Secrets we keep, p.10
Secrets We Keep, page 10
“Both sounds like interesting ideas. Definitely worth considering,” Anna said.
Olena perked up. “Let’s talk about this in six months’ time,” Olena suggested. “We will then have a better idea of Anna’s finances and how much she can invest. But it would be a good idea for us to become partners.” Uncle Stepan and her mother continued talking, leaving Anna alone for a moment.
“Anna, maybe I can come to visit you in the U.S. sometime?” Sveta asked quietly, suddenly standing beside Anna. “We could do some things together.”
Anna looked at Sveta suspiciously. She and her cousin had never been close, even though neither of them had any siblings and both were of a similar age. But they were such different people. Anna had more in common with Katie, who came from a completely different background, than with Sveta who grew up right next door to her.
This was the first time Sveta actually reached out to participate in some activity Anna was involved in. Well, maybe something good would come out of it… “Of course. It would be great to have you in Washington. I’ll show you around.”
“Sveta, don’t be crazy,” interjected Aunt Motria. “Anna is going to the United States for an important job. What are you planning to do there?”
“I don’t know yet. I could find a job, too.”
“I seriously doubt that.” Motria wrinkled her long nose. “Also, you’re getting married soon. Let’s not forget. But of course, you can visit your successful cousin. Once she settles down, obviously.”
Olena then caught everyone’s attention as she made an important announcement. “Panove, and did you know that Anna will be the first Ukrainian ever to land a job with Polaris?”
All the guests, who were by then dozing off after a fulfilling meal, suddenly perked up. Everyone’s faces instantly became serious and attentive. All eyes were on Anna.
“Well, this a lot of pressure on you, Anna!” Uncle Tolik finally spoke up, getting up from his chair. “You will now have to enlighten everyone in your organization and make sure they know what Ukraine is like. You thought you got a big job? Now you got an even bigger job in front of you! Hope you’re up for it.”
“Of course, Uncle Tolik. I will do my best to ensure that everyone at Polaris learns about Ukraine,” Anna said confidently.
Uncle Tolik was one of the greatest Ukrainian patriots Anna knew. He had taken an active part in the Orange revolution which happened in the early 2000s to protest against the presidential elections marred by corruption. A decade later, he was an active participant of a similar event—the Euromaidan (Independence Square) revolution of 2014, when protesters exiled Viktor Yanukovych, a corrupt President, and overthrew the Ukrainian government. Following the Euromaidan, Tolik spent some time working at the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, until returning to his regular engineering job at the aircraft plant “Antonov” a few years ago.
“Very true,” Olena echoed Uncle Tolik’s statement. “When we lived in the States for a few years, I quickly learned that not too many people knew about Ukraine. I had to educate them on our rich culture and literature.” She glanced with a lot of tenderness at the bookshelves standing in the Levenko living room, housing the works of her beloved Taras Shevchenko, Vasyl Stus, Ivan Nechuy-Levyzky, Mykola Bazhan, Lesya Ukrainka…
“Okay, Anna, here are a few tips for your Polaris job.” Tolik cleared his throat. “First and foremost, I suggest that you bring a Ukrainian flag to the office.”
Anna nodded, as she proudly glanced at the freedom blue and the sunshine yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag in their living room. Similar to many Ukrainians, the Levenkos had large-sized Ukrainian flags on prominent display at both their apartment and their dacha, while small flags were placed strategically in some flower pots and pen holders. “Should I bring a big or a small flag to the office? What do you think?”
“Let’s get a really big one,” Ivan suggested without hesitation. “You can hang it on the wall in your office.”
“Also, I would suggest you bring a portrait of Yulia Tymoshenko,” Tolik continued. “Everyone needs to know who the leader of the All-Ukrainian Union ‘Fatherland’ is and how she was a political prisoner of the cruel Yanukovych regime. And, of course, make sure you wear vyshyvankas. How many are you taking?”
“I don’t know, maybe ten?”
“That’s not enough,” Tolik objected.
