Chapter 9
T he next morning, I almost slept through breakfast. When I came down to the villa’s café, Dad and Elizabeth sat with a dark-haired man in a suit who talked like a machine gun.
Assuming he was a new in-law, I pulled up a seat at their table.
The stranger rambled on about Malegonia’s ancient glory.
His English was clear, and his brown eyes shone with ferocity as he spoke.
“Serbia and Greece tried to wipe us out after we defeated the Turks, and now the Bulgarians try to claim us, but they all lie. Only Malegonians will tell you the real history. Everyone wants our land because it’s the greatest country in the world.
We have the cleanest water, the finest beaches, and the highest mountains.
All European languages derive from Malegonian, and all the greatest artists and thinkers have our blood.
Alexander the Great, Constantine, Napoleon, Nikola Tesla, Mother Teresa, John Belushi, Abraham Lincoln, Elon Musk, thirty-six popes … ”
I snickered, thinking the man was joking, but he continued his diatribe without missing a beat.
I glanced at Dad and Elizabeth. They had resigned expressions and nodded along like captives in a hostage video.
The man continued, arguing that the original language of the Quran was a lost Malegonian dialect, until his phone rang.
He answered and rose abruptly from the table without acknowledging us.
“Who was that?” I asked as he walked out of the café.
“No idea,” Dad said. “I thought he was a waiter and asked him for a drink.”
Elizabeth gave a whimsical sigh. “He seemed like a very smart man.”
Dad and I shared a look. Elizabeth didn’t notice.
“I thought he was nuts,” I said.
“But he knew so much about this country,” she said.
Dad rolled his eyes and changed the subject. “After breakfast we’re expected back at Irena’s house for more circle dancing.”
“More!” I gasped, a panicky tingle in my chest.
Dad nodded. “That’s what Will said.”
“How wonderful.” Elizabeth clasped her hands together .
Dad and I shared another look.
“I don’t know if I can endure another day of this,” I complained.
“It’s not what we’re used to, but this is family.” Dad gave me a stern glare. “So you are coming.”
My mouth folded into a frown, and I crossed my arms. I’d agreed to attend the wedding, but I never knew it would last an entire week. Part of me wanted to sneak off and find a bus for Croatia, but I knew I’d never hear the end of it if I did.
After a joyless meal and a round of espresso shots, we marched through the winding streets to Irena’s house.
Enkelana was small enough that we’d already memorized the layout of the town.
That didn’t stop the locals from gawking when we passed by, however.
Old men stared at us, not bothering to stop picking their noses, and old ladies spied on us from their balconies.
I tried waving at them, but they didn’t return the gesture.
We were greeted by loud music when we arrived.
Miranda, my new stepmother-in-law (if that’s even a thing), hustled out the front door and smothered us with double-cheek kisses and a spattering of foreign words.
I pretended to be happy as we funneled inside the shambled house to the party.
It was only eleven in the morning, but the festivities were in full swing.
The wedding-goers cheered when we entered and immediately pulled us into the dance circle.
I tried to resist but decided it would be easier to go along with the weird foreign stuff than fight it.
Besides, I’d learned the basic step, and the movement put me in a better mood, even if the music was hideous.
Irena’s hair looked passable in a bleached-white bun.
She wore a fluttering pink dress that fit perfectly over her gorgeous body.
My stepbrother danced beside her, kicking his feet to the beat in a tuxedo.
Everyone else wore the same clothes as the day before, and I wondered if any of them had slept or if they’d spent the whole night dancing.
The music stopped, and the circle broke up. I bolted for a seat before the Malegonians restarted, followed by Dad and Elizabeth. It would be harder for them to pull us back onto the dance floor if we were already sitting. Will came to our table, followed by three older women in flowery dresses.
“Irena’s aunts want to meet you,” Will said.
We stood up to shake hands and got more two-cheek kisses.
I fought back a cringe. Didn’t they teach about germs in school here?
No wonder the Old World had lost so many people to the plague.
The three women stared at me and mumbled to each other.
One made an odd hand gesture around my hips, as if measuring me for a skirt.
“What are they saying?” I asked Will.
“They have a boy for you if you want to get married.”
I took a deep breath and wrapped my arms around my body. “Tell them I’m going to be a nun.”
Will said something, and the ladies let out a chorus of raucous laughter. They walked away and sat at a table across the room.
“What did you tell them?” I asked.
“I said you made a hilarious joke, and they should laugh. Don’t worry, I won’t let them marry you off.”
“Well thanks, I guess. Where are your friends Mark and Kyle, by the way? Did the locals get them fixed up yet?”
“No, although I think Kyle was open to the idea. Today is only for family, so they went sightseeing. I’m glad you’re here though.” He leaned in and gave me a side hug.
The unexpected brotherly affection caught me by surprise again, and I had to resist my instinct to pull away. Maybe he really did want me at his wedding.
Miranda emerged from the kitchen, still dressed in her apron, pushing a cart of food. Her sisters hurried to her side and set portions in front of every guest. The inviting smell made my mouth water, but Elizabeth grimaced when she saw fish on our plates.
“I don’t like seafood,” she said softly.
“This is Achris trout, a local specialty,” Will said. “You can only get it from the lake. It’s technically an endangered species.”
Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open as wide as her fish’s. “We’re eating an endangered species?”
Dad took the fish from her plate and bit into it. “Delicious! Tastes like salmon.”
Elizabeth gasped and grabbed her chest. Dad shrugged and kept eating. The Malegonians clapped and patted him on the back.
