Camel from Kyzylkum

Natasha’s Arrival

AT LONG LAST, NATASHA arrived in the United States in 1993. I went to New York City to meet her at the airport. I was extremely happy—three long years of our separation, worries, uncertainty—all of these ended as we started a new era. We needed to decide how she was going to learn English and what to do with her profession—should she go to school again and get a nursing diploma? We had to figure out how she could make some money and many other “how” questions. The good thing was she was still young, and it is always easier to adjust to a new life as a young person. There was a sizable community of immigrants from the Soviet Union in Buffalo, so in a short time, Natasha made friends. I introduced her to my clients for whom I had been cleaning houses for several years, so Natasha could make some money, too. Even though life was still hard for us, there was some happiness in it. I felt I had accomplished the most important mission of my life—I had brought my daughter to the free country. She now had so many opportunities in front of her. Her life would become very different.

Even Natasha had a job in Yalta before she left, but the salary was so low and the cost of living so high that it was hard to make ends meet. She lived in a tiny room without windows and without a bathroom. Getting her own apartment in Yalta was an impossible task. The Soviet Union had already collapsed and brought hardship, chaos, and unpredictability to everyone’s lives.

The Jewish Center of Buffalo, my sponsor and my help, introduced me to an American woman, Marilyn. The purpose was to help me assimilate faster into my new life and speed up my English learning process. Marilyn was around my age, maybe a little younger, and single. We became friendly; she took me for lunch every once in a while. Marilyn worked at the Research Institute of Addictions. She told me about this nice, very polite fellow, with whom she was working, named Brian. Brian was single and unattached and Marilyn asked if I wanted to introduce him to Natasha. I asked Natasha about it. She said no, that she did not want to have any arranged introductions. I reasoned with her, “You are in a new country. It is better to meet someone who is known to our friend. It never hurts to try. If you do not like him, you do not need to see him again.” Natasha finally agreed and Marilyn arranged for a day and time with Brian.

When Brian showed up at our house for the first time, I had to translate to Natasha what he was saying because Natasha had just started to learn English and her vocabulary was limited to a few words. For some reason, Brian was nervous and sweating. But to my surprise, the relationship between Natasha and Brian continued to develop after their first date. It was not long before Natasha moved in with Brian, into his apartment. She also was accepted to the nursing school for a two-year program. They lived together for four years before they eventually got married.