Chapter Eight
The Russian Truth
The next few days seemed to go by quickly. My mother was back from her business trip and of course her first few words were, “How did the visit with your great grandmamma go on Thursday?” She of course thought I was lying or was being sarcastic when I said that it went great. In my mind it went more than just great, Nunna had told me a secret, she had told me who she was, who I was. For once in my life, we bonded. To be honest I really just wanted to go by myself to go visit Nunna again on Thursday, but my mother insisted about going. However, what seemed to go on forever was the car ride from school to the nursing home.
“Lisa, what’s going on? You seem different, like your hiding something.” My mother stated again, as we drove towards the nursing home.
“Mom, seriously nothing is going on. I just wanted to go today by myself again.” I said, for the fifth time this week.
“Yeah, but just last week you were dreading going to see your great grandmamma and now you’re wanting it to just be you and her. And plus, don’t tell me nothing is going on, you’re lying. I know you are. You were never good at it, young lady.” My mom said as she turned into the parking lot.
“Mom, it’s nothing bad, Nunna and I just really had a good time talking on Thursday, that’s all. Plus, this assignment is just getting to me.” I said honestly. I begged in my mind for her to just drop the subject. Until I got permission from Nunna to tell her, I had no choice but to keep my own mother in the dark of our family secret.
“Okay hunny, let’s just drop it for right now, we can talk about this later. I don’t want to walk into the nursing home and even worse your great grandmamma’s room and us bickering.” My mom said as she got out of the car and started walking towards the doors of the nursing home.
“Oh it looks like Mrs. Vasilieva has another visitor today.” My mother said as we started to enter my great grandmamma’s room.
My eye shifted across the room towards the male figure sitting in the chair next to Nunna by the window, and I just froze where I was standing.
“Ah just on time, this is my great granddaughter Annalisa, and her mother.” Nunna turned to present us to the man sitting next to her. Yet, when the man turned my jaw dropped.
“Hello Lisa, yes Mrs. Vasilieva, I believed your great granddaughter and I are well acquainted.” Mr. Poloski said with a formal thick Russian-American accent as he stood up to greet us. My mom looked at me before taking his hand.
“Mr. Poloski, um, what are you doing here?” I asked with a shaky voice.
“Ah you’re the famous Mr. Poloski that I’m always hearing about.” My mother said as she shook his hand politely.
“Yes Ma’am. I’m your daughter’s History teacher.” He said as he glanced at me. I’m pretty sure I had the look of confusion, shock, and anger on my face.
“Lisa, I was just about to leave actually. I’ve been helping you so much with your assignment that it’s made me want to get re-in-touch with my roots. I just had to meet your great grandmother for myself. I was hoping she could tell me a little bit about Russia from when she lived there around the same time as my great grandfather.” Mr. Poloski said as he turned back to smile at my great grandmamma. Who does he think he is, coming in here, invading privacy, and getting way to close to my family? I thought as he went to get a few of his books that were on the windowsill.
“Thank you so much for allowing me to come see you Mrs. Vasilieva. I look forward to our future visits.” Mr. Poloski said in his fluent Russian as he leaned down to kiss my great grandmamma’s cheeks before slightly bowing his head as he turned to start to leave. I was really in shock, I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak anymore. What the heck is going on? Why is Mr. Poloski going to be visiting my great grandmamma more? Did they seriously have a conversation about the past? She hated new visitors, well no that wasn’t exactly true, she was civil, but would never have a full out conversation about the past with someone she didn’t know.
“Mr. Poloski, here let me walk you out.” My mother said gracefully as she exited through door. However, what really did make me lose it was when Mr. Poloski paused at the door and did a much more formal and graceful bow towards my great grandmamma and I before he turned back around and followed my mother. No, he couldn’t, what the heck was that about? Did Mr. Poloski know our family secret? How? Why? When? So many questions were now flooding my mind; I literally thought I was going to have a heart attack from all of it.
“Annalisa, for Christ’s sake, sits down will you, before you collapse dramatically on the nice, clean, hard floor.” Nunna said in her thick Russian.
“Nunna, what is going on? Why was my History teacher here?” I started bombarding her with questions.
She simply just raised her hand, “Silence child, goodness you’ll give me a headache. Now, as to your questions, your History teacher phoned me a few days ago, asking if he could meet with me. He said that his family was from Russia and that he wanted to know a little bit more about the time period. I do not know how he knew I was here, but what I do know is that he is indeed the great grandson of my parent’s advisor and monk, Rasputin. He looks just like him as a matter of fact.” She started to explain.
“Nunna, does he know about us?” I asked softly, my eyes widen as she slowly took a deep breath and nodded.
