Concrete Jungle

Chapter 5

"Do you have enough food in your refrigerator for the next few days? You just got back, and I know you haven't cooked anything." Ekaterina said sternly.

"You're right, mama. I haven't cooked anything, but I have enough leftovers for today and cereal. I will go grocery shopping tomorrow, I promise."

"Feh. Leftovers; no wonder you are weak; that's not food, it's junk! Come over for dinner tonight or tomorrow night, then."

"I don't know, mama," Sasha said hesitantly, and it surprised Ekaterina.

"What is there not to know? The boys and your papa and I would love to see you." Ekaterina said kindly, again unsure how to reach her daughter. There was some sort of sadness in Sasha's voice that her mother couldn't explain. All she wanted to do was reach out through the phone and grab Sasha and hold her. Ekaterina's instincts were powerful, and she always trusted them; something was off here. But she had to wait until Sasha was ready to tell her.

"Alright, mama. I will come tomorrow night, maybe even a little earlier so I can do some light shopping in Brooklyn." Sasha finally acquiesced.

"Wonderful! You tell me tomorrow morning when you want to come in, and I will leave earlier from work so we can spend the day together. It's been too long since I have had you all to myself, my darling daughter." Ekaterina was happy about Sasha agreeing.

"I'll call or text you tomorrow morning when I know how things will figure themselves out a bit better."

"It's a deal. I'll call you this evening to see how you're doing. Please get up and eat something and get some fresh air, the day is quite lovely today."

"I'll try for some fresh air today, mama I promise." Sasha smiled at her end.

They hung up after expressing love to each other and agreeing to finalize their plans the following morning. Sasha knew she had to get up and get something to eat. So she did just that after a trip to the bathroom and brushing her teeth. She made herself a cup of noodle soup and checked over the rest of her voicemails which included Kathy reminding her that she had her couple of days before she needed to inform her about her decision to write the piece and wishing her a speedy recovery. Sasha just nodded but didn't call her editor back.

After eating and opening all of the windows in her apartment, she made her bed and decided that she would walk down to the South Street Seaport with the diary and read on a bench there by the water. A part of her didn't want to take the journal out of the apartment at all, but she really wanted to read the rest of her entries and not be couped up all day. Fresh air, especially by the East River, would maybe give her greater insight into what to do.

She took a bigger bag with her instead of her little purse, and carefully placed the diary inside along with a bottle of water, her keys, wallet, and phone. The bag already had stuff in there as it was one of her go to small travel bags and was even a school bag for her during her days in Columbia. It was very inconspicuous. She wore simple sweats and looked like a fresh and young college student even at 35.

The walk to her destination was less than 5 minutes, and she found a bench right by the water where no one would bother her. Getting her bottle of water out and the diary, she looked around her and sighed deeply as she opened the book to where she had left off....

10 November 1986

Dearest Katya:

I came home from school today using a different route than usual because that one was closed off and no one was allowed to go that way. When mama came home, I asked her what was going on and when she brushed me off, I demanded to know, and so she sat down on the couch and told me: