Master

by Catherine Taylor

  Lena remembered having to stand in long queues outside the shops with her mother, not even knowing what one item was available at the end. All that had changed as the Soviet had approached its final days. The variety of goods had increased and was more easily obtainable. Everyone had said that the changes were good, but Lena still had a yearning for those old hard days.

  Back then, her father’s small bread shop and some hours in the mine had made them enough to be contented with. Dmitri still had time to devote to Lena, and she had adored him. He was a good honest family man, until he somehow obtained a restaurant. The days of queues and markets were over.

  Money began to flow in, but with it came rough looking men, who would take over their lounge for mumbled conversations with her father. Her grandfather visited more often, but spent most of his time with her father.

  At night she would hear the loud arguments between her parents, and knew that her mother was unhappy about the restaurant. It was often in the morning after, that she would stay in the bedroom, and call out for Lena to get herself to school. On her return the bruises would still be obvious, even under thick make-up. For an eleven year old girl, the changes had only brought misery, and the eventual loss of her mother.

  Staring out from the car, Lena could see that the market had grown and was crowded with people. There was music playing and vendors shouting to attract customers. Everyone looked to be enjoying themselves and Lena had to settle her excitement.

  “Are we going to the market?” she asked calmly.

  “We are.” Jahn suddenly confronted her roughly. “You will be holding my hand at all times, and not drawing any attention to us. If I suspect for a moment that you are plotting to escape, we will return to the apartment immediately and it will be the last time you leave it. Is that understood?”

  Lena crumpled under his harsh warning. Escape had not entered her thoughts, especially with Greta still back at the apartment. She frowned and nodded sullenly. When he got out, she made no move and waited until he had opened the door. His hand was held out to her.

  She accepted it reluctantly, her happiness deflating rapidly, but she allowed him to lead her without fuss. Several steps on, Jahn stopped and frowned down at her.

  “Why are you sulking now?”

  She tried to smile. “I wasn’t sulking. I’m just trying not to be a nuisance.”

  “Is it what I said back in the car?”

  Lena bit her lip and looked down at her feet. “I wasn’t going to try to escape.”

  She heard his deep sigh. “I’m sorry. You’ve been so quiet, and I couldn’t help thinking you were up to something.”

  Her mouth fell open and she glared at him. “I can’t win. I’m either talking too much or not enough. Which one do you want?”

  A grin edged into his face. “I want you to be yourself. I’ve got used to hearing you question everything and the silence is scaring me.” Reaching to his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet and extracted several notes. He put them into her hand. “Buy yourself some clothes that you like. I didn’t know what to get, and you’ve done very well not complaining about that horrible outfit.”

  Looking at the generous amount of money in her hand, she frowned. “This is too much. I could get half a dozen dresses with this.”

  “You need women’s products, more underwear. Buy whatever you want.”

  “Why would you spend money on me? What do you get out of it?”

  “I get to ease my conscience a little.” he replied seriously. “I’ve forced myself on your life and any compensation you receive is less than you deserve.”

  Lena stared at him, feeling a little shamed that she had been so suspicious.

  “Okay then,” she grinned, taking his hand. “Let’s go spend your money.”

  They set off towards the rows of open tin sheds, tents, and brightly coloured umbrellas shading tables filled with wares. Many people wandered about the busy market with merchants trying to entice them to their stalls. As they became part of the crowd, Lena held his hand tighter.

  There was no rush. Jahn walked slowly and waited patiently each time Lena stopped to admire something, and a vendor attempted to make a sale. It was at the first of the clothing stalls where the old lady behind the table proved to be the best salesperson.

  Raising her very short, round body from a chair, she glared at Jahn as Lena admired a dress hanging from the frame of her tent.

  “Why do you dress your wife like this?” she growled. “A pretty girl needs pretty clothes, and you keep her like this. You should be ashamed.”

  Lena giggled as she watched the woman, half Jahn’s height, berate him. When he tried to answer her, she waved him off in disgust and approached Lena.

  “He doesn’t want the men looking at you,” she said. “You don’t put up with that nonsense. It’s up to him to make sure he is man enough for you. Come, we’ll make sure he has plenty to be jealous about.”

  Before Lena could respond, the woman had her by the hand and led her to the racks of garments. Holding different dresses against her, the woman selected a few and ushered her to a curtain hung up in the tent.

  “Try these ones on and I will bring some more pretty things.”

  When she was gone, Lena laughed to herself, but looking at the chosen outfits, she realised that the old woman knew her business. The clothes were modern and sized to fit, with English and other foreign labels. The influx of Western goods had grown enormously and the variety was exciting, even with the exorbitant prices.

  Looking at the price tag, Lena gasped and stuck her head out from behind the curtain. Jahn was standing patiently outside the stall and she called to him.

  “They cost a fortune.”

  “These babushkas smell money from a mile away,” he smirked. “You’ve got more coming it seems.”

  He turned and she could see what he was he was looking at. The old woman had gone across to another stall and was returning with two other similar women, carrying an assortment of goods. They ignored Jahn completely and came back to the tent.

  For the next hour, Lena was at their mercy, dressed and undressed and subjected to their critical inspection. They matched dresses with shoes and put coloured beads and scarves around her neck. They ignored any protest she made and gave her no choice in what they set aside. Her opinions were dismissed, and Lena was reluctant to challenge the formidable women, even when they took her bra off.

  Holding her arms over her breasts, she was about to say something when she saw its replacement, a lacy pink bra with thin straps and a more flattering cut.

  They conferred with each other and Lena was made to put on a dress she had tried earlier. The flowery print had a peasant neckline with sleeves exposing her shoulders. It gathered at her waist and skirted out to her knees. They slipped matching coloured, medium heeled sandals on her and some shiny glass beads around her neck. One of them grabbed a chair and made her sit down before producing a brush which she dragged through Lena’s hair.

  There was nothing gentle in her handling, and Lena groaned and squealed throughout the ordeal. The sides of her hair were drawn back and fastened with a tortoiseshell clip. They examined her again and one of them started going through a case, producing a lipstick and blusher. More torture followed as they tidied her eyebrows with tweezers before applying the makeup. Finally they brought in a full length mirror and let her see herself.

  It was like staring back at a different person. Her body looked so different, still full in the breasts and hips, but her waist was defined. Her hair was shiny and falling in dark waves around her shoulders. Her eyes were wider and more feminine with mascara on her lashes and thinner eyebrows.

  “Now he has something to really be jealous about,” the first old woman grinned. “You go show him and he’ll never let you dress badly again.”

  Jahn had commandeered the vendor’s chair and was sitting back at the table, watching the crowd. He turned as she came out and his indifferent expression changed instantly. Ge
tting to his feet, he frowned as his eyes swept over her.

  Lena wilted. “You don’t like it.”

  “You look different.” He mumbled.

  “I can try one of the others if you can bear to wait another minute.”

  “I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” he said. “That one is fine.”

  The old women were watching this exchange and weren’t pleased. The first one marched up to Jahn and poked him solidly in the ribs.

  “You tell her how beautiful she is, right now, you jealous baboon, and stop trying to hide her from the world.”

  Lena giggled silently to see Jahn put in his place. She saw the frown and heard the familiar deep sigh, but he looked up at her and smiled.

  “You look beautiful, Lena. The dress suits you well.”

  “Good,” said the woman. “Now we do business.”

  Half an hour later they walked away with several bags, leaving three very happy old women behind them. Lena waited a few minutes before looking at him.

  “I didn’t know what to do. They just wouldn’t listen to me.”

  Jahn grinned. “You don’t argue with those old women. You do as you’re told.”

  “Is that why you said I looked beautiful?”

  He stopped and looked at her. “I said you looked beautiful because you do. Learn to accept praise when you are given it.”

  “I’m just not used to it.”

  “Which is why you need to find your own value, and then you don’t need praise from anyone.”

  “You mean a reason to justify my existence.”

  He shook his head, frowning. “No, I mean a reason to want to participate in life.”

  “And what is yours?”

  “I have a few,” he answered. “One I will show you today, and before you ask, you’ll see when we get there.”

  They wandered on and Lena was quiet again as she thought about what he had said. This was the first time in two years that she had wanted to be part of the world, and it was because of him. She liked being with him. He made her smile and feel good about herself, no matter what his motives were.

  If only he knew how unnecessary his concern was with her escaping, when right now she couldn’t bear the thought of being away from him. He had given her a taste of happiness and Lena wanted to cling to it. If her hands had been free of shopping bags, she would have hugged him right there in the market. Instead, she just smiled as they walked back to the car, taking subtle glances at his sexy physique.

  She tried to imagine her reaction if he did make a move on her. Even if his tastes were somewhat unusual, Lena was sure she could learn to appreciate them, even come to enjoy them as those women in the photos did. After all, her fantasies did include a little pain and embarrassment, and as Jahn had told her, were not so exclusive to her alone. Maybe she would have to try a little escape attempt, just for the outcome.

  It was only as they went to pass a previously unnoticed stall that her thoughts were abruptly brought back into line. Staring at it, Lena smirked sullenly. Not even the severest of beatings would ever compare to the agony that still lurked within her.

  Jahn had walked on several steps before he noticed that Lena had stopped. Turning back, he noticed the stony gaze on her face and followed her line of vision. The stall was smaller than the others, not needing so much space with its simple display of tiny garments. Hand-knitted matinee jackets, bonnets and rompers were neatly arrayed on the table, with small piles of cotton nappies and baby blankets. Colourful rattles and knitted toys decorated the gaps in between.

  “Lena,” he called. “We need to go.”

  For a moment she looked in his direction, but wasn’t looking at him, until her face changed rapidly. The smile came beaming back and she nodded, hurrying to catch up with him. She remained silent as they left the market behind.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  There was an envelope sitting on Jahn’s seat when they returned to the car. Lena said nothing as he slipped it quietly into his pocket and started the car. As her cloud of melancholy dissipated, she became more curious.