“Nunna, how…how does he know? I didn’t tell him, I swear.” I said louder as I started to panic. My mind going crazy with questions such as, can Mr. Poloski really be trusted? How can he be trusted when he had a secret meeting with my great grandmamma? Who is Mr. Poloski? What does he want? What will happen now?
“Annalisa, stop acting like a chicken with its head chopped off, calm down. Your History teacher will keep our secret, that I am most certain of. I have actually entrusted him to look out for you. You see, I knew his mother very well, she was one of my nurses for a long time, and before then, and I briefly met his grandmother when she first came over to America. However, he’s a smart young man. He found out about us before you even started asking in questions about your family history. You see, Mr. Poloski is not just a History teacher, Annalisa. He is still part of the Imperial Court of Russia. When he went back to Russia when he was at university, he found some of his relatives who lived there, and hence he is actually William Porter Poloski Rasputin, Count of Russia.” My great grandmamma said proudly as she looked at me with a smile. Okay what? Mr. Poloski? My lame World History teacher is first off Royalty like me? Secondly, he’s a Count? Thirdly, What? No, this cannot be happening. Plus, why do I need to be looked after I was eighteen years old, about to graduate from high school, move across country to go to a school that no one would ever know who I was or expect a perfect student from. Most importantly, I could just be me. Forget being an Imperial Princess part, I want to just be me. I thought to myself.
“Nunna, I don’t understand, you told me just last week that we must keep this between few people as possible, do you really think….?” I started to ask.
“Child, I am one hundred ten years old, I believe I know who I can trust and who I can’t. Besides, I know he’s not the same man of his late great grandfather. Besides do not think I know what you are up to.” My great grandmamma said as she stared at me in an intense gaze.
“What? What is Lisa up to Mrs. Vasilieva?” My mother said as she walked through the door.
“Your daughter, my dear is planning to go to Europe in search of her family, in hopes to reunite me with little family that I have left over there. Is this true Annalisa?” Nunna asked with a quirked eyebrow. How the heck did she know? I thought myself.
“How did you? Never mind, the fact of the matter is, is that I wanted to do something nice for you.”
“And you think sneaking away to Europe is a way to do it Lisa?” My mother said with a hint of frustration.
“Mom, I wasn’t going to sneak away, I was going to ask for it as an early graduation present.” I said quickly, it wasn’t exactly a lie. I admit I did think of it once last week, but then quickly thought to include it in a graduation deal.
“Annalisa, my dear child, I appreciate the thought, but I have lived my life. I have done a little research of my own from time to time to see where my family is and received a few updates of their lives. Yet, Europe is not a place for a girl your age, and your family lineage to be.” She dictated.
“Lisa, was this, what you were hiding from me? You wanted to go to Europe? Why couldn’t you just talk to me about this?” My mother said as she sat on the edge of the bed. My eyes looked directly at Nunna’s seeking some sort of sign as to whether or not I could tell my mother. But Nunna just turned her head to look out of the stupid window like she always did when she didn’t want to answer me.
“Mom, I’m sorry, but I think the only way for me to really know who I am, is to go back where I come from…to trace back my roots. I have to go there and see with my own eyes, taste and feel Russia. Trust me when I say, I never thought I’d hear myself say that, but it’s true. This is something I must do. If not before graduation then I will go by myself after graduation. I have saved up enough money for a ticket and a few hotels. I want, I am going whether you two agree or not.” I said with a firm confident voice. I was not budging from this. I was going to look for my family. I was going to help my great grandmamma get reconnected with at least one of them before she passed on from this world.
“Lisa I don’t think….” My mother started to say before my Nunna started laughing out loud.
“Nunna?” I asked. I couldn’t help it as a smile was crossing my lips as well. What on earth is she laughing about? I haven’t said anything funny have I? I thought to myself.
“Mrs. Vasilieva, are you alright?” My mother said with a smirk of her own.
“Oh, bless me child.” She said as she covered he mouth with her shaky frail hand as she looked at me. “You are just as stubborn as me you know that Annalisa. Fine, if you must go to Russia, to Europe, then you will need the proper items. Have you got a passport? Do you know what you will be searching for?” Nunna asked as she sat back more in her wheelchair.
“Well, no but I can get a passport, besides I can just ask Mr. Poloski to help me know what to look for.” I said with confidence. I was going to do this, no matter what they said.
“Yep, just as stubborn.” Nunna said as she confirmed it to herself. “Annalisa, I won’t try to stop you I know this is important to you, but promise me you will wait until we have some matters settled here first. Give it about two weeks, that way you will have your finals out of the way, and you could possible take a friend. Do not go to Europe alone ever child, do you hear me. Especially because of whom you are.” Nunna said firmly.
