North Meets South, Worlds Collide - 48. Chapter 48

I get up the next morning and find both Sasha and Alik sitting at the table. Alik was not a happy little boy, but he was no longer crying or pouting. Well, that’s not true, he was pouting some appearing sullen and withdrawn, but manageable.

“I took the liberty of checking the Internet,” I said sitting at the table with them. “It seems there are quite a lot of Russians here in Charleston.”

Sasha’s eyes widened a little. “Really? Where are they?” He was surprised.

“All around.” I smiled waving around the condo. “There are community events and even some resources locally. We may not have to get an Au Pair.”

“What sort of events?” Sasha was interested now.

“All kinds of gatherings.” I grinned. “You are not a minority of two. There are several churches and picnics and even baby sitters that speak Russian, but I would like to get anyone coming here from a service where I know they will have to respect our wishes and be held accountable.” I motioned for Sasha to follow me. In the computer room/office I pulled up the webpage for Facebook and Russian/Charleston. “Here ya go.”

Sasha spoke English well now, but he was having a little trouble with English in the written form. Just as I was with Russian. He had sound it out. That was better than I could do yet.

We both turned as we heard the TV come on. Then we heard Russian being spoken by a high voice, a cartoon from the sound of it.

I grinned at the sound. “Whatever the language, kids know how to use a remote. How is he?”

Sasha smiled nodding. “He just misses Tasha. He’s never lived with just me before.” Then Sasha gave a shrugging nod. “And of course you two.”

“But no more trauma?”

Sasha frowned. “Not like yesterday.” Sasha sighed. “We both hated to do this. We knew it would be hard on him, but…we agreed we had to.”

I put a hand on Sasha’s shoulder. “We’re on your side. Remember that.”

“He keeps wanting to contact her.” Sasha chuckled. “I tell him she’s not home yet. He’s impatient.”

“The whole point is to get Alik a better chance in life.” I nodded. “As Tony asked me, there are millions in Moscow and they’re fine. Why do you think it will be better here?”

Sasha thought a moment. “Well…there are no promises this is the best way. He could be kidnapped while here. He could catch a disease here. He could have been raised in Moscow and turn out just fine. The world as big as it is; is a dangerous place.” He shrugged. “We may be making a mistake, but I don’t think so.” He smiled. “I love Russia. I am Russian…for now. There are things in Moscow I’d like to shield Alik from. There are the Bratva and other groups like them that are dangerous.” He sighed. “They exploit people to make money. It can be drugs or even sex. Children are taken sometimes and used for both. My son would be prized for the men that like little boys.”

I nodded understanding what he was saying. “They’re here, too.”

Sasha nodded. “I know. I know that things will improve in Russia, but here in the United States, there are those opportunities are in place already. So, why not take advantage of the opportunity?”

I smiled. “I just hope it all works out.”

“I believe it will.”

I came back into the kitchen where Tony was getting things ready to get his coffee.

“Sorry, I was talking with Sasha,” I explained.

Tony nodded. “I can make coffee.” He muttered. “I know how it works.”

I pulled him into a kiss. “I know, but I like to take care of you.”

Tony grinned kissing me back. “I like you taking care of me.” He moved his face into my neck. “In a few weeks, there will be nothing but us for two weeks. No hotel, no investors…” he looked at Alik. “And no Russians.”

“You don’t mind them here now, do you?”

Tony shook his head. “No. Having Sasha here is normal now. We just have a new and smaller one.” He cocked his head. “Why are we going to the McKenzie place on Thanksgiving? Don’t we go to your Mom’s home at Thanksgiving?”

I nodded. “We missed the last two gatherings at the McKenzie’s in June. And with Grandpa gone now…Uncle Earl and Aunt Pat are going to Aunt Pat’s parents…Aunt Mary and Uncle Norman aren’t coming, it makes more sense to bring Grandma to the McKenzie’s.”

“And you think Sasha and Alik will come?”

