Prelude - @Short Story

Prelude - Part 3

Prelude

by sloanranger

Part 3

Usually, the families cooked and ate together, but today the other members had taken their vardos ahead, leaving only two wagons, their own and that of Uncle Merival.

There had been of talk of work on a large farm just outside the faro - town and her three cousins, strong, attractive young men, had been eager. Not a large group of Romany, their gypsy band was all family and consisted of Papa, his two brothers and one sister, along with their spouses and children, the boys. His unmarried brother Merival, had stayed behind to hunt with her father.

Simza was still questioning her mother: "I don't know why I can't make up fortunes like Uncle Merival and Papa and the others."

"If you start making up stories to tell the 'gadjes,' like Papa and Nano Merival, you could lose your gift, child."

"How, Mama?"

"You might come not to know the difference between what will truly happen and the stories you are making up to please the gadjes."

"But how will I learn if I don't practice?"

"Dosta - enough!" Her mother snapped. "I will know when it's time. Now quick - see to the pot. Papa and Uncle will be returning soon." She went inside the vardo.

The fish were barely done when the girl heard deep male voices coming towards the camp. Simza jumped up and ran as the two men came into view.

"Papa," she said, jumping into her Father's arms. "Whoa, my little chey - you are not so little anymore. Be still while your father puts his miserable catch down, eh?"

"Merival - see to this child will you?" Her father turned to his brother.

The other man picked his niece up beneath her arms and swung her around several times making himself dizzy. "Your Nano cannot swing you like he used to," he said. "I'm getting old."

"Vadoma! Where are you woman, breath of my life? Her father roared. "Have you no welcome for your husband?"

There was no immediate reply from the vardo - but after a moment Vadoma came from inside the wagon to the entrance and jumped lightly down. Hands on her hips, she sauntered slowly up to the large man calling for her. After fifteen years together, she'd not got enough of his swagger or his voice.

"So." She mimicked. "Who is this veshengo - this man of the forest who calls me? Can it be my husband, Slyfesta?" She turned her head an exaggerated angle to the right, then to the left - pretending to look at both shoulders. She sauntered behind him, then back. "It cannot be. No elk, no deer... just two small rabbits? Hmmph," she said

"That's enough from you, woman," he grinned and picked her up by her waist. She cried: "Put me down, Rom! Not another night of your groaning while I rub arnica into your back."

He set her down, his luxuriant black mustache tickling her, while she squeezed his cheeks between her hands and kissed him. "Ouch," he complained.

Leaning over the pot, he grinned: "I see your lines did better than our traps. You've bested us again." The two men sat and Simza fetched the wine and mugs while her mother dished up the stew. "There will be two more at breakfast, my love."

Vadoma's eyebrows went up but she waited for him to elaborate. Even Simza kept quiet - company was a rare thing with the families. "We met a boy in the wood," Merival offered.

"Yes." Slyfesta said. "We caught the same rabbit or I would have brought home three."

"He and his mother are camping upstream," Merival added. "Her husband died three nights past; they go to join their family near Prague."

"Is it safe with that gadje maniac, Hitler?"

"The gadjes have been killing each other since before my grandfather's time," Slyfesta said. "Let them go at it, wife - perhaps it will distract them from killing us for a while."

Simza jumped up. "Papa, how many years does he have?"

"Hitler? Let me see...."

"Papa!"

"Oh, you mean the boy? Well, my little chey," he said, rubbing his chin as if in contemplation.

"I would guess about as many summers as you."

Simza raised her hand to look at her palm but Vadoma slapped it down quickly.

"Are they Romany, Slyfesta?" She said to her husband.

"Perhaps the father was, I haven't asked - in any case, they are for now, at least. You will go tomorrow and extend the invitation and accompany them here?"

"Yes, husband."

It was a truism - though Romany rarely invited anyone into their ranks - once they did, they were treated as closest family members.

(To be continued).