
“All of this… All this belongs to me?” Rhonda and Boris moved next to Tamar putting their arm around her waist.
“Yes dear lady, Boris wanted to be sure that you would want for nothing.” Tamar took a slow walk through the apartment starting with the front room. Everything was brand-new and yet it seemed familiar since the people back at the Inn had taken the time to listen to Tamar’s description of her home back in Georgia. Tamar moved to the kitchen noting an antique Russian samovar sitting prominently in the counter with tea glasses in their silver holders. She opened the pantry to find all the foods that she was familiar with and her refrigerator was fully stocked with the foods that she favored. As Tamar walked through the apartment she noted the care with which the furnishings had been selected. Finally, she reached the sewing room finding it equipped with three sewing machines and an impressive selection of materials.
“Boris, you have done all this for me,” Tamar said with tears in her eyes.
“Mother I wished it for you, but Rhonda and Cherry arranged everything.” Just then the bus with the other families arrived and Rhonda interrupted the conversation.
“Tamar the other families have arrived and I must help Cherry settle them in their new homes.”
“Boris, your ladies seemed quite devoted to you. I remember when you could not even talk to a girl and now you have two beautiful women that seem to be absolutely in love with you.” Tamar said with a tone of admiration in her voice.
“I don’t understand it myself, but I am not going to question it.” Boris exclaimed.
Rhonda ran down to the bus greeting Cherry as the doors opened to let the other families off. Cherry escorted David and Andria to their apartment with their three children Katia, Luke and Michael to their new apartment. Rhonda escorted Isidore and Elizabeth with their two boys Peter and Thomas to their new apartment. Both families were thrilled with the arrangements. David and Andria were both chefs back in Georgia, so Cherry had arranged for them to start a restaurant. Isidore was a handyman and Tom-Tom arranged for him to work at Four Diamonds security as a maintenance man. Elizabeth was a schoolteacher back home so it was arranged that she would continue her education so that she could once again be a teacher. Cherry had arranged a special tutor for the children of both families so that they could blend in with the schools in this country. Once everybody had been settled Rhonda and Cherry announced that there would be a special dinner so that everybody could be introduced to their new friends at the same time.
Maalik and Khalid were having more than their share of troubles picking up the propane truck up in Pennsylvania. Things seem to start out smoothly when they picked up the truck, but things deteriorated quickly when they drove past the first weigh station. A Pennsylvania highway patrolman pulled in behind Khalid who was driving the propane truck forcing him to return to the weigh station. Since the truck normally carried hazardous materials the officer detained him for over two hours but ascertained that the truck was in fact empty and being transported to Baltimore. After calling the propane company that sold them the truck they managed to obtain a waiver since it was a truck that was being transported and not hazardous materials. Maalik was doing his best to keep Khalid from having a meltdown.
Once they were finally on the road again Khalid was driving the truck and Maalik was following in his car. About five miles from the weigh station they found themselves stopped by a traffic jam due to an accident that closed both lanes of the highway. Nothing moved for over an hour and both men were about to lose their minds with the unexplained delay.
They had left Fort Meade immediately after Maalik had returned from Four Diamonds Security without the chance of getting any sleep.
When they crossed the Maryland state line he pulled into the first weigh station for the state and they once again had to explain that the truck was in transit without any hazardous materials on board. This time it only took twenty minutes, since he understood what the problem was with the weigh station. They provided him with all the information that would be needed to register the truck properly in the state of Maryland. It was six in the evening when Khalid and Maalik finally pulled into the driveway of the rental house. Both men were in a state of collapse and went to bed hoping to get a few hours of sleep before their shift started.
Tom Thomas had selected his favorite restaurant for dinner to meet all of the new families. Since he was a regular there was no problem arranging a private room. Cherry and Rhonda were the first to arrive and were enjoying cocktails in the bar. Boris and Tamar joined them after they managed to down their first drink. Tamar looked like she was floating on air and she clung tightly to Boris’s arm when she greeted the two women.
