A Family Reunion - From Visiting Houses To Visiting A Zoo

They watched it through once and high fived, on the second and subsequent runs they paused at various places, and made copious notes as to what aspects they could do to change or improve any future productions, though Valya said they were being too picky as she thought it was a massive leap forward in production values, she was even more impressed when they translated the script, and explained the jokes and word play, saying with a twinkle in her eye how naughty they were.

A short time after Valya went off to catch up on some of her other tasks Alina showed up at their door, Marta noted the improvement in her appearance, the acne seemed toned down and she could detect the nuance of understated make-up, a sure sign she had taken her advice to speak with Valya, her own kindly mentor on this issue.

Alina greeted them and thanked Marta for the opportunity to work on the research, she had found it much more interesting than her normal tasks, also blushing she thanked her for the 'other thing' as well. Marta not wishing to embarrass the older girl further asked what she had come up with so far, and Alina pulled a spare seat over to the desk, then showed them where on the network to find the folder she had been working on.

She went on to say how this was only a preliminary analysis showing data on the current top ten models as talked about on the forum, which she would expand later if this was the line Marta wanted to follow. The tables of raw data showing just the numbers were hard to make sense of but she had also presented the same information in several graphs that clearly illustrated the information Marta was looking for in an easily understandable format.

One graph showed model ranking by number of column lines written about her, and another similar one showing the number of times a models name appeared in the forum, she then had a selection of graphs showing data on individual models that had two coloured wavy lines. She explained one was a day by day 'model name' word count, and the other line showed day by day sales data of the same model.

Marta was sure when the charts were studied properly, they would be able to learn from them as she could see that the peaks and dips were related, either leading or lagging.

Alina said how the sample data she used for these examples ran over the three month period of May through to July, but she expected a long term graph of individual models, and a weekly one showing all current models would provide the most useful information.

Alina went on to say how up to now 'Natasha' ranked at seven on column lines, and five on name count but as her first set had only been released two months ago, the result was diluted by the time scale, on a monthly or weekly basis her rating would be higher, she estimated probably in the top three.

Anna was more surprised than Marta at this news, up to now she had only been concerned to be the best she could be, and although she said she planned to be their best model ever, she did not up to this point, have any way to actively compare her relative performance against how well the other girls were doing.

Marta smiled at her sisters reaction to the news, then said they would need to present this information to Ivan, but she expected it would be useful to proceed with the graphs Alina had suggested, but to also extend the data collection further backwards so that they would have historical data to make the current data more relevant. Fortunately they were on the same wavelength and Alina understood what Marta was trying to achieve.

They talked a while longer and Marta spoke of other information databases she wanted to establish in order to list the skills and interests of the models in order that they could use that information, if it could be applicable to their photo or video shoots. Alina stated how that could be even more interesting than the work she had done for Marta over the past two days, at which point Marta said they should all go and see Ivan.

As they left the office they saw Dmitri was back, he greeted them and said how good Alina was looking today, a look passed between the sisters, then he said he had something for the girls, he produced two small figurine sports trophys which he handed to them, Anna's was engraved, 'Best new actress', and Marta's, 'Best new scriptwriter'.

They all laughed about the awards, and wanted to know if Ivan had put him up to this, but he said if he told them, his source would shoot him. While Anna popped back to put them on their office bookcase, Alina thanked Dmitri for helping her on her recent work, and how she was nervous as they were now off to show Ivan, but he assured her Ivan was a very approachable sort of person.

When they arrived at Ivan's office he was just putting the phone down after a call from Dmitri, smiling he told them it wasn't him that suggested getting the trophys.

He invited his guests to sit down and Marta told him of the great job Alina had done, referring him to the folder in question, he then went on to ask Alina some questions about how long it had taken, and she admitted although she had only started Wednesday lunch-time, she had worked late the past two nights and that Dmitri had helped a lot, as she wanted to have some results to show Marta before she had to head home.

Ivan said how he appreciated the effort she had put in and he could see a lot of potential in extending the data set she had started, and taking note of the girls enthusiasm suggested she move from marketing into the I.T. department as full time research assistant to his part time Development Consultant. A moment later the penny dropped, then Marta and Alina both smiled at this latest change, Alina thanking Ivan for the chance to become involved in work that stemmed from Marta's clever and original ideas.

Before they left to return to Marta's office, the girls thanked Ivan for the phones, and he said it was no big thing, but he smiled saying he would need Marta's I.D. badge back, as she handed back the badge saying 'Models Personal Manager' he gave her a replacement saying 'Marta - Development Consultant & Natasha's manager', then said Alina would now need a replacement, as a 'Development Researcher' she should run over to personnel and he would give them a call. As the three happy visitors passed by Tanya's desk she winked at Marta, who then guessed at Dmitri's source.

Before the three of them split up Alina exchanged phone numbers with the two sisters, who enjoyed the novelty of adding to the numbers they had so far stored. On their way back to the 'Development' office Anna phoned Valya to find out where she was, and what was happening this evening with regard to the arrival of their family.

Valya said she would be along to their office by six, they were getting a ride back to the apartment in order to get a quick wash and change. Then the cab company would have a minibus waiting outside ahead of the time the train was expected in, to take them all to the station to collect the family the moment they called from the terminus.

When they got to the apartment block they went to the unit where their parents and the boys would be staying and were impressed at the beautiful floral display of their mum's favourite flowers, complete with a welcome card for the girls to sign, also there was a bowl of fresh fruit, and the fridge had been stocked with a few basics for breakfast, there were even boxes of honey coated cereals that the boys would love.

They had only just finished getting ready when Valya received a call from Ella, so they hurried off to collect them, on the way Valya said she had suggested in an earlier call that the two boys have an afternoon nap so that they would be refreshed enough to enjoy the train journey and a late family supper together.

Valya stood back waiting beside the minibus, as she watched the touching family reunion as they hugged one another, and all tried to talk at the same time, which in a way was amusing as they had been parted less than a week. As they piled into the vehicle to head back Valya checked to see if everyone would be happy with a Chinese meal, then made a call to a local restaurant to order a delivery to the apartment where the new visitors would be staying for the weekend.

Though Ella had been here before the apartment was a revelation to Igor, and just another part of a great adventure to the young boys, of course Ella was delighted with the flowers, and all the other little things that had been done to welcome them.

Two people from the restaurant turned up with the food order, Valya had just asked for a variety of dishes to ensure everyone could find several things they might like, at first Greg and Peter were dubious but soon found it to their taste other than the hot spicy dishes. Soon after the meal they were ready for bed, and quickly faded once they were tucked in for the night.

Everyone else continued to sit around the kitchen table talking for some time after the meal, until Marta saw that her father, after visiting the toilet was now standing over by the lounge window with a pensive expression looking out over the city lights across the park. She got up and went over to stand at his side.

"Daddy I need to tell you some things about how our lives are changing and I don't want you to get upset OK. At home we were only your young daughters, but here we are..... respected for our skills in spite of how young we are, you should see how Anna blossoms in front of the camera, she loves to act the part, but she has great ideas too, and here people are listening to the ideas I have as well. Back home outside the family we were just insignificant kids, in a small run down rural town without prospects, here we can be the best we can be, it's all because you and mum always told us to have faith in our-selves."

He hugged his eldest daughter close, his face was wet.

A while later they went back to the table holding hands, Valya thinking how the man must be embarrassed to be seen in an emotional state made to leave but he said she should stay and join in the discussion as she had been central to helping the whole family, not just his daughters, and how he wanted to express his thanks for that support.

After much talk on how the girls careers were progressing, and especially the events of the past week, they got on to the subject of tomorrows property viewing, and Igor admitted he felt out of his depth in the city, and would be grateful if Valya went with them if she could spare the time.

The next morning they all ended up together in the unit the girls were staying in, again Valya had been out again for an early morning trip to the local bakers to bring back some Pampushki fruit-filled baked rolls for everybody at the breakfast table. Valya wistfully saw the genuine affection between the girls and their younger siblings, making her wish that she had got along better with her brother during their childhood.

When the property agent arrived punctually, a smart, but not overly dressy family were ready for his tour, and the woman called Valya introduced him to everyone, but he had done his homework by calling his initial contact Tanya to ensure he knew the names of all the people he was taking on this morning's viewing.

Prior to setting off he asked if they would care to look at another property, a new listing, in a location near the house they had been interested in, Anna squeezed her dad's hand, giving him a hint to take the lead, so he said they would view that one first, before the house that his daughters had previously seen.

Both Ella and Igor had laughed at the telling of the story of the earlier property viewing and how the man had been dumbfounded to find 'Miss Anna' was heading the search for a new family home. When showing them the newly listed house, he took care to note how each of them reacted to his patter about the benefits of this particular dwelling.

He observed the father's attention to minor details of the construction, and wrongly drew the conclusion that the man must be an executive in some type of construction company, rather than a more humble maintenance worker, which gave him an grasp of how well a place had been built and cared for. Having taken prior advise from Valya, they gave the man no clear signals as to their feelings about the property other than saying they were just going outside for a family chat, with Valya joining them in the garden.