“Mrs. Vasilieva, I’m sure there’s no need to be so dramatic, I mean Annalisa is just a Peterson, why would it be dangerous if perhaps she did go alone, which I agree you’ll need to take a friend or two.” My mother said lightly. Oh boy, I was going to have to tell my mother the family secret. Well isn’t today just a day for secrets and truths, I thought to myself.
“Annalisa, allow me.” Nunna interrupted me before I could even begin.
“Mrs. Peterson. Lynn. Your daughter is very special to us all. And like I told her just last week, you must accept what I say is true and do not deny it. Also, you must trust few people as possible with this information.” She began like she did with me.
“Mrs. Vasilieva…Lisa, what is all this about?” My mom said as she looked around the room and back at the closed door of the room.
“Mom, my name isn’t just Annalisa Nicola Peterson. At least, that’s not my Royal, sorry, Imperial name.” I said slowly, making sure I didn’t send my mom over the edge to cause her to have a stroke.
“What…what do you mean Royal, Imperial?” My mother looked between myself and Nunna.
“Mrs. Peterson, Do you know much about the Imperial Romanov family?” Nunna asked.
“I know a little bit, only from what we read about it in grade school and some in college.”
“There was a rumor that one daughter, the youngest daughter, the Grand Duchess Anastasia escaped. Do you remember that?” She asked hesitantly.
“Yes, I think I do remember that, in fact, Lisa the animated movie “Anastasia” was one of your favorite movies growing up.” She said with a smile at me.
“Mom, Nunna is Anastasia.” I said finally. I couldn’t handle all the slow suspense.
“Haha Haha, you two are joking right. Anastasia was killed. Everyone knows that. The History books say that.”
“The History books are wrong.” Nunna said shortly.
“So, you’re telling me that you’re the long lost princess, Grand Duchess Anastasia, and that would make my husband…”
“Dimitri Nicholas Peterson Romanov, Grand Duke of Imperial Russia, And also had he been introduced to the Imperial Court, he would have been Tsarevitch of Russia. The rightful heir to the throne. However, since he is no longer alive, may he rest in holy peace, there is no male heir to the throne.”
“So, if my husband was Prince, sorry Grand Duke, then that would make Lisa….”
“Annalisa Nicola Dimitriienva Peterson Romanova, Grand Duchess of Russia.” I said, for once very proud at my name. I was indeed Royalty. I think for once it finally clicked in my head. Gosh, I guess I was going to have a lot to learn about all of this Russian family history and Royalty job. I giggled to myself.
“Lisa, you can’t be serious, stop lying to me.” My mother said, now with hurt, anger, and confusion in her eyes.
“Mom, please I’m not lying to you. Even if I was you would know…you always can tell.” I said softly. “Mom, I know this is a lot, but please don’t freak. I’m glad you know now. Now I don’t have anything to hide.”
“This…this is what you were hiding from me?” My mother said with a shock.
“Um, yeah, would you have believed me if I told you?”
“I just don’t understand, if this is true then why don’t you tell everyone that the real Anastasia lives, then your great grandmamma can reclaim the throne, or I guess a throne, and…” She started going on and on, just like I did the night I found out who I really was.
“Annalisa, why don’t you go down the hall and get your mother a cup of coffee while your mother and I go over some questions.” Nunna asked with a smile. I simply nodded as I got up, hugged my mother before leaving the room.
I could understand the shock, I had a whole week to recover, yet I still had questions, and still I hardly believed it myself. I just hoped my mother would believe and understand how amazing, awesome, and important all this is.
I took one look back at my great grandmamma’s room, fifteen A, smiling to myself as I finally have a family who shared a bond other than blood. Yet, that’s when I knew…I had to go to Europe, to Russia I had to find anyone left related to Nunna. I had to give her this one thing before she passed on. I was determined. I wasn’t just Annalisa Peterson anymore. I was a Grand Duchess on a mission…a mission that would have to wait for two whole weeks, while real life took place. The only questions I had left going through my mind, besides the regular dozens of who my family was etc., was what was I going to say or do about Mr. Poloski? Who was I going to take to Russia with me? And how exactly is this going to affect the rest of my senior year of high school? Gosh, if I thought it was complicated before, then I’m in way over my head now. I guess I was going to have to learn to trust someone, I guess that someone was going to have to be William Porter Poloski Rasputin, Count of Russia. Oh boy this is going to be awkward, I thought as I started walking back towards my great grandmamma’s room with the coffee
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