— Ksyusha! Ksyusha, help me! Where are you? Come here! — Roma started shouting as soon as he entered the apartment. Frightened, Ksenia dropped what she was doing in the kitchen and ran to the hallway. When she saw the guy, she was puzzled.
— What is this?! Roma, why did you buy it? We agreed there would be no pets in our home!
— I didn’t buy anything, — the guy waved it off and handed the girl a huge white cage with a white parrot inside. — This bird belongs to Anya.
— Anya had a cockatoo? — Ksyusha was surprised. — Why did you take it? If she doesn’t want the bird, she should just sell it.
— Ksyush, — Roma said, breathing heavily, — let me catch my breath a bit, then I’ll explain everything. The elevator was broken. I barely dragged this damn cage up.
— Dragged! Dragged! — suddenly came the bird’s voice. The cockatoo was sitting in the cage, balancing on the swing, curiously watching its new owners.
— It even talks?! — Ksenia was even more surprised. She put the parrot on the table near the bookshelf and started examining the bird.
— No-no, Bruno shouldn’t be there! If he reaches the books, there will be nothing left but dust. Put him near the balcony. It will be much more interesting for him there.
— Bruno? What a name… — Ksyusha smiled and fulfilled Roma’s request. She took the cage to the balcony and put it on the coffee table after moving a vase with dried flowers away.
For ten minutes, Ksenia sat next to the bird and tried to touch it by slipping her fingers between the bars. But the parrot wasn’t very sociable. Sometimes it just watched the annoying girl; other times it tried to peck her.
— He’s kind of unfriendly, — Ksyusha grumbled and finally tore herself away from the cage. — Will you explain why you dragged this bird here? Has your sister already grown tired of it?
— Nobody’s tired of anything, — Roma said, sitting down on the sofa. — Anya left for an internship. She’s in the south. She’ll be back in three or four months. She asked us to look after Bruno. When she returns, she’ll take him back.
— Do you think you can handle it?
— Handle what? — Roma shrugged. — A bird is a bird. You just have to watch the water, feed it, and clean up the mess.
— Is Anya definitely going to take him back when she returns? — Ksyusha asked, glancing sideways at Roma.
— Definitely, definitely, — Roma smiled. — Anya loves Bruno. She won’t abandon him.
— Anya loves Bruno! Anya loves Bruno! — the parrot repeated. Roma and Ksyusha exchanged glances and laughed.
Roman and Ksenia were a young couple in love. They met three years ago and had been living in the guy’s apartment for eight months.
For Ksenia, these were her second relationships. At eighteen, she married her school sweetheart, with whom she lived for exactly one and a half years. Viktor betrayed Ksenia by starting a romance with her close friend. After this painful experience, the girl did not enter into new relationships for a long time. But after meeting Roma, she believed in love again, although she was not in a hurry to get married now.
When Roman brought home his sister’s parrot, Ksyusha was unhappy. Initially, the lovers had agreed that before marriage, they would not keep any pets. Ksenia was afraid to get attached to an animal that, in case of a breakup, she would have to share with Roma. But since the cockatoo was a temporary guest, she was okay with that.
Roma and Ksenia worked all day long. They came home late at night, fed Bruno, had dinner themselves, and went to bed. But suddenly Roma’s schedule changed. Now his workday started after lunch and ended late at night.
— So, we won’t see each other at all, — Ksyusha worried.
— That’s only for a month. When they find a new employee, everything will go back to normal, — Roma answered.
For two whole weeks, Ksyusha came home from work and felt lonely. But one day, sitting in the living room, she heard something that made her start doubting Roma.
— Lyudka! Lyudochka! Beloved! — the sharp voice of Bruno was heard. Ksenia jumped and went to the cage.
— What’s up? Who’s this Lyudochka? — she smiled. — Better say: Ksyuusha! Kseniya! Good girl!
— Lyudochka! Beloved! — the cockatoo repeated.
— Oh, shut up!
Ksenia didn’t pay much attention to the parrot’s words. She even forgot to tell Roma about it. But the next evening it happened again.
— Lyudochka! Beloved! Kiss me, Lyudochka!
When Bruno started obsessively talking about some Lyuda, Ksyusha began to think. Every day, her rich imagination painted incredible images of Roma with another woman.
Ksenia had already faced her husband’s betrayal. She never wanted to repeat that experience again. But accusing the guy based on a bird’s words was silly too. Although one day, she had to do just that.
