Gypsy in Black: The Romance of Gypsy Travelers (20 page)

Nicolae straightened his frame, standing his full height.  He towered over the other men.  “And your daughter was here at night under your watchful eye, yes?”

The point was made.  A flash of anger crossed the father’s face.  It was apparent that the girl had not been chaperoned.  How willing was she in the act?  Why had she been alone with Waller?  The other town men mumbled to each other and shifted their weight, uncomfortable with the logic behind the situation.  The father
raised
his red eyes to meet
Nicolae
's.
 
“
You leave me no choice!
”
  He
turned, pulling his daughter with him as he
made his way toward
his hysterical wife as disappeared into the darkness.

Nicolae
watched as the crowd bega
n to follow the man's example. 
Within minutes, all the gadjo had
left. 
Nicolae
whirled around.  His
face was twisted in such rage, Sahara jumped behind
Emilian
out of
fright. 
Had he seen her standing there?  Had he known that Emilian shielded her?  That she had defied him? 
But his ra
ge was directed at another. 
“
E
Martya!  I will kill you for yo
u stupidity!
”
  His voice boomed
throughout the silent camp.  No one spoke as they stared at the shamed Waller, trembling before the future
Rom Baro
.  No
one
flinched as
Nicolae
took his anger ou
t on Waller by using his fist. 
A minute after the beating, Wal
ler lay on the ground, his face
bleeding as he clutched his stom
ach. 
“
Consider yourself lucky,
you foolish shav!
”

Sahara whispered,
“
What did he call him?
”

Emilian
glanced at her, his own face pale. 
“
Little boy.
”

Nicolae
turned to the frightened gypsies.  Sweat dotted his
brow
as he stared at their faces.  A lo
ud voice spoke behind him. 
“
We
have little time.
”
  Without turn
ing, he recognized the voice as
his father's. 
Nicolae
felt a trem
bling
hand on his shoulder. 
“
We
must pack everything and be out of
here at once.  What you cannot
pack, leave behind.  They will
be back soon and we must leave
before then.
”
 

Nicolae nodded.  “It is true.  This is too serious, this time.  The people will come and they will be angry.  Hurry people.  We leave at once.”

Sahara turned to ask Emilian a question but he was gone, disappeared into the night once again. 
The
rest of the
gypsies hurried in different directions.  Within
minutes
, the canvas tents wer
e being torn down and packed in
wagons.  The men jerked the material off the wooden post, ripping
the stakes up from the ground. 
The younger boys folded the
canvas while the men hurried to th
e next tent.  The married women
tried to stay out of the men's w
ay as they piled their family's
belongings together.  Blanke
ts, cooking utensils, clothing,
emptied lanterns.  They put
what they could in trunks.  The
younger girls lifted mattresses on
to their shoulders, taking them
to nearby wagons.   

Sahara, recognizing the intensity of the situation,
hurried
to the tent she shared with
Nicolae
, not quite sure what she was
suppose to do.  Unlike
Nicolae
, Sahara had few belongings.  Gathe
ring
an armful, she hurried outside, wondering what wagon sh
e should
put their things in.  She saw a y
oung girl anxiously awaiting an
order from her mother who was t
oo busy to notice her.  Knowing
the mother would never miss the g
irl's
assistance
, Sahara called
out,
“
You!  Girl!
”
  The girl snapped her head in Sahar
a's
direction then ran over to help her. 
“
What is your name?
”

“
Finny, romni.
”

“
I've seen you before, hav
en't I?
”
  Before the girl could
answer, Sahara shook her head. 
“
Never mind that now.  Find the wagon I'm suppose
to pack this in.
”

Finny nodded once.  Her dar
k curly hair bobbed against her
dark cheek. 
“
Why, that would b
e the
Rom Baro
's wagon, romni. 
Follow me.
”

The camp moved out ten minu
tes later.  Sahara had finished
loading
Nicolae
's belongings with Finn
y's help.  There was no time to
thank her as the younger men mou
nted their horses, kicking them
into a gallop and disappearing in
to the night.  They had special
instructions from the
Rom Baro
whe
re to go and when to stop.  The
rest of the camp would meet up wit
h them eventually.  The smaller
children were already sleepin
g peacefully in the back of the
wagons as the men and their
wives apprehensively crawled up
front.

Sahara sat between the tired girl, Finny, and the old man
she had
ridden with before.  The
final moments of chaos managed
to find young Finny separated fr
om her family.  Frightened, she
timidly grasped Sahara's hand.
Trying to hide her own anxiety
about the situation, Sahara ha
d ordered the girl to ride with
her.  The old man glanced at Finny
, regarding her with a scowl as
he moved over to make room for he
r.  The camp had been torn down
for no more than
what seemed like
minutes b
efore
Nicolae
raced along the wagon
line, motioning for them to
move out.  The men slapped the
leather rei
ns against the h
orses' backs.  With a jolt, the
wagons lurched forward and the
gypsy caravan vanished into the
night leaving only smoldering campfires as proof that they had ever been there at all.