I didn’t know how I felt about it. “I think it has the potential to go either way…good and bad. It will be done.” Then I smiled laughing. “Of course, David will be here this weekend…if things go well between him and Alik…”

Sasha came into the kitchen. “I contracted ChildCare dot com. They’re sending a couple of babysitters today.” He shrugged. “We’ll need one soon when I go back to work and so will you two.”

Tony nodded. “If we can do anything, let us know. But you hire whoever you think best.”

“We’ll get a nannycam,” I said.

Sasha froze a second. “Nannycam?”

“A disguised object with a camera in it to watch when we’re not here,” I explained. “We can even watch on phones or a computer when away if we need to check in.” I felt Tony nudge me gently reminding me. “You can, I mean.”

Sasha chuckled. “Could you be a little less obvious, Tony?” He smiled. “You’ve taken part of the responsibility and Mitch is just voicing his ideas on how to be careful.”

I nudged Tony back. “It’s all good.”

Alan and Kent were taking a week off before we were leaving and going…somewhere. I would be alone, in charge for that week. Sasha had found a woman who spoke Russian and was able to come and watch Alik during the day and evening if needed. Since Sasha’s best work was done in the evening mostly, she was needed then and agreed. It was two days before Tasha used the system to let us know she’d gotten home. She and Alik spoke for some time.

Then that Friday afternoon, David arrived. He greeted Sasha with a kiss, but it was barely a peck. Sasha’s eyebrow rose at the greeting.

“Is that it?” Sasha grinned.

David pointed behind Sasha. “Well, Alik’s right there.”

Sasha shook his head. “So?” He grabbed David and kissed him passionately. When Sasha let David go. “That’s a kiss hello.”

David chuckled as he lips lingered on Sasha’s neck. “I didn’t want to freak him out.”

“Alik doesn’t freak that easily.” Sasha hugged David to himself. “Letting Alik know you’re important will only make it easier later.”

Then David looked at Alik and began in very Southern English accented Russian. “Hello, Alik. I’m learning Russian, so it will be….” He searched his mind for the words he was learning. “…hard at times. Be patient.”

Alik smiled and replied in Russian, which Sasha heard and chuckled.

“He says your accent is funnier than Uncle Tony’s.” Sasha laughed as he translated.

“That’s because Tony’s a Yankee! I’m a Southerner!” David growled but was smiling.

Sasha had to think of what to translate for Southerner but got the idea across to Alik. Then Sasha handed David the Translator. “You will need this. It’s all charged up.”

David sighed hitting the button. “Good.” To which the Translator said. “Khorosho.” Then he looked at Sasha. “Why can’t it be like on Star Trek? It’s all just translated.” To which “Pochemu ona ne mozhet by’t kak na Star Trek? Eto vse prosto perevedeno.” Came over the Translator. “Oh, shut up.” And the Translator said. “Da zatknis.”

Sasha chuckled and Alik just laughed.

Things looked like it was going to be fine to me. David even insisted he and Sasha not go out that weekend, instead, he got to know Alik with Sasha. Yes, things were going to be just fine. I found games we could get to teach Alik English as well. There were also some videos we could get to help Alik learn English.

The next week was busy for me which I didn’t mind because when I needed Alan, he was there with no complaints. So, I stepped in to cover for Alan. I was fine working the occasional weekend alone, but this was my first solo as manager. There were the usual reservation errors….damned Expedia and all those websites. Third party reservations may be cheaper, but what you saw online sometimes was not what you got. They want a refund. So, I tell them…as nicely as I can. You buy it online, the refund has to come online. Not from us. The credit cards used was often the website’s credit card, not their own personal cards. And there was again the self-entitled that thought the world owed the…well…everything. Some guests can be so…stupid. They always thought they deserved…everything!

Sasha returned to work, much to Jeremy‘s relief. The woman hired to keep Alik only did it from eleven until seven. That’s when I got home. Tony made sure I was there before he got there to prevent language problems.

When Sasha came home, I spoke with him. “Maybe we should hire the Au Pair.”

“Okay, but why?”

“Because this person will be a live-in,” I explained. “Meaning she will be here twenty-four seven.”

“Twenty-four seven?” Sasha sometimes didn’t get everything. His English was getting a lot better having to use it every day and not falling back on Russian.