Like Elizabeth, I’d never liked seafood, but I prodded my fish with a fork, working up the nerve to try it.
Will’s cell phone rang. He answered and blabbered something in Malegonian.
His smile turned to a frown. He said something to Irena and her family, and a wave of nervous faces overtook the party, followed by painful groans. The music stopped.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Will shook his head, clearly agitated. “The reception venue just canceled on us. We need to find somewhere else to host three hundred people for the last night. ”
Elizabeth shrieked. Dad dropped his fish. Irena buried her face in Will’s shoulder. Her family muttered to one another in a frustrated tone.
“What are you going to do?” I asked.
“Find a new place,” Will said grimly. “But I need to hurry.”
Half the guests made for the door. I sat glued to my seat next to Elizabeth and Dad. The only Malegonians left were Mira and Miranda. Both looked annoyed but not especially surprised. Miranda unleashed a long string of irritated curses in her language.
“This happens too much in the Balkans,” Mira translated. “People don’t plan, and everything goes wrong at the last minute.”
I knew we were only getting a loose interpretation from the fury at which Miranda continued, but it was enough.
“What happens if they can’t find a new venue?” I asked.
Mira took a deep breath. “I hope we don’t find out.”
***
We sat anxiously for the next two hours, sipping Turkish coffee and eating the endangered species. The others returned. Tight jaws and downcast eyes made it clear the situation had not been resolved. Will sat next to his mother, rubbing his temples.
“How did it go, honey?” Elizabeth asked.
Will shook his head. “We found a new place for the reception, but they wanted more money than we budgeted.”
“How much more?”
“Five thousand dollars.”
I gasped.
“We’re going to cover this, right?” Elizabeth fixed her eyes on Dad.
Dad paled and huffed for air like he’d just had a panic attack. After a moment, he caught his breath and said, “They might as well ask for the deed to our house.”
Elizabeth’s face turned as red as her hair. “This is important, Ralph. People only get married once.”
Dad groaned as every eye in the room locked on him. “Can we talk about this when we get back to the villa?”
“We don’t have much time,” Elizabeth said sharply. “The reception’s tomorrow.”
“I know, but shelling out our retirement was not what I had in mind.”
The Malegonians broke off into nervous chatter.
Elizabeth stared daggers at Dad until he crossed his arms and turned away.
I tried to turn invisible and daydreamed about escaping.
Getting money from Dad was like trying to draw blood from a carrot, and the longer this argument dragged on, the more stressful it would become.
Part of me blamed Will. He knew how to play our parents against each other.
Emergency or not, it was a big ask for Dad to shell out that much cash.
“Fine, Ralph.” Elizabeth rose from the table. “You’ve made yourself clear.”
“Where are you going?” Dad asked, a dumb look on his face.
“I’m going back to our room.” Her glare burned into him. As cheap as Dad could be, Elizabeth could sometimes override him by sheer emotion.
Will set his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Petrush and Miranda already said they’ll cover the new expenses.”
“You mean you’re not asking us to cover it?” Elizabeth said. Dad’s face brightened, a hint of embarrassment in his eyes.
“How could I? It’s not your fault, and you’ve already come all this way.”
Dad took a relieved breath. “Well, I’m sure we can chip in a bit.”
Elizabeth crossed her arms and huffed .
“You no have to,” Miranda said, struggling to find the words. “We love our daughter.” She threw her arms around Irena. “We do anything for her.” The condition of the home made it clear she didn’t have the money, but the way she clung to Irena said it didn’t matter.
Dad frowned sympathetically. He whispered something to Elizabeth, who wiped a tear away with her napkin and nodded.
“Good,” Mira said. “The problem is solved. Let’s dance!” She turned the music up and waved her arms to the beat.
A laugh reverberated around the room, and the Malegonians formed a new circle, as if the stress had been forgotten. I was amazed at how fast they could move from crisis to celebration. Still, I wondered how they could cover the extra costs.
***
After another hour, Dad, Elizabeth, and I escaped the party under the pretext of getting ready for the ceremony rehearsal.
We still had an hour before Pastor Ludwig expected us at the mission church, but our hosts seemed to catch on to how overwhelmed we were with all the local customs. They tried to convince us to stay but eventually walked us out.
Will came with us to ensure we’d find the church.
We made it to the marketplace before anyone spoke.
“Does Irena’s family have the money for the new venue?” I asked.
Will frowned. “They had a little money hidden away. They were hoping to buy a new house one day.” The hesitation in his voice told me there was more to this than he wanted to share.
“They can cover this though, right, Will?” Elizabeth said. I could tell she thought they were too poor to come up with five thousand dollars.
Will shrugged. “It will be hard. I’ve tapped my savings already. Irena’s family doesn’t have much, but when it comes to family, they always find a way.”
Elizabeth gave Dad a hard stare. “Ralph, we should cover this. I know money’s tight, but this is special.”
“Fine,” Dad said, less annoyed than I expected. “I’ll pull some cash out of the ATM, but I doubt the bank will let me take out five thousand dollars.”
“They won’t,” Will said. “The only place to get that kind of cash is from the money exchange places, and you don’t want to be in their debt. ”
Memories of the money exchange in Achris City flooded my mind. I imagined Uncle Vito pushing some Italian guy into a newly poured building foundation for not repaying a loan. Dad glanced at me, and I saw he was thinking the same thing.
“No, I guess that wouldn’t be wise,” I said.
Will grinned. “Good thing Irena’s parents have the cash.”