“Tolik is right. You need at least twenty,” Olena chimed in. “We’ll buy some new ones this week. You’ll wear different vyshyvankas for different occasions. For the first day in the office, you’ll also need to wear a Ukrainian vinok with flowers and ribbons.”
“Is this really necessary?” Anna asked anxiously, picturing herself entering the Polaris offices with a bright Ukrainian wreath on her head. “It might be a bit much. People at Polaris might take our patriotism the wrong way.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Olena said. “It is only normal that we want to promote our culture.”
“Donechko,” her father noted using the Ukrainian word for daughter. “Please keep in mind that you will be representing our country. You have a debt to your motherland. This is not just about you now. It’s about the whole Ukraine. You’ll be the first Ukrainian at Polaris, so there are no shortcuts. You need to make sure everyone learns about our home country.”
“One of my friends is a Cossack descendant,” Uncle Stepan chimed in. “His son wore a Cossack costume to his first day at a prominent law firm in Chicago. Everyone was impressed. He got promoted to partner in no time.”
“Fine.” Anna finally gave in. “I will double-check with my friend Emily who already works there, just to make sure this will be okay with the company.”
Chapter 9. The Return with Fanfare
Washington, D.C.
“Hello, Washington. I’ve missed you,” Anna whispered as her airplane softly touched the runway. Light rain streaks glowed on her window like tears on a pale cheek, the sky dark and gray behind.
Anna laughed and cried at the same time. Her career was about to begin at one of the most prestigious companies in the world. Hopefully, the guy of her dreams made it through the interviews as well and they’d be in the same program, doing some “green” project together. Yet her entire family was back in Ukraine. They would see each other, of course, maybe for some holidays and during the summer vacation. But it would never ever be the same.
Hopefully, I made the right decision moving here. Anna took a deep breath, picked up her suitcase, and headed for the shuttle together with the other passengers. She quickly mixed in with the crowd. Millions of people like her arrived in the United States each day, in search of a better fortune, leaving everything dear to their hearts behind in their native lands.
It felt as if Washington welcomed Anna back with open arms. She quickly settled in. She rented a two-bedroom condo in a lovely housing complex close to the Tenleytown metro station. Soon after moving in, Anna spotted her new neighbors—a gay couple living on the same floor with her. Pablo worked as a real estate agent and Ben as a lawyer at a prominent D.C. law firm. They had recently married in California.
“And who might you be?” Anna exclaimed, as a cute basset hound with long droopy ears and meditative eyes approached her slowly. She missed her furry friends, and this cutie could provide a good temporary diversion.
“Please meet Sausage,” Pablo said cheerfully. “If you’d like to know more about him, you can follow him on social media. We’ve put up plenty of funny photos there.”
“I should probably open an account for Lapa and Zirka when they get here.” Anna patted Sausage’s floppy ears. “I have two dogs coming to live with me in a few months.”
“Fantastic! Did you hear that, Sausage?” Pablo jumped up. “Two pretty furry girls are coming to live next door! It is going to be totally awesome! You can all take walks and hang out together.”
“Get ready to have your heart broken,” Ben added.
****
New job to pay the bills, new apartment, new to her car… Everything was looking good. Now it was finally time to give her old friend Emily a call.
Anna felt her throat get a little dry—and her fingers a little sweaty—as she hesitated dialing Emily’s number. She had called Katie earlier, and spent at least an hour listening to Katie’s praise of her intellectual abilities. Good old Katie. With her, there was never anything to worry about.
On the other hand, Emily was quite moody. She never knew which Emily she’d run into on a given day. Normally, Anna didn’t care, but today, Emily’s friendship was more important to her than ever.
Who else would advise Anna how to handle herself at Polaris, where to look for information, how to work on various projects? Emily knew Polaris inside and out. She would be a lifesaver for Anna, who was coming straight from Ukraine with zero experience at a Western company, and lying her way into the job on top of everything. Without Emily’s help, Anna’s ship would definitely sink before reaching the harbor. No doubt.
