Finally, in May 1986, I was granted permission to go there. My quick-tempered boss surprised me with the customary bridal shower. Between her and my co-workers, they arranged it at a nice restaurant. I got a lot of delightful gifts, among which something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…
When I arrived at the airport in Romania, I was detained at customs. They said that my passport was not in order and the visa was not real. They said that according to their records, I was never to be allowed into Romania. I protested violently although I was sick with fatigue. After a few hours, they relented. I managed to pass through customs and meet my boyfriend.
Because I only had a few days of vacation, and we couldn’t arrange a religious ceremony without sufficient advance notice, we only had a civil ceremony. I was quite elegant with a very affordable Montgomery Ward white dress and hat. I felt like a princess. Most of my friends, my new husband’s friends, my former co-workers came to the ceremony.
The next day, we had a small gathering (some 25 people) at a restaurant. My grandfather had a grand time too, singing old Hungarian songs. After the ceremony, we left for a few days for a mini-honeymoon in the mountains. My stepsister with her boyfriend went with us because they lived in that area. We had a great time.
Our friends had given me some nice glassware, crystalware, some kitchen utensils, odds and ends. I had also bought some Romanian folk costumes that I intended to take back to the States. I had packed everything neatly. At the customs, when leaving Romania, a very tough female customs officer took everything out of my suitcases and told me that in order to take them with me I had to pay some stiff fees. In dollars. I got extremely upset. So, I left everything behind. My husband, who had to stay behind and wait his turn on the waiting list for a visa from the American Embassy, took everything home from the airport. It took him 17 months until he finally joined me in the United States. So, I returned home to Orange County, CA, married, but still alone. When he did join me, my mother moved to the couch in the living room to make room for my husband in the bed that the two of us had shared until then. We couldn’t really afford to move into a 2-bedroom apartment.
Back to the Daily Grind
Shortly after my return to the States, my dog, Ciculetz, the one that we had brought from Romania died. He was very fat and had a lung congestion when I hosed him down to cool him off during a particularly hot summer. Although he was hospitalized and we paid quite a bit, he died. I was heartbroken. We took him to the vet and left him there to be incinerated. We also had acquired some cats. Originally it was just a cat that my mother had found as an abandoned kitty. This cat grew up into a wonderful tomcat. We didn’t know about neutering so after mating season, he disappeared. After that we got a female cat, also not fixed. She had a litter and we managed to place all of the kitties, except the prettiest one. This kitty grew up and had her own litter. At one time, we had two litters going at the same time, with both mother and daughter having kitties. We had to find room for them in some drawers.
My car, the Pacer, died completely. This time the engine was totally gone and it would have cost more to rebuild it than what the car cost in the first place. Our sponsors always said that we had been stupid to buy that car. I needed a car badly because I couldn’t go to work without one. My mother was working too at that time but she was on a bus line. I was desperate for a “new” car. I walked to all the dealerships in my area but I couldn’t find anything affordable. Plus I had no credit. Finally, some dealership I called offered to send someone to give me a ride so that I could look at their cars. I was enchanted by a brown Pontiac station wagon. It had cruise control, tilting wheel, A/C, etc. The interest rate they quoted me was close to 22Î. I still decided to take it. So, I signed on the dotted line. Our sponsors were kind enough to co-sign.
My mother, however, was furious. She said that I had been duped. That I was stupid, naive. That I had fallen for the gadgets the car had. And on, and on and on. Indeed the car was dubious because the odometer was stuck and there was a pinging noise as well. My mother decided to get me out of the deal. She made a board and she wrote that the dealership has lemons. She picketed the dealer. In the meantime, I had a meeting with my former colleagues from the word processing schools. I was supposed to pick my mother up at a certain time, but because of a traffic jam, I was late. When I arrived at the dealership, she was not there. I called home and she wasn’t there either. I went into the dealership and asked about my mother. They said they had her arrested. So, I went to the local police station. She was not there and they knew nothing about her. They advised me to call the county jail. I did. She wasn’t there either. I was frantic. I called home again and there she was, mad as a hornet, hissing and cursing me that I had been late.
(va urma)
