Oswald's Tale (36 page)

6

An Addition to the Family

February 15, dawn
Marina wakes me. It’s her time. At 9 o’clock we arrive at the hospital. I leave her in care of nurses and leave to go to work. Ten o’clock Marina has a baby girl.

In the last month of pregnancy, her body would ache sometimes, or her legs, and Alik would rub them and say, “‘My poor, poor girl. You’re hurting yourself just to give life to our baby,’”
¹
and she felt at such times as if Alik really loved her.

She had often thought that she was going to lose the child; she kept fainting, all too often. Yet, narrow hips or not, the birth was quick; she was fortunate. Even those pharmacy girls who had turned away from her because she was going to America were supportive when it came to a matter of her pregnancy. They insisted that the baby be delivered at Third Clinical Hospital, and when Marina said, “I don’t agree,” they said, “Marina, right here in Third Clinical by our pharmacy you’ll be safest of all.” They were very considerate, and so she agreed.

The night before, she and Alik had been visiting friends and had an evening she would call full of gaiety. Then, before dawn, it happened. Marina woke up at six and told Lee they had to go. It was almost funny. Lee was so frightened that it was humorous to watch his suffering. He acted as if he was the one—he kept hurrying her—and now, of course, since there wasn’t anything terrible to feel in her early labor pains, she didn’t even want to leave their apartment—Lee had to persuade her.

Finally, they went out at 9:00
A.M.,
and then they couldn’t get a taxi. Not one to be found. Had to wedge themselves onto a crowded bus. She had never seen Lee looking so nervous. What with snow underfoot, every step felt slippery, but finally they did reach Third Clinical in safety. Lee had to turn around almost immediately and go to work. They wouldn’t allow him to be with her. In Russia, the prevailing procedure was for women to stay in the hospital for ten days after a baby is born. It even took three days before you could talk your nurses into letting you out of bed, and in all that time, no one but hospital people are with your baby—no relatives or friends admitted, no infections from outside! Even the father is not given permission to enter the maternity ward. He can only visit the hospital lobby and leave gifts there for his beloved.

On that morning, June was born near ten o’clock, February 15, 1962, and Alik hadn’t even reached his job before Marina’s friends at the pharmacy were calling Horizon. So, when he came to his workbench, there were all his fellow workers congratulating him on a daughter. When he had wanted a son. He dropped off a letter to her that evening.

February 15, 1962

Dear Marina,

You and I did not expect a girl at all but I am very glad just the same. You are a stout fellow! How did you succeed in delivering so fast? . . . You are a stout fellow! And I will say that again!

If you need anything, tell me any of your wishes; you and I are completely ready for June Marina Oswald.

Alik
²

In turn, her letter was waiting for him:

Dear Alik!

So you are a father now. It is even nice that we have a girl. The delivery went off very well and fast. June was born at 10 o’clock. They sewed up only four small outside cracks. I myself did not expect that everything would be so fast. Aunt Valya will probably come to see you this evening. She has been here already today. Do not bring anything today. And tomorrow bring only kefir and some dessert. I no longer can have chocolates. You already know the rest.

I kiss you, Marina
³

Notes went back and forth. Sometimes on scraps of paper. He was restricted to the hospital lobby, and she was up on Floor Three.

Dear!

How are you? There is no kefir. What do you need? Did you nurse the baby already? . . . Who called you up today?

I love you,
Alik
⁴

She discovered that she wanted to see him. Very much. She managed it by sneaking down to her pharmacy on the first floor. She was breaking hospital rules. One more sin on her soul. Ha, ha.

Lee was very glad to have a daughter, he said, as if he had never had any dreams it would be a son. Then he said that a girl, first born, was probably better for the mother, but the next one ought to be, it would have to be, a son.

Feb. 18 ’62

Dear Marina,

. . . Aunt Valya and Uncle Ilya visited me this morning. She will come to see you tomorrow at 2:00 o’clock. I told her what should be bought. Erich and I were at the Zigers yesterday until 24 o’clock . . .

What do you need? Can you walk? . . . Is June still red? When Aunt Valya comes tomorrow, give her the photographs . . .

