uncomfortable, but I willed myself not to glance up at the light fixture.
“No. You’re right, Cristian. Bucharest’s not rough. Just a little . . . dark,” said Mr. Van Dorn.
----
• • •
“You don’t have to come so often,” my mother whispered once we were out on the street. “It’s much too far. It could be dangerous. I’m authorized to interact with foreigners, but you’re not.” She threw a nervous glance behind us.
“The wife. She’s not American, is she?” I asked.
“No, she’s from Spain.”
“What do they think of Romania?”
“How would I know?” said my mother. “I’m just cleaning their toilets.”
“The husband. He seems . . . tired.”
Her head snapped to me. “He’s a very good man.”
Interesting.
If she was just cleaning their toilets, how would she know that?
16
ÅAISPREZECE
A gift? Why do you need a gift?â whispered Cici the next day.
âSomeone shared something with me. I want to return the favor.â
âWas this someone a girl? Who is it?â pressed my sister.
I bit back the grin I felt emerging. âLiliana Pavel.â
âOoh! Liliâs nice. Smart. What did she share? Study notes?â
I shook my head and dropped my voice beneath a whisper. âA Coke.â
Cici stared at me. She blinked. She mouthed the words. âA Coke?â
I nodded. âIt was her Christmas present.â
âA Coke.â
âShh . . .â
Cici would understand. I had to âreciprocateââthat was the English word. I couldnât let Liliana share her Christmas present and not give something back. But what could I offer? To rig their TV antenna to get signals from Bulgaria? Not exactly on par with a Coke.
Cici shot a glance to make sure Bunu wasnât looking. She reached under the sofa and retrieved her locked box. She opened it on her lap, contents obscured by the lid. I moved to sit next to her, but she motioned for me to stay put.
âWhat kind of things does she like?â asked Cici.
I shrugged. âI donât know. What would a girl want?â
âHonestly, these.â Cici held up two narrow tubes wrapped in white paper.
âWhat are they?â
âTheyâre called tampons. Instead of wadding up old cotton or cheese cloth for your period, you use these. Way more efficient.â
âCome on, I canât give her those.â Disgust raised my volume level.
âYou asked what a girl would want.â She rooted around in the box and displayed another option. âChocolate?â
âDefinitely!â
âAnd what are you going to give me?â
I pulled her farther from the light fixture above so I could whisper in her ear. âI have an American dollar. But foreign currency, it could get you in trouble.â
Her eyes flashed with alarm. âOf course it could. Where did you get a dollar?â
âItâs a long story.â
âIâll take it. Iâll keep it locked in the box. Maybe we can trade it for medicine for Bunu.â Cici looked at me, displeased. âA Coke and a dollar. Whatâs going on, Pui ?â she whispered.
âNothing,â I assured her. âJust good luck and bad luck.â
Cici nodded slowly, suspicious. âJust remember, Pui , good luck comes at a price. Bad luck is free.â
Her statement. I should have written it down, thought about it. But I didnât.
Once my transaction with Cici was complete, I went to the kitchen to check on Bunu. He was off the couch, examining our broken radio.
âI need some air,â said Bunu. âHelp me out to the balcony.â
I helped him outside and stood, shivering.
âWe need that radio,â said Bunu. âI hate missing the reports.â
âYou know what I hate? The cold. Iâm tired of warming bricks in the stove for bed.â
âI donât blame you,â replied Bunu. âThis hardship, it hasnât always been
Tom Clancy, Steve Pieczenik, Jeff Rovin