Sasha Boleyn

Name Given at Birth: Aleksandr Alexi Martinovich Boleyn

Nicknames: Alyosha or Sasha

Hometown or where you were born: I am told I was born in a tiny Bohemian foros (village) called Markovo. We pass through this place every two or three years during our misli (travels), and I always take this opportunity to pray at the grave of my mother, Dika, who died shortly after I was born.

Current Residence: I suppose you could say my current residence is in Canterbury, for this is where our kumpania’s vardos have stopped at the moment. Wherever the vardos are circled is home for the Rom, for those who live in them are forever by your side, and manushae (people), not brick and stone, make a home.

Age: During the Harvest Festival, I shall be four and twenty summers.

Class: I am a prince of the Rom, or a “gypsy,” as you gadje would say. For certain I have more honor than any gadje noble, however much you spit as I pass.

What do you do, your main function in life/society: Our kumpania trades in the finest silks and cloth from all over the world, in addition to organizing and running the most wondrous festivals in all of Europa; but it is my thoximos (duty) to keep our vardos watertight, and to build the stages upon which our troupes perform in Canterbury. I also devise and maintain the equipment we use during our covert missions, as well as being a skilled knife fighter.

Have you ever gone skinny-dipping / do you know how to swim: I would be a poor Rom indeed if I knew not how to swim. As for skinny-dipping, what else would you have me swim in? Twelve brothers make dry clothes nearly a gift from Odell, to purposely get them wet would be as throwing a fine gem to the bottom of the sea.

Do you make fun of people: Of course I do! This is a sport for my frall (brothers) and I. Also, the gadje nearly always ask to be made fun of. Not to their faces, of course, we do not need to show them all of their flaws.

Favorite Color: Green. This is a good color to have as a favorite, for Odell has blessed the whole world with an abundance of it. So too has he blessed the prettiest of shebari with eyes of green.

Have you ever committed or been convicted of a crime: We are honorable Rom, and do not commit crimes. And even when I do things your shanglo think are crimes (though it would be a crime for me to go hungry, would it not?), those shadogs are slow and foolish, so they never can catch me.

Closest friends/How did you meet: My closest friends would be my brothers, for they are nearly always within smelling distance. Also they are the only manushae I see through the whole year, and it is very hard to make friends with those who have not the yuthi’so’coro (respect for travelers) that all Rom are born with.

Our drummers Tibor and Pav might be considered friends, for a dancer’s best friend is a good drummer. Tibor we found in the wilds of India, with one parent smashed and the other dead of grief. Pav we found in the Holy Land, in the city where our Lord was birthed, with nothing but a few rags and a broken drum. Both are proving to be great assets for our kumpania, but I think Tibor intends not to stay.

One Pillow or two: One, if I am baxtalo (lucky). There seem to never be enough pillows when you have 12 brothers.

Pets: Jel’sutho’edrin? Animals who do no work and need to be fed? Papa would never allow such a thing to be in our kumpania. The only animals we keep are the grai that pull the vardos, and a few meska (bears) which I am training to dance.

Favorite Type of Music: That which is played by Benvolio or Tibor on their boshuri (fiddles) or on the Dhumbek. This is to which we dance at every revel, and is my favorite of all music.

Hobbies/Pastimes: In the tiny moment of time between chores, I enjoy to read. I also am planning all of the time what magnificent new things I can build for Papa and my frall.

Personal Hygiene: I bathe as often as Papa tells me I need to, which is usually twice a day (at least!)

Favorite Food: The bokoli which Sapphira bakes are the best food under Odell’s smiling visage. They keep a Rom healthy and vetha (running). This is very important to Papa. I also enjoy the fruit ambrol, what you gaje call pears. When travelling in the Orient, however, I do enjoy the spicy fish dishes they make there. Nothing in Canterbury comes within a league.

Are your parents alive, do you get along with them: One of my parents is alive. Dhon alive, indeed. He is my Papa, the Rom Baro of our kumpania, and ear to the largest chordane in all of Europa.

If your parents are dead, when and how did they die: Dika is my mother and did die upon my arrival into this world. There is pan’i when Odell wishes it, and He decided to trade the del of daje’sko for mine. Fortunately, Papa has always kept a good manishie (wife) by his side, so my frall and I never go motherless for very long.