Well, so long.

Your husband,
Alik

P.S. I will not come tomorrow. Is it all right?
⁵

Marina was irritated. She wrote back: “You don’t even see me for a night.” Then he appeared late on the following evening, sneaking up from her pharmacy. He had a gift for traveling soundlessly. But she was feeling neglected. She recalls that he saw a lot of Erich that week. Of course, now, thirty years later, she can hardly remember Erich.

2/20/62

Hello, papa!

. . . Aleck, I did not think it was so difficult to nurse a baby. June eats through your cover. But the milk rises before each feeding time and should be drawn off. It is so painful that it would be better if I gave birth to one more baby. Dear Aleck, immediately,
this very day,
buy for me and send me a
breast pump,
. . . so that the rubber bulb is taut, not soft.

. . . Aleck, I became so awful looking that you would not recognize me. This is all because I worry about June not taking the breast. Also, they do not let you have enough sleep here—only from 2
A.M.
to 5
A.M.
I cannot imagine what I will do at home. Aleck, I also urgently need 1 ruble 20 kopecks. After all, I cannot walk around without a brassiere. Someone bought two for a woman here and she sold me one of them. I must pay her back. This is not for making myself beautiful, but to keep milk from getting stagnant. You all there do not even think about bringing me what I need. All you are doing is just asking what I need . . . . Oh, well, enough of this, I close.

/s/Marina
⁶

Feb 21 ’62

Dear Marina,

Today we received a very nice present for June from the factory; I know you will like it.

They bought: one summer blanket, 6 light diapers, 4 warm diapers, 2 chemises, 3 very good warm chemises, 4 (?) very nice suits and two toys (total 27 rubles) . . .

How is June eating?

I probably won’t come tomorrow. All right?

I love you,
Alik
⁷

February 23

Marina leaves hospital. I see June for first time.

At the entrance to Third Clinical, Marina was met by relatives and friends, a crowd. It was cold outside, and she and Alik were terrified that if June took even one breath of cold air she would be endangered. Later, when they reached their apartment, he wouldn’t even let people come into the room where June was being kept until all chill was off their clothing; they had to stay in the kitchen until then. Lee was so excited he kept running around back and forth and couldn’t talk, couldn’t breathe; he was in more danger than their baby from the cold air.

On this first night home, Valya was having a birthday party at her home, and Marina sent Lee to congratulate her, but he did not come back as soon as he had promised. Marina waited. Their baby was crying and she did not know how to change diapers. It was okay at Third Clinical, where you practiced on a doll, but this was her live baby and she was scared to death to touch her. So she was crying and her baby was crying and her husband was not home. She ran across to this neighbor who had children and asked what to do—then everything became all right. Her neighbor showed her how to put a fresh diaper on June in the Russian manner, swaddling. She had been shown before, but now she knew.

It was late at night when Lee came home, and he was drunk. She had never seen him so drunk. He was loud, he was singing, he wanted to dance. He said, “They made me drink for our baby, for Aunt Valya, for Marina.” He had been singing all the way home. He said, “Now I have my two girls.” Yes, her poor American was not so used to Russian vodka. It was terribly funny to see him. He said so many silly things to her and to June. He swore on his love, and by his love, and was extremely happy, not at all rowdy—very obedient, in fact, sort of sheepish. Before long, he went straight to bed; he fell into it.

It may have been Valya’s birthday, but Ilya would have other reasons to remember it. Stepan had had a conversation with him, and wrote a memo which he labeled
TOP SECRET
:

Met agent of MVD “P” at meeting on 23.II.62. Said that he had recently spoken on two occasions with his niece, Marina, regarding her upcoming departure from the Soviet Union for the U.S. “P” explained to Marina necessity of conducting herself in worthy manner and not taking part in any anti-Soviet propaganda or other hostile actions aimed at Soviet Union, so as not to cause any trouble for “P” and other relatives living in USSR. Marina promised “P” that she would not commit any acts in U.S. that would compromise “P” or her other relatives.

“P” will continue to have educational conversations and will have a talk with “Likhoi”
⁸
so that upon arrival in U.S. he will refrain from making any slanderous statements about USSR.

