To Sing Frogs Chapter 36b

Marina-Grigorievna threw her arms around me as soon as I entered the office. Then she embraced Amy. I knew she was a hugger.

“How are the girls?” she asked.

“Great.”

“And the little boy?”

“He’s fine too.”

“The others? How are they?”

“We’re doing great. Everyone is fine.”

Marina-Grigorievna paused and looked at me, her eyes sparkling. “What did Sarah think about Marina being adopted?”

“Oh, of course she was ecstatic. She wasn’t surprised though.”

“Does she still pray for Yula?” the woman asked sympathetically.

“Yes,” I responded. “It’s worse, now. When I talked to you in December she was disappearing to pray for Marina and Yula five or six times a day. Since she found out Marina has a family, she now prays for Yula ten to twelve times a day.”

“How precious.”

“She refuses to understand that some things are impossible.”

“Well if those three best friends finding families at their ages wasn’t impossible, it was almost impossible. It’s so sweet they remember each other.”

“I guess. Someday Sarah will have to deal with reality though.”

“Yes, perhaps.”

That was a weird response. “Well, Sarah and her concern for Yula are what bring us back to your office. She has sent another present for Yula and asked us to deliver it. Could you please write us a letter so we can get into her orphanage?”

“Of course. I’d love to.”

Marina-Grigorievna continued to visit with Amy while she typed, printed, and signed the letter. She stood and handed the paper to me. It was odd. The social worker seemed as if she couldn’t contain herself for giddiness. “Yula has a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” Sarah had doubled the number of personal possessions Yula had when she gave her a stuffed bear. Now she had a surprise for us?

“What kind of a surprise could it possibly be?” Amy was as intrigued as I was.

“I should really let her tell you. I can’t, though! I know the story. I have to tell you. A couple from Spain came to visit Yula a month ago. She’s in the middle of her own adoption.”

Amy gasped and began to cry. I grabbed the back of the chair in front of me, unable to respond.

“Enjoy your visit with Yula,” Marina-Grigorievna said through a smile that lit up her whole face. “She’ll be gone by the time you get back to finalize the adoption of the other girls.”

 

 

Stass and Anya had dropped the four grandparents off at the hotel before taking Amy and me to see Marina-Grigorievna and Yula. Stass sat with us and translated. “Yula says she has something to show you. She says for you not to leave, she’ll be right back.”

The little girl ran from the cluttered playroom that had been evacuated of other children for our visit (heaven forbid we see other children). She returned seconds later and proudly displayed her own picture of a mama and papa to-be. “This will be my new mama and papa,” she said triumphantly. I will be going with them to my new home in Spain!”

Tears flooded from Amy’s eyes as she wrapped her arms around little Yula. “I’m so excited for you, Princess! You’ll be so happy!”

I hugged the little girl too and offered my congratulations.

“Spain is different from Amérika,” she informed us. “It’s different from Russia too. There are lots of countries, not just Russia and Amérika. I will go to Spain so I won’t see Katya or Marina anymore.”

I nodded, unable to respond while tears spilled down my cheeks. I tried to talk several times and couldn’t. Amy took over. “You will be so happy! You will have a family just like Katya and Marina do!”

We visited for just over an hour. Then it was time to leave. As I walked out of the forlorn building my feet felt lighter knowing Yula would have a family.

I was going to miss that little girl.

 

 

*The practice of emancipating Russian orphans at sixteen (or even younger according to some allegations) or caring for them in orphanages until eighteen has varied according to time and region.

 

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