The Russians are Coming!, 14 Months in the Life of the Town

«Not me,» thought Megan. «I’ll fight for my husband. I don’t want to be third.»

She looked at the girls. Hannah and Larisa were playing next to Dylon in the sandbox. In the same moment she noticed Marina with a man, and Megan gazed at them as they neared.

«Hi!» Marina greeted them, and said quickly to Nina, speaking Russian, «Cover me. I said that you need my help here.» She continued in English, introducing her escort. «It’s Joe Jones.»

«We know each other.» Megan smiled, and Joe nodded.

The Russians were obviously surprised, and she explained, «I used to baby-sit this guy when he was a lad. He was a very good boy.»

«Now he’s not.» Nina addressed him. «Why do you catch Marina? You see,» she voiced plaintively showing her foot with a bandage. «I stepped on a nail, and can’t run, but kids need some physical activity, so Marina promised to play with my daughter. Larisa!» she called out. «Auntie Marina is here.»

Both girls ran to them and hugged Marina. She laughed, being glad to have a good reason to leave, and they raced around the playground.

Joe kept his eyes on Marina, dreaming of how she would play with their own children.

«How long have you been dating?» Megan asked with a calm voice, but everyone understood her concern, and Joe felt pity for her.

«Long enough,» he replied, and smiled. Marina neared them again and was able to hear his words. «We’re gonna get married.»

Marina did hear this, and her cheeks blushed, but she said nothing, just lowered her eyes, and everybody took this as her consent. Hearing that, Vera dropped her brush, and, glancing at Nina, she met her amazed look.

«Something’s wrong,» Nina said to herself. «Why did Marina never tell me about this guy?»

But Megan did not notice this, and sighed with relief. «Thank God!» she thought. «Even if David felt something for her, now it’s over.»

«Congratulations,» the women said at once.

Gleefully laughing, Joe settled down to the children’s game, and, observing him, Marina was thinking, «He would be not a bad father. My God! But we are so different! No, I don’t know… Why do I have such enmity to him? He looked at me, better me to smile back. Gosh, if he tries to hug me one more time, I can kill him! What’s going on with me? His just a nice, primitive man. Hell, how primitive! What glares he’s giving me! Stupid! No, no, what a poor guy… I never felt such antipathy to anyone! Oh, God! Why?» She asked and asked herself, but could not find an answer.

Vera watched Marina and Joe. She was not as a close a friend of Marina as Nina was, so she was not as astonished as Nina. Vera was thinking about tomorrow’s date with Jeff. She did understand it would be a date. Their first date!

«Okay,» she said to himself, observing Marina playing with the kids and Joe. He laughed loudly and sincerely, and Vera envied his joyful mood. «If even Marina’s dating, nothing’s wrong if I go with Jeff. It’s just a church.» She smiled. «Interesting, what if he starts to harass me in the car? Heh-heh… I’ve never made love in a car! He has such wonderful lips! I bet he’s a great kisser!» She blushed as her thoughts became intimate. And Vera was ashamed, not because she, a married woman, had such dreams, but because she did not feel sorry about having them.

* * * * *

Only late in the evening did Marina Aleksandrova and Joe Jones finally return to her apartment.

It was the longest and the most painful day in the life of Marina. They walked around the whole town, and hearing the elated Joe inform every person he knew about their future marriage, the girl suffered with guilty feelings.

«Don’t you want to go home?» she asked him with a vexation, seeing him sit on her couch.

«Here is my home now,» he said happily.

«No, it’s not.» Marina thought it was time to make things straight. «And it will never be.»

He gaped at her with such a seeable shock that she felt shame and pity, and became even angrier. He slowly got up. «What do you mean?»

«I don’t like you.» Marina forced herself to speak the truth. «I won’t marry you. Never.»

«Why did you pretend all day long?» Suddenly he realized the reason, and gasped. «You used me. You just used me to cover your affair with VanStein!» Joe shook his head. «You guessed correctly. I won’t tell people that our betrothal was faked. I don’t wanna become a laughing stock for the whole town. But it was really mean.»