Both girls stated how this house was similar to the other, but after studying local maps and speaking to various people, the one they had viewed before was better located, nearer to a school for the boys, the garden was nicer for their mum, and it was closer to some local shops, and a park with a playground. Marta then went on to list other features their father might like about the house, including details of the garage with additional workshop space.

Igor told the man they were now ready to see the house his daughters had seen earlier in the week, giving no indication of what he thought of the current house, when they arrived Anna showed her parents around while Valya, Marta and the boys kept the frustrated property agent out of their way.

She explained the safety aspect about having no through traffic, in a city where there were a lot more cars than where they currently lived, she showed them the master bedroom with it's lovely en-suite bathroom, then the two bedrooms linked by a shared bathroom she thought would be ideal for Marta and herself. She then went on to the last two bedrooms saying how the boys could have one each or if they still preferred to share, they could have a bedroom and separate playroom, with their own bathroom across the hallway.

Passing in the downstairs hall, Anna suggested the other party show the boys the views from the bedrooms upstairs, the thwarted agent couldn't refuse without seeming churlish, as Anna continued with what he considered his roll.

Ella was shown all the features of the kitchen that the girls had discovered, including all the built in machines, Igor commenting that they were all very good makes, and looked top of the range, after seeing all the ground floor rooms including the workshop, they went outside to view the garden where Anna said there was plenty of space for her mum to plant a flower garden, and grow fresh herbs for the kitchen, without encroaching on the boys space for ball games.

Anna could see both the wonder and the longing in her mother's eyes, and her father's lip biting hesitation, "Do it Daddy, Valya told you I'm set with the studio for the foreseeable future, and Ivan set this up, also Marta has her feet firmly planted under the table, and there are many jobs for you here in the city." Her father took on a look of resolve as he walked back inside.

Everyone arrived in the lounge at the same time, and Igor spoke up as Valya had advised him if he chose to lease the house.

"I think this would be suitable for our current needs, can you send all the contract details to the office for my people to look over?" with that he shook the man's hand, and asked if he could drop them off at the office as he needed to see some of the people there today.

Anna pointed out the local amenities as they drove past, and the nearby school that would not require the boys to cross any main roads, her mum noted the proximity of a small parade of shops a short walk away, and the park the girls had spoken about. Previously Marta had shown them a map of the area pointing these things out, but it had greater meaning seeing it on the ground, and she had told them about the local bus links and about the two nearby Metro stations.

When they walked through reception at the studio the girls were greeted by name, by two of the staff on their way out, the receptionist made up visitor passes for Igor, Greg, and Peter. With a grin Valya suggested they should start the tour near to Dmitri's office, then move on from there to view other areas, so their father could get an idea of the operation.

Ella had been here before, the boys were just quiet having been forewarned that providing they behaved for the boring bit in the morning they would have a zoo trip later, but Igor was looking every which way, taking in the lavish surroundings, that bore no comparison to the office block of the factory complex where he worked.

He nearly bumped into Ella as she stopped suddenly, he saw the office that had caught her attention........... Marta - Development Consultant & Natasha's manager.

Marta invited them all in explaining how really they shared the office as normally models wouldn't need one, her parents looked around taking in the main desk with the screen and computer equipment, a half filled bookcase with most of the books in English and stacks of foreign magazines it also held two small trophies. The room was light and spacious with a view across other buildings to the hills beyond, and the half glazed walls gave a view of the open plan area of the department.

They were about to sit at the meeting table, when there was a knock on the open door.

"Hi Marta, Anna, Valya, can I get refreshments for you and your guests"

Marta coloured slightly and thanked Karl, asking if he could come up with some cola for her brothers and tea for everyone else.

As soon as he was out of sight Anna informed her parents in a stage whisper how Karl and Marta were keen on one another, and the chess set, (which dominated the table) was for their first date, then dodged quickly to miss an elbow jab from her sister.

Karl returned with the drinks to a sudden hush, thinking they had been taking about some new secret scheme, not realizing he had been the subject under discussion, or of the complimentary things both Valya and Anna had to say about him, all the while Marta insisting she was too young for this older boy to be interested in her.

He served drinks and everyone politely thanked him, then he went off to finish the morning drinks round, just behind a nearby partition he managed to catch the sing-song voice of one of the boys, "Marta's got a boyfriend, Marta's got a boyfriend", well she was attractive, and a chess set had appeared since that subject of common interest had been raised, but he was at times painfully shy, but both Marta and her sister seemed easy to talk to, though he had little experience of girls. He was sure she would never consider him as boyfriend material regardless of her younger brother's teasing, besides she lived many kilometres away.