“I am so glad that my Boris has found such wonderful women,” Tamar started to talk in her native Georgian.
“I hate to ask you this,” Cherry interrupted, “but would you mind speaking English since Rhonda does not understand Georgian?”
“Of course my dear, Rhonda needs to be part of our conversation,” Tamar said warmly. It was only a few minutes later when the other families arrived greeting their benefactors enthusiastically. Nadia and Ted arrived with Blossom the young lady that had just been rescued the evening before.
Nadia took Cherry by the elbow pulling her into a quiet corner of the room. We have explained to Blossom that she can choose any name that she wants for her new life. Nadia remained silent until Cherry finally pressed her for the new name.
“Well are you going to tell me?” Cherry said being slightly annoyed.
“Blossom, would like to be called Cherry,” Nadia giggled, “after the ‘kind lady’ that rescued her.”
“I would be honored,” Cherry coughed as a tear came to her eye. Cherry started to move over to Blossom when Nadia failed to release her arm.
“Before you go,” Nadia sounded uncomfortable, “Ted and I would like to be her new parents since you, Rhonda and Boris are getting together.” Cherry flushed and remained silent for several minutes.
“I suppose that it would be best since the three of us would be hard to explain later on.” Cherry was sounding more than a little disappointed.
“It’s not Rhonda, Boris and you, it’s Ted.” Nadia maintained her firm grip on Cherry’s arm. “Ted is really bonded with Blossom and she looks at him as her protector. I talk to Ted this afternoon and he would really like to be a father to her. It has nothing to do with your lifestyle and everything to do with the bond between Ted and Blossom.”
“I didn’t figure Ted for the daddy type.” Cherry looked across the room at Ted noting that Blossom had a double handed grip on his forearm. “Yeah, it’s kind of obvious, and I think we are too far along in a relationship for you to start judging our different lifestyles. I know that you and Ted will take excellent care of Blossom but what about her mother.”
“According to Blossom, her mother has no interest in her and her mother’s boyfriend has been molesting her. Blossom seems to be content with our offer but before doing anything permanent we will be certain of their relationship.” Nadia maintained her grip on Cherry’s arm. “Could I get you to make a set of British papers for us? I believe we will be taking Cherry back to the Amazon Inn.”
“So you would like to use the name Cherry McKenzie and you would like a British passport.” Cherry thought for a few seconds. “I believe that should be relatively easy since at her age the only record of her would be her birth certificate and a few school records. I can have all of the papers ready for you in about three days or so.”
Tom and Helen walked in the room with their daughter Susan. Helen and Susan had just arrived from the Amazon Inn. There was no hiding the smile on Tom’s face since he would now become a married man once again instead of a bachelor. It was obvious that Susan was still wound up from all her travels in the morning. Looking around the room her eyes came to rest on Nadia, Ted and Blossom walking hand-in-hand. Finding someone her age in the room Susan instinctively walked up to Blossom.
“Hi! My name is Susan, what’s your name?”
“My name is Cherry McKenzie, and these are my parents Nadia and Ted.” Having been familiar with the Inn for a few years Susan took the introduction without question.
“I know Nadia and Ted from the Amazon Inn. I have an aunt Cherry do you know her?” Ted and Nadia were glad that Susan accepted the change so easily.
“Yes I liked her name so much that I decided to call myself Cherry. She rescued me from some very bad people and she is a very nice lady. Nadia and Ted are going to take me to live at some place called the Amazon Inn.”
“You are going to live there with Ted and Nadia? I am so jealous that is such a neat place…” Susan took Cherry’s hand leading her away from the adults, going on about the Amazon Inn. After ten minutes Nadia called little Cherry to them whispering in her ear.
“If you would like us to be your parents, we would be proud that you picked us.” After which Nadia and Ted stood Cherry on a small unused table lifting their glasses.
“Well I guess that the secret is out. We have been officially adopted by Little Cherry.” Ted stepped up on one side and Nadia on the other side holding her hands high in the air making a three-way hug. Once Little Cherry was off of the table she ran off to talk to the five children that walked in with Boris and the new arrivals. Nadia walked over to Auntie Cherry.