Slowly he went to the door, then looked at her again. «I can’t believe it! Marina, honey, how is it possible? You’re not such a person. Why did you do it to me? When we were together, I saw you were happy.»

«I was just satisfied,» Marina squeezed out. «Because I was drunk, and hadn’t a man for so long.»

He choked, and his eyes went wide open. He called her a name. Marina did not know this word, however she understood its meaning.

He spat on the floor in front of her feet, and rushed out slamming the door.

Marina did not cry, just sighed. Slowly taking her guitar, she sat on the couch and sang a Russian love song:

«Love is like an unsheathed sword.

When two are trying to keep it up,

One pulls the grip; one holds the sharp blade tight.

Then all can change. You are the one with the handle.

And you will not pity your partner clenching cold steel.

Even seeing his bleeding skin, you won’t feel.

Don’t you remember your hands on the blade?

Don’t you remember how it hurts?

Don’t you remember?»

She dropped the guitar, and burying her face in her palms, Marina burst into tears.

Chapter Twenty: So Same, So Different

How mindfully he was preparing for this meeting! Jeff Menard tried on all his suits, all his shoes, and all his ties.

Vera had never seen him in civilian clothes, and Jeff was afraid she would not like it.

He carefully checked the alarm clock and went to bed earlier than usual. But he was too excited and could not sleep, thinking about Vera.

«What’s she doing right now?» He dreamily closed his eyes. But the thought that in this moment she could be making love with Oleg struck Jeff to the bottom of his soul, and all his drowsiness left instantly. He sat up in bed suffering with the pain of jealousy.

«Why not?» a mocking inner voice sounded. «He’s her husband for God sakes!»

«No matter,» he whispered, clutching his hands into fists. «She’ll go with me tomorrow. She’ll go with me…»

* * * * *

When he drove to her apartment it was 8:25 a.m., and Jeff hesitated as the whether he should honk or not, as it was very early and most of the people in the building would be asleep.

But the door opened and Vera flitted out, and quickly sat in the front seat of his car. He drove away so fast that the tires screeched, and they both laughed, feeling ashamed, but happy, like children skipping school.

«I’ve been going to the same church for as long as I can remember,» Jeff explained. «My parents moved to Kentucky a few years ago, and I rented the apartment here, but I still go to this church. Have you ever visited an American church?»

«Nope,» she said, smiling. «I’m not a religious person.»

«Me either. But it’s a tradition. Like Christmas or Easter. I read somewhere that a reporter asked some children about these holidays, and most of the kids said that Christmas is the birthday of Santa Claus and Easter is a Chocolate Day.»

«Sometimes children have such odd thoughts,» Vera replied, shaking her head. «Adults could barely understand them. I remember once, when I was a child, after gym class, I was the first to get back to the classroom. I saw that the teacher’s locker was open slightly, and I peeped in. It was a big, metallic locker with papers and posters and a playful idea came to me. I quickly got in, and sat on the floor. I hid myself under those papers. I planned to start meowing when class began. I was imagining how funny it would be. But I was tired after the gym, and I didn’t realize that I was falling asleep.»

Recalling how he could not sleep last night, Jeff intently looked at Vera, as her story revived his memories, and he wanted to share them with her.

«I awoke,» Vera said. «And first could not understand where I was. I felt awfully uncomfortable. My back and legs hurt. Posters were piled up on top of me. I struggled out of those papers and tried to get out. The door was locked.»

Vera glanced at Jeff, and he laughed, realizing the situation.

«It was not funny,» Vera demonstratively frowned, then continued smiling. «I looked outside through the gap, you know, between the door and the edge of the locker. I understood at once that the school day was over, and everybody had gone home except me. I got scared and knocked on the door. Nobody answered. I started to panic and scream. I pounded the door. I heard somebody enter the classroom, and I looked through the gap. It was the school janitor. „Who’s there?“ he asked.»

