You’re talentless,” he threw the words in front of everyone. It was then that I realized for the first time: talent is not only a gift but also a courage—a courage to remain oneself when others try to break you. Anna cautiously ran a rag over the surface of the old grand piano, recently moved […]
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I can’t live like this anymore,” Sergey’s words sounded like thunder out of a clear sky. Nastya froze with an unwashed plate in her hands, unable to believe her ears. Ten years of marriage crumbled like a house of cards from one short phrase. “What do you mean—can’t live?” Her voice trembled, though she was […]
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My Mother-in-Law’s Words My mother-in-law uttered those words between the “for the birthday girl” toast and the “for mutual support” toast, loudly and with a smile, as if she were talking about the weather. I froze, glass in hand. The guests were laughing; some were reaching to refill their glasses, others were serving themselves “Olivier” […]
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— Your project is doomed to failure, Olya!” Serёga sat at the table in my kitchen, devouring a cabbage pie and laughing so loudly that crumbs flew in every direction. “Do you really believe that anyone in our town will buy your candles? Our grandmothers at the market pay three rubles for matches, and here […]
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Tatiana had always been known for her punctuality. In particular, she could not allow herself to be late for her mother-in-law’s family celebration, especially on the day when Galina Petrovna, her husband Sergey’s mother, was celebrating her sixtieth birthday. Galina Petrovna was a woman of iron principles who considered punctuality a sign of good upbringing. […]
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— Glory to You, Lord! It has arrived!” The grandmother panted heavily, yet her face shone with genuine happiness. Gently, she caressed her grandson’s face with her dry hands before resting them on the blanket. “— You, Grandma, rest a bit,” pleaded Yurka. “Tomorrow is a whole day ahead – we’ll talk till our hearts […]
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Dinner with a Surprise, or How a Spoon Became a Weapon Irina set the table with spoons, forks, knives, and checked once again that everything was in its proper place. Everything was perfect, just like in a restaurant. “But Gena wouldn’t even notice,” she thought with a self-amused smirk under her breath. He used to […]
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— Don’t talk nonsense! What do you mean—you won’t let me back in? Me! — Vitaly, with a surprised expression, stood in the doorway of his former apartment. “— You’re talking nonsense now. And why have you come here, huh? Where is it written, in what law, that some moral freaks—having indulged themselves on the […]
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In what do you mean—I’m not going with you?” Anton stood in the middle of the room, looking confused while holding a sausage sandwich in his hand. “You’re joking, aren’t you?” “No, my dear. I never even thought of it. What’s unclear to you? I’m going on this trip alone. Besides, I only paid for […]
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The village was almost extinct. Out of the eighteen houses, only two remained inhabited: in one, elderly Varvara lived; in the other — Stepan with Anastasia. They had no children, but they did have Mitrich the goat, three goats, chickens, and a garden, which they tended more out of habit than necessity. Everything they needed […]
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