Fleeting Characters Who Leave a Mark

by Sally Saylor De Smet

I’m on my last author’s edit for Ivan’s Wife. I’m enjoying the last edit as I examine the words with a different “eye.” It is not purely mechanical – it’s from the heart too. The novel has well-developed characters but it also has some “passing” characters – those people who come in and out of your life and sometimes leave a lasting impression. I’ve known a few people like that also – some good and some not so good—but they leave a lesson, and sometimes regrets. The desire for missed love burns the longest.

My protagonist, Dimitri, fortunately speaks his mind without reservations.

In this scene, Dimitri is talking a walk after a particularly difficult day. He encounters an interesting older lady who instinctively knows the right thing to say: 

Ivan’s Wife

An excerpt from Chapter Thirty-Two of Ivan’s Wife

I sat on a bench beside an older woman with a carpet bag full of yarn. She pulled out some knitting needles and began working on a blue scarf. I pulled out a cigarette.

The lady was cute. She wore a yellow knit hat framed with white spiral curls and spectacles too big for her petite face. Every few seconds, she sniffed and pushed them up her nose. Her hands were so swollen at the knuckles that I wondered how she could make the loop-de-loops to weave the yarn together.

“Making a sweater?”

“Yes, indeed. For my nephew. He lives in New Orleans, so I’m trying to finish it before the post office closes. Takes five days to get there, don’t ya’ know. You got young’uns, son?”

“No…I don’t.”

She turned and gave me a once-over. “Let me have a look at ya…come on, now. Take off those sunglasses, young man. Let Aunt Gina see your face.”

“Pardon me?” I asked, laughing at the absurdity.

She turned my chin to face her. “You got a wife, don’t ya?”

“Yes.”

“Well, there ya go. You got a young’un coming soon enough. You have a job, son?”

“Well, yes. I’m on my way there now.”

“Good…good,” she said, returning to her knitting. “You got kind eyes. You’ll make a good father. I can always tell. Just be nice to the miss and watch the drinking. Set a good example, and you’ll be fine.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell her my wife had banned having a baby. “How do you know I drink?”

She turned and gave me a look that could only be described as a “mother” look. I’d seen it on the faces of my friend’s mothers. Kind of a “do you really think you can lie to me, boy?”

It made me smile. “You got me. Some people stuff themselves with chocolate or cry until their blood vessels pop. I drink.”

She gave me a stern, one-eyed squint. “And some people pray, young man.”

“Right.”

“Who do you have?”

“Have?”

“Someone you’d listen to if they were here.”

“My mother and brother,” I replied, not wanting to open that particular can. “How do you know so much?”

She tucked the knitting into the bag and turned to me. “I was never blessed with a husband or young’uns, so God gave me the time to mother whoever needed it. You’re troubled, boy. That’s why you sat next to me instead of the empty bench across from you. You have sad eyes, but there’s a lot of light, too. What’s bothering you, son?”

I put my shades back on and crossed one leg over my knee. I’d always been drawn to mature women, no doubt a never-ending search for a mother. “I have spells. Always have. Bad ones.”

She slid the carpetbag to her elbow and looked at me with searching eyes. “Spells, aye? What happens during these spells?”

“I hear music mostly. It’s run or die.”

“I see,” she said, still holding me in her gaze. “My grandmother had a terrible fear of spiders. Hear tell she would freeze and pass out if she saw one. Turns out a black widow had crawled into her crib and bit her on the cheek. Once she found out, the spells stopped. Once you figure out what’s scaring you, yours will, too.”

I felt like the air in my lungs had thickened. It was like there was a direct line between the lady and Alexander. “My brother said the same thing.”

She pulled the blue knit scarf from her bag and wrapped it around my neck as she stood to leave. “Here. I made this for my nephew, but you need it more. Remember, you don’t always have to find the answers. Sometimes, they come to you if you ask the right questions. And stop your worrying. Worry is like a rocking chair. It’ll give you something to do but won’t get you anywhere.”

Her words were like chicken soup injected into my veins. I watched her hurry to the post office, her carpetbag tapping against her paisley dress, reaching every so often to adjust her glasses. Her presence was like being wrapped in a blanket of optimism, a fairy godmother without all the glitter. I rubbed the scarf she gave me and got up to find a bus for Cielo’s. 

Category: Ivan’s Wife | Comments Off on Fleeting Characters Who Leave a Mark

Challenges

Ivan’s Wife is in the final editing stage. The story is diverse and covers a range of emotions. The protagonist faces a lot of challenges—and with challenges comes growth. In this scene, Dimitri is in a mental hospital, considering the inevitability of mental illness. Witnessing such pain propels him to finally seek help in understanding his illness.

I glanced around the circle of mostly scared patients and spotted a familiar face. It was Billy, the young pimple-faced kid I’d met months ago. He appeared younger than I remembered and twice as nervous. He shrugged his shoulders, blinked constantly, and released odd hiccups. I nodded hello with a curt wave, but he didn’t seem to recognize me. He pushed his glasses up his nose every few seconds and kept looking over his shoulders, clicking his tongue. 

