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West Romania, 1999
CHAPTER 1
THE DOLLMAKER
Chicken paprikash would have been nice. It was Lulian Ulescu's favorite meal and his first acquired love in life, even if it was a Hungarian dish. Almost all morning long, the overweight Romanian dollmaker imagined that distinctive aroma of paprika spice floating scrumptiously across the air of his small, busy factory, only returning to reality when his staff required his expertise in perfecting their coveted toys—which was a close second.
But dinner, and his love for making children smile, would both have to wait. The only thing that mattered anymore was his third and greatest love. That meant getting home as quickly as possible without attracting any extra attention in the process.
After returning from an unusually long back-alley cigarette break, Lulian skipped washing his hands, pulled his coat belt around his large waist as tightly as possible, and walked straight through the bustling center aisle of his staff’s workstations, ignoring all the questioning looks he got as he went.
Something was not right. His eyes were locked in deep concentration, his face a shade paler than usual. His jaw tensed, a faint tremor flickered across his face, like he was holding something back. Fear, pain, or both. Andrei and Sorina, two of his longest-serving employees, turned to each other in confusion, calling, “Mister Ulescu? Mister Ulescu!” But the doll maker walked straight out the front door, never once glancing back at his booming business—or the workers he practically called family.
† † †
The speed of his walk was more peculiar than his heavy, painful, breathing. Shifting his speed as Lulian passed others in the street, he glanced behind himself from time to time to see if he was being followed.
There was no time to lose.
When Lulian finally made it back to his apartment building minutes later, he raced up the stairs to the 3rd floor, hands shaking uncontrollably as he struggled to get his key into the old, rusted keyhole. When the door finally swung open, the large man burst inside with such force that it seemed as if the antique hinges might give way.
“Drahh-cee-lahhh?” he called out, the question hanging in the air, desperate for a reply.
Silence greeted him, a silence that gripped his chest with an invisible hand. His mind raced with worst-case scenarios. He hadn’t taken on the responsibility of protecting his young niece only to let her fall into the wrong hands. Following the sound, he hurried down the hall, passing a large, old oil painting of a well-dressed man standing before a massive door to an ancient castle.
Louder this time, he shouted, “Drah-cee-lah! Vhere are you?”
The pure panic in his heart nearly caused his chest to explode. Finally, after a few moments of standing frozen in her empty bedroom, he heard the soft sounds of his young niece emerging from his own room.
“I am vight here, Unchi.” She fluttered out, clutching her favorite porcelain doll, Papusa, the one he had lovingly crafted for her shortly after he took her in.
Relief washed over him like a soothing balm. He reached out and scooped the child into a bear hug, looking deeply into her innocent, big grey eyes. He let out a long, heavy exhale—like he had been holding his breath for a lifetime. “Ahhh, thank dee sky-maker. Drah-cee-lah, you give me such a big fright,” he said, his voice filled with genuine concern.
“I am sorry, Unchi. I vas playing,” Dracilla whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes as she realized her mistake.
“In my ruma, again?" he said, shaking his head, a slight sigh in his tone.
“Uh-huh.” She nodded, her eyes darting away for a split second before flicking back to him, wide-eyed with innocence. Her lips formed into a fake smile, wobbling slightly, as if desperately trying to mask her guilt.
“Drah-cee-lah, you know you’re not allowed in there. I’ve told you numerous times, and again you broke your promise.”
A moment of awkward silence filled the air. Deep down, Lulian knew it was nearly impossible to keep a curious child from peeking out of a window covered with bed sheets meant to hide her from the world outside.
“I’m sorry I made you mad, Unchi. I von’t do it again,” she said, her voice small and apologetic.
“Do not vorry, my dear. I am not angry. Not today, at least,” he reassured, gently wiping the child’s cheeks. But then he took her hands in his and stared at her with bulging eyes. “But vee have to leave immediately!”
“Leave, Unchi? Vhere? Outside? In the DAYTIME?” she asked, her confusion clear as Lulian scoured his room for his suitcase.
“Um… yes. Yes. And, vell, yes. Dee time vee alvays talked about has finally come. Vee, are heading to dee ceety!”
“Dee ceety?” Dracilla echoed, her eyes widening in anticipation.
“But first, I need to gather some things. I need to borrow Papusa for a moment, so she can help me pack.”
He reached out for the doll, which Dracilla handed over with complete trust.
While he hurried through the room, Dracilla followed close behind, making small sniffing sounds and motions to the left and then to the right, as if something floating in the air disrupted her nasal senses. The child was perceptive, she was.