  “The windows were up and the car was locked. How does one get an envelope into the car?”

  Jahn gave her a frowning glance. “You don’t miss much, do you?”

  “So what is it?” she teased. “A letter from a secret admirer maybe? An invitation to a party?”

  “It could be advice on minding your own business.”

  She was getting used to his gruff replies and laughed. “Well that would be boring. I hope where you’re taking me is a lot more exciting.”

  “About that,” he said. “It is important that you do exactly what I tell you, and remain quiet through our visit. There are going to be people there and they are extremely distrustful of strangers. They may talk to you, but don’t be offended if they don’t, and be polite.”

  Lena shifted nervously. “Is it dangerous where we are going?”

  He shook his head. “They are just simple people left behind by a rapidly changing system that cares little for those who can’t keep up.”

  More questions came to mind, but Lena resigned herself to be patient. They drove out to the heavily industrialized areas where steel monoliths and chimneystacks spouted rudely into the blue of the sky. Old concrete buildings and wire fencing sat amongst weeds and trees that grew wild. Trucks drove along dirt roads bordered with slagheaps, while people walked about in their blackened overalls and hard hats. Further on, some of the factories were noticeably absent of activity, sitting silently as nature reclaimed the land around them.

  The car turned down a dirt road that led to a large crumbling structure surrounded by a tall wire fence.

  “Why are there so many empty factories?” Lena finally asked.

  “Because rich men bought them up,” Jahn replied. “They restructured them, stripped their assets and closed them down, leaving a trail of unemployment behind them.”

  “Why would they want to do that?”

  “For profit. Privatization was meant to be good for everyone. The select few saw the opportunities to exploit a flawed system. They made a lot of money by buying these places cheaply and selling them off for millions of dollars. People who had worked there all their lives found themselves jobless and with little chance of gaining new employment.”

  Lena frowned at him. “So what did they do?”

  “Many left to try their luck elsewhere. Some of them weren’t so lucky.”

  Jahn parked the car behind the factory and got out, bending down to look at Lena. “Wait here for a moment.”

  She watched him flick the boot open and retrieve some of the bags, which he lay on the ground before slamming the boot shut. Leaning back against the car, he stood for several minutes, intensely scanning the area, before coming to open her door.

  “Let’s go.”

  Lena got out and followed him. Several metres along, he stopped and set the bags down again. His fingers began to untwist several wires holding the fence together until he could pull it back. He held out his hand to help her through and came after her, stopping to rewire the fence.

  He led her through the tall weeds until they arrived at a rusty metal door. Pulling it open, Jahn began to whistle a tune. The mournful melody echoed loudly as they entered a large room. Rubble crunched underfoot and dark pools of water had gathered under the broken roof.

  They passed the rusting skeletons of machinery that had long been stripped of useful parts, and made their way to an area lit up by the light streaming through broken windows. Amid the frames of chairs and metal drums, Jahn stopped and spoke quietly.

  “Remember, just stay silent.”

  Lena nodded nervously, looking about at the dark recesses of the factory. For a long time nothing happened, but soon she heard the first sounds of whispered voices and shuffling feet. She gasped as she saw people emerge from the shadows and approach.

  A little dark haired girl broke away from the group and ran towards him. She looked to be around eight years old and was
neatly dressed in skirt, tights, jumper and boots. Jahn smiled as she crashed into him and seized him tightly around the waist. Maintaining her grip, she said nothing as she leant her head on his lower ribs and stared warily at Lena.

  Two teenage boys were the next to arrive, their faces bearing bruises and sullen expressions. They eyed Lena, but were more interested in glancing at Jahn who was frowning at them.

  Four elderly men nodded as they neared and three old women were the last of the group. Their toothless smiles radiated from withered faces, one cackling and looking eagerly at the bags.

  “I hope you brought some caviar today, Jahn,” she laughed. “I’m getting sick of sardines.”

  The other women laughed heartily.

  “You’ll get what you’re given, Anya,” he growled. “And I’ll find out if you behaved yourself before I hand out any treats.”

  Interest was soon given to Lena. Another of the women grinned. “You pick a strange place to take your woman on a date, Jahn.”

  “I like to keep it interesting. This is my friend, Lena.”

  Only the old men and women greeted her and Lena smiled and whispered “Hello.”

  The little girl looked up at Jahn. “Chocolate.”

  Jahn smiled and stroked her hair. “Not until you have shown me what you have done.”

  Reaching under her oversized jumper, the girl took out a book that had been tucked into her skirt. She opened it and slowly turned pages until finding the one she wanted. Her eyes skimmed the page before she took a deep breath.

  “Once upon a time, there was a fox and a hare.”

  There was silence as the girl read, the old women watching on proudly. There was a pause as the girl reached the end of the page and she pointed to some words.