“P” explained that in conversation with Marina, expressing concern about her well-being, he inquired as to whether she had noticed anything suspicious in L.H. Oswald’s behavior or actions which would show him to be a dubious personality. Marina stated to “P” that she had noticed nothing of that sort in Oswald’s behavior.

During his meetings with her, “P” also asked Marina if she wasn’t afraid that Oswald would be repressed by American authorities since he defected from United States. Marina is aware, having been told by Oswald, that in U.S. it is not considered to be a crime which would threaten him with arrest and that, supposedly, according to American laws, there is no basis for making Oswald answer for it after his return to U.S.

There may have been organizational tension present in such a meeting between an MVD Colonel and a KGB Captain. At one time, Misha Kuzmich, Ilya’s neighbor, had been chief doctor in Minsk for both KGB and MVD. A line of patients from both organizations would form in his outer office as people waited for their turn. When a Colonel from MVD came in, however, he would approach Misha’s nurse like a big boss, and she would take him right through. He was a Colonel and in uniform, after all. KGB guys were more modest. They didn’t wear uniforms. So you couldn’t determine their rank. They might be well dressed and elegant, but they would have to wait in line. KGB got upset, therefore, but could do nothing about it. They were too secretive to show who was of higher rank among their people. In fact, KGB was so unhappy that they eventually set up their own polyclinic, and even their own hospital, as a means of avoiding such annoyances.

There were other differences. KGB did surveillance and so did MVD; but the latter did it in a more primitive style. At MVD, there was a saying: “If you have enough strength, you don’t need brains.”

Of course, should a job concern internal security, they would cooperate. All the same, you would usually know who was from one organization and who from the other, because people in KGB had better manners and were more cultivated. Misha could say with some authority that a lot of people who spoke of being brought in by KGB had in fact been approached by MVD. Since both were located in the same building on Lenin Prospekt, you weren’t going to separate one from another just by being summoned to that large yellow building, with its high white columns out front and its small doors.

7

“There Are Microbes in Your Mouth”

February 28

I go to register (as prescribed by law) the baby. I want her name to be June Marina Oswald. But those bureaucrats say her middle name must be the same as my first. A Russian custom supported by a law. I refuse to have her name written as “June Lee.” They promise to call the City Ministry (city hall) and find out in this case, since I do have a U.S. passport.

His next entry is for February
29,
although 1962 is no leap year.

February 29

I am told that nobody knows what to do exactly but everybody agrees, “Go ahead and do it ‘Po-Russki’ [the Russian way].” Name: June Lee.

When Valya came to visit, Marina was ironing diapers. Since they were too dry, she held some water in her mouth and blew it out in a spray. Alik said, “What are you doing? There are microbes in your mouth.” This meant to Valya that he cared about the baby. He actually took a plate and put a little water in it and showed Marina how to do it with her fingers, lightly. Of course, Marina’s family might be elegant to look at, but Valya knew by now—peasant stock. Rich peasant stock. Tatiana, for instance, had not been educated—she could barely read—but all the same, elegant.

Then, one day in early spring, when Marina and Alik had a terrible fight over at Valya’s home, Alik said, “Stay in Russia if you want, but at least let me take my baby,” whereupon Marina grabbed June and said, “You have no right to remove a child from her mother.” Valya ran back and forth between them, and then told Marina that Alik was pale as a ghost standing by her window. Of course, they made up. Valya was the peacemaker. “Look what you’ve done to him,” Valya kept saying.

After his marriage, Stellina heard nothing from Alyosha. No contact. After the baby’s birth, however, serious problems began, because he did call. He said, “You know, Marina doesn’t know how to cook; she doesn’t clean up.” He said, “You, Stellina, had a child and you still went to work. But I come home and bring her money and our clothes aren’t washed, the house is dirty, the kid’s crying, she doesn’t have anything to eat for me . . .”

Stellina told him that was strange. You have to talk to her, she told him. Explain! With a child, a woman has to work. Your wife has to clean and cook. You should help, of course, but that’s what she should do.