In a mad frenzy, Lulian entered his closet and pulled down a small handgun from the top of his chest of drawers. He checked it for live bullets, another reason he did not want Dracilla playing in his room.
Quickly, he jammed the gun into his coat pocket and began stuffing his small suitcase with enough of her clothes and random essentials to fill it. At one moment, he paused to peek out the window, glancing down the street, looking for movement—anything that seemed suspicious. Cautiously he returned to his suitcase and zipped it up. At his desk, he grabbed some papers, including a fake birth certificate, his movements deliberate but tense. He kept his back to the child, glancing over his shoulder only once to ensure she wasn’t watching too closely.
“Is dee ceety far, Unchi?” Dracilla innocently inquired.
“Yes, my love. Vee, vill, need to take a train,” he replied, handing her back Papusa.
“I’ve never been on dee train before!” she exclaimed, her voice rising with wonder.
You’re about to experience many things you never have before, he thought, the weight of guilt pressing heavily on his chest. He swallowed hard, unable to shake the nagging thought that he was responsible for what lay ahead.
With the suitcase packed, Lulian cast one last look at his apartment, his sanctuary, before taking Dracilla’s tiny hand in his. They exited the small building and hurried through the side streets, bypassing shops, bakeries, banks, and vendors’ carts selling sausages and nuts.
To a sheltered young girl whose only view of the world came from television and picture books, walking through Romania’s streets—often called the “fairy tale land”—must have felt like stepping into a storybook. The cobblestone streets, smoothed by time, could have seemed like steppingstones in a magical forest, each one whispering secrets of the past. As he watched Dracilla’s wide eyes peering over all the foreign sites, he couldn’t even imagine what she was thinking.
The people she passed, dressed in a blend of modern and traditional attire, looked like characters from her Uncle Lulian’s stories. They couldn’t help but notice her, their warm smiles following her as if she were a princess in their enchanted world.
Occasionally, Lulian pressed his arm close to his body to ensure the gun was still secured in place. Though Lulian’s stomach rumbled, and he often paused to catch his breath or pat the left side of his coat pocket, he winced in pain and hurried on.
“Are you sicka, Unchi?” Dracilla asked, concern etched on her face.
“I am…fine, Drah-cee-lah. Vee must keep going! No time to vorry about me, eh?” Lulian urged, his determination unwavering. Again, they continued on their way, pushing past small clusters of townspeople. Lulian made it a point not to stop again until they’d reached the train station, where he bought two tickets for the capital.
Walking along the train platform, a petite elderly woman approached Lulian and Dracilla from the side. She held out a handful of rosary beads adorned with a dozen or so crosses, swaying them gently in their direction.
“Only five Lei, kind sir. Pleaze, help an old, veery, vorn-out vidow and purchase some rosary beads. A meer five Lei eez all I ask, yes?”
Lulian's eyes widened with great concern. Giving her charity would only invite the other gypsies he saw up ahead to join in, which may bring more unwanted attention. He discreetly used his arm and the suitcase to gently nudge Dracilla closer to his side, shielding her from the persistent woman and her powerful religious devotionals as they continued walking. He noticed the elderly lady’s suspicions as she tilted her head, trying to search for what he might be concealing. He did his best to provide her with a disarming smile. ‘Ah, I apologize, ma’am. My niece is about to meess her train. I’ll buy some on my vay out, I promise!”
Though advanced in age, Lulian didn’t underestimate the elderly woman’s savvy. She had probably lived long enough to know the stark divide between fairy tales and reality in this part of the world.
He watched her slowly lower her hand, clearly intrigued by what she’d just witnessed. Then he saw it—the shift in her expression. Her sharp eyes locked onto something on the ground: a crisp five-hundred Lei bill, catching the light like bait.
Lulian caught the quiet gasp she let slip, the way surprise bloomed on her weathered face and quickly turned to quiet glee. As she bent down to claim the bill, she kept glancing in the direction he and his companion had vanished, a faint smile curling on her lips. He turned away before she could look back—he’d seen enough.
Even when they boarded the train, Lulian couldn’t help but peer out the window, searching for any signs of pursuit. Finally, he felt a wave of relief wash over him as the train doors closed and a last leg to safety began.
“Unchi Lulian, eez everything okay?” she asked, her voice soft but laced with concern.
“Everything is fine, my darling,” he replied, holding her little body closer than he ever thought possible. As the station gave way to nighttime landscapes of the countryside, Dracilla finally fell asleep, although Lulian’s mind raged on through the night.