RING.
RING.
Emily picked up right away.
“Hello!” Anna yelled happily. “Emily, it’s me! Guess where I’m calling you from? Hint: somebody got accepted into the Global Associates Program.”
No answer followed. She looked at her phone. Ah, for some strange reason, the call got dropped. Well, maybe coverage was not very good in her new kitchen.
Anna walked into the living room and dialed Emily’s number again. This time the line was busy. Anna kept calling for good fifteen minutes till Emily finally picked up.
“Hey Emily, something strange is going on with my phone… Sorry about that. Anyways, I’m back in Washington, starting the job with Polaris this fall, can you imagine?”
“Congratulations.” Emily’s voice sounded muffled.
“Let’s meet up sometime soon?” Anna asked hopefully. “I’d love to get some advice from you about how to best start my career at Polaris. You already have several years of experience. And it will be great to just catch up on everything.”
“Real sorry, Anna, but looks like I won’t be in Washington for the next two weeks,” Emily said. “I am on a business trip now, and then I’ll be taking some time off for vacation.”
“O-o-oh…” Anna exhaled and almost dropped her phone in disappointment. Of course, this was summertime, when all the hard-working people would be taking vacations. “All right. I guess we’ll have plenty of opportunities to chat when I start working in September… Wanted to ask you one thing before I forget—my parents suggested that I bring a Ukrainian flag and some other Ukrainian things to the office, and possibly wear a national dress for the first day. You know, in Ukraine everyone is so patriotic. Is it okay for Polaris, or too much?”
“Of course, Anna, that’s a wonderful idea! Yes, by all means, bring as much Ukrainian stuff as you can,” Emily replied cheerfully. “I have seen many colleagues with their national flags in their offices, and I regularly watch people in various national costumes walking down the hallways, showcasing their culture. You’ll fit right in.”
“Oh good.” Anna sighed with relief. “Thanks a lot and have a good vacation! See you at Polaris.”
****
Along with the packet of paperwork to fill out, Anna received a surprising email from the Human Resources that she was now eligible to join the Clear Spring Country Club located in Montgomery County, Maryland, for a small monthly fee.
Anna looked at the email suspiciously. What’s even a country club?
She quickly texted her mom:
Anna—Mom, what do you think of me joining the Polaris country club? Waste of money, right? We don’t even have country clubs in Ukraine—
Olena—Oh, come on! Money’s not an issue here—
Anna—I just don’t want to pay for something which is useless. Normal people in Ukraine entertain themselves at family dachas and public parks. Why pay?—
Olena—Well, I happen to know what a country club is. It’s a place where you meet and hang out with the right people—
Anna—Okay, I’ll think about it—
Olena—Nothing to think about. This is a golden opportunity to meet some handsome Polaris executive! Or at least find some friends and possibly mentors for yourself—
Anna—Fine. I’ll go check it out with Katie and Dima on the weekend—
Olena—Dima’s in D.C.? I didn’t know—
Anna—Yes, he’s here for a week. He always finds hotels willing to give him free stays—
A warm and sunny Saturday morning, almost a week later, turned out to be the perfect time to visit the so-called Polaris club. Anna drove her new car, picking up Katie and Dima.
“Anna, I hope you did well in the driving school,” Dima commented. “I think you are swinging a little bit too much from one side of the road to the other. Please be careful—you have some important passengers here.”
“I am doing my best, Dimochka. Feel free to walk if you’d like,” Anna responded through gritted teeth. Of course, Dima spotted the “New Driver” yellow sticker on her car. Back in Ukraine, Anna never had the means to buy a car, but here in D.C. it was a necessity. One of the first things she had done this summer was enroll in driving school.
The way to the country club was not easy to conquer for a new driver at all. With its multiple lanes, bicyclists, curvy roads, and impatient drivers honking their horns at Anna’s slow car, it was actually quite a challenge.
“Anna, I think it might be time for you to buy a place here,” Dima declared as they were driving past the large and beautiful mansions in Potomac. “This is unbelievable, just look at these estates!”