Trying to speak with a bass voice, Vera uttered it in such a funny way that Jeff could not help his guffaw. He pictured a small little girl, with thick braid and perplexed look on her pale face.

However, Jeff imagined her trembling helplessly inside the locker, similar to being buried alive and pity for her scratched his heart, while he was listening to her story.

«„It’s me,“ I answered plaintively. `I’m locked in, let me out, please!»

««How did you get in here?» the janitor wondered. Taking out his keys, he came closer, and tried to open the locker, but he could not.

««Strange,» he said, surprised. «I’ll call your teacher. She has a key.»

««Don’t leave me!» I cried.

««I’ll be right back, don’t worry!» He quickly went away and I stiffened with fear.

«`It’s just a bad dream,» I was thinking. «It’s a nightmare. I have to wake up right now.»

«„In the locker?“ I heard someone say, and looked through the gap. I saw the janitor enter the classroom, but the terror struck me dumb, as some police officer was next to him.»

Reaching this part of her story, Vera flirtatiously glanced at Jeff, touching his hand, and the excited man barely maintained control of the car and himself.

«The policeman knocked on the door. I was so scared I couldn’t reply,» continued Vera.

««Nobody’s here!» The officer shrugged his shoulders.

«I thought they were going to leave and cried out, «I’m here!»

««Why are you there?» wondered the policeman. I did not know what to say. I only wished to disappear, dreaming of how they would open the door, and would not find me there. They would ask me later, was I in the locker? «No, it wasn’t me’ I would answer.»

Here Jeff and Vera both recalled the song It Wasn’t Me by Shaggy, and for a long time the young people were only able to laugh. Barely staying calm, Vera continued her story.

««What’s going on in here?» a familiar voice sounded, and seeing the school principal, I felt my desire to vanish fly up to the sky. The janitor explained.

««Who dared lock up my child?» My father shouted as he stormed into the classroom.

«I liked my teacher,» Vera explained to Jeff. «I didn’t want any trouble for her.

««Dad!» I called him out. «It was an accident. I’m sorry!»

««Honey,» my father asked with worry. «Are you okay?»

««I’m fine! Please, let me out!»

«The janitor unsuccessfully tried to unlock the locker again.

«„Break the door!“ ordered the principal. All the men combined their efforts. The locker was shaking. Some papers from the highest shelf fell on my head, and clinging to the vibrating walls, I wept, afraid the door wouldn’t open and I’d remain locked in here forever. They finally threw the door wide open.» Vera snorted, finishing the story. «I just stood still, and the adults took me away. „How did you get in?“ they all asked me at once. „Why were you there? Why are you so quiet?“ I kept silent. When I hid, all that I wanted to say was, „Meow!“ But now it lost all meaning, and I didn’t know what to answer.»

«How easy children fall asleep sometimes.» Sighing, Jeff shook his head. «Your story reminds me of one episode from my childhood too. It also cost my parents a few years of their lives and they got some gray hairs for sure. I was six years old when my dad brought me a wonderful toboggan from his trip to Alaska. An Indian had made it, and it was really beautiful. This toboggan was made of white ash and it was carved and hand painted in the Indian style. I couldn’t admire it enough, and started begging my dad to go and play with me right now.

««I’m very tired, honey,» my dad answered apologetically. But, then, he looked through the window and saw some of my friends playing nearby. He understood my feelings and agreed, «You can go and play outside. Show off your toboggan. Just don’t go far from home. Deal?» And happy, I rushed to put my winter clothes on.

«Outside, I caught my breath, pretending not to do anything special, and slowly moved toward my friends. They saw my toboggan. I couldn’t hide my smile, seeing how they were impressed. They looked all over the toboggan, touching and stroking the decoration and gasping with delight.

«„Let’s check how fast it can go!“ someone finally suggested. We ran to the driveway between the blocks of houses. The toboggan was not big, so only one kid at time could sit on it, and we decided to take turns. The first girl sat on the toboggan. We all took the rope and ran.»