† † †
Morning broke as they arrived in the capital, and the sun's warm rays injected a newfound hope into Lulian's heart, as if the worst of their journey was now behind them. He could finally breathe a bit easier, and the touch of Dracilla's small hand gripping his own felt like a strong anchor as they walked through the bustling city of Bucharest.
Dracilla, the picture of unwavering trust, clung to him with her tiny left hand, her curiosity piqued by the world unfolding around her. No matter how hard Lulian tried to maintain her pace, she couldn’t resist the enchanting sights and sounds of marvels she had never seen before. The clatter of the trams passing through the streets brought a gleam to her eyes, and she couldn't help but smile at the street musicians playing lively tunes with violins and accordions, filling the air with melodies that danced around her.
Then she tugged forcefully at Lulian's hand, pulling him toward a fountain where water danced and sparkled in the early sunlight. With childlike wonder, she held up her papusa, tilting the doll’s face toward the fountain as if inviting her to drink. Giggling, she caught drops of water in her mouth, her laughter ringing like the sweetest music.
For a moment, a hint of a smile graced Lulian's lips as he watched her share her joy with the doll, but the harsh grasp of reality quickly overcame him. He averted his gaze, concealing from Dracilla the tear that threatened to escape his left eye, by wiping it with the back of his hand.
Lulian, too, felt the magnetic allure of the city—the place he had always dreamed of showing her. Yet his unwavering focus remained on their ultimate destination. After an hour of navigating the city’s vibrant district, they arrived at a substantial building. Inside the first office they entered, a small diverse mix of people filled the space, from children clutching toys to adults cradling newborns.
Dracilla, bubbling with excitement, couldn't contain her curiosity about what lay ahead. This unexpected trip had unfolded as one grand adventure, growing more enchanting with every moment since they had left their home. Lulian gestured for Dracilla to take a seat in the waiting room, then carefully placed the small suitcase at his feet before settling beside her.
A woman in her late forties, dressed in a sleek pencil skirt and a stylish blouse, walked briskly through the waiting room. Her heels clicked softly against the tile floor as she ushered a younger woman to the door, offering a few quiet, reassuring words. The younger woman wiped away fresh tears before stepping outside, leaving the first woman to turn back with a composed but slightly weary smile.
The woman turned to Lulian with a deep sigh. “Hello, sir. Haff you been helped?”
“I am looking for Vee-dohn-ya. She eez…here today?”
“Yes, sir. I am her. And she eez me. Vhat can I do for you?”
"I am Lulian, the dollmaker," he replied. "Vee spoke on the telephone a few times… over two years ago."
His eyes searched hers for recognition, a faint, hopeful smile softening his otherwise serious demeanor."
At first, her expression was blank, her focus drifting as though the name meant nothing to her. Then, in a sudden jolt of realization, recognition struck. Her eyes widened, and her breath hitched audibly as her gaze snapped down to the young girl at his side. For a moment, she seemed frozen, then slowly lifted her hand to cover her mouth, her fingers trembling slightly.
"Oh, my! I take eeet… thees must be her?" Vidonnya whispered, her voice trembling with awe. She moved closer, her steps slow and deliberate, as if approaching something both royal and sacred. Her eyes roved over the child’s face, lingering on every detail before shifting to her mouth, her expression a mix of wonder, disbelief, and an unspoken question.
Dracilla responded in kind, meeting the scrutiny with an unexpected smile. Her gaze, steady yet playful, seemed to dissect Vidonnya in return, mirroring the same blend of curiosity and quiet fascination.
Lulian wrung his hands together. “Yes, thees is her. I am sad to say dee time has come. And I deaths-perately need your help… if you understand vhat I mean. Deaths-perately.”
“Sure thing, of course,” Vidonnya said, straightening up with a practiced smile. “I had hoped our paths would never cross. But you must consider that thees may take a few days. Vee are very busy here at—”
“No, there is no time,” he interrupted, panic flaring in his chest again. “Eeet must be today. Do you understand? Tomorrow is never promised!”
“Okay. Settle down. Come vith me, Mister Ulescu. My office eez better for privacy.” She trotted away, as Lulian and Dracilla followed her through a plain white corridor without so much as a potted plant or colorful painting.
At the end of the hall, they arrived at her office and sat in front of a simple wooden desk covered in a myriad of file folders.
She gestured toward a coat rack in the corner. “You can take off your coat if you’d like. It’s like an oven in here today—heater’s working too hard again.”
Lulian’s hand instinctively tightened around the edges of the garment.
“No, I’ll keep it on,” he replied quickly, his tone just a bit too defensive for such a simple offer.
She blinked, taken aback, then let out a short laugh. “I hope you don’t melt.” Her eyes lingered on the coat a moment too long.