Favorite place to relax: If by the will of Odell I have a few moments at the end of the day to relax before I go to sleep, I prefer to bide by any brook, stream, or lake we are camped near. The sound of water is soothing to my ear, and is available for a quick swim if the mood strikes me.

Favorite Holy Day / Why: Yule, for a multitude of reasons, not least of which is this is the only time of year when Papa allows us to do no chores, and we chop (exchange) gifts to celebrate Odell’s gift of the Kralis Kralisuri during Yuletide.

Favorite Drink: I enjoy a sweet wine when I have the opportunity, so long as it isn’t as sweet as Port. And if wine is not available, a good, dark beer will suffice with a hearty meal of venison or lamb. A large flagon of fresh water is quite refreshing, too, and more often available.

What's your bedtime: After I have finished my chores, which is usually a bit before dark. I enjoy reading a bit or devising new and wondrous equipment for the rest of the kumpania. Then after my mind has been sufficiently utilized, I watch the stars until I fall asleep.

What, if anything, do you usually wear on your feet: I wear boots on my feet when I am walking, running or dancing, and then nothing when sleeping or swimming.

Are you married or single: Married? How can I even consider marriage before my elder brothers are unmarried?!? However, this may be possible very soon, for Evgeny has married Arianna, and Nikolai is betrothed to Ilyana, and due to be married as soon as he returns from his travels with her brother, Smelly Ivan. Then comes the difficult task of choosing a bride for myself. They say there are a multitude of fishes in the oceans of the world, but what good does this do me if I am forever too busy to catch one?

Do you have a family / who are they: Do I have a family? I have a family and a half, at least. First and foremost in our family is Papa. He is the Rom Baro and Baro Manush. This means he speaks for our family, leads the family, and makes all of the major decisions for the family and the kumpania. His is a difficult path to lead, for his shoulders are broad and filled to capacity. He treats us all with the respect we deserve at any given moment, but with all of the love a Papa could possibly muster. He has gifted me with many books, including copies of manuscripts of DaVinci.

After Papa I must mention our Mitri and Patri. Mitri is Papa’s mother, and the wisest of our family. She no longer travels with us, for she did marry the Lord Highgate, Duke of Kent, the one we now call Patri. They do love all of our family with all of their heart, and of all the gadje, I am proud to call Patri one of us.

Luciana is my elder sister, and also in line to take over the kumpania when Papa is no longer able to lead us. This day is a long way off, however, for Papa is very stubborn, and not likely to breathe his last very easily. Luciana is the closest thing to a mother any of us boys has experienced for a very long time, for Papa's boys are hard won, and always our mothers do die soon after we are born. Lucie has been there for us after each new brother has taken his toll, raising us to be fine and honorable Rom, with a perspective that Papa cannot give. It is from her occasionally harsh rearing that we have become disciplined and focused, as well as from Papa's heavy-handed encouragement.

Evgeny is my eldest brother, and the single most Romani experience any gadje is likely to entertain. He is the exemplar of all that is wild and free and strong about us Rom, and is also a master of the arts of painting, sketching, carving, wooing, and hunting. He, Nikolai and I have escaped the shanglo on many an occasion on secret missions for various royal personages about Europa. He is as skilled with a bow as he is with a paintbrush, and he can paint such that you would think you were looking into a frozen glass if you looked at a portrait of yourself by his hand.

Nikolai is second eldest to Evgeny by a matter of only nine and one-half months, by virtue of Papa's great skill at coping with grief. He is the great speaker of us boys, and can talk his way into or out of just about anywhere he might wish to be (or not, however the case might present itself). Currently he is away, seeking after the gypsy Smelly Ivan, who is husband to our sister Luciana. There is some great secret which I have not had the opportunity to hear as yet, which involves Cezar, and the reason Troupe Festivale has nearly met its end, why Nadia has fled to a sanitorium to recover, Ivan has disappeared, and why three chava from Troupe have almost nearly stopped speaking entirely, and are being tended to by Ilyana.

