“Mama, I made some friends today.”

“That’s wonderful . . . and on the first day of school. Tell 

me all, Rivala.”

“Mrs. Angevine assigned this boy, Mikhael, to show me around. He is so funny, Mama. He said, ‘This is the restroom, although you can’t really rest in there. All you can do is pee and poop and wash your hands. They should call it ‘pee-room or poop-room.’”

Mama looked at me, trying to keep straight face then burst out laughing. “He does sound funny.”

“Mama, I tell you, he speaks Russian like . . . like a Russian.”

“Are his parents Russian?”

“No, Mama. They’re Irish.”

“This is very curious. I would like to meet this boy.”

“I like him very much, Mama. Misha’s my first real American friend.”

“Oh, ‘Misha,’ already? Bring him around tomorrow. I will feed him cookies and find the truth.”

There was no embrace, no hug. Basically falling into each other’s arms and collapsing to sidewalk . . . weeping, kissing, caressing . . . then, like light switch, firmament opened and dumped two hour’s worth of pent-up precipitation on Washington Square Park. Not even like shower, more like freezing fucking waterfall . . . Niagara Falls. Hard to breathe. Misha pulled me up and gripping my arm not painfully, but firmly enough for me to know he would, under no circumstance let go, ran with me. I was being led through deluge by my long lost boyfriend. We finally stumbled through door, inside, out of rain, falling to floor, soaked. Once again kissing, caressing.

I started shivering, shaking violently. I didn’t know if it was shock or hypothermia, but my teeth were chattering. He picked me up and carried me up two flights of stairs and into his flat. Feeling my face, he shook his head with concern. He took off his clothes as fast as he could, then mine, then we fell, naked, into his bed. He held me in his arms. His body was like furnace. He kissed me and rubbed my arms and legs roughly, rapidly until I finally stopped shaking and our breathing slowed.

We lay there for several minutes, gazing at each other, touching each other in disbelief, intermittently on edge of tears, then giggling, but unable yet to speak. Finally, he broke silence.

“A-are you real?” His voice was shaky.

“I think . . . therefore”

“Because I’ve had some . . . questionable events lately that made me question . . .”

“Mmm . . . I see.” I pinched him . . . hard.

“Ow! Rivka? That’s gonna leave a mark.”

“Do I seem real enough to you now?”

He shook his head slowly, smiled and said, “Da, you seem to be my Rivka . . . I thought I’d lost you.” 

“I know. I tried to reach you, my love.”

“I thought you were gone . . . forever . . . if I’d known . . . What happened? . . . What?”

“No . . .” I gently touched my finger to his lips to silence him. “Later . . . .right now, I want you.”

Smiling, regarding me, his voice finally steady, “Rivka, your breasts . . . mmm, I don’t know . . . bigger?” We both giggled. I was remembering last time we’d made love in Nurse’s office after we’d sneaked into Hilhi.

“Mmm, maybe . . . It’s been two years. Your um . . . ‘Mr. Friendly’ . . . seems bigger . . .”

“Oh, I think he’s just waking up. He’s been sleeping for some time . . . more than two years.” 

“You remember where to . . . put him?”

  “Hmmm, let’s see . . .”

  “O-oh!” I gasped. “I guess you do.”

I awoke in darkness, gripped with terror. I was back in Nevada, but only for moment. I reached out and touched my lover’s warm chest and immediately calmed. No idea of time. I could not see single clock anywhere in Misha’s flat. It was freezing. Bed was warm but little bit damp. Residual moisture from rain on our bodies plus sweat from our lovemaking. Very much lovemaking.

“God, I really have to pee,” I whispered. Got out of bed and padded over to bathroom. “Jesus, Misha, you sleep with a night light? I’m going to give you so much shit about that in the morning.”  I sat on toilet, tinkling and heard thump in direction of small hinged window high on wall behind bathtub which looked like it had been rigged with shower. Suddenly window opened and cat’s head poked through. Seeing me, it froze.

We stared at each other, motionless. Seconds passed, then cat, in two graceful leaps, landed on tub, then floor and came to rest, sitting down in front of me. Very big, beautiful Calico. Again with staring. I broke silence.

“My goodness, you are such a beautiful cat!“

  “Meow.” It nuzzled backs of my fingers with its face.

  “I’m wondering, pretty cat . . . are you a kot or a koshka?“

“Mrw?”

  “Hmm, maybe that question is too personal. I mean, we just met and all . . . it’s just, you are so gorgeous and I’d like to know how to address you.” I reached out and scratched behind its right ear, which it seemed to like. It began to purr.

  “Mrww . . . Prrrr.”

It seemed to be thinking, considering its options, then it lay down and rolled on its back exposing its chest and abdomen. 

“Oh . . . so you are a kot. How unusual! I thought calicos were all female. Hmm, you are definitely not female.”

“Raow.“

“Well, Mr. Kot, I am freezing and I need to return to my lover’s bed.” I scratched his chest little bit more then got up and started to go back to bed, grabbing dry towel from rack to use in damp bed. Cat ran past me and sat in front of dish on floor outside of bathroom door. I hadn’t noticed it before, but seeing it, I looked around and saw under sink in bathroom, bed. “Must be your bed, Comrade Kot. How curious. Misha was never a cat-person.” I looked back at cat. He looked at dish. Looked at me. Looked at dish. Looked at me. Looked at dish. “Oh, I get it.” I got milk bottle from refrigerator and poured last of it into cat’s dish. He began eagerly lapping it up.

“Alright, good night, Comrade Kot.” I got back into bed after putting towel over slightly damp sheet and, with my icicle body, burrowed into my lover’s arms. He stirred but did not awaken and I was soon back to sleep.