Russia

The train trip went by fast. Linka would fill him in on the different areas they were traveling through; what their major trade was; what the area was known for. He noticed that the scenery changed as they traveled. It reminded him of the United States. Funny how two totally different countries could also be very similar.

Mishka met them at the train station. It was the first time Wheeler had seen him since their last encounter when Linka was going to leave. At least this time, he does not instantly hate the good-looking Russian man since now he knows he's Linka's brother and not an old flame. Wheeler is much friendlier than he was last time.

"Hey man, good to see ya. Thanks for picking us up."

"Of course. You do not think I would make my little sister take a cab, do you? So since I am here for her, I may as well give you a ride too."

"Uh. Yeah."

Linka can tell that her big brother is only giving Wheeler a hard time because that's what big brothers are expected to do, even though Wheeler is only a friend, and she has made that clear to her family on many occasions. Ever since they met him a few years ago though, Mishka and her grandmother have been not so subtly suggesting that she and her American friend should be more than friends.

She laughs to let Wheeler know that Mishka was only kidding.

"Da right Mishka, I am sure you probably said, 'let Linka get a taxi from the train station,' and Babushka had to force you to come pick me up! And the only reason you agreed to it was so that you did not look like a bad host to Wheeler." She then switches over to their native language and warns him to not be a jerk and make Wheeler uncomfortable as she once more reiterates that he's just a friend.

"Whatever you say little sister...do you have siblings, Wheeler?"

"No. Thankfully."

"Wise man!" Mishka laughs.

"Hey! I was always a good sister to you, durak!"

"Da, you were...when you were not following me around trying to tag along with me and my friends."

"Only when you were going to the forest because Babushka would not let me go alone."

"Then you should not have been so quiet and made friends of your own!" He teases.

Wheeler feels badly as he imagines a young Linka, alone and feeling like an outsider, probably only wanting her brother to allow her to join him so she could watch birds.

"I bet there weren't many kids Linka's age who were worth hanging out with. If she was anything like she is now, she's way more advanced in brains and maturity than most."

She turns around from her seat in the front and smiles at him.

"Exactly! Thank you, Yankee."

"You have a nice way of saying 'nerd,' Wheeler," Mishka laughs, earning himself a punch in the arm from Linka. "Were you also friendless as a child?"

"Nah, I had friends. Maybe not the greatest crowd. But if I'd been in a class with Linka, I'd have definitely been pulling her pigtails to try and get her to notice me," he says with a wink to Linka.

"Da, that would have made me want to hang out with you," she replies, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Hey, I'd have followed you into the woods," he says coyly.

"I was 9, Yankee! Calm your hormones!"

He shrugs, feigning innocence.

"See, that is the difference. To me, she was just an annoying little sister. The only thing that is good for is so that when we got older, she'd be bringing cute classmates around for me to flirt with. But even if she did have friends, once she left for the Planteeers, all my chances for meeting her friends were gone."

"Well, I have finally brought a friend...you can flirt with Wheeler all you like!" She giggles.

Mishka makes eye contact with Wheeler in the rearview mirror.

"See, you were right to be glad you do not have siblings!"

Wheeler gives him a half smile.

"I would have loved to have siblings. I'm just glad I didn't. It was hard enough protecting myself from my dad. Don't know how I'd have done trying to look out for a younger sibling."

"Oh! I am sorry to hear that."

"Sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up and made things awkward."

"You did not. Just makes me realize how fortunate Linka and I were. Da, we lost our parents much too soon, but the time we had with them was nothing but fond memories," Mishka says.

"At least you can remember," Linka says sadly. "I do not remember Mama at all and with each year that passes, I find myself questioning whether my memories of Papa are real or just things that I made up and hoped were real."

"Geez guys, I'm really sorry. I guess I should just be glad that my parents are still alive, even if my childhood wasn't that great, there are plenty of people who would give anything to be able to talk to their folks. I take it for granted."

"You do not speak of your family much. If you ever feel like you need to though, do not hesitate to come to me. Just because I no longer have parents, you do not need to feel like you cannot discuss yours," Linka says.

"Thanks Babe. I appreciate the offer. If I don't take you up on it though, it's not cuz I don't trust you, it's just cuz I've put all that behind me. Don't wanna re-visit the past. I just wanna focus on the present and plan for the future."

She smiles and nods in understanding.

"That is a positive way to look at things," Mishka adds. "We are almost home. I hope you two came hungry. Babushka has prepared quite the welcome dinner."

"Starving," Wheeler declares.

"Between the two of you, I hope there is some left for me and Babushka," Linka laughs.

"I cannot make any promises," Mishka says. "I have been having to smell her delicious cooking for days. When I teased her that I always knew you were the favorite, she said she was not cooking for you, she was cooking for Wheeler! She also plans on making it known that if he likes her cooking, she has also taught you all of her best recipes…so you are a keeper! She is afraid Linka will end up an old spinster!"

"Bozhe moy," she sighs.

They are barely out of Mishka's truck when Linka's Grandma comes outside to greet them with hugs.

"Linka! Jason! I am so happy you are here," she says as she kisses them both on the cheek. "It was such a pleasant surprise when you called and said you were planning a trip home."