«Was it your girlfriend?» Vera interrupted Jeff. He glanced at her.

«Kind of,» he bantered, and the woman demonstratively pursed her lips.

«She’s jealous! She’s jealous!» he thought with triumph.

«When we reached the end of the road,» Jeff continued, «the next child sat on it, but a car came through, and we had to wait. We’d just started running again when we saw another car. We moved aside, making way for the vehicle. Our high spirits started to leave us.

««Boring.» said one boy. «Let’s ride somewhere else.»

«I tried to argue, ’cause my dad told me to stay here.

«„Let’s go to the river, then!“ suggested another girl. „If we toboggan on ice no car will bother us.“»

«My God!» Vera blanched, interrupting him again. She already realized what would happen next, and her understanding impressed Jeff.

«Everybody liked this idea, and I didn’t wanna miss being the center of attention of my friends,» confessed Jeff. «I hesitated, but, you know, the river was really not far away. It’s the same river,» he murmured carnally, «where you saved the cat, which brought us together.»

Her cheeks were the color of rose petals. Hanging her head, Vera did not look at him, and adoring her ashamed smile, the policeman continued, «On the river, my friends seated me on the toboggan, took the rope, and ran. I clutched the handles. They were very short, and my mittens were very thick, I couldn’t hold on well. The speed that my friends had reached scared me. The toboggan jumped on the rough patches of ice. I felt as if I was riding on a wild mustang!»

Vera laughed, picturing a small black boy with eyeballs flashing white on his face flying along the river clinging to a toboggan.

«Suddenly the toboggan jumped so high,» Jeff said, «that the landing catapulted me off. I fell, rolled head over heels, and barely sat up. I looked at my friends, they were still running. They didn’t look back. Offended, I hid in the bushes. Whispering, I was preparing sharp words that I’d say to my friends when they came back for me. I didn’t look at the river, but a loud scream got my attention, and I poked my head out of the bushes. At first I didn’t understand what was going on.»

Jeff took a deep breath and continued with effort, «In the middle of the river… Damn! How clearly I remember this sight. Contrasting with the white ice, a big dark patch of water appeared.»

«I knew it!» Vera gasped.

«The children were floundering in there.» The old, deeply imbedded terror of this memory made Jeff’s voice tremble. «It looked so awful. I saw a man running on the other side of the river. He stepped on the ice, but in just a few strides, he sank up to his waist. He struggled out and crawled on the surface of the ice towards my friends. I saw other people. Some of them carried ladders and big pieces of plywood and veneer. They passed them forward, putting them on the ice, and another man crawled towards the children as well. The first man reached the water, and, lying on a ladder, he started to pull kids up. He passed them to another man, and he passed them to the next, who just stood in the waist deep water, and he moved the child to the people on the bank of the river. I watched them till the last child had been taken away. All my friends were safe now, but I realized they’d lost my toboggan, and I cried. I went home. I entered through the kitchen door. I didn’t take my clothes off, and I hid myself in the closet. Sobbing, I sat in the corner. I thought that I was a bad boy. I caused so much trouble. I didn’t listen to my dad. My friends got wet. But the worst thoughts were about the toboggan. I felt sorry about the lost gift. It was so beautiful! I was imagining how my father would be upset and angry, how he would scold me. „Probably he’ll never buy me anything nice anymore,“ I thought, spreading tears over my face. I don’t remember how I fell asleep. Like you, eh?» Jeff smiled, and Vera chuckled.

«When I awoke,» continued Jeff, «I realized it was already the middle of the night. My clothes were wet, I was awfully hungry, and the darkness scared me. I went out and walked to the kitchen. To my surprise, I saw my mom and dad sitting at the table. Usually they went to bed very early, and I wondered why they were not asleep. When I entered, they gazed at me as if I was a stranger, or a ghost. Suddenly my mom uttered such an awful howl that made my hair stand on end. She flung herself at me, she grabbed me, she sobbed, and laughed, she kissed me, and she hugged me. I saw tears in the eyes of my father. I was so frightened.»