After their tea Valya said Ivan would like to see them but they needed to see Dmitri first as his workstation was nearest, the girls and Ella immediately noticed the picture on the wall had changed from the naked rear view of 'Natasha' looking back over her shoulder to a clothed picture of thumbelina looking around a giant toadstool but somehow the words form the other picture had been transferred to this one. Next to that image were small intro pictures from each set, fully costumed with the set number underneath, and a starting picture from the video shot the day before also fully dressed.

When the girls caught Dmitri's eye he flicked a quick look at their father and the young boys, and Anna understood what he had done, thanking him aloud for having each of her 'fashion pictures' displayed, it was then Ella also realised what Dmitri had done, mostly to protect Igor's sensibilities. Although he was fully aware of what his daughter's were involved in, it would be unkind to rub his nose in it with the more blatant images.

They chatted for a short while, Dmitri saying how everyone who had met Ella, and all of the friends the girls had made, had asked after her, when she had injured her ankle.

Just before they were about to move on, he told them the space between his workstation and their office, was to be fitted out as a work area for Marta's new 'Development research assistant' Alina, a move Marta was amused to note he seemed happy about, as they set off she turned to her sister and whispered "Check". The chess idiom was not lost on Anna.

Ivan warmly welcomed his visitors, saying how much things had changed since they had met eleven weeks ago to the day, then enquired if it perhaps Valya could take the boys for a look around the scenery store to keep them entertained while they talked.

They sat around a large coffee table, first talking of Anna's rapid progress as a model, then on to Marta's sudden addition to their team as a Development Consultant, coming up with idea's and video scripts faster than the studio could cope with them, to the point Marta now had her own staff, which was cause for some explanations, and good natured ribbing.

Tanya came in with a folder and told Ivan admin had checked the paperwork over and it was all in order, just needing the signatures where it was marked, he thanked her and she went back to her desk. After a brief look he signed on one page, then handed the folder to Igor to look through.

He was surprised to find himself looking at the paperwork regarding the house they were viewing earlier that morning, and asked how it was possible, thinking it would take several weeks to complete.

Ivan told them the studio were acting as a reference, and as guarantors, and as they did a lot of business with the property agency, it was just a matter of signing a few boxes, and setting a moving in date any time within the next six weeks starting from Monday. Ivan then pushed across a folder which held several introductory letters to local city firms, giving the studio as a reference for Igor as a well qualified and hard working maintenance supervisor, who had relocated to Kiev due to family commitments in the area.

When Igor honestly stated how he wasn't in a supervisor position, Ivan said he had done his homework before writing the letters, and discovered that Igor could have been due for advancement, if the company he worked for had not been cutting back, and that Igor had the skills and experience to take on the job with any of the contacts he had provided.

After talking it through Igor admitted he would be glad to leave his current employment as soon as possible, for there had been some rumours floating around about how precarious things were becoming. He expected when he told them he wanted to leave they would kick him out the same day, rather than have him work out his notice.

They were all in good spirits as they left Ivan to take their father on a short tour of the studio complex, and to find the boys. They popped into the beauty department first, where the hairdressers offered to sort out their dad, a far cry from his normal barber shop, then on to the costume designers, where one of the staff wanted Marta's opinion on the cheer-leader outfit they had made, then along to the props department.

Andreas, the man who ran the department enquired about Ella's ankle, then with a grin asked Marta if she was happy with the chess set, next they looked in on an empty studio so that Igor could see one of the sets, after that they moved to the workshop where the sets were constructed which really impressed Igor.

Not finding the boys in the scenery store, Marta retrieved her phone from her ever present back pack and called Valya to find out where they were, to the astonished gaze of her parents, while Marta continued talking, Anna told them about the phones they each had saying she didn't know how they could have missed telling them before now, but it had been a whirlwind, non-stop sort of week with so much news to catch up on.

Valya had just arrived in the canteen, so awaited the rest of them before they went through the line to choose lunch, at the table the boys were excited about having watched the men in the construction shop, and having looked at the castle and other backdrops hung in the storage area. They also discovered that 'Aunty Valya' was going to look after the boys that evening because Mr Ivan was going to take everyone else out to diner and they were going to be treated to burgers and fries.

The afternoon was spent in the zoo as promised, with the bonus news that they could make more visits in future when they moved into their new house, and the outing proved to be the best family day out any of them could remember. While the boys were entranced to see so many animals, close up, Ella was assured by Valya that she really was fine with looking after the boys for the evening, and with a smile said the questions the boys asked were much easier to answer.

To be continued in chapter 13