[And so ends "The Story of Nadia." All that remains is the celebration of life and your attendance at Zizi's party. Some say there is much more to tell about Nadia, and Zizi too. However, since Zizi is an enigma, both extroverted yet secretive about her powers, and because in Nadia's profession she must adhere to a certain amount of discretion and loyalty to her clients, all that remains is the Celebration

Some of the Entertainment

Some of the Guests

Party Ends With A Big Bang

The End

“Aunt Zizi and I haven’t set a foot in Ocean City ever again. We’re superstitious. Now you know why we’re so close, and why I go along with any scatter-brained idea she comes up with. So, next week, when she has her annual fund-raising party, I’ll be there in a garish gypsy outfit doing a silly dance we made up years ago when we were children. The funny thing is, once she and I start dancing, I’ll find that I’m actually having fun.”

Ilona nodded her head and smiled. “Yeah, it’s always that way with Aunt Zizi. You gotta love her!”

“Zizi has enough to worry about seeing stuff about friends and family. She’s lucky her premonitions don’t extend to strangers. And the other thing is, they’re not always important.  Like today. She knew Aunt Magda was rushing over to see me, but she didn’t know why Aunt was in such an all-fired hurry.”

“This is bizarre,” Ilona said, “but now I understand why you and Aunt Zizi never go to Ocean City.”

Nadia sighed. “I lucked out that night, because she doesn’t always know what’s going to happen. As a matter of fact, her gift is extremely selective. It only extends to family, and in rare instances, her friends.”

“So, Aunt Zizi could never be one of those psychics that help the police find missing persons, or something like that. I mean, not that she would want to, but that’s not what happens to her, right?”

Nadia leaned both her elbows on her knees and closed her eyes. “It isn’t that simple, Ilona. Her vision is selective.”

“What does that mean?”

“You know,” Nadia said, “when the rest of the girls came home from the party, they didn’t mention anything unusual happening. Same thing, the next day. Nothing. The jerk probably slept it off right there on the beach.”

Ilona’s eyes were as big as half dollars. “So, what you’re telling me is that Aunt Zizi not only sees the future, she has premonitions on the spot–right when they’re happening?”

“Aunt Zizi had a premonition. It started the minute I walked out the back door onto the beach. She immediately pushed her way through the crowd to the porch, but by that time, I was out of sight. As it happened, she started walking up the beach in the wrong direction, but her head began to pound. She immediately turned around and started running in the opposite direction. Even though that cretin had his lips pressed on mine to muffle my cries, Zizi heard me whimpering and that’s when she came up behind him and swung the bottle of beer.”

“Did you ever find out what happened to him?”

“Yes, even when I look back today, I wonder how I could’ve been so naive,” Nadia admitted. “Zizi walked back to the party and found one of the girls we went to the party with. She told her I wasn’t feeling well and that she was going to drive me back to our hotel and stay with me.”

“What I don’t understand is how Aunt Zizi found you on that dark beach.”

“Zizi had hit the guy on the head with the half-empty bottle of beer. He was clutching his head and cursing. I was gripping my torn blouse trying to cover myself, while Zizi led me off the beach to her car. I’m not sure how she got me to the street and into the car, because I was hysterical.”

Tears were rolling down Ilona’s face now. “You could’ve been killed,” she whispered.

Nadia shivered. “His body slid down mine and fell onto the sand. I stood motionless in shock, gulping in air. I opened my eyes and Zizi was standing in front of me holding a long neck bottle of beer in her hand.”

“Zizi!”

“I tried to push him away, but that only intensified his assault. The more I squirmed, the more excited he became. He pinned my hands behind the post and pressed his lips and body up against mine so that I couldn’t move or scream. I knew when he ripped my blouse open with his free hand that I was about to be raped and possibly murdered. As he fumbled with his zipper, I heard something–a clunk sound.”

“What! What was it?”

Nadia continued. “My intention was to go out for air and conversation in a quieter environment. But as he kissed me, he pressed his body up against mine harder and harder. That was then I realized the danger I had unwittingly walked into.”

Ilona wrapped her arms around herself. “This is getting scary.”

Nadia gave Ilona a stern look and then continued. “Would you stop commenting, please? I know it was stupid, but at the time, it was very flattering. Anyway, at some point, we were out of earshot of the party and the only sounds were our voices and the waves. There was a tall pole sticking up out of the sand on the beach. I don’t know why it was there, but there it was. Before I knew what was happening, he pushed me up against it and started to kiss me. As I recall, it wasn’t all that distasteful, but I wasn’t ready for it.”

Ilona stared, disbelieving, at her mother.

“I did it,” Nadia said, “because I was 17 and I was stupid. And the sound of the waves was mesmerizing and it felt romantic and he was a college boy who was actually interested in me–a junior in high school.”

“Good grief!”

“Would you please let me continue without so many interruptions?” Nadia said. “Yes, I went with him. I’d lost sight of  Zizi, but like I said, the guy was sober and nice. We went out the back door, and I admit, I had no idea it would be so dark on the beach. The moon must’ve been hidden behind clouds. We walked only a few steps away from the lights of the house into total blackness.”

“Why would you do that?”

Nadia continued. “Well, he seemed so sweet and it was very hot inside the house, you know, with all those people packed in wall to wall. So, I agreed.”

Ilona was astonished. “You went out alone with him?”

“Stop interrupting, Ilona. Anyway, I was talking with this really nice, good-looking college kid. He didn’t know too many people at the party, either. One thing led to another and he asked me if I wanted to take a walk along the beach.” Nadia paused. “Did I mention this house was right on the beach?”

“No.”

“Look, Ilona. We went to the party to have a good time. You have to talk to people in order to make that happen.”

“Good lord.”

Chapter 5 – Entry #31

“True,” Nadia admitted, “but times were different back then. Anyway, we all showered, dressed and took two cars to the party, which was in full swing by the time we arrived. It was so crowded, it was impossible for all of us to stay together. One by one, each girl paired off with one or two guys.”

Ilona’s eyes widened. “I can’t believe what you’re saying! You didn’t know any of these guys, but all of you were scoping them out?”

“Everybody did it. And we were a group of eight or nine girls. So–you know–safety in numbers. We felt relatively safe.”

Ilona crossed her arms across her chest. “You would have a flippin’ fit if you ever heard I did something like that!”