And, hearing his broken voice, Vera looked at Jeff with all the compassion that overflowed her heart.

««I’m sorry,» addressing my parents, I cried out. «I lost my toboggan… Please, forgive me… I’m very sorry. I lost it. It’s gone… It’s gone…»

«Without a word my father crouched down, picked something up, and put a toboggan on the table. I gasped, seeing that it was my toboggan.

««But if the toboggan is here why are you crying?» I wondered.

««You’re alive!» my mom moaned, still squeezing me.

««Nobody knew you weren’t on the toboggan,» my father explained very calmly. «We thought you’d drowned.»

«I was just six,» repeated Jeff, finishing. «But I understood everything.»

«My God!» Vera sighed. «Kids, kids, kids… Nice kids. How many troubles they bring, trying to avoid troubles. I remember once, on a birthday, we ate about a half of a cake without asking. We got scared, and hid a balloon inside to fill the hole. We thought, what when adults cut the cake the balloon would fly away, and it would’ve been a surprise. We hoped the parents would like it, and maybe they wouldn’t be angry, and forgive us.»

«A balloon?» Amazed, Jeff guessed what would happen next. «I’ve got it.»

«Yep.» Vera smiled. «Using the cream and fruits, we decorated the hole, and the cake began to look like it was untouched. And when the parents tried to cut it…»

«Kaboom!» exclaimed Jeff.

«You bet!» Vera nodded, and they both burst out laughing.

They already had reached the church. Jeff parked, and in a great mood they got out.

Vera looked around with curiosity, as it looked very different from Russian Orthodox basilicas.

They were some of the first to arrive, and Jeff seated Vera in the middle of the room by a window. He sat next to her, looking around with bliss and pride. Vera turned back and surveyed the others entering the church.

Suddenly she noticed that these people were giving her very strange gazes and she glanced at Jeff, but he was smiling, and the woman thought she had just imagined that something was wrong.

This time a woman entered with a group of children. Impressed, Vera wanted to count them, but after seven she got mixed up, and tried again.

«Wow,» she quietly asked Jeff. «Are they all her children?»

«Yep!» He grinned, waving to the woman. «Fourteen kids.»

«My God!» Vera looked again.

«Mommy, mommy!» suddenly one of these children cried out. «Look, a white girl.»

The woman shook her son, and hissed something to him, and a surprised Vera looked about and discovered she really was the only Caucasian in the building.

She felt uncomfortable, and she moved her eyes to Jeff and saw his smile disappeared.

Then Vera sat straight, not looking at the door anymore, but sensing the glares from the people in the church. She was glad she was with Jeff.

«I hope he will protect me if something happens,» she thought, appalled by meeting such unexpected hostility.

Vera chuckled to herself recalling how, when she was in elementary school in Moscow, they wrote a letter against racism and sent it to the government of the U.S.A.

A minister went to the table. He was smiling, but when he saw Vera, he gazed at her, then at Jeff, and his face became serious. He checked his microphone, and pronounced, «Good morning, my beloved brothers and sisters. Before we start today’s ceremony I believe Jeff has something to tell us.»

Vexed, Jeff got up, and a worried Vera did the same.

«Let me introduce Vera Grach,» Jeff said with irritation in his voice. «She’s Russian, from Moscow. She’s an artist, and she’s visiting an American church for the first time.»

«Russian…» A surprised whisper ran over the hall, and the tenseness became lighter. Vera sighed with relief, and nodded to the people.

The ceremony was very different from Russian worship. They prayed, then sang a song, and a cheered up Vera clapped her hands together with all the people.

Then it was over and the people went to the exit. The minister called Jeff, and Jeff walked to him. Becoming concerned again, Vera stayed in the middle of the room, as she could not go back to the pew, and did not dare go outside without Jeff.