   




That first night of dancing was not her last.  The man insisted that she dance by the fires and he watched her every time.  No one was allowed to dance with her, no one was allowed to admire her.  Not out loud at least.  It didn’t take much to coax her to dance.  A little bit of rakiya and some wild, fiery music would get her feet tapping.  The man would encourage her, sitting by the fire and gesturing that she should dance.  Many of the men around the fires dreamed that she was dancing for them but it was only for one man that she danced: the man who haunted her memory. 

In her mind, she was back in Europe, the fires burning and the music playing while she danced.  She could see him watching her, his presence standing out from the rest.  It was as if she was alone with him, dancing just for him.  She would smile to herself and remember, reliving those nights.  Her body moved in rhythm to the music, her skirt and scarves casting shadows around the fire.  She was beautiful and far away.  And, in those moments, she was happy.  It was always for his memory that she danced. 

But the man who sat watching her, encouraging her, thought it was for him.

“
Wake up, Finny!
”
  Sahara nudged the sleeping girl next
to
her.  The sun brimmed over the ed
ge of the horizon.  The red sky
welcomed the gypsies to a new day
of running.  The caravan rested
momentarily by a small creek as th
e horses drank the cool water. 
The children raced around the embankment, laughing as t
hey
splashed each other despite their
mothers' worried orders to stay
away from the creek.  As Sahara
descended from the wagon seat,
her knees cracked and she leaned
against the side of the wagon. 
Stiff pain shot up her legs and spine but she forced herse
lf to
walk.  For the past seven h
ours, she had driven the horses
whenever the old man had thrust
the reigns at her.  No one sang
or laughed as they rolled north
into the night.  The blackness
had frightened Sahara more than the silence which meant the town
men weren't on their trail yet.

Finny tried to get down f
rom the wagon but fell into the dirt. 
Sahara quickly bent over,
helping her stand on her shaky
legs. 
“
You ok?
”

The girl nodded, pushin
g her hair off her face. 
“
Yes,
romni.
”

Holding onto her arm, Sahara stared into her face.  Yes, she
thought.  I recognize her now.
The girl who had danced in the
gold costume for Locke. 
“
You a
re Greggor's intended?
”
  Sahara
thought she saw something clou
d over in her eyes but the girl
only nodded, diverting her eyes
from Sahara's thoughtful gaze. 
Perhaps Greggor is her intended,
Sahara realized, but her heart
lies with Locke.  Sternly, Sahara
nodded toward the creek. 
“
You
best drink some water.  Find yo
ur family and let them know you
will continue to ride with m
e.
”
  Sahara didn't wait for the
girl's response as she walked away, looking for
Nicolae
.

A group of men stood in a ci
rcle by the creek's edge.  They
spoke softly, anxiously looking so
uth.  Sahara walked up to them,
her heart pounding. 
Nicolae
was not among the
m.  When the men
noticed Sahara's presence, they sto
pped speaking and watched her. 
Once again,
Nicolae
's wife was disrega
rding gypsy law and approaching
a group of men.  Sahara recogniz
ed their disgust but ignored it
as she met the eyes of the only familiar f
ace.  Resting her hands
on her hips, she lifted her chin
as she asked,
“
Rom Baro
, where
is
Nicolae
?
”

The old man looked especiall
y tired and worn.  His leathery
face sagged as he raised his sun
spotted hand to stop the murmur
from the men. 
“
Bori, you dare to
approach the men when it is
mahrime?
”

Stamping her foot, she cursed
at him. 
“
Damn your mahrime!
”
 
She was too tired to play the
Rom Baro
's word games.  When the
Rom Baro
did not respond, Sahara met his steady gaze. 
“
I may be
gypsy by
blood and
by
marriag
e,
Rom Baro
.  But I am gadjo
by
upbringing.  I will not
adhere to your silly rules and
customs.  N
ow, you answer me!  Where is my
husband?
”

The
Rom Baro
smiled at her, g
iving his head a slight shake. 
He reached out with his dry, wrinkled hand and
touched her arm
softly. 
“
You are most certainly
Amaya's child.
”
  At the mention
of Sahara's mother's name, the
other men raised their eyebrows
and nodded their heads in ag
reement as if that fact excused Sahara's insolent behavior. 
Reluctantly, they left
the
Rom Baro
, allowing him
to speak with his daughter-in-l
aw about her husband
in private
. 
“
Nicolae
rode back to see if we were followed.
”

Sahara chewed on her lower
lip, gazing in that direction that
Nicolae
must have traveled.
 