“KGB!” he cried out extemporaneously. 

No one appeared to notice; even the nurses were oblivious. The staff was used to it, and the ‘no talking’ rule apparently didn’t apply to spontaneous utterances. Seeing Billy reminded me of the futility of it all. Some, like Billy, would never get better. The best they could hope for was compassion; finding it at a mental hospital was about as possible as returning to yesterday. 

Category: Ivan’s Wife | Comments Off on Challenges

Writing the Hard Stuff

Ivan’s Wife is heading toward the finish line. The characters have been fun to write and sometimes heartbreaking. In this later chapter, Dimitri faces his death with unexpected courage. He has certainly evolved from the first draft—in a pleasing way—at least to me. In this excerpt, Dimitri is in a Soviet hospital heading to the toughest prison in Russia: 

It was a march through hell. The clink of the metal shackles dragging on the cement floor was the only sound. The hallway stunk of ammonia and old pipes. The rooms were empty; the only inhabitants seemed to be the nurses and guards. Hadn’t seen a single patient. That made me wonder if this was a place Ivan had set up for my execution. Maybe I wasn’t on my way to the showers at all. Couldn’t help wonder if I might be headed for the dead end room the nurse had talked about. Maybe Ivan just wanted to get my death over with. 

Logically, I should be shaking, pleading, hyperventilating, and coming out of my skin. But I wasn’t. I was pissed. Furious. My body stiffened, and I held my head up. Yeah, I was held captive and bound in chains, but I felt strong. Fueled by outrage and a shitload of anger. I never hurt anyone. Never cheated on my wife. I always opened the door for a woman and remembered my manners. I never took a penny from anyone that I hadn’t earned. The sorrow on a child’s face made me cry. The creases on an elder’s face and the weariness in their stride made me want to talk to them. Yes, I drank to excess, did drugs, and abused myself. I did. But the only person I never loved was myself. 

Category: Ivan’s Wife | Comments Off on Writing the Hard Stuff

No Better Friend

It starts with Christian asking Dimitri about his recent stay in a mental hospital:

Dimitri answers:

“No worse for wear. Anna’s been staying out of my hair, and Consuelo’s been trying to fatten me up. The doctors have called a few times, wanting me to schedule an appointment, but I don’t need to. I can already hear the lecture on the miracle of psychotropic drugs. A few days with my wife, and I’m better than new.” 

Christian grew quiet, rubbing his forehead. “Dimitri, maybe that’s not such a good idea.”

“What’d you mean?”

“Therapy and medicine might help you, buddy.”

“Hell, no! Yeah, I’m screwed up, but I’m not a psycho. All I need is to steer clear of my weird niece and for my father to stop treating me like a goddamn disease.”

“Calm down,” said Christian. All I meant was that a lot has happened, and maybe this is your time to finally figure out what’s causing the delusions and whatnot. You can’t blame Ivan and Anna for everything, and Elena is not a panacea.”

“Bullshit!” I snapped. “My wife is pampering me. Being with her makes me forget the last few weeks. And when did you become Sigmund Freud? You had a Norman Rockwell childhood with two parents who adored you. Find a skid mark in your life, and then we’ll talk!”

A red flush spread across his face. He put his fists on his thighs, his chest slowly moving up and down. He reminded me of the poor saps at the asylum sitting in the waiting room before shock therapy. “Hey, I’m sorry, man…I didn’t mean anything. I can be an asshole. What can I do? I love you, man, you know that.”

He wouldn’t talk. The stress had built a nasty rash on his neck; I doubted he knew because he kept scratching it, which made it worse. I’d never seen Christian like that; it made me feel like a terrible friend. 

He gave me a passing glance with a slight nod, signaling he accepted my apology. I felt like crap; Christian had visited me every day at Clayborn, and the nurses said he stood outside my room for hours when I was in solitary. There was no better friend. Christian was the saint to my devil. I loved the guy. 

Category: Ivan’s Wife | Comments Off on No Better Friend

Indifference and Passion

Category: Ivan’s Wife | Comments Off on Indifference and Passion

Challenges Ahead

Only a few chapters left, and the last ones are the hardest. I’m not sure how much falls under the difficulty of concluding a complicated mystery and how much resides in the events of my own life. I guess it doesn’t matter. Ivan’s Wife has been a wonderful, frustrating, heart-wrenching experience to write. The characters are multi-dimensional and, at times, disturbing. Still, I love the characters and want to do them justice. Although Pages in the Wind was challenging, Ivan’s Wife has been my biggest challenge.

In this chapter, Dimitri, the main character, learns why he was coaxed to Russia. The secrets are life-changing; he must reach into whatever strength he has left to handle what lies ahead. 