People looked her over, and, feeling nervous, Vera tried to keep smiling.

«So, you’re Russian,» one woman said to her, trying to be polite. Vera nodded.

«I like Russians,» the woman continued. «I think they are… cool.»

A little girl went close. «What do you draw?» she asked Vera.

«Mostly animals,» Vera took out her notebook. «Do you want me to make a picture for you?»

The girl nodded. «A pony, please.»

And with just a few strokes Vera drew an image of small horse and gave it to the girl.

«Thank you.» The girl was delighted, then other kids moved to her.

«I wanna a giraffe. I wanna a peacock.» Vera heard from everywhere, and, smiling, she drew and drew and distributed the pictures. But suddenly one woman pulled the papers from the hands of her kids, and pushed them back to Vera, «We don’t need it!»

«Mom,» her daughter drawled in an upset voice.

«Stay away from her.» Not looking at Vera, the woman led her children to the exit.

The good mood left Vera again. She looked back, and saw Jeff walking to her with a gloomy face. He had a very short talk with the minister, very short and unpleasant for both of them.

«I understand, Jeff,» the minister had started softly. «She’s Russian, first time, et cetera, but I hope you understand that this first time should be the only time.»

«How about «Love me, then love my dog’?» Jeff looked at him. «And I do love this woman.»

«Let’s not go nuts,» the minister said. «Jeff, I hope, we can stay friends.»

«Don’t worry, it was the last time, I swear.» And, frowning, Jeff went to the exit.

Upset, Jeff Menard and Vera Grach got into his car not saying a word. They did not expect that their meeting, which started so happy, would finish so sadly.

About half of way home Vera suddenly giggled. «Do you remember «Thumbelina’?»

«Not very well,» he replied, sighing. «Why did you ask?»

«Don’t you remember how the mayfly left her because he was the only bug who liked her, and the others did not?» She tried to smile, but she wept, and hid her face in her palms.

«Oh, honey.» Pulling over, Jeff stopped the car, then hugged her. «Don’t cry. We’ll find another church, suitable for both of us.»

«No, Jeff.» She sniffed. «You shouldn’t do it.»

«You don’t want to go with me?»

«I don’t wanna be a burden.» She looked at his eyes.

«You never will,» he retorted bringing his face close to her.

The woman opened her lips, and their breathing mixed, but Jeff was afraid it would lead them too far. He did not want to give her the wrong impression or scare her. He wanted her to trust him.

So he took his hands away and drove the car again. He saw Vera was shaken, and he thought, «It’s okay that I stopped. She’s stressed. This was our first time together. Let’s not make it the last. Oh, Vera, my beloved. I’ll do anything for you.»

«You fool, say it aloud.» rang in his mind. Jeff wanted to do it, but a strange shyness squeezed his throat, and he was unable to utter a sound.

* * * * *

He drove her to her house and stopped the car. Vera looked at him.

«I’m sorry about today,» Jeff told her.

«I’m not.» Vera smiled. «Thank you for everything…» And she petted his cheek.

«Tell her about your feelings! Tell her! Tell her right now!» his mental voice cried out, and Jeff tried to compel himself, but he could not. Closing his eyes, he just silently pressed her hand to his face for a few seconds.

Suddenly he sensed a kiss. He looked at Vera, but the door slammed; she’d already left, and, almost running, she went to the house. Jeff hesitated, feeling the desire to follow her, then he slowly turned his car and drove home.

Chapter Twenty – One: Larisa’s Birthday

It was in Moscow, Saturday morning, 5:40 a.m.

Vlad had just come back home after his night’s work. He was still studying at the University, but when Nina became pregnant, he found this job to make additional money. He was contented, as, working an entire Friday night, he could sleep and take it easy on Saturday.

He entered the apartment and sensed at once that Nina was not here. Somehow, he always felt her presence as well as her absence. Nina’s mother Alla held a receiver and her face had such a strange look that Vlad grew scared, and addressed her, «Where is Nina?»