"Sorry for the last-minute notice," Wheeler says. "Hope you didn't go through too much trouble. No need to make a fuss. We were just close by and thought a visit was due."

"We are glad you did…were your other friends not on the mission with you as well?" The elderly woman asks.

"We were not on a mission…just traveling…seeing things we do not get to see when we are working."

"Ah…just the two of you," Grandma says with a smile.

Linka catches the tone of her Grandmother's voice.

"I wanted to travel…Jason was kind enough to accompany me."

"What a sweetheart," Grandma says as she pats Wheeler's cheek.

"Da, I am sure it must have been a difficult decision…leave his tropical island or follow Linka on her undoubtedly boring world tour. Do you feel like you could write a history book yet? Or are you following exotic birds everywhere?" Mishka asks.

"Nah, we've actually been to some really cool places and done some really cool things," Wheeler responds.

"Good answer," he says, patting Wheeler's shoulder.

"Stop teasing your sister, Mishka. She has been here two minutes and already you are at it."

"He started on the drive here!" Linka tattles.

"Enough, children. Come inside. You must be hungry, and I have prepared a 'welcome home' meal."

After dinner, Linka offers Wheeler the first chance to shower while she cleans up the kitchen. He feels bad about not letting her go first, but Linka tells him that she insists, him being the guest, and saying it will be a good opportunity for her and her grandmother to catch up, which will be much easier for them to do in Russian than in English.

When he finishes showering, he hears Linka in the living room with her family and doesn't want to interrupt, so he goes to the room where his luggage was placed and settles in. Linka enters her room after her brother and grandma have gone to bed and finds Wheeler on her laptop.

"What are you looking at? Trying to find somewhere else to go already?"

Wheeler was so engrossed in what he was reading that he didn't notice her entering and jumps.

"Let me see," she says as she reaches for the laptop.

"Uh, no…that's not what I was looking at," he says as he pulls it away from her.

She grabs it and tries to pull it out of his hands.

"It is ok Wheeler, if there is somewhere you would like to go, please do not be afraid to speak up."

He closes the browser and shuts the laptop.

"No, really. I'm just along for the ride. You're more…worldly than I am. You know about all these different cultures and tourist attractions. The only place I ever wanted to go to on vacation as a kid was Disney World and I don't even know why. I guess I just felt like that's where most good parents were taking their kids on vacation."

"Then we will go there too."

"No, Babe…I don't…"

She sighs, takes the laptop from him, and moves to sit on her bed. She opens it and waits for it to start back up.

"You closed the website?"

He smiles, thinking he's in the clear.

A few clicks and Linka smiles.

"Let us see what the History says…"

"NO!" Wheeler says, jumping up and trying to get the laptop back.

"Bozhe moy Wheeler, what is wrong with you? Were you looking at porn on my laptop?!" She accuses.

"NO! Geez Linka…I'm not that much of a pig."

She ignores him as she waits for the previous website to pop up.

"Miracles Fertility Treatment facility?"

"Linka, I can…"

"88% success rate? And it is located in Moscow?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what? Caring?"

"It's none of my business…I just…I was curious. And since we are in Europe, I figured we could add it to our trip. Just got lucky that the best option I've come across so far is in Russia. If this is something you really want…if there's a way…I wanted to find it for you."

"It seems like you found it." She scrolls through the history. "And have been searching quite a lot. What else have you found in your research?"

She doesn't seem as mad as he expected she would be.

"Uh, this one specializes in people affected by Chernobyl."

"Oh?"

"Yeah…but it's also the most expensive."

"How expensive?"

"Like, we shoulda started here and forgotten about all the other places we went to or planned on going."

"Oh."

"And even then, it might not have been enough…but there's a free consultation…couldn't hurt. I mean, at least you'd have an answer as to whether or not you could…one day."

"Will you come with me to the clinic?"

"You wanna go?"

"Please."

"Yeah, of course I'll go with you! I wouldn't let you go through this alone. I wouldn't have looked into it if I wasn't going to be there for you."

"Thank you," she says as she gets up to hug him. "Moscow is 210 kilometers from here."

"Is that far?" He asks, having no concept of kilometers.

She thinks for a minute.

"About 130 miles. We can get back on the train or see if Grandmuska will let us borrow her car. She does not use it much, but I still do not want to take it if she has any errands to run. Mishka will be taking his truck to work."

"When do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning…if that is ok with you?"

"Whatever you want Babe," he says with a smile.

"Thank you," she says again. "I am going to get my shower now."

"Ok…umm, where should I sleep? This is where Mishka put my bags, but I think he was just trying to be a wise guy by putting everything in your room."

"Da. He…assumes things. You stay here. I will sleep on the couch. It folds out into a bed."

"No way. I'll take the couch. This is your room, you should enjoy it. Besides, if Mishka sees me out on the couch when he leaves for work in the morning, maybe he'll actually believe that I'm just a friend."

"I do not care what he thinks. He can think what he likes…but if you are sure you are ok with the fold out bed…"

"I insist," he says, getting up and accepting the pillow and blanket she's offered. "G'night."

"Goodnight."

To Be Continued…