“I’m moving to the country house for the entire summer. I’ve already packed everything,” Valentina Andreyevna announced cheerfully over the phone. “Clear all the unnecessary things out of the room on the right. I need somewhere bright. And I’ll redo the garden beds my way because you’re letting all that land go to waste.” Alina […]
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Marina opened the door and found Sergey standing on the landing. He was holding a bouquet of chrysanthemums—white, stiff flowers that looked almost artificial. She was not surprised to see him. “Hi, Marina,” he said, offering her the bouquet. “These are for you. You used to love chrysanthemums, remember?” “I loved daisies,” Marina replied without […]
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Petka gripped the steering wheel of the brand-new company-issued Niva and felt almost like a government minister. And why wouldn’t he? Driving Vasily Sergeyevich, the head of the local settlement, was nothing like hauling silage across fields on an old tractor. Everyone in the district administration knew Petka. Officials at the village council shook his […]
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“Nina, dear, you know how fond I am of you,” Valentina Ivanovna said with that special tenderness used by people who already know what the answer will be. “I feel awkward asking, but… Denis has been completely exhausted this August. Perhaps you could stay with your friend for the weekend? He needs some rest. A […]
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“Son, don’t you understand that a clever woman will never tell you directly what she wants? She’ll arrange things so that you come to the conclusion yourself. That’s the difference between a cunning woman and an honest one. An honest woman is naive. A cunning woman survives no matter what happens.” Nina Semyonovna spoke quietly, […]
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“Listen, I need to tell you something,” Andrei said in the same tone people used when mentioning something trivial. It was almost exactly how he had once announced that he had lost his job—calmly, casually, as though he were commenting on the weather. “Dad left everything to you.” Natasha looked up from her magazine. “What […]
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“Now that my daughter-in-law is earning good money, there’s no reason for me to keep working,” Tamara Lvovna announced with such satisfaction that she sounded as though she had just received official permission to retire for the rest of her life. Oksana froze behind the half-open door of the summer kitchen. She was holding a […]
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Alexei had not expected such a reaction. He stood in the middle of the kitchen, still holding his car keys, staring at Irina as though she had skipped the obligatory scene with tears, accusations, and desperate attempts to stop him from leaving. Beyond the open window, the July street buzzed with noise. A lawn mower […]
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The unfamiliar woman in the yellow apron blinked, glanced over her shoulder, and only then looked back at Elena. “You must have the wrong floor,” she said with a cautious smile. “We live here.” Elena said nothing. Her eyes moved to the apron. A small stain from cherry juice darkened the breast pocket. A friend […]
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Artyom continued chewing his meat patty as though he had heard a reminder to buy salt rather than an ultimatum. Through the open window came the buzzing of lawnmowers, the shrieks of children on the swings, and the low rumble of a street-washing truck crawling across the sun-scorched courtyard. The July evening was bright and […]
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