“Dima, it will take me a long time to buy a place like you are imagining. I got an entry level job, and I am not in investment banking, you know. We don’t get hefty bonuses, just a decent base salary to live on.”
The three friends continued driving along River Road, lined with mansions. Extravagant Porches, Corvettes, Bentleys, various antique cars, and even a Ferrari and a Rolls Royce passed them on the road.
At one point, they were passing by what appeared to be a villa on a hill. Anna slowed down. “Please pay attention everyone,” she said to Dima and Katie, “This is Emily’s house on the left. Remember, Katie?”
“Oh yes!” Katie yelled. “Shall we stop for a visit?”
“Oh sure.” Anna giggled. “Let’s stop and say, ‘Remember us? We were here a couple of years ago and really enjoyed your party, but then you never invited us back. So, we decided to stop by to see if maybe our invitations had been lost in the mail. Here we are. Did you miss us, ha-ha?’” She still vividly remembered that New Year’s Eve party at Emily’s parents’ house. Well, it wasn’t even a house. Emily’s family lived in nothing short of a jaw-dropping estate. An enormous gray mansion on a big green hill, with a snow-white fountain out front, ten bedrooms and uncountable other rooms, a heated indoor pool, a tennis court. That kind of thing. Mind-boggling for somebody like Anna who had grown up in a one-bedroom apartment.
****
Anna and Katie got out of their taxi and timidly walked through the door. At the outset, they caught a sight of Emily in an exquisite pink ball gown and a show-stopping tiara. Oh good! Hopefully, she would show them around and clue them in on what was going on.
“Hey, Emily, where should we…” Katie began. But no luck—Emily only briefly waved to them and quickly disappeared in the vast sea of exquisitely dressed guests.
Anna and Katie remained on their own to plunge into this unfamiliar territory.
“We don’t quite belong here,” Anna remarked. “But I figure, let’s just walk around and explore.”
The living room was enchanting: a tall spruce tree stood in the center, covered by marvelous ornaments from all parts of the world. The pair hugged the walls as they made their way around the room.
“Look at the paintings, Katie! I bet this gorgeous birch forest is painted by Ivan Shishkin, one of my favorite landscape painters.”
“Paintings are lovely! But make sure to pay attention to the crowd.” Katie had a serious face as they walked. “I already spotted a couple of well-known journalists, writers, and politicians. Oh, I think I see Emily’s parents! They are standing right over there, together with her older sister Lauren. I just saw a few people come up to them and chat casually.”
“Do you think they’ll want to talk to us? Emily already blew us off…”
Anna took a few seconds just to observe the Roberts family from afar. What kind of people were they? Margaret, and Charles Roberts, must have come from a lot of money to have a mansion like this.
Mrs. Roberts was blond like Emily, in her late forties, impeccably dressed in a very elegant black pantsuit covered by tiny crystals. She looked a bit bored, with her gaze wondering aimlessly across the room. Mr. Roberts seemed a few years older than his wife, very tall and rather handsome, dressed in a tux. Unlike his wife, he appeared to enjoy the party and warmly greeted the bigwigs who kept streaming through the door.
Lauren appeared rather plain between the pair, quite a contrast to the ravishing Emily. Lauren was wearing some strange dark blue tunica with flats, which looked quite out of place at such a grand party. She was also much older, in her early thirties.
“Ladies, how wonderful to meet you!” Lauren exclaimed when Anna and Katie finally introduced themselves. “Emily told me a few of her classmates were coming, but she didn’t point anyone out to me… I’ve been dying to meet you. Are you enjoying the party?”
“Extremely,” Anna replied, delighted. At least they got a warm reception from somebody in the family. Lauren was so sweet and genuine. “This is the first time I have visited a beautiful home like this.”
“Welcome.” Mr. Roberts extended his hand and looked Anna over from head to feet. “I sense an accent. Where are you from?”
“Ukraine,” Anna said quietly. In all likelihood, nobody here would know anything about her home country.
