Broken Hearts On Boulevard Unirii novel Chapter 25

"Look, there are problems," she began. "I will explain it to you this way. The entire building once belonged to a Jewish family. Before the war the area around Cismigiu Garden was a district of rich homes, many of them owned by wealthy Jews who didn't return after the war. During the sixties all the buildings that didn't have claimants were nationalized by the communist government. Many were then "sold" for ridiculously low prices to those close to the government. In some cases, the buildings were taken over and occupied by destitute families who came from the villages and moved into the houses before they could be nationalized. The government let them live there but didn't give them ownership. Many apartments were illegally subdivided.

"In your case, your apartment is actually half of the original apartment which comprised the entire upper floor. We have two tasks. The first is to register the apartment in the Land Registry in its present form and the second and the more serious one is to register the apartment in the Land Registry in your name. Since it is unclaimed Jewish property, there is no owner from whom to buy it.

"To get over this hurdle, we must find a judge to sign off on the appropriate paperwork. I know the right man, but it is going to cost money, "Giorgina said.

"How much can it cost?" I asked her.

"I really don't know how much he will want, but by tomorrow we will know," she answered.

"I'm willing to pay whatever he wants. Please let me know how much," I told her.

I left her office and went out into the street; my heart was pounding and my mind racing, trying to absorb all that I had learned today. The Jews, nationalized property, families illegally taking over apartments, accidentally having received an inheritance order, bought a flat for a disabled person, bribe the judge; what am I going to do now? Who knows how much the judge will request? All those questions came to my mind at once. I hailed a cab and went to Cismigiu.

Dorina called me that afternoon and asked me if I wanted to go out to eat with her. I immediately agreed. We arranged to meet at a restaurant called "The White Horse," which is known for serving the best ribs in town.

This time her hair was hanging loose and she had no make-up on. She looked even more beautiful. She took out a long thin cigarette and slowly puffed on it watching me eat the deliciously tender ribs with gusto.

The restaurant was really nice and the food was indeed very tasty.

"Well, what do you say? Wasn't it delicious?" she asked.

"I see that you've already finished eating, you barely touched the food. You ordered a half-portion and ate a quarter," I said to her.

"That is enough for me. I came here mainly for you. I'm not a fan of meat, but I saw that you love meat."

"That I am beginning to like you," I answered.

Looking downward with a tiny smile creeping up in the corner of her mouth, Dorina lit another cigarette and looked into my face, straight into my eyes.

"I am not one of those desperate girls, who is willing to go with somebody old enough to be her grandfather just for a free meal at a restaurant or a two-bit T-shirt."

"Sorry if that's the way you understood what I said. I didn't mean anything bad. I just expressed the feeling that I enjoy your company. If you understood otherwise, I am really sorry."

Now it was Dorina's turn to feel uncomfortable. She got up, walked over to the waiter and stuck a banknote into his pocket, returned to the table and said, "Let's go, I paid the bill."

We went out into the street. It was a pleasant and quiet evening, the street deserted except for a few passing cars."Let's walk. I don't live far from here," she suggested.