Once, Bruno got carried away and said things that Ksenia could no longer ignore. She even managed to record some of the bird’s phrases. That same day, she confronted Roma.
— Lyudochka! Oh, how good! Beloved! Kiss! Kiss!
When Roman heard the recording, he was shocked.
— Who’s this Lyuda?! What are you doing while I’m at work?! — Ksyusha started accusing him.
— Darling, I swear, I have no idea who this crazy bird is talking about! Maybe Lyuda is Anya’s friend or someone else? Want me to call her and find out?
— I want to! — Ksenia said confidently. — But put it on speaker so I can hear your conversation.
— No problem!
Roma sincerely believed that after this call, everything would be explained. But it only got worse. His sister said she didn’t know any Lyuda and that Bruno had never said anything like that before.
— Usually, he repeats what he hears. Maybe some Lyuda really came to your place? — Anya said. After this phrase from the potential sister-in-law, Ksenia flushed with anger and headed to the bedroom to pack. Turning off the call, Roma rushed after her.
— Ksyusha! Ksyusha, what are you doing?!
— I’m leaving you! I don’t forgive cheating!
— What cheating, darling? I swear, there’s never been any Lyuda here, and this Bruno is making it all up!
— Lyudochka! — was heard again from the living room. — Beloved!
— Shut up, you! Damn bird! — Roma shouted back.
— What, didn’t expect your secret to be revealed so quickly? And by some parrot! — Ksenia spat angrily. Slamming the suitcase, she hurried to the exit.
— I’ll get the rest of my stuff later! — she answered, barely holding back tears, and slammed the door.
For several weeks, Ksenia didn’t answer Roma’s calls or messages. She didn’t want to see or hear him. But one day, she answered a call from an unknown number.
— Ksyusha, please don’t hang up! Listen to me! — Roma’s anxious voice was heard.
— What do you want?! Did you argue with your Lyuda?
— Come on, let’s talk? Can you come to me today, around four?
— No way!
— Darling, this is the last thing I’m asking. For everything we had! I can prove I’ve always been faithful to you. Please give me a chance. I beg you! If you don’t believe my words, I’ll leave you forever.
Ksyusha became curious about the proof Roma mentioned. She agreed and arrived at his place exactly at four.
When the guy opened the door, he wanted to hug his beloved, but she pushed him away.
— I’m listening. Speak, or I’m leaving.
— Okay, let’s go to the living room.
In the big room, Ksyusha didn’t see Bruno in his usual place. His cage now stood on the table near the bookshelves. She was surprised but didn’t ask anything.
— Let’s go to the balcony; it’s less stuffy there, — Roma suggested.
On the balcony, the guy fidgeted for a long time and said nothing. He seemed to be waiting for something. Something that was supposed to happen soon. But time passed, and nothing happened.
— Are we going to stand here all day? — Ksenia muttered unhappily. — Either say what you wanted or I’m leaving.
— Wait, wait, just a bit more. Just listen!
— Listen? What to listen to? — Ksyusha barely asked when voices of some people came from the neighboring balcony. They were so loud that the girl didn’t even have to strain to hear.
— Lyudochka, beloved. How good it is that you came. I missed you so much, — the male voice gradually quieted. After that, very different sounds came from the neighboring window.
— What’s that? — shocked, Ksenia whispered to Roma.
— That’s the very Lyudochka, — the guy quietly answered. — Let’s go home, I’ll explain everything.
Even sitting in the living room, the sounds of the neighbors’ “conversation” still reached Roma and Ksenia. The guy was forced to close the balcony and gave a victorious look to his future wife.
— Now you understand who Bruno was talking about? He listened to these lovebirds every day through the balcony and then repeated after them.
— Aren’t there family people living in the neighboring apartment? There shouldn’t be any Lyudas there, — still not trusting Roma, Ksyusha asked.
— Yes, a husband and wife live there, but Lyuda is his girlfriend. She comes to him almost every day while his wife is at work. That’s who should be listening to complaints from the wife, not me! I have nothing to do with this! I’ve never even seen this Lyudochka!
— Lyudochka! Beloved! — Bruno suddenly spoke up. Ksyusha and Roma exchanged glances and laughed.
— Oh, silly bird! — said Roma. — Because of you, I almost lost my beloved!
— Beloved! Ksyuushechka!
Since then, Ksenia started trusting Roma more. She realized the guy loved her sincerely and with all his heart. If it weren’t for Bruno, their relationship would have stayed the same, but now the couple seriously thought about getting married.