“
How long ago?
”

The
Rom Baro
shrugged his hunched over shoulders. 
“
I am no
t
well, S'hara.  I was sleeping when he left.  I do not know.
”

“
When will he be back?
”

“
We will wait here until the rom returns.
”

Sahara stared back at the old man, frightened by his answer
. 
“
The town men will come!  Waller will die!
”
 

The
Rom Baro
laughed, h
is hand tightening on her arm. 
“
Waller will not die, no.  He is l
ong gone with the other boys on
horseback.
”

“
I don't understand.
”

“
The gadjo will look for horse tracks as well as
wagon
tracks.  Where the boys have gone, there are no wagon tracks, yes?
”
  The
Rom Baro
smiled a
gain.  His teeth were brown and
rotting.  Sahara winced as his
stale breath reached her. 
“
We
will meet the boys somewhere else
.
”
  He started to turn away but
Sahara touched his arm to stop h
im.  The
Rom Baro
slowly looked
back at her. 
“
I am tired, bori.  What is it now?
”

“
Where will we meet them?
”
she demanded.

Bored with what he consi
dered idle banter, the
Rom Baro
motioned toward the dusty road at
her bare feet. 
“
Down the road,
bori.
”
  The
Rom Baro
limped back to his w
agon. 
“
Always down the road.
”
He hung his head,
his matted hair brushing again
st his face.  A couple of young
children crowded around him, l
aughing as they held their thin
arms up for him to hold them.
The
Rom Baro
smiled patiently,
touching each child on the head
as he continued walking through
the young crowd.  To the child
ren, he was a mortal god, their
savior leading them to safety once
again.  After the
Rom Baro
had
disappeared into the back of his
wagon, the children jumped into
the creek again, splashing each other in the
shallow waters until
their mothers called them for a bite to eat.

“
Romni?
”

Sahara glanced over her shoul
der.  Finny stood a couple feet
behind her, nervously twisting
her hands.  Sahara wondered why
Finny was so anxious around her.  Returning her gaze d
own the
road, Sahara strained h
er eyes for any sign of a rider
approaching. 
“
Yes
?
”

“
Will the rom be returning soon?
”
 

“
I don't know.
”
  Sighing
, Sahara walked with Finny to a
large oak tree.  If they had to w
ait, Sahara would rather sit in
the shade instead of basking in the sun. 
“
Certainly is hot, i
sn't it?
”
  She started to lif
t the corner of her long, black
skirt to dab at her face and
neck but thought better of it.  Instead, she used her
sleev
e. 
“
Do things like this happen
often?
”

Finny smiled as she leaned a
gainst the oak trunk. 
“
It gets
hot often, yes.
”

An impatient frown crossed
Sahara's face. 
“
I meant being
chased by town people.
”

The slightest hint of a smile crossed Finny's somb
er face. 
“
I know what you meant.
”
  For the first time, Finny no
ticed Sahara's
swollen eye.  Reach
ing out, she softly touched the
purple and black bruise. 
“
What happened?
”

Sahara winced at Finny's tou
ch.  Cautiously, she raised her
own fingers to touch under he
r eye.  The skin was tender and
sore.
She had forgotten about the man who had knocked her down. 
She hadn't even felt t
he gentle throbbing until Finny
mentioned the bruise.  Sahara met
Finny's concerned gaze. 
“
Is it
that noticeable?
”

Finny nodded her head once. 
“
With colors like that,
Nicolae
is s
ure to see it, romni.  His temper will soar for sure.
”

“
That's the last thing
we
need
,
”
she said mostly to herself. 
Aware that she had spoken aloud, Sahara glanced at Finny.  The young girl met her gaze an
d smiled encouragingly.  Sahara
returned the smile. 
“
Perhaps he w
on't notice it right away, with
the excitement and all.
”

“
Perhaps, romni.
”

It was almost an hour l
ater when
several children began to
scream
and yell, racing
raced down the dust
y road where a lone horse raced
toward them. 
“
The rom!  The rom has returned
!
”
  Sahara moved
away from Finny as she squinted
, trying to see the rider.  The
horse neared, a trail of dust behi
nd it.  Quickly, Sahara started
to follow the children, her hea
rt racing as she recognized the
rider as
Nicolae
.  The children gathered around
Nicolae
as he dismounted. 
Sahara stopped walking, hanging be
hind the eager crowd.  Her eyes
followed every movement
Nicolae
ma
de.  He bent down, picking up a
small boy and tossing him in
the air.  The child laughed and begged
for more as
Nicolae
set him back on the ground. 

“
Enough!
”
  The cheerfulnes
s vanished from his voice.  The
crowd remained silent, waiting
to know whether the gadjo were
following.  The suspense gre
w until
Nicolae
slapped his horse's
shoulder. 
“
My mount was
swift, yes?
”
  No one answered. 
The silence was palpable.  They waited, eager for an update.  Nicolae kept the suspense by keeping his silence.  He looked around at their faces, staring at him, waiting and wondering.  Finally, he smiled. 
“
Fortunately, the gadjo are no
t
as swift!
”
  A roar of relief swept the
gypsies. 
Nicolae
held his hand up to
silence them. 
“
Wait!  There is
more.  The gadjo have followed th
e east road searching for young
Waller.  Someone misled the gadjo.
But we still have a problem. 
We are not one tribe now but two, yes?
”