To Sing Frogs Chapter 15b

Play Room at Ussuriysk Orphanage

It would be bad if we didn’t visit Kirrill at least twice, Stass had explained. Russian adoption courts worshipped the number two like Christians view the number three. It was magical. Two visits meant parents really cared about a child and would most likely be good to him. No matter how cramped the schedule, how far the distance, or how many children in different locations were being adopted; only one visit to a future son or daughter would likely doom them to a life of abuse and neglect. More than two visits—on the other hand—would not be any more witness of affection or attachment than the enchanted number two would provide.

That fact superstition placed us back in the Ussuriysk Baby Hospital early Friday afternoon. Dr. Tatiana showed us to a playroom filled with murals of Russian fairytales. She excused herself explaining there was pressing work she needed to do. The director assured us one of the workers would deliver Kirrill shortly and give us some time alone with him.

I wandered around the room while Stass and Amy sat on a black piano bench, visiting. The chipped and glossy upright piano stood against the wall behind them and a puppet stage in the shape of a birch bark cottage sat in a nearby corner. I could almost hear the piano playing in the background with children singing along during a puppet show. The room was a little cool, perhaps on the cold side. That was unusual. During the winter, building temperatures in Russia are typically kept above those of Phoenix asphalt in the summer.

Before long a wonderful tiny old lady with silver hair walked in holding Kirrill. The orphanage worker was the perfect grandma. She carefully carried her quiet package and presented him lovingly to Amy. As my wife took him the grandma pulled a handkerchief out of the pocket of her old and faded cotton dress. Then she gently wiped his runny red nose. The woman began to speak soothingly to the little guy, directing more matter-of-fact words to Kirrill’s future mother, after. “She says he has come down with a cold,” Stass translated. I guess lots of the kids have it. This lady has taken Kirrill under her wing. She says she had hoped he wouldn’t catch it, but he did.”

Kirrill coughed a raspy hack, took a deep breath, sighed and then shivered. Amy pulled him in closer and the grandma stroked his cheek while speaking with pitiful tones in Russian baby talk.

The woman patted Amy on the arm and spoke reassuringly. “She says he has what he needs now,” Stass translated. “His mother knows how to take care of him.”

Amy smiled and thanked the loving grandma with her teary eyes as well as her words. Then the old woman patted her arm again and left the room.

My wife sat back on the piano bench cuddling and comforting the sick little guy. He was dressed in layers and bundled up in a coat with a blue and white stocking cap on his head. Something must have been wrong with the boiler or perhaps there was another problem. This cold temperature indoors really wasn’t Russia. It was supposed to be infernally hot.

I asked Stass what they did for medicine for the kids when they got sick. “We use the same things you do in the States,” he assured me. “With a cold sometimes you just have to let it run its course.”

“So, Tylenol to keep fevers down, a little bit of cough syrup, stuff like that?”

“Ideally, yes. Tatiana was telling me that some of the kids have been pretty sick for a while and the cold keeps going around. They have used up their budget for medication so only the sickest are getting medicine until she gets her new allowance.”

“When will she get it?” Amy asked nervously. I shuddered. We left all of the medicine we brought from the States in Partizansk, with Olga.

“Oh, it probably won’t be long.” Stass replied. “The budget has been approved and it should already be available. Tatiana said there has been some kind of delay.”

Probably won’t be long.Yeah, right. Sometimes people in Russia continue to work without compensation for months, waiting until funds arrive to begin making up back pay. I knew finance related delays could drag on indefinitely. There was no reason to press the issue and embarrass Stass so I didn’t respond.

 

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