“I didn’t ask if it was alright with her favorite aunt Cherry.”
“With Boris and Rhonda, I was wondering how I was going to work something out. A lesbian straight relationship as a three way could be real hard to explain. I am still trying to figure it out myself.”
“Well Alex, Anna, Lynn and Susan did it while raising five great kids and adopting twelve others. Every one of us is a millionaire at the very least. If you want to know what Cherry’s, chances are like just look in the mirror.” Nadia changed thought tracks. “Do you have any idea about what you are going to do with the paper work?”
“Nadia, I am going to kill her.” A look of inspiration crossed Cherry’s face. “We go into records and change Blossom’s birth certificate to read ‘Still Born’. There was never a record of her after she was born. Blossom only existed in her mother’s head. In the meantime, since you will be living at the Amazon Inn, I will make up a complete history for England.”
Nadia looked over to see Cherry and Susan in animated conversation with Susan making motions like she was riding a horse. Nadia turned Cherry’s head by her chin to face the girls.
“I think that we will have no problem selling the idea.”
“I will begin immediately and you should have everything that you need in three days.”
“Would you like Cherry to call you and Rhonda mom or auntie?” Cherry mouthed the word mom holding her hands together as if praying.
Nadia hated to disturb the conversation but she wanted Little Cherry to call Cherry mom before the night was through. Susan saw her approaching and stopped to give Nadia a big hug.
“I was telling Cher all about the Inn. I have my own horse there, my horse and Cherry’s horse are sisters, Grandma Lynn gave me one of her dogs, and Susan gave me a miniature horse that is just a little bigger than my dog. We pick blue berries and the old men let me drive their tractor when mom isn’t looking, but I only go there in the summer.”
“Cher…?”
“That’s short for Cherry with two Cherry’s it’s too confusing and we don’t like little in front of our name, so we have Cher and Sue.”
“That’s wonderful.” Leave it to a fourteen-year-old to work out a simple solution Nadia thought. “Wo
uld you like to call Cherry and Rhonda mom too. At the Inn we all have second and third mothers and if you call them mom they will probably let you use their horse.”
“I would like that, Cherry rescued me but you are my mom.” Nadia was amazed by the ease that Cher switched gears. Nadia watched as Cher ran up to Cherry and Rhonda hugging them both fiercely. “Mom…” Nadia only heard the one word because Boris and Tamar were both mobbed by the new arrivals that were coming through the door.
Nadia walked over to Boris and his mother, putting an arm around each of them.
“Has Queen Tamar settled in yet Boris?” Nadia gave them both and affectionate hug.
“Queen Tamar, Nadia why did you call me that?” Nadia moved Tamar to the full length mirror that was mounted near the door.
“Dear lady, have a look at yourself in the mirror.” Nadia switched to Georgian. Tamar almost did not recognize the woman that stared back at her from the mirror. Her clothes were expensive, her makeup and hair were perfect with her posture upright almost regal. “You had the foresight to have your family tutored and you followed all of our instructions to the letter. Tamar we have worked with many people trying to get things done and they have failed. You on the other hand kept everyone in line, so that we were able to get things done in less than a week. Tamar Bagrationi is the name of an important Georgian queen. I only suggested a name to Cherry.” Tamar saw Boris talking to Cherry and Rhonda on the other side of the room. She kissed Nadia politely on both cheeks walking off as if in a trance without saying a word.
As Tamar walked up to the three that were seated at the table she noticed that both women were seated on either side of Boris and they leaned in closely so that they were both almost sitting on his lap with their hands reaching in front of Boris touching each other. Boris had his hands resting on their necks idly playing with each woman’s earing. Tamar coughed loudly to get their attention. All three stood to greet her.
“We were just asking Boris if you were comfortable in your new apartment.” Both Cherry and Rhonda said at the same time and laughing when they both finished at the same time.