Zaporoche ~ an Illya backstory~ chapter 2

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

link to chapter 1:http://section7mfu.livejournal.com/218041.html

 
Illya helped feed his siblings while mama and baba made the finishing touches on supper, adding just a bit of water and some more spices to  stretch out the meal.

They served Ragu iz Ovoshchey, a vegetable stew in which the ingredients were cooked until soft in texture, and consisted of common root vegetables, potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots and beets. Marina took a large loaf of dark rye bread from the oven, letting it cool a little before slicing it, and to accompany the bread there was a plate of fresh butter as the Kuryakins were still lucky enough to have a dairy cow. They and some of their neighbors depended on the animal as supplies were short after the cold winter.

The priest was given the seat at the head of the table where Nicholaí Kuryakin would sit as head of the household, but he and his eldest son Dimitry were still deep within the forest of Bykivnia. It was rare now when they would suddenly appear for a visit, bringing some supplies to the family.

Tanya knew it was a matter of time before the cow would have to be slaughtered as there would not be enough feed for her, that would leave them only with the chickens and whatever game was brought to them.

Illya had been taught to shoot and had gone hunting with his father and took down a deer, but in the process he was nearly killed by a wolf. * Tanya refused to let him try to hunt on his own, that she was adamant about.

Father Demya folded his hands in prayer as did the Tanya, Marina and Illya. The other three children had been fed and put to bed early. Katiya shared a room with Sasha and Misha. Illya would sleep with his grandmother, so his mother could use his bed while the priest would have Illya's parents bed, the best bed.

"Golodnyy sʺyest i dolzhny bytʹ udovletvoreny. Te, kto ishchet Gospoda slavitʹ Yego ; ikh serdtsakh budet zhitʹ vechno. Blagoslovi nas Gospodʹ i Vashi podarki, kotoryye my sobirayemsya poluchitʹ. Vy blagoslovili i proslavili navsegda. Aminʹ_the hungry shall eat and shall be satisfied. Those who seek the Lord shall praise Him; their hearts shall live forever. Bless us Lord and Your gifts which we are about to receive. You are blessed and glorified forever. Amen.

"Amin," the family repeated.

"Slava Ottsu , i Synu , i Svyatomu Dukhu, nyne i prisno i vo veki vekov. Amin."

"Amin," they all said again.

"Gospodi, pomiluy ! Gospodi, pomiluy ! Gospodi, pomiluy_Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

"Khriste Bozhe, blagoslovi pishchu i pitiye rabam Tvoim , ibo Ty svyat, vsegda, nyne i prisno i vo veki vekov. Aminʹ_O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for Thou art holy, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."

"Amin," they repeated for the last time and blessed themselves.

Tanya ladled the vegetable stew into each of their bowls, with the priest being given the largest portion, as well as extra slices of bread and butter. They had glasses of hot tea to drink as there was little else to offer except water. There weren't enough ingredients to spare to make kvass, a drink made from fermented yeast and malt. There was no malt to be had and yeast was needed for the making of bread.

Everyone watched the priest as he lifted his first spoonful of soup to his mouth, holding down his great beard with the other to keep from making a mess. He looked at the family staring at him.

"What, there is no waiting for me, eat eat. I am sure you are hungry."

The all began their meal, Illya eating slowly, showing his manners by using his napkin and listening intently as Father Demya was asked questions by his babushka.

"Father why is it you have left the church?"

"Ah Madam, the government has finally caught up with us. The church was closed, nailed shut and the brothers, other priests and I were evicted. We were told we would be sent to the gulag for re-education and that was when we decided to make ourselves scarce. Brother Peter shaved his beard and changed to street clothes and left for Krasny. Father Alexi headed north to where his family lives. Alas I am old and have no family to flee to far away from here. Sadly Fathers Vasily and Ivan were taken away..."

"No one else offered to help you Father?" Tanya asked.

"They were all too afraid. There is a great army now occupying Kyiv, and they are readying to defend it against the invading Germans who have crossed the Soviet borders already."

"You can stay here Father," Illya again offered. "You will be safe with us."

"Oh ho, child again you offer me such kindness, but no, you would not be safe with me here. I travel east now, to Hortitsa, it is a very large island in the middle of the river Dneiper, there I should be safe.

"Hortitsa," Illya pondered, "Yes that is where the town of Zaporoche is. I read about it in my favorite book written by Gogol, well it is my father's book, called Tarás Búl'ba."

"You have read such a book? I would think that is well beyond a child of your years," the priest's voice gave away his surprise.

"My Illyusha is very clever for his age," Tanya proudly tousled her sons blond hair. " He has a sharp mind and remembers everything he reads."

"Ah then, you must take Gogol's account with a pinch of salt then, " the priest smiled. "as he wrote that book as an historical novella but romanticized it quite a bit. He based his characters on historical figures..."

"I like when they rode their horses and did trick riding, that was my favorite part," Illya smiled. "do the Kаzaki truly ride like that?" He had always been fascinated by them and the stories of their great horses and horsemanship. He stood his little red wooden horse on the table for the priest to see, the gift he'd received from Father Frost on Christmas Eve at the church. He pretended to make the horse gallop and buck.

"Illya, no toys at the supper table, remember?" His mother scolded him gently."

"Sorry mama." He ducked the horse out of sight.

"Yes they do boy, very much so." Father Demya answered his question.

"Zaporoche. It is a wonderful but simple place, home to what is left of a great people...my people, the Cossacks. There I can walk peacefully to pray and enjoy the lovely views of nature that God gave us. And there is a church there, an old one made of wood, where I can minister to the people.

"Will you ride horses there?" Illya asked, his bright blue eyes wide in wonder.

"I am afraid I am too old for that, but when I was a boy, I rode my great Don horse and performed many riding skills, all to impress the girls of course, but then God called me to a greater purpose, and I no longer rode the Kаzaki way. I am afraid now many of the men have gone off to prepare for war and have formed great Cossack regiments to please Stalin and show their loyalty to the Soviet Union. I fear for their lives and pray for them everyday. There is rumor that some of them are siding with the Germans against Stalin. This I think will not bode well in the end for all Kazaki.

* ref to "The Hunting Party" http://section7mfu.livejournal.com/66832.html

http://section7mfu.livejournal.com/222427.html