«The doctor just called,» Alla answered with a mechanical voice, and, struck with horror, Vlad blanched.

«Something has happened to Nina!» he thought, feeling his life at once would lose all meaning in this case. «If she’s dead, I’ll kill myself.» It was not just a phrase, but a final decision.

«It’s a girl,» Alla continued, and Vlad gaped at her with bewilderment.

«Damn,» said Alla, shaking her head. «I did not ask, what is her name?»

«What are you talking about?» yelled Vlad angrily.

«Don’t dare shout at me.» Alla was surprised, as Vlad had never raised his voice at her. «Nina gave birth to a girl. Congratulations, father!»

«Father, father, father,» sounded repeatedly in his mind, and a marvelous wave of pride and enjoyment flowed over the young man.

«But we thought we had about a month left,» he mumbled.

«So, we were wrong.» Alla put the receiver in its place. «The doctor said they are both okay.»

Uttering a whoop of delight, Vlad spun around, dashed out, and, elated, he ran along the street. He wanted to sing and hug the whole world.

He did not have the patience to wait for a bus, so he raced down the boulevard.

This early summer morning was fantastically charming. The bright sun just rose above the tall city buildings. It was not hot yet, and the warm golden sunlight flowed through the leaves of the trees, trembling with light fresh wind. A dazzling blue sky showed no clouds, the singing birds were pottering about near their nests, and it seemed as though the nature echoed Vlad’s exhilaration.

Even though he had not slept the night before, the young man did not feel tired, and he was running full of power and energy, as if Nina had given birth to him also.

He saw a lilac bush, darted to it, and started breaking the branches to make a bouquet.

«Hey,» he heard, turned back, and became confused seeing a municipal police jeep stopped near him and a few patrol officers looking out of the vehicle. «What do you think you are doing?»

«All the shops are closed,» Vlad explained. «But my wife gave birth to our first child.»

«Son?» asked one of the policemen.

«It’s a girl!» Vlad exclaimed gleefully. «A baby girl!»

«Then why are you so happy about it?» wondered another officer. Vlad did not reply. He always wanted to have a daughter, but he was smart enough not to start discussing it.

«Don’t mock the poor lad,» cut in the eldest policeman. «Maybe next time they will be luckier. Guys,» he addressed his colleagues. «Let’s bring this daddy to his ladies.»

«Daddy, daddy, daddy!» Enjoying this word, Vlad closed his eyes for a second.

So, instead of giving him a ticket, the policemen gave him a lift and treated him with vodka. Though Vlad did not drink alcohol, he could not refuse, and drank a couple of glasses, mechanically chewing a salami sandwich offered by one of the officers.

Honking, the policemen dropped Vlad off in front of the hospital. Holding the bouquet of lilacs, he entered the building.

Near the registration desk he saw a table displaying pictures of the women who had given birth to their children in this hospital, and, from the top, he immediately snapped up the photo of his wife.

Holding her napping newborn baby, a fatigued Nina was looking right into the camera, and her dark brown doe eyes, overwhelmed with emotion, seemed to take up half of her face.

Not feeling his legs, as if in a dream, Vlad strolled to the registration desk.

«Lapina,» he panted, as he addressed the nurse. «Nina Lapina. I’m her husband.»

The medic checked her book and, nodding, she took his bouquet. «I’ll send the flowers up to her, but you have to wait. All visits are only after 10 a.m.»

«But I need to see her,» murmured Vlad.

«After ten.» The nurse smiled with understanding. «I’m sure she’s sleeping now.»

Vlad dashed out and ran around the building, gazing at the hospital windows, trying to guess where his wife was.

«Nina!» he bellowed, looking up. Unaccustomed to alcohol, the young man had lost his usual shyness. «Nina!»

The windows started to open. People shouted at him, but he saw and heard nothing.

An orderly grabbed his shoulder. «Are you crazy or what?» He shook Vlad. «Stop it at once or I’ll call Security.»