Slavvo is the first brother who is younger than me, and is the star dancer of the group so far, but Hariim and Netotsi are quickly improving their skills at singing and dancing, respectively. His name, as they say, is on the lips of every gadje girl in Canterbury, and it might not be only his name on their lips. He is a very hard worker, and wants very much to maintain his status at the top of the dancing queue. He is also our master-at-arms, and almost my match with a short blade. I did allow him to win our one duel, so intent he was on becoming our weapons master.

Adi is the messenger of our kumpania, and always at Papa's beck and call. He is the one Papa trusts to send into town when we require materials. He is the swiftest of us boys (according to him), and is often being sent on errands.

Milosh is a boy who enjoys having fun, although he seems to be a very quiet boy. When he is working he is always finding the best way to make the hard work entertaining, and sometimes has quite a witty jest.

Netotsi is new to our kumpania. He claims to be a Rom of Papa’s loins, but I am not certain of this. He is certainly bold enough, but that wolf he keeps about does not sit well with me. I remain suspicious of his motives until he has proved himself to be trustworthy to the end. The Kumpania Boleyn has many enemies, and Netotsi might be an elaborate scheme to be rid of us once and for all. I shall watch him closely and see that he does not interfere with our true business.

Hariim was born in the coldest depths of winter in the northernmost lands that ever have existed. You might not know this from his name, but Papa chose this name to ease his heartache at losing another wife by reminding himself of the deep, hot deserts. He is the brother that now cares for and trains the pretera (the big cats), and also the bears.

Reynaldo is our salesman. He can now get the best price for any of our silks, and anyone who sells something to him, is not getting as good a price as they would get anywhere else. Papa and I have taught him to be very frugal.

Benvolio is our quartermaster, and keeps account of all the silks and rugs we have, and lets Reyn know which articles need to be sold. He is the one who keeps our kumpania running smoothly and organized. Benvolio is also the brother with whom I can always count on for a good conversation. We are alike in mind, and he is very helpful when I am devising new and wondrous devices for the kumpania.

Cezar spent some time with Troupe Festival to learn how to shake his hips, but that all ended one day. It is a large mystery that only Papa and Ilyana know the full extent of the disaster wrought by him. Ivan is missing, Tedosa and Cosmina are emotionally scarred, and Nadia has fled to a sanitorium in Sweden. All to do with Cezar, the Romani Typhoon.

Luca is the baby of the brothers, and has only just returned to us from Highgate Manor, where we all learned to read, write, and do complex arithmetic. He is also the loudest of the brothers, which is intriguing to me, because he has not such a large resonating chamber, and his voice is always heard wherever the vardos are about.

Djali is our youngest sister, and she is even more rambunctious than Luca. Fortunately, her caprices are located at Highgate Manor as she learns her lessons, and I am insulated from her well-meaning but often grating “assistance” by a great many leagues.

Favorite Entertainment: I am most entertained by my reading, or by writing poetry. All of my personal endeavors are primarily mental exertions, and the physical aspects of my work is merely good exercise.

Favorite Subject in School or Chore growing up: My favorite lessons in school were the language classes; German being my especial favorite. Learning to read was also a great adventure, and the skill that has served me the best as well, for reading is where knowledge is garnered from, and if the gadje do not know you can read, you may learn very interesting things by delivering messages for them.

Least Favorite Subject in School or Chore growing up: I certainly detest cleaning up after animals the most. Fortunately, I have many younger brothers to attend to this duty now, while I attend to the more difficult and more dangerous chores. Clambering atop vardos and repairing roofs, for instance.

Favorite Sport: Although swimming is not often competitive, this is still my favorite sport, mostly because you get a goodly amount of physical exertion, but none of the messy sweaty bit.

Most Humiliating Moment: There was a time when four of us were in a village, and Reynaldo was attempting to negotiate a better price for some silks we were selling at the time. It was one of his first times out, and I kept interrupting him. It turned out that we got a very bad price for these, and Papa blamed me for making this bad sale, because I tried to steer the negotiation instead of trusting in Reyn's abilities. Papa was very upset with me for weeks afterwards.

Proudest Moment: We were in the business of transporting very heavy goods, and we brothers had great difficulty lifting the crates of cloth into our cargo vardo. I took it upon myself to design a system to maximize the lifting power of a boy, and rigged a few small wheels above the rear door of the vardo, and voila: now one boy can lift a whole crate of brocade by himself.