“Meaning she’s here twenty-four hours, all day, seven means seven days a week,” I explained. “She can have days off, but your schedule will be the important thing.”

“Will that be better, you think?” Sasha asked.

“What do I know?” I said glumly. “But what I know is…if Tony and I do adopt a child, they will have to come from either Italy or Russia, I’m not really wanting to learn another language like Chinese right now. My head will explode!”

Sasha chuckled at that.

“So what’s happening soon, Tony and I will be gone for two weeks.”

Sasha nodded. “I have a lady from a service coming in the day and evening. David’s coming also.” He grinned. “I’ve got it covered.”

I nodded. “Good.” But I had to know. “How are things with Alik and David?”

Sasha smiled even bigger, but not at me. “It’s pretty good.” He was smiling at something he was remembering. “I think it will work out well.” Then he smiled directly at me. “But you knew it would.”

I nodded, but then shook my head. “I didn’t know. I hoped it would. I know him. I’ve gotten to know you. I wanted it to work out. You, like Tony don’t act gay.”

Sasha looked puzzled a second, then nodded. “You mean Golub.”

Now it was my turn to look puzzled. “Golub, doesn’t that mean pigeon?”

Sasha nodded and then shrugged. “Goluboi, which mean blue means faggot, but yes, golub is pigeon, that’s the real meaning.”

I grinned. “That seems a little odd.” Languages were odd. Sounds that mean something? But not what it was intended?

“And a word for happy here means gay, so?” Sasha smiled shrugging. “What’s the difference?”

“Point taken.” I grinned.

Sasha smiled again. “Wait, you know pigeon? What other animals do you know?”

I smiled. “I know sobaki, koshki, loshadi, utki, a takzhe golubyam.”

Sasha nodded. “That’s dog, cat, horse, duck as well as pigeon.” He was more doing that for himself. Then he nodded a little triumphantly. “I am right?”

I chuckled. “You are! Very good. How about nos, glaza, ushi i yolosy?”

“Nose, eyes, ears and hair.” Sasha nodded. Then he got a grin that was definitely not anything but sly. “What about knuy?”

I blinked suspecting it wasn’t necessarily nice, but I smiled. “I don’t know that word.”

Sasha chuckled and grabbed his own cock through his pants. “Knuy. That thing all men have…”

I chuckled. “You mean cock!!”

“Yes!” Sasha grinned. “And what about yebat?” He thrust a finger in his loosely clenched fist. “Yebat.”

I looked to see where Alik was. Then grinned at Sasha. “I’m sure you mean fuck.”

“I’ve got a lot more.” Sasha was smiling very broadly now as we heard the door to the condo open. “Russian has a lot of words that are….profane? We do it a lot. I’ll teach you more later. You can teach me.” He started walking away.

“Yeah, but who do I use it on?” I shouted.

“Well, if someone pisses you off, call him a mudak! You just called him a bad word!” Sasha grinned. “The word means asshole or motherfucker as far as I can tell.”

“Really?” My smile said this was an interesting turn of a phrase. “I’d like to know the others.”

Sasha chuckled. “As I said, there are a lot more. Russian has a lot of profane words. Zaebis, for holy shit. Minet for blow job. Zasranec also for asshole. Potselui mou zhopy for kiss my ass. Zhopa also for asshole….”

I chuckled. “Russia must have a lot of assholes.”

“Sometimes I feel like we have more than we should.” Sasha grinned. “Eto mnye do huya for I don’t give a fuck.

Tony smiled as he came up. “Hi. Sasha.” He looked at Sasha’s face and mine. “What did I miss?”

I shrugged kissing Tony. “Not much, Sasha’s just teaching me to cuss…in Russian.”

Sasha shrugged. “And Mitch’s teaching me to cuss in English.”

Tony looked surprised. “Why? He doesn’t ever hardly cuss in any language.”

“Yeah, I don’t,” I admitted. “But it never hurts to know what they are.” Then I grinned at Sasha. “But if someone says zhopa to you, would you know they just called you an asshole?”

Tony smiled. “I do now.”

I nodded. “There you go!”