Natalia exuded independence and fearlessness, the qualities that Winifred desired but lacked. Natalia had become Winifred’s role model. Over the next few years, Natalia would have a strong influence on Winifred. That Sunday night, Frances, Winifred and Trisha were in the living room reading and watching television. Natalia emerged from the guest room and suggested they all play cards, either hearts or spades. Natalia didn’t particularly enjoy playing cards. She saw it as a vehicle for communication. For some reason, people seemed to let their guard down and open up when they played cards.
Trisha suggested they play crazy eights. So Frances set up the card table in the middle of the living room and Winifred placed the folding chairs around it. Frances went to the kitchen and brought a pitcher of iced tea, a bag of potato chips, and pimento and cheese sandwiches to consume during their card game.
At the beginning of the game, the conversation dwelled on the superficial. Winifred talked about how hot it was at the beach and how boring Matt was. Trisha talked about her friend Sara and how she hoped she could go with her to Lake Martin near Tallassee this summer. Finally, the dialogue moved toward more intimate matters.
Winifred said, “You know, Aunt Natalia, I spent a lot of my summers in Manchester with my grandparents, Nana and Daddy Mims. I know everything about them, but daddy’s and your parents died before I was born, so I never knew them. I wish I knew more about them, but I guess there are so many things I will never know.”
“That’s true,” replied Natalia. “But there are some things you need to know,” and she began to tell Winifred, Frances, and Trisha all about her parents.
From Suez, Egypt to New Orleans, Louisiana
1880-1936
Ilsa Nickolovitch was born in Podgorica, Montenegro in 1880. Her family, originally from Greece, were devout members of the Greek Orthodox Church. When Ilsa was five, her family moved to Suez, Egypt. Her father was an engineer; his job was to maintain the structures that supported the Canal. Ilsa was very close to her sister and best friend, Maria who was just a year younger. They spent endless hours sharing secrets, making plans for the future, and dreaming of living next door to each other for the rest of their lives.
Ilsa and Maria lived in the same community as Jakob Dodik whose family came from Ivanjica, Serbia. Jakob’s father, who spoke seven languages, was an interpreter for those who worked at the Canal. The Nickolovitch and Dodik families were very close and Ilsa was promised to Jakob through an arranged marriage. Neither Ilsa nor Jakob had any say in the matter. They were married in 1897.
In the early 1900s, Jakob, the youngest of three brothers, was the only one left in Egypt. Both his brothers had immigrated, one to Canada, and the other to Cuba. By 1903, Jakob decided it was time to leave Egypt and start a new life with his wife and two small children. Igor (Edmund) was now five and Natalia was three. He had heard the United States was the land of opportunity, so he booked passage on an Italian Cargo Ship that had very few compartments for passengers. The boat was destined for New Orleans. Ilsa did not want to leave Maria and go to America, but she had no choice.
When Ilsa, Jakob and their children left Suez, they took the train to Alexandria to meet their ship that would take them to their new life. Ilsa and Maria were heartbroken. Maria told Ilsa they would probably never see each other again. And so, as the train left Suez Station, Ilsa and Maria held hands through the window. The train picked up speed and Maria ran as fast and as far as she could until Ilsa’s hand was torn away as Ilsa looked back and saw the only person she really loved disappear in the distance.
While the Dodiks were on their way to America, Ilsa became seasick and threw up continually. She was six months pregnant. Jakob was terrified the baby would come early. If the baby survived the birth, it would automatically become an Italian citizen because it would be born on an Italian ship. That didn’t happen. When the family arrived in New Orleans, the baby had not come yet.
During the journey to their new home, Igor and Natalia ran around the ship constantly. Since Ilsa was sick most of the time, the children caused quite a commotion. They were befriended by a Catholic priest named Father Dominic, also traveling to New Orleans to be the head priest at one of the churches. Father Dominic spent time with Natalia and Igor and took care of them while their mother was sick. He was personally responsible for the family converting from the Greek Orthodox religion to the Roman Catholic Church. There were no Greek Orthodox churches in the vicinity of the Dodik’s new home in New Orleans, so they attended Father Dominic’s church.
Jakob quickly got a job with the Immigration Authority as a translator. His command of seven languages paved the way to help incoming immigrants acclimate to the American way of life. Jakob’s job was to help newcomers get a job, find housing, and learn to read. The first week that Jakob was employed by the Immigration authority, Ilsa was adjusting to their temporary apartment. She felt a sudden, sharp pain and rushed to the bathroom. Jakob called an ambulance and Ilsa was taken to Mercy Hospital. That was when she lost the baby.
By the end of their first year in America, it was time for Igor to go to school. Jakob’s brother, Philip had lived in Havana for several years. He had married into what was then the aristocracy of Cuba and was doing quite well in the cigar business. Philip and Roberta had no children. In fact, Roberta was barren. They begged Jakob to let Igor begin school in Cuba. Igor knew Spanish and, although Ilsa objected vehemently, Jakob consented and sent their son to Havana.
Igor Dodik, who would eventually have his full name legally changed to Edmund Dodd and marry Frances Mims and have two daughters of his own, began his schooling in Havana, Cuba. Roberta wanted to adopt Igor, but Ilsa would not have it. Igor returned to New Orleans and finished high school before going to Tulane University. When Igor finished his pre-med courses, he had a degree in chemistry. His father, Jakob, was adamant that Igor should be a doctor, but Igor refused to go to medical school. This caused a breach in the family and Igor did not speak with his parents for several years.
Shortly after graduating from Tulane, Igor went through the process of legally changing his name and then married Olivia Alvarez. Igor called his father to tell him about both developments. Jakob was appalled that Igor would Americanize his name. Jakob told Igor that he disowned him and as far as he was concerned his son was dead. Jakob’s last words to his son were, “My son’s name is Igor Dodik. I do not know anyone named Edmund Dodd.”
Edmund got a job as a chemist at a large company in Houston. He and Olivia moved there and tried to start a family. Several years passed and Olivia had not become pregnant even once. One of Edmund’s major hopes in life was to be a father. He and Olivia went to Dallas to adopt twins. But after Olivia saw the children, she told Edmund that she couldn’t do it. She would not raise someone else’s children. This caused a break in the marriage that never recovered. Eventually, Edmund and Olivia divorced. Olivia never remarried, but Edmund did.
Meanwhile, Natalia graduated from the University of California, eventually married Raymond Merot, birthed Phil and Audrey, established residence in San Francisco and became a lawyer. Natalia was a fearless, independent risk taker, but that did not mean she didn’t miss her parents in New Orleans. In 1936, she came to New Orleans for her mother’s 56th birthday. As a birthday present, Natalia planned to send her mother back to Suez, Egypt to reunite with Ilsa’s sister, Maria. The sisters had not seen each other in over 33 years.
Ilsa and Maria had remained devoted to one another all these years and continually exchanged letters. There was no doubt the two were soul mates. For many reasons, Ilsa had never fully trusted her husband, Jakob. In this arranged marriage, he remained the constant patriarch and Ilsa had little to say in the day to day affairs of the family. But one thing she did have control over was her letters to Maria. Though Jakob spoke seven languages, Greek was not one of them. Greek was Ilsa’s family’s original language and she and Maria wrote all their