I stepped across the austere room to the only window and pulled back the red linen drapes, coughing as dust exploded like dirty snow in my face. The narrow casement window overlooked the fountain and swung outward. Outside, the mist and wind were breathy and smelled like gardenias, so I cranked the handle to invite clean air into the misery. It wouldn’t budge. I glanced at the steel vault door and realized it would be hard to escape. It was on the third floor, and the window was stuck and had thick glazing bars. My heart quivered for a few seconds before regaining its rhythm. Without the roar of water spilling into the fountain and soothing wafts of fresh air, there was no way to let the gloom out. I felt trapped and garroted by the insanity that breeds from isolation.

Category: Ivan’s Wife | Comments Off on Challenges Ahead

Crowded Room

Crowded Room

Ivan’s Wife is almost in the edit stage. Hardest ending ever. But, who likes simple? Not me. I’ve enjoyed the characters and the crazy parallels. In this excerpt, Dimitri finds his private room invaded. There is an interesting parallel at the end he won’t see coming.

I carefully set down my mother’s picture and listened. It had to be my imagination, like waking up in the middle of the night thinking you’d heard a suspicious noise downstairs. But, when I turned toward the door, I noticed two shadows poised like evil specters in the hallway. It was true. My sanctuary had been invaded. 

And the door had no lock. 

Another knock. A little heavier this time. But, still oddly rhythmic. Not a man’s knock. One knuckle. Three taps. Hardly a demand to open the door but not tentative either.

“Uncle Dimitri?”

“Shit,” I whispered, feeling blood rush like storm troopers to my head. Prickly sensations crept through my body as every muscle readied for battle. Anna. No way could I allow her to get away with invading my private space. A place that, until now, was known only to me. The safe haven where I talked with my mother.

Category: Ivan’s Wife, Musings | Comments Off on Crowded Room

The last two

By Saylor DeSmet

Two more chapters and Ivan’s Wife goes to editing. This book has been cathartic during an extremely difficult time in my personal life. At times I wonder how my writing might change if life rolled along easily. Maybe I’ll find out someday. Who knows.

In this chapter, the characters are in Moscow attending the debut of Ivan’s wife. Tension builds.

Music, a mix of violins, cello, and flutes, tiptoed like a soft breeze into the quiet. The children and the men working in the field faded into nondescript houses and disappeared. The beautiful woman, twisting a strand of her hair around a slender finger, pretended not to notice the dashing man who held her with his eyes as he walked toward her. You could tell his presence moved her, her chest rose and her cheeks grew red as he approached her. Her hair tumbled down like a dark veil over her beautiful face.

Should be a fun trip finishing this novel and picking the right male to play the role of Dimitri. I must say it was fun and not difficult at all writing in a male voice. hmmm…

Category: Musings | Comments Off on The last two

Two More

Two more chapters and Ivan’s Wife is finished. The final two chapters are challenging but my characters will come through. In this chapter, Dimitri arrives in Moscow for his father’s long awaited opera.

It was easy to get lost in the magic of the old theatre. I could feel the creative presence of musicians taking the stage to share their art with theatre goers over the last two centuries. Whether it was war or famine, triumph or sorrow, music had the ability to touch the hearts of friends and enemies in much the same way. A myriad of emotions, nurtured through the passing of time, rippled through the theatre and quieted my racing heart. If only music could have united my father and me—if only for a time. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed Dimitri. He was a pleasure to develop and I’m not ready to let him go. Thankfully, I have one more edit before the book goes to print.

Category: Musings | Comments Off on Two More

Evolving Characters

One of the characters in Ivan’s Wife is a mysterious young girl who comes to live with her uncle after her father’s death. Dimitri doesn’t trust her and suspects she is working against him. When she shows a rare vulnerability, he wonders if there is more to her peculiar behavior. 

I admired the palms and the way the shadowy fans stood like giant tarantulas against the night sky. The patio, where Clarissa and I often dined, had a muted glow. Consuelo must have put some wood in the fireplace; my wife always did that when she had something to celebrate. No doubt she was drinking champagne with Ivan to celebrate the funding for her upcoming movie. The veranda, with its towering trees and flaming torches, was the perfect spot for the party of two. 

Of course, I was avoiding my niece. I waited for her to utter some deft comment and dart off. But she didn’t. She lingered, slumped with her hair draped in front of her face like a black veil, idly kicking the dirt. She was silent, other than an occasional exhale. With her arms wrapped around herself and her head bowed, she seemed much younger than her fifteen years.

Her eyes were watery and teardrops dangled from her nose and lips like beads on a chandelier. She buried her face in her hands.

My heart fluttered aimlessly in my chest as I stepped back, gawking at the stranger in front of me. Questions dangled in my mind like a game of hangman. Was this a trick? This was not the girl I’d known for a year. Was she laughing behind the tears? Another one of Ivan’s plots? After all, she showed up minutes after my father left. This had to be an act. Ivan bobbed and weaved like a prizefighter; I, however, felt like a fool navigating with rudders in the sand. Her abrupt personality change had to be a trick. No one could change that fast.

Category: Ivan’s Wife | Comments Off on Evolving Characters