Craziest Person or silliest you know: Reynaldo is the craziest person I know so far. He has very strange ideas with rather alarming regularity, and they only barely make sense.

What do you look for in the opposite sex: The chava of my dreams is as quick of wit as I am, and as well versed in other mental arts as I am too. The physical aspects of her beauty do not count as much as these things, but if she were to have hair as black as a raven’s wing at midnight, with eyes of shining green, I should not complain in the least.

In our Hierarchical Society everybody has somebody "over" them, Who is your immediate "overlord?" I am beholden to only two in the entirety of the world: First is Odell, and second is Papa. These loyalties may never be bought, but I might find room after Papa for the proper amount of coin.

Favorite Sport to watch: Tilting is a great fun thing, especially when you cheer for one of the knights very loudly, and then all of the other people watching look at you, but as long as you cheer for the same knight as everyone around you, it is probably pretty safe.

Do you remember your first kiss: How could I ever forget? It was seven summers ago, on the shore of the warm sea in southern Spain. I had finished my chores, and went to the sea for a long swim. Returning to the rocks on which my clothes were piled, I noticed her looking at me, grinning with such a marvelous smile that I nearly walked right out of the ocean to speak with her. I remembered I had on no clothes in time, though, and called to her to turn around before I would come up to talk to her. In no way would I allow myself to be caught in such a compromising position with a girl I had not even met yet. I always insist on meeting the girls first. She made a sad face, but turned and walked a few paces away. I was into my breeches as fast as I was able, and as soon as I was, she turned around again with her beautiful smile. We walked along the beach for a long time, talking infrequently, for she did know much Spanish, and I knew even less of the Arabian tongue. We found an outcropping of rocks where we rested, and watched as the sun went down, seeming to set the beach ablaze as it dropped in the west. I looked at her, and her dazzling green eyes shone in the falling light, when her eyes met mine. I am ever thankful that kisses translate into all languages. Time, however, is known to be very punctual, and the night was almost totally upon us, and Papa had sent Evgeny looking for me. I heard him calling me, and I promised her I would be back the next night. Tragically, the kumpania left early the next day, and I have never seen my lovely green-eyed Malaika since.

Do you keep in touch with your childhood friends: How could I not? I see them every day!

Where is your favorite "Vacation" spot: This is an unfamiliar gadje word for me. I do not believe the Rom have a word for a day when you do nothing but sleep and eat, except perhaps "dream", or "impossible."

Have you ever been overseas: Every year. How could we travel anywhere without crossing a sea or two?

Do you have Dirt/Mud floors or Stone: I have dirt floors before the rain, wooden floors during the rain, and mud floors after the rain.

What is your bed made of: I have a smallish folding bed that I can set up anywhere it is convenient. Under a vardo if it is wet, or by a stream or pond if it is not.

How many people sleep in your bed: Just me, until I am married and build a bed for two.

 

10 Things Everybody Should Know About Me:

1. Evgeny is the brother who I admire the most, and though I am not as bold as him, I do try to model myself after his more desirable aspects. Benvolio is the brother with whom I am most often found speaking.

2. When wooing, I consider myself a rather talented poet, and if some of my experimental verse is indeed experimental, so try to follow my convoluted words as best you can. They will make sense eventually.

3. I am a very hard worker, and honest. If you ask me keep a secret, know that my first loyalty is to Papa, and second is also Papa.

4. Also, I try to be honest as often and as far as is practicable, but with as kind a face as necessary. If you wish for dead honesty, merely ask and I shall provide it.

5. I am often very busy, so if you hail me and I merely run by, I am focused on a task of vital importance which Papa has given me, and I did not notice you. Please do not be offended, I mean not to be rude.

6. I carry the tools of my trades about me at all times, the better to be prepared for any situation that might arise.

7. I believe that there are no coincidences, and Odell places obstacles in our paths to make us stronger. If you place yourself in my path, know that you will removed, and it will most likely be unpleasant for you.

8. All creatures with more than four legs are curse upon this world, and I despise them as such with all the vehemence with which I muster against the devils of the underworld.

9. I have a great amount of pride in my mind, but for good reason.

10. I am no longer the caretaker for the lions. This duty has passed to my younger brother Hariim.

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