Before she could say another word, he slid her the folded-up paperwork from inside his coat pocket along with a thick envelope stuffed with Romanian lei bills. “Pleaze take.”
“Vhat eez thees? I do not understand,” Vidonnya said. “All our agency fees are covered by dee new parents.”
“Pleaze, take eeet. Eeet von’t do me any good anymore. My staff eez taken care of. Just get her somevhere nice and safe. I beg of you. Eeet’s all I ask. Somevhere vhere she vill haff a fair chance at a good life.”
Dracilla tugged on his sleeve. Her voice cut in—soft but sharp. “Unchi—take who somewhere safe?”
“Child, hush, not now, pleaze…”
“Vhat's going on, Unchi? You're weird this day,” Dracilla insisted.
“I said not now.”
Lulian caressed her long, silky strands of baby-fine black hair. His heart ached at the thought of losing her inquisitive presence. If anything in the last few years had brought him comfort, it was the innocence Dracilla had brought to his complicated life.
Vidonnya searched on her computer, tapping away at keys. “Alvight, then, thees eez all I need. I have a good location for her in America,” she said, giving Dracilla a sympathetic smile. “She vill haff everything she needs and more. That eez dee best I can do.”
“Vowww! America! That vould be vonderful for her. May I ask, vhot vill her name be?”
Vidonnya raised an eyebrow and jotted down some notes. “I vill adjust the surname in the paperwork trail here, so no one need ever know, Mister Ulescu. Don’t you vorry.”
“That vould be much appreciated. And her first name?” he asked, his voice trembling. He just wanted to hear it one last time before he… Lulian clutched his side in pain.
“My first name eez, Drah-CEE-lah,” his niece said, rolling her eyes like only a kid could—clearly convinced the two grown-ups were being silly.
“Shh, child.” Lulian nearly burst into tears, his nerves were so shot, but it wasn’t the child’s fault she was privy to the exchange with Miss Vidonnya. “I’ll explain later…pleaze. The first name?” he asked Vidonnya again, his voice pleading.
“As long as you are villing to shoulder that risk, then she can keep eeet.”
Lulian breathed out a rush of air, coughed, then reached for the handkerchief in his coat pocket, sputtering a small amount of blood into it. “Yes. I am villing. Vee alvays loved that name. Eeet eez special.
One of a kind. Thank you, mees. My family owes you a great debt.” He bowed his head in the woman’s direction, hoping to hide the blood he coughed up, but her eyes could not ignore it.
“Oh, stop,” Vidonnya said, pulling her gaze away from the bloody handkerchief. “It’s the least I could do for everything your family deed for mine so many years ago. I vould not be here today eef eeet hadn’t been for their help. My help here doesn’t come close to vhat your family did for mine. But eef and vhen the time does come, I only hope she makes the right choice.”
Lulian nodded slowly, then turned toward Dracilla, his eyes lingering on her face.
“I hope so too,” he murmured, the words heavier than he’d intended.
He wanted to believe she would. He really did. But the world was complicated—and so was blood.
Vidonnya pushed back from her desk with a squeak of the old wooden chair and rose to her feet, smoothing her skirt with urgency.
“Now, vee must hurry. The shuttle to the airplane eez about to leave. The next flight eezn’t for another three days. Ve don’t haff any time to vaste.”
He stood and clasped Vidonnya’s hand in both of his. For a moment, no words came—just the weight of everything he couldn’t say. Then, softly: “Thank you… for everything.”
Vidonnya gave a small nod, then gently pulled her hand back.
“I’m glad I could help. You may come vith me now, Drah-CEE-lah.” She held out an open hand, giving the girl a warm smile.
Dracilla looked at Lulian. Again, with those liquid grey eyes now surrounded by the red veins of her confused strained eyes. “Unchi… what’s happening?”
Lulian got down onto one knee, winced, and held both her arms in his hands. “Dracilla, love, I need you to go vith the nice lady, okay? She vill take care of you.”
“Is it because I vent in your ruma again?” Dracilla asked, her voice small and trembling.
“You said you were not mad…” she added, her innocent pout clenching his heart painfully.
Lulian felt something twist deep in his chest—guilt, love, helplessness, all tangled into one unbearable knot.
He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even summon the words, let alone the courage, to tell her the truth—that she was moving on to a better life. One without him… one where she’d finally be safe.
So, with a heavy dose of guilt, he lied.
It was the best he could do. “Listen, I’ll circle back later to find you. Thees eez only temporary—for a leetle beet. You understand? I must finish some business out here in the ceety.” He hated himself for giving her false hope, but he needed her to go to the shuttle—now.
