Chapter 4
The Ruse
––––––––
BORIS LISTENED TO THE cheesy chimes of the doorbell. “Americans,” he muttered under his breath. “What a capitalist society. The need for ornamentations, music, even for just a doorbell...”
Tapping his toe against the first porch step, he waited. No answer. “Come on, ladies,” he said as he rang again. “We know you’re in there.”
A moment later, the curtain on the window beside the door was briefly pulled aside and Boris got a brief glimpse of a woman’s curious gaze. The door then opened and the older of the two women he’d seen through the window stood there, a concerned yet polite smile on her lips.
“I’m so sorry to disturb you, Miss,” he said in his most humble and unoffensive tone.
“It is rather late to be ringing,” she said with just a touch of reproach. “Please tell me, how did you get past the gate?”
He glanced over his shoulder towards the distant gate. “Oh, that,” he said. “It is not properly closed. It must be jammed or caught on something. But I was able to slip in quite easily.”
“Oh?” the young woman said as she looked beyond him toward the gate. She leaned to one side trying to get a view, but the lights lining the drive weren’t quite bright enough and the gate simply too far. “And why would you ‘slip in’ as you say.”
“This is so embarrassing, Miss...” He looked expectantly at her, hoping to learn her name. “Miss...”
“Sonya,” she said. “I’m Sonya Song. And you are?”
Once again, he looked over his shoulder and pointed to the road.
“My automobile,” he said. “I’ve been having issues with it lately and.
.. Well, it broke down. I must admit that I am horribly lost, and with the darkness of night taking over, I find it impossible to read the signs and other than a bite here and there, I haven’t had a decent meal in such a long time.
Fatigue is wearing me out and...” His voice trailed off.
Though pleasant and polite, Sonya made no move to invite him in.
“I know that this is such an inopportune imposition, but may I use your telephone so that I may try to reach the family members who are expecting me to arrive any moment now.”
“Where were you heading?”
Surprised by the question, he gaped at her a moment before collecting his thoughts. Patting his jacket and pant pockets, he searched. “I know I have the address here somewhere. Some small town that I have never heard of before.”
“Oh.”
Seeing how she still made no offer to invite him in, he tried again. “Would you be so kind as to allow me just a moment to call and advise them of my tardiness?”
“Perhaps you’d be best to call a mechanic as well.”
He chuckled as he nodded. “Yes. That is a very good idea. Very good indeed.”
“Your family... is it a local number that you wish to call?”
Again with the unexpected questions. “I’m certain that it is. I may be lost, but I know I’m in the general vicinity of their residence.”
“All right,” she finally said as she stepped back and waved him in. “But, as the hour is late, you must insist that you make it a short call.”
“Absolutely,” he said. He followed her into the American style home that was worlds away from the homes he’d known in Russia. His childhood home had been small and humble, and as a young man he’d shared a cramped apartment with a friend.
But this... open space with plenty of windows, beautiful artwork, bouquets of flowers. It was a grotesque display of wealth that made him want to spit on the floor.
He steeled himself and smiled at his hostess.
“This way, please,” she said, leading him to a sitting room or office or den.
The room was large with plenty of room to sit and chat with guests. To the left was a small desk, like a secretary. A heavy-looking black telephone sat on the desk beneath the glow of a lamp.
But what really caught his eye was the girl sitting at the desk.
While he recognized her as the younger girl he’d seen in the window, it was her way of dress that surprised him.
Her pristine black shirt had a high and ruffled lace collar that gave her a haughty air as she held her chin above the ruffles.
The puffy sleeves narrowed just below the elbow with a line of pearl buttons that went down to her wrists.
She wore a long black puffy skirt and a black leather belt around her waist. Her long dark hair was pulled up into side braids topped by a small black fascinator hat, and a pair of round, gold rimmed glasses sat on the tip of her nose.
While he wasn’t very familiar with American fashion, he felt certain that this was not the way of dress for such a young woman at the middle of the 1950s. In fact, it very much resembled images he’d seen of women from the Victorian age or early 1900s.
“Good evening, young Miss,” Boris said with all the charm that he could muster. He felt like he was in a room with royalty.
“Good evening, kind sir,” the young woman said with an air that was far beyond her years. “And please do call me April.”
“Yes. Good. April.”
“Now, what brings you to Summer House?”
“I’m having mechanical issues with my vehicle. It has broken down and I’m afraid I’m a little lost.”
“He’d like to use the telephone to advise his family of his delay,” Sonya added.
“Oh,” April said as she vacated the seat and gestured for him to come to the telephone.
“You see, the day has been so long,” Boris said, stammering somewhat as he picked up the receiver.
He had no idea what number to dial or what he would say.
“I’m more tired than I thought... and oh so hungry.
” He took a whiff of the aroma that wafted in from the kitchen.
“And something sure does smell heavenly in here.”
“Oh,” April said. “I know the hour is late, but we were just about to sit down to dinner. If you’re truly so hungry, why don’t you join us before heading back out on the road.”
He smiled. He beamed. This was even easier than he had anticipated. Just like Igor had said. Americans are so trusting. “It certainly would be my pleasure to enjoy a good meal with two such hospitable ladies.”
“Good,” April said. “Then it’s settled. Please, make your telephone call and come join us in the dining room. It’s the third door to the right. Oh, and you can wash up in the lavatory just two doors to the left.”
“Thank you,” Boris said. “It shouldn’t be long.”
Thankfully, the ladies left him alone. He pretended to make a call, spoke out loud to his imaginary American family that was waiting for him and even laughed loudly.
Saying his goodbyes, he finally hung up and followed the heavenly aroma that filled the air.
He stopped in a small lavatory – just a toilette and sink – and washed his hands of the sticky sweetness of the peaches he'd eaten with his fingers.
He dried his hands on the small pink hand towel edged with satin ribbon and continued on his way to the small, informal dining room.
“Ah,” he said as he found them serving the evening’s meal. Compared to the cold fatty slices Igor had brought to the car, this was a true feast. “How splendid. This is truly more than I could have hoped for.”
The younger woman sat at the head of the table while the older one took a seat to her left. Boris pulled back a chair on the young woman’s right and sat down.
“This smells divine.” The plate in front of him was truly sent down from heaven.
“In honor of my new tutor’s arrival, I decided to welcome her with a feast fit for a queen,” April said with a whimsical giggle.
“Why... there’s enough food here to feed...” He almost said an army but caught himself. “... well... a lot more than two delicate ladies such as yourselves.”
April laughed as she cut into her slice of roast beef. “It’s hard to make just a little bit of roast beef. And as for the mashed potatoes... you can never have too much of that. Then you have the string beans and dinner just wouldn’t be complete without a thick and rich gravy.”
Boris licked his lips as he picked up the gravy boat and poured some gravy over his meat and potatoes.
“Did you reach your family?” Sonya said.
“My what?” Boris said, already forgetting his lie. “Oh. My family. Yes. Yes. Thank you so much. They’d grown worried and just knowing that I am safe is very much a relief to them.”
“You have a very interesting accent,” April said, her brow scrunched up as she tried to identify the origin.
With his fork load of roast beef ready to make its way to his mouth, Boris gaped at the inquisitive young woman. Did she figured out what he was?