(Happenings in December 2019).
My birth father, Sergey, has now reached out to me. It was instigated by Irina who has already been in contact with me. He had not been able to write to me. He said he felt too ashamed. I got to tell him that I have forgiven him. He wanted me to know that I was born in love. Hearing his brief side of the story makes sense. He did not believe I was his child. However, when he recently saw my pictures, he saw himself, he saw Natalia, and he saw Irina in me. It was then that he realized I truly was his daughter. I have three younger half-siblings from Sergey and they do not know that I exist. He asked that we keep the past where it belongs and I want to honor his wishes. I can tell that I got my deep thinking from Natalia and my work ethic from S.. He is very brief in conversation, unlike Natalia.
Natalia has disappeared and is on the run. No one has heard from her in the past four days. She went to be with Igor on his day off from combat and so they drank together and got very drunk whenever N. has tried to call them. The military is looking for them, so they are hiding and running all over the streets. Someone reported she has a black eye. Who knows where she is at, when she will be found, and in what conditions. I’m thankful that grandma N. is able to reach out to me when I do not hear from Natalia. Grandma N. is a sweet and strong lady who has endured years of pain. She has a loyal husband, she nearly raised her grandson E., she works hard cleaning at a narcological clinic, she worries a lot, she cares for everyone, She is faithful to her dear Soviet Union, she gardens, she cooks, she regularly communicates on Skype with other birth family members. Grandma N. really does make me smile... A person can only have so many people occupying their mind at one time.