The Warmth of Russia

~1~

The orchestra played, the choir sang, and the lead character belted their solo. The play was going without a hitch, everything seemed perfect. Well, only to the untrained eye.

"Net! Net, net." Lily yelled at the stage. "Gogi, go... Ah screw it! Do it again!"

Lily marched back to her seat, resting her head on her hands. She massaged her temples, hoping to rid the forming migraine. The group of actors had been on the same scene for a week, always missing the little piece that held the whole play together.

"You are quite rough in them, da?" Her assistant said to her.

"You want this to run with no problems?" She told the woman.

"This isn't England though Lil, this is Russia." Vera stated.

"I understand that, yet they want me to be as if I never left the bloody country."

"You are strong willed, that is what makes you stand out here."

"No," Lily pointed her finger at Vera, "It's the fact of my poor Russian and British accent that set it off."

"You have the tenacity of a babushka." Vera laughed.

Lily smiled at her joke, "I'm an old soul trapped in a twenty-year-old body."

"A short body at that." Vera poked.

"Funny. I can't help I'm only five two." Lily stated.

Vera laughed at her, she was one of the only people that stood up for Lily when she finally got here. Between work with the capital and theatre, she also was her neighbor in the apartment building.

"Only you. Dinner at my place or yours?"

"Do I really have to cook?" Lily moaned.

"No, I can cook at your place if you want." Vera suggested.

"No, what you really mean is you want to play with Whiskey until shit burns in the pots."

"That was one time."

"And the last time."

The two women laughed as the scene started again, the cast getting the scene to Lily's liking. She coached them for the next few scene, hoping things would take off after everything.

"Miss Connelly?" A stern voice echoed the theatre.

Lily hesitated, knowing the voice and the reason behind it. As much as the cast and crew could drive her nuts, she would've dealt with them better than where she had to go next.

"Da?"

"You're needed at the Kremlin, business as usual." The man said turning on his heels and leaving.

"Of course I am. Always needed to deliver hell." She said under her breath.

Jumping down from the stage, she gathered her things and glanced at Vera.

"Look like no diner for me. Check Whiskey for me then?"

"Don't I always? I'll leave borshch for you then."

"Spasibo." And with that, Lily left the theatre to enter the diplomatic hell she knew too well.

"Bloody fucking hell that was a waste of time!" She steamed off into the cool night. "All for a disagreement in Europe."

Lily couldn't argue, she was good at debating and getting her point across, but the moment you put a whole bunch of 'I'm better than you' men in the mix, well she became invisible. She was lucky enough that the Russian president stood up for her during the time. He seemed to stand for her more than her own country. Granted the prime minister worked with her parents, and her leaving for Russia left one hell of a sour taste in their mouths.

Making her way down the street, she mentally cursed whomever decided to have that meeting last minute.

A car horn blared, she turned to see a young man standing on the corner of the road. Without hesitation, Lily pulled him over to her, falling into the snow-covered walkway.

"Jesus Christ Almighty!" She said as the car sped by, barely a care in the world.

"Good lord, are you alright?" She asked the boy.

The boy's frantic eyes darted around, looking for something. Glancing around Lily saw a bag of apples laying in the snow.

"Yabloki?"

"Chto?" He muttered.

Lily walked over to the bag and brought it to him, "Yabloki? I think I'm saying it right."

"English?" He asked.

"What? Oh, wait, yes. Yes, I speak English."

"Thank you. You saved me. But I don't think my boss will be very happy. I lost some of the apples." He quivered in fear.

"To hell with your boss then. You could've died if it wasn't for me. He can deal with a few less apples." She told him.

"You're a strong woman, aren't you?

Lily looked at the young man, taking in his features under the lamppost. He had mousy brown hair and bright blue-purple eyes, full of wonder. His short stature and young features made him look almost childlike.

"I have my moments." She replied, "What's your name?"

"Raivis."

"Lily." She held out her hand, "Nice to meet you. And if your boss gives you issues, have him find me."

"I don't think he'll do that but thank you." He said gathering himself. "Thank you for saving me Lily."

And then he was gone, walking down the way as if nothing happened.

"Only in Russia." She said to herself, making her way down the street once more.

A small cry disturbed her stride, she knew that tone, that small weep of sadness. Dammit it was happening again. She hadron hurry before it got worse, she needed away from what was triggering it. Picking up her pace, she moved faster to her apartment complex, the crying becoming more pronounced and heavy. She shook in fear, she waited for it to get worse like it always did, the voices joining it soon.

"Find him." It began. "Love him."

It chanted as the crying intensified. The pained wail was coming soon. She could feel it. Lily was practically running to her place now, wanting to silence it all. The chanting whispers and the man crying, it was becoming too much.

The building was finally in sight, just as the wailing began. The pain, hurtful, sobs that wracked her very soul filled her ears. She could barely concentrate as it pierced her ears, she managed to stumble into the building, and it started to quiet down.

Lily leaned against the door, her tears cascading down her cheeks. How she hated those moments. Yet at the same time, she grew to worry over the cry. She wanted to know why he hurt and who hurt him. Yet to no avail she had no answers once more.

The whispers still echoed in her head, this time there was no nagging of Moscow and St. Petersburg. She was ready to just give up her search.

"Keep looking. Find him. Love him." They repeated.

"Yea yea, I know. Hard to do that when you have no idea what you're searching for." She said.

Gathering her wits, she made her way to her place, hoping they'd go away or lead her to what she needed. Because she was tired of this fruitless game.