To Sing Frogs Chapter 27b

Fragmented glass ceiling at the Marriot Aurora in Moscow

That didn’t ruffle us much. Nothing in Russia ever went right the first time.

“What’s up?” I asked while Amy listened.

“Her passport says she’s a boy.”

“I’m guessing it will be pretty easy to prove that wrong. I realize in Russia documents create fact rather than confirm it but in this case I don’t think there will be anyone willing to pay for the operation. They’ll just have to change the passport.”

Julia didn’t play along with the stupid joke. “Oh, they’ll change the passport. That’s the problem. It has to go back to Vladivostok to be modified and government offices don’t open again until next Wednesday.”

“Yeah. Ha-ha. Funny.”

“I’m not joking. The passport has to go back.”

“You’re crazy! That’s so not happening. I’m sorry… aren’t we in the capitol of this excuse for a country?”

Amy directed us to continue our discussion further into the lobby. She didn’t want Sarah expanding her new vocabulary based on words she was sure I would use.

Julia just looked at me. She was patient but unmoving as we stood under the suspended ceiling of various cool shades of fragmented glass. Russians who successfully work with Americans learn to hold their tongues and let the Americans vent.

“I’m absolutely positive that somewhere in the capitol of a place that calls itself a country, there is a way to get a passport fixed. Where do we go to pay the ‘fee?’ Who do we talk to?”

“That can’t happen.”

“Come on, Julia. This is a place where it’s easier to get ‘replacement’ documents than real ones. Don’t tell me we can’t fix this problem, TODAY.”

“I’m sorry. We don’t do business that way. I can’t help you break the law.”

“Don’t give me that! In Russia you have to decide which laws to break. You can never keep them all. Who do I talk to?”

Silence.

            What I’d give to be able to speak Russian right now.

            Because I didn’t speak Russian, if Julia wouldn’t help me there was nothing I could do. I was standing in the middle of Fake Document Central and there was absolutely nothing I could do. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“The passport has to go to Vladivostok. We have someone from our agency flying back tonight. I’ve already talked to her and she’ll hand-carry it. Stass and Anya can take it to the passport office on Wednesday. We can have it back next Thursday evening. You could leave for home next Saturday. You’ll need to decide whether you are all staying in Russia or if some of you are going to leave.”

Denney couldn’t stay. Celeste wouldn’t understand it was temporary if Amy left her. Amy couldn’t stay because if anything else went wrong her personality wasn’t strong enough to argue or fight. Bill had commitments at home. I had commitments at work. Sarah didn’t want anyone to be apart. Amy couldn’t leave Denney. Amy couldn’t leave Celeste. How many mothers could a child bear to lose?

Russia didn’t care.

In the end we decided I needed to stay with Celeste until the passport returned. Bill would help Amy get the others home and Amy would take Denney to a doctor in the States as soon as possible.

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