After this conversation, there was no word for a while, then he called again and said, “Ma, this situation is unbearable. Our child isn’t taken care of. I leave for work hungry. I come back home hungry. We are constantly getting in fights.” He began to cry.

Sometimes he would meet Stellina at night. She taught night school for workers, and on their way, as they were walking, he would be crying, out on the street, yes. Then he started to say that his wife was insisting they go to America. She would say there was no way he could earn any more money at his factory, and finally she insisted they go.

Let no one say that he did not have different sides to offer to different people. We can be certain that the State Department was hardly seeing Oswald in the same light as Stellina.

On March 9, Joseph Norbury, the American Consul at the Embassy, wrote to Oswald to inform him that the American Embassy was now authorized to advance him as much as $500 “to defray the cost of travel to an American port of entry,” for his family and himself:

. . . You will of course be expected to use the cheapest available mode of transportation [and] will be asked to sign a promissory note for the funds at the time you receive them . . .

We have not yet received the approved visa petition for your wife [but] as soon as it is approved, you can submit your passport to the OVIR for your exit visa . . .
¹

Why had the American Embassy in Moscow not yet received approval of Marina’s visa? Was there a problem still unsettled? Lee told Marina, “If they don’t allow you to enter America, I will stay in Russia. I am not going alone.” At that moment she would have supported him if he had told her they must go to the moon. They were really a family, she decided. Good days came back to their marriage.

Now, when Lee came home from work, he always had a nice smile no matter how bad his day had been. He might tell her about his troubles at work later, but once he opened their door, he would say, “Daddy’s home,” or, “Here I am.” Would announce himself as if he were an actor bounding onstage. And she looked forward to that. “Girls, Daddy’s here, everything’s fine.
Devochki, ya doma
. Little girls, I’m home.”

As soon as he came in, he would take off his dirty clothes, shower right away, and put on clean ones. Of course, they only had hot water three times a week, so on days there was none, he would not take a cold shower but just clean himself off. She did not have to boil water for him. Lee would help her with laundry as well and sometimes wash their dishes.

Meanwhile, the sanction was still in force. The next two communications speak for themselves. The first is from the American Consul, Joseph Norbury, in Moscow, to the State Department in Washington.

March 15, 1962

Decision needed soonest on re-consideration 243 (g) waiver Marina
OSWALD.
Husband . . . telephones and writes Embassy frequently to find out reason delay. We deemed it unwise discuss 243(g) problem as long as waiver still possible, but find it increasingly awkward put Oswald off.
²

The second is from Robert Owen, in the Office of Soviet Union Affairs in the State Department, to John Crump, the officer in the State Department’s Visa Office handling Oswald’s case, and it may be the most important single memo in the file.

March 16, 1962

VO
Mr. John E. Crump
SOV
Robert I. Owen

. . . SOV
³
believes it is in the interest of the U.S. to get Lee Harvey Oswald and his family out of the Soviet Union and on their way to this country as soon as possible. An unstable character, whose actions are entirely unpredictable, Oswald may well refuse to leave the USSR or subsequently attempt to return there if we should make it impossible for him to be accompanied from Moscow by his wife and child.

Such action on our part would also permit the Soviet Government to argue that although it had issued an exit visa to Mrs. Oswald to prevent the separation of a family, the United States Government had imposed a forced separation by refusing to issue her a visa. [Moreover, a] detour to a third country would require additional United States funds.

SOV recommends that INS be asked to reconsider on an urgent basis its decision regarding the 243(g) waiver for Mrs. Oswald . . . motivated in part by the fact that Oswald is using up his funds while awaiting documentation.
⁴

Marina was still not sure she wanted to go. She was looking for advice. Some of the pharmacy girls tried to talk her out of it. She would say to them, “What am I going to do? I have a baby, and a baby should have its father.” But they would say she was going to a foreign country with a man who was not such a balanced person. He wants to live here, gets married, gets her pregnant—then suddenly he wants to go back to America. Lots of uncertainty in him. Maybe her child needs a father, but he was moving his wife into a new country without knowing—can she cope with such a situation? After all, people were brought up here in a different way. He is taking his wife over there without even thinking ahead of how she will feel.