Prologue
1991
The September chill did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm and endurance. They’d already made the rounds through most of the attractions available that evening at the annual Octoberfest but didn’t yet want to go back home. Ecaterina was out with her brother, Daniel and his first serious crush, Diana, the only other girl near their age at the Loth Strasse refugee house. Diana, a Macedonian, was fifteen and flawless. Slim and taller than both siblings, her dark hair and eyes a stark contrast to her milky white skin, she was not easily overlooked. She’d arrived a few months before Ecaterina’s family but seemed to have lived in Germany for years. She was younger than both but carried herself with a more grown-up air than either of them. They’d become fast friends from the beginning.
This night they were out exploring their first Munich Octoberfest and had already ridden the spinning chairs, shot long rifles for prizes, ate colorful cotton candy on sticks and filled up on sugary roasted cinnamon almonds from paper cones. They’d gone back to the bumper cars ride. Ecaterina stood on the side watching while Daniel and Diana shared a car. As they maneuvered their car bumping into strangers, their heads were thrown backwards and forwards and sometimes sideways from impact, and their laughter rang bright amid the tumult of the fare.
This is the memory Ecaterina would carry with her for rest of her life.This is the sound she’d wake up to night after night as their family transitioned to life in yet another country, as they attempted to integrate once more amongst new peoples.
After using up all their money they begged Ecaterina to pay for one more ride.
“Common Catri, I’ll pay you back, I promise,” Daniel, his face flushed, his eyes bright, called out from inside the ring.
“Catri, can we? Please? Just one more ride.” Diana begged, her voice louder than necessary.
“I don’t know, we should head home. Mom will be worried about us, and your dad,..., he’ll be furious Diana. I don’t want you to get in trouble with him again because of us. We’ve already stayed longer than we said and if the U-Bahn is crazy full like it’s been the last few days, it’ll take even longer to get home.”
“Please, just one more, we’ll leave right after. And,” Daniel said, his hands together in a prayer, “and, not only that, but I’ll also wash dishes on your days all next week,” he declared with flourish.
Ecaterina took a deep breath and nodded her head, “Ok, just one more ride. We go straight home from here. And don’t you dare change your mind about the dishes, Daniel, I’m not touching one dirty plate next week.”
She smiled and quickly paid the operator for one more ride for them.
They did go home, but not before they ran into someone Diana knew. It was one of the other girls who modeled with her for the agency and had been in one of the recent photoshoots for a bridal magazine.
Diana had been spotted by a talent search agent just shy of her fifteenth birthday. That was seven months ago and she'd already been part of two national photo campaigns, including one launched by Burda Magazine, their special Brautmode issue of the year. She was making her own money dressing in the latest fashion and posing as a beautiful bride for the agency representing her, and that mollified her parents' concerns about this unusual work. They now proudly carried the magazines with Diana's pictures and showed them to anyone they met.
The girl they ran into, a tall heavily made-up blonde with cascading curls and who looked older than all of them, pulled Diana away. They whispered excitedly in German while the siblings waited. Diana looked torn when she walked back, the girl waiting a few steps away.
“Hey, I completely forgot about a party the photographer’s hosting tonight. He invited all of us models to stop by for a bit of dancing and insisted that it’d look bad if we don’t show up even for a few minutes. I’m goanna have to go, sorry I forgot to tell you earlier.” She looked at Daniel, her eyebrows raised, her eyes pleading.
“Wait, you can’t go, it’s late and your dad will go ballistic. And who’s gonna make sure you get home safely?” Daniel’s voice cracked as he took on a desperate tone.
“He promised to pay for taxis for any of us who need a ride after the party.” Diana replied. “I’ll be fine, he’s famous, you know, and this might help me network with other magazine recruiters. He said there are other projects coming up and the girls who come could make connections with the right people at the party.”
“Diana are you not worried about going to some guy’s house alone?” Ecaterina asked. “What should we tell your mom and dad?”
“Just tell him it was for my job and that I’ll explain when I get home. I won’t stay long, just showing my face and then I’ll ask Jorge to order me a taxi home.”
She gave each a quick hug, lingering just a moment longer with Daniel and then, she walked away. Diana turned once more and waved, and then the crowd swallowed her and the other girl.
I was the last time anyone would see her.
