The Wall Crossers

Olivia Crossing the Wall - and the Tragic Love of Geena

Olivia's perspective

Later that Night, before Morning

I am awakened by a soft sweet pleasant but insistent whispery voice, it is Geena's, close to my ear, saying to me, Olivia!... Olivia, listen...

She pauses, watching me while I open my bleary eyes, slur out, "Gee... Geena?" I see she is standing next to the bed, already dressed, her overcoat on. Has she been out somewhere?

Now she speaks like we are sitting at a table talking together, "Olivia, I'm sorry... I'm sorry I was not truthful... my age? Inn?... Yes? I am... I am seventeen. Inn." She pauses, but then rushes her words, "But in this country, in Germany?... one is woman at sixteen, so please understand—it was my decision!... Okay?... Olivia? It was my decision to make and keep, with you. Mine." Now she speaks softly. "Although... although between two women, such an act, that is another story... that is forbidden." She pauses a moment to let her words sink in, looks away as I listen, then turns to me and speaks in warm and loving words, "Thank you for the Druk Murmel (dragon marble), and... and my ring."

"What?" I mumble, still a bit confused from the fog of the drugs and the exhaustion and the sudden awakening.

Now she resumes in whispery dreamy words, evoking the spirit of Bridge to which she danced for me last night... Sail on golden perle girl, your dreams are set to shine, all things bright will come your way, and these one day they will be also mine.

She affectionately touches my cheek with her warm palm, smiles, says, I will never forget you. Kadrin chhe la... thank you... Olivia... Log Jay Gay... Goodbye... Nga choe lu ga (I love you) sweet Mädchenhaft (girly) GI.

Now I slightly raise my head up, trying to focus on her. "What?... cho lew guy?... what do you mean?" She repeats, Never forget, but now she has removed her hand, stood up, turned, walked away, and from the corner of my eye, I see the door to the hall closing. I feel the air shift in the room like a departing presence, stare now at the closed door, then bunch up my pillow, lower my head back down onto it, whisper, "Oh... okay, I won't forget. Later, Geena." I drift back off to sleep.

Morning Arrives

I awake to rough hands and harsh words—two of Patrizia's thugs are rousting me out of her bed. I sit up so fast the blood drains from my brain, and I feel light-headed. They are telling me to get dressed. I look around. Geena is gone—her duffel bag, her clothes, her incense urn, all traces of her—vanished! Did Patrizia ever return last night? I can't remember seeing her again. I have no clothes on and there is only the gown I wore last night bunched up on the floor next to the bed. The gown Geena had found for me when I could not get into my room to get my fatigues because it had been locked.

I am taken back to my room, and locked in once more. The surface of the table in the room is empty except for one thing: the blue dragon stone that Geena had given me, after I had given her my turquoise ring and my dragon marble, the marble Geena called the Druk Murmel.

Geena did not tell me her last name. I write down what she said, about sail on golden perle girl. I want to remember that, think about it some.

I remain in the room, alone, all day, except for meals, as before.

The Following Day

The following day, I am in the interrogation room once again, standing before a seated Patrizia. I try to make some logical sense of her, of all of this, but my thinking is clogged with bewilderment. I have not seen her since she left Geena and me in her room two nights ago. Then, she had worn a twin dress to mine. Now, she is wearing a navy-blue ladies business suit, a pink pearl-button blouse, and incongruously, Army boots spit-shined like reflective mirrors. I wear Army fatigues once again, as I was when starting out our last encounter, but I am a different person from who I was then. And I want to know where Geena is. I want her to be here right now so we can straighten all of this out!