Hopefully, one day, she would forgive him.
Dracilla tentatively glanced between her uncle and Vidonnya, holding her uncle’s leg. Clearly, she was having trouble understanding, or perhaps she understood all too well and that was why she clung. He knew it was unfair of him to expect her to go without complaint. The child may have been young, but she was wise beyond words. She had already mastered English just by watching television—no formal lessons, no translator, just a sharp mind and relentless curiosity.
“Come on, Drah-CEE-lah,” Vidonnya said as she picked up the suitcase. “I know vhere ve can find some friends. Boys and girls, your same age.”
She had barely ever spoken to any other children, and Lulian knew she would often watch them play outside his bedroom window. Dracilla’s face morphed into one of massive surprise. Jumping into Lulian’s arms, she hugged him so tight, he thought he might change his mind. Then, with a wave and a radiant smile that could brighten the darkest of days, she darted off down the hallway with the kind lady. "Bye, Unchi!" she called out, leaving behind a sense of affection and gratitude.
Romania, renowned for its breathtaking beauty, hasn't always been mirrored by the spirits of its people. Decades of communism had left a legacy of corruption and hardship, with low living standards making it difficult for many to conjure genuine smiles. Seeing her smile with such joy always warmed his soul and he often requested that she smile brightly, embracing the fleeting beauty and hope it brought for a better future.
Suddenly, Lulian realized something was amiss. “Oh, no! Drah-cee-lah, wait! You left Papusa!” The nicest, most exquisite traditional Romanian doll he’d ever made. She’d been so excited to see other children that she’d left it behind. That was a good sign, he told himself, a reminder of her joy.
“Drah-cee-lah!” he called again, this time louder, his voice tinged with both concern and determination.
She couldn’t hear, as the two had already turned the hall, so with a burst of determination, he grabbed the doll off the chair and struggled down the hallway before they could disappear into the labyrinth of the building. His heavy footsteps thundered through the hall. Just as Vidonnya and Dracilla were turning into a hall leading toward a back exit, he raced up to them both, again his chest aching, forehead breaking into a heavy sweat. Dracilla caught the panicked expression on his face, and he suspected she knew the truth.
“No matter vhat happens, you must alvays keep Papusa vith you, okay? She eez special, like you. Made just for my special leetle girl.” As she took the doll, he hugged her one last time, breathing in the soft scent of her skin. Then, before he could change his mind, he turned away and walked down the hall, biting back his tears so that his heart couldn’t break further.
As the doors closed behind him, Lulian's eyes were immediately drawn to a disturbing sight—a trail of blood droplets dotted against the sterile white tile floor. His heart quickened, and his breaths became shallow as he surveyed the eerie path back to Vidonnya’s office. Without hesitation, he reached into his pocket, extracting his blood-spattered handkerchief.
Determined to rectify the unsettling scene, Lulian began to lower himself to the ground, intending to mop up the gruesome evidence he did not want to burden others with. However, as he started to bend down, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him, making the world around him spin. His grasp on the handkerchief slipped, and it slipped from his trembling fingers, landing softly on the tainted floor. As approaching voices grew more distinct, he decided the only choice was to press on.
He hurried out of the National Authority for Children and Families—known locally as the international adoption agency—and stumbled onto the bustling city streets, lost in the chaos of his thoughts and unsure of where to go next.
His head spun in a multitude of directions. When he passed a trash can near an alley, the doll maker stopped to toss his handgun into it. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it up to calm his racing nerves.
He turned down an alley to hide the growing pain. Lulian buckled over, collapsing on the dirty ground between a mound of garbage bags and a dead rat. There, he undid his jacket, and a large amount of the soft cotton stuffing he used to make dolls, now soaked in blood, spilled out around him, revealing the tip of an arrow still lodged in his side. He did the right thing, he kept telling himself. There was no way out of this. No matter what, the girl would need another caretaker.
Flitting in and out of consciousness, Lulian thought of chicken paprikash one more time looking down at his own red sauce. How nice it would’ve been to have one more dish, but at least Dracilla was now safe, away from him, on her way to America, of all places. Land of opportunity! The thought brought a smile to his face.
Not long after, his glassy eyes would look up from the alley toward the sky, where a commercial plane was flying, flying away to another world. He imagined that Dracilla was on it and watched the metal bird becoming smaller, and smaller, and smaller, as the edges of his vision darkened. The plane grew faint, swallowed by the vastness of the sky, until both it and the light disappeared completely.
My favorites include rainbow and butter cookies if you got any to spare.