Post by ladyfiaran22 on May 31, 2020 9:00:29 GMT -5
Chapter 9
"Mr. Rudy, this is where Grandpa and Mormor live in Sweden, it's so far away but it's so pretty", said Kayla as she showed him her library book on Sweden.
Rudy nodded as he looked at the picture taken above the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden. The land was surprisingly green and full of wildflowers but the sky was a brilliant pinkish-orange with a massive orange sun, even though the caption said it was past midnight. "I have heard of the midnight sun, how do people sleep then? And where is the ice?", he asked.
"Above the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't set during the summer and it doesn't rises during the winter, maybe for an hour or two in the midday. The Jarvinen branch from Lithuania fled there after the Soviet invasion in 1940, our family already lived on the Baltic coast and it was still easy to flee to Sweden. Our ancestral home in Lithuania is on the Baltic coast, on the Curonian Spit. We didn't want the family to get arrested by the Soviets or the Nazis, with Sol Duga we try to stay out of the limelight or get involved in anything political. After the war, the family moved to the far north to get far away from officialdom but in 1947 Mum went to the University of Texas where she met Dad, I was born two years later. So we're not just boring Americans", said Linnea with a laugh.
"So your mother's family is actually Lithuanian, but they live in Sweden. Do you know Lithuanian?", he asked.
"No, unfortunately. It's a hard language and hardly anyone speaks it outside of Lithuania, I grew up speaking Swedish, Spanish and English. Mum's family became Swedish citizens and all, but they still carry on the old ways in terms of being pagans. The Jarvinen branch of Sol Duga are mostly pagans, Baltic and Finnish pagans. In Sweden, people are so irreligious that being a Baltic pagan won't attract attention and people don't really care, plus it's easy to hide out near the Arctic Circle than it would have been in Stockholm or some other city. Maybe next summer you can join us in Sweden, it's stunning. And part of why I never felt comfortable in cities, both sides of the family are really country", she laughed.
Rudy became thoughtful as he mulled over their family history. "But Lithuania was an independent country, in 1920. So the Soviet Union just invaded and took over? Why didn't other countries stop them?", he asked.
"The Baltics were part of Russia for so long that they were seen as Russian territory, plus the Germans threatened them too. Germany started the next big war too, and Nazi Germany was worse than the Kaiser Reich. Maybe on PBS there's a documentary about the Nazis, but be warned, they were very evil people", said Linnea.
"I see, that was terrible your family had to flee but at least you arrived safely in Sweden. My father's people have lived in Apulia since anyone can remember, maybe we might have been there from the Roman times or even earlier. And I need to learn more about what has happened in the last forty-seven years, it seems as though a lot has happened", he mused aloud.
"A lot has happened, another big war in Europe, different inventions, the war in Vietnam, different cultural movements and all sorts of things. But first things first, let me prepare supper and maybe there's a documentary on PBS later", said Linnea.
"You would like Sweden, Mr. Rudy. It's pretty up where Grandpa and Mormor live with lots of grass and flowers and there's even reindeer, like Santa has. And the sun doesn't set all summer, it's so cool. The other kids in school think that's awesome. And you would like Texas too, my Uncle Butch owns a lot of horses and cows on his ranch but it's too cold in the winter to go riding", said Kayla.
"I did ride an actual horse when I made both of the Sheik movies, I know how to ride and I didn't want the public to think I was a sissy. Riding the horse itself was easy but the desert scenes were harder since I was riding at a gallop and the horse was going fast, it's not like riding at a trot", he said.
"Why did people think you were a sissy?", asked Kayla.
Rudy sighed and gave her a rueful smile. "Because some men were jealous of my success as an actor, they thought being an actor was a sissy thing to do. They were also jealous that women liked me and were upset that their wives and girlfriends liked my films, they were spreading rumors that I was less than masculine, a powder puff. American men can be so insecure, being a good actor and a dancer shouldn't be seen as a sissy thing. They would be more popular with the ladies then", he chuckled.
"American guys like the strong and silent type, John Wayne and guys like him. Too many guys think being macho is a good thing, they're terrified of looking like they're gay. You know, guys who like guys", she explained.
"I see, I have worked with such men and as long as they don't try anything, then I don't mind them. Acting and theatre in general attract a lot of them, I've met a few", he replied.
"And Mr. Rudy, what is Italy like?", asked Kayla.
"Bellissima, Signorina Kayla. Apulia is hot and sunny most of the year with blue skies and my town was near the Adriatic Sea, we could see the water from the top floor of our house. My friends and I used to go swimming during the summer on hot days, but we could not swim too far out since we would have been swept out to sea. And Los Angeles reminded me of Apulia since they both have a similar climate and beaches, Mexico as well. Although Colorado has mountains instead of beaches, it is beautiful as well. It will be interesting to live in a place with a lot of snow during the winter, the first time I saw snow was in New York City but it wasn't very heavy. Does it snow a lot in Colorado?", he asked.
"Oh yeah, sometimes we get a foot or more and school has to be closed. In Texas too by Uncle Butch's ranch, he has to make sure all the cows and horses are in the barn when it gets really bad. Mommy says it snows a lot in Amarillo because it's on the plains and where it's flat like that, the snow can get really bad", said Kayla.
"Correct, out on the plains it snows a ton and there's no mountains or water to moderate the snow. One thing you learn growing up on the plains is that you never want to be caught out during a blizzard, people have frozen to death that way and no one found the body until the thaw. But snow in Colorado is a good thing since the ski resorts depend on it, the big ones up in Aspen and Telluride need snow to attract customers", said Linnea.
"Then I look forward to winter, in Los Angeles and in Apulia it just rained a lot during the winter", said Rudy.
After dinner, Kayla went to her room to read her new books while Linnea turned on the TV and flipped over to the local PBS affiliate. When the news was over, the channel broadcast a show on the Holocaust. "This is what happened during the second war, if you're upset, let me know and I'll switch the channel", she said.
Rudy nodded and concentrated on the show. Within a few minutes, he was horrified and dumbfounded by the enormous tanks and planes used by Nazi Germany as they easily conquered many of their neighbors and killed many of the civilians. But what really horrified and terrified him was the Nazi assault against the Jewish people of Germany and the countries they conquered, the people being led at gunpoint to cattle cars and being forced to live in filthy, overcrowded ghettoes at the mercy of thuggish soldiers. The footage taken by the BBC and Allied forces of liberated concentration camps had him howling in disgust and rage, unable to articulate how humans could do this to one another and how the Nazi soldiers could have treated people so callously.
Rudy cursed loudly in a combination of Italian, French and Spanish at the screen as Linnea kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't hurt himself. "Bastardos, chupapollas, how can these merde cochones do this to their fellow citizens?", he demanded.
"They were brainwashed by Hitler into believing nonsense and they were desperate during the Great Depression, people will believe anything if they're desperate. After the war, many of the top-ranking Nazis were tried by a war crimes tribunal in Nuremburg and executed", she said.
"Bien, they deserved it. Please Linnea, change the channel", he said.
Linnea nodded as she changed to another channel which was showing a rerun of Bonanza. "I'm sorry, but I wanted you know to know what happened in the last forty-seven years. World War II was just as bad as the first World War, and there must be something up with Germans that twice in less than twenty years they started such a war. Unfortunately, Italy were allied to Nazi Germany", she said as he gasped.
"Merde, what the fuck is wrong with Italians? Perdon, Linnea", he said apologetically.
"No worries. But Italy was run by a Fascist dictator, Mussolini, he was a bad man but not as bad as Hitler. You might like to know that Mussolini and his mistress were executed by partisans opposed to his rule, they were executed by firing squad and their bodies strung up", said Linnea.
"Buono, he deserved it along with that puttana. Now I want to get my mind off all this merde, I hope that Fascism is defeated once and for all", he declared as he turned his attention to the show.
"Mr. Rudy, this is where Grandpa and Mormor live in Sweden, it's so far away but it's so pretty", said Kayla as she showed him her library book on Sweden.
Rudy nodded as he looked at the picture taken above the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden. The land was surprisingly green and full of wildflowers but the sky was a brilliant pinkish-orange with a massive orange sun, even though the caption said it was past midnight. "I have heard of the midnight sun, how do people sleep then? And where is the ice?", he asked.
"Above the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't set during the summer and it doesn't rises during the winter, maybe for an hour or two in the midday. The Jarvinen branch from Lithuania fled there after the Soviet invasion in 1940, our family already lived on the Baltic coast and it was still easy to flee to Sweden. Our ancestral home in Lithuania is on the Baltic coast, on the Curonian Spit. We didn't want the family to get arrested by the Soviets or the Nazis, with Sol Duga we try to stay out of the limelight or get involved in anything political. After the war, the family moved to the far north to get far away from officialdom but in 1947 Mum went to the University of Texas where she met Dad, I was born two years later. So we're not just boring Americans", said Linnea with a laugh.
"So your mother's family is actually Lithuanian, but they live in Sweden. Do you know Lithuanian?", he asked.
"No, unfortunately. It's a hard language and hardly anyone speaks it outside of Lithuania, I grew up speaking Swedish, Spanish and English. Mum's family became Swedish citizens and all, but they still carry on the old ways in terms of being pagans. The Jarvinen branch of Sol Duga are mostly pagans, Baltic and Finnish pagans. In Sweden, people are so irreligious that being a Baltic pagan won't attract attention and people don't really care, plus it's easy to hide out near the Arctic Circle than it would have been in Stockholm or some other city. Maybe next summer you can join us in Sweden, it's stunning. And part of why I never felt comfortable in cities, both sides of the family are really country", she laughed.
Rudy became thoughtful as he mulled over their family history. "But Lithuania was an independent country, in 1920. So the Soviet Union just invaded and took over? Why didn't other countries stop them?", he asked.
"The Baltics were part of Russia for so long that they were seen as Russian territory, plus the Germans threatened them too. Germany started the next big war too, and Nazi Germany was worse than the Kaiser Reich. Maybe on PBS there's a documentary about the Nazis, but be warned, they were very evil people", said Linnea.
"I see, that was terrible your family had to flee but at least you arrived safely in Sweden. My father's people have lived in Apulia since anyone can remember, maybe we might have been there from the Roman times or even earlier. And I need to learn more about what has happened in the last forty-seven years, it seems as though a lot has happened", he mused aloud.
"A lot has happened, another big war in Europe, different inventions, the war in Vietnam, different cultural movements and all sorts of things. But first things first, let me prepare supper and maybe there's a documentary on PBS later", said Linnea.
"You would like Sweden, Mr. Rudy. It's pretty up where Grandpa and Mormor live with lots of grass and flowers and there's even reindeer, like Santa has. And the sun doesn't set all summer, it's so cool. The other kids in school think that's awesome. And you would like Texas too, my Uncle Butch owns a lot of horses and cows on his ranch but it's too cold in the winter to go riding", said Kayla.
"I did ride an actual horse when I made both of the Sheik movies, I know how to ride and I didn't want the public to think I was a sissy. Riding the horse itself was easy but the desert scenes were harder since I was riding at a gallop and the horse was going fast, it's not like riding at a trot", he said.
"Why did people think you were a sissy?", asked Kayla.
Rudy sighed and gave her a rueful smile. "Because some men were jealous of my success as an actor, they thought being an actor was a sissy thing to do. They were also jealous that women liked me and were upset that their wives and girlfriends liked my films, they were spreading rumors that I was less than masculine, a powder puff. American men can be so insecure, being a good actor and a dancer shouldn't be seen as a sissy thing. They would be more popular with the ladies then", he chuckled.
"American guys like the strong and silent type, John Wayne and guys like him. Too many guys think being macho is a good thing, they're terrified of looking like they're gay. You know, guys who like guys", she explained.
"I see, I have worked with such men and as long as they don't try anything, then I don't mind them. Acting and theatre in general attract a lot of them, I've met a few", he replied.
"And Mr. Rudy, what is Italy like?", asked Kayla.
"Bellissima, Signorina Kayla. Apulia is hot and sunny most of the year with blue skies and my town was near the Adriatic Sea, we could see the water from the top floor of our house. My friends and I used to go swimming during the summer on hot days, but we could not swim too far out since we would have been swept out to sea. And Los Angeles reminded me of Apulia since they both have a similar climate and beaches, Mexico as well. Although Colorado has mountains instead of beaches, it is beautiful as well. It will be interesting to live in a place with a lot of snow during the winter, the first time I saw snow was in New York City but it wasn't very heavy. Does it snow a lot in Colorado?", he asked.
"Oh yeah, sometimes we get a foot or more and school has to be closed. In Texas too by Uncle Butch's ranch, he has to make sure all the cows and horses are in the barn when it gets really bad. Mommy says it snows a lot in Amarillo because it's on the plains and where it's flat like that, the snow can get really bad", said Kayla.
"Correct, out on the plains it snows a ton and there's no mountains or water to moderate the snow. One thing you learn growing up on the plains is that you never want to be caught out during a blizzard, people have frozen to death that way and no one found the body until the thaw. But snow in Colorado is a good thing since the ski resorts depend on it, the big ones up in Aspen and Telluride need snow to attract customers", said Linnea.
"Then I look forward to winter, in Los Angeles and in Apulia it just rained a lot during the winter", said Rudy.
After dinner, Kayla went to her room to read her new books while Linnea turned on the TV and flipped over to the local PBS affiliate. When the news was over, the channel broadcast a show on the Holocaust. "This is what happened during the second war, if you're upset, let me know and I'll switch the channel", she said.
Rudy nodded and concentrated on the show. Within a few minutes, he was horrified and dumbfounded by the enormous tanks and planes used by Nazi Germany as they easily conquered many of their neighbors and killed many of the civilians. But what really horrified and terrified him was the Nazi assault against the Jewish people of Germany and the countries they conquered, the people being led at gunpoint to cattle cars and being forced to live in filthy, overcrowded ghettoes at the mercy of thuggish soldiers. The footage taken by the BBC and Allied forces of liberated concentration camps had him howling in disgust and rage, unable to articulate how humans could do this to one another and how the Nazi soldiers could have treated people so callously.
Rudy cursed loudly in a combination of Italian, French and Spanish at the screen as Linnea kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't hurt himself. "Bastardos, chupapollas, how can these merde cochones do this to their fellow citizens?", he demanded.
"They were brainwashed by Hitler into believing nonsense and they were desperate during the Great Depression, people will believe anything if they're desperate. After the war, many of the top-ranking Nazis were tried by a war crimes tribunal in Nuremburg and executed", she said.
"Bien, they deserved it. Please Linnea, change the channel", he said.
Linnea nodded as she changed to another channel which was showing a rerun of Bonanza. "I'm sorry, but I wanted you know to know what happened in the last forty-seven years. World War II was just as bad as the first World War, and there must be something up with Germans that twice in less than twenty years they started such a war. Unfortunately, Italy were allied to Nazi Germany", she said as he gasped.
"Merde, what the fuck is wrong with Italians? Perdon, Linnea", he said apologetically.
"No worries. But Italy was run by a Fascist dictator, Mussolini, he was a bad man but not as bad as Hitler. You might like to know that Mussolini and his mistress were executed by partisans opposed to his rule, they were executed by firing squad and their bodies strung up", said Linnea.
"Buono, he deserved it along with that puttana. Now I want to get my mind off all this merde, I hope that Fascism is defeated once and for all", he declared as he turned his attention to the show.