In recent years, Ivan had really wanted a son – an heir, to carry on the family line. He had often talked about it with his wife; they had even tried to have a child, but nothing had come of it. Brevich suspected she had been secretly taking precautions – her comfortable, carefree life was far too dear to her, and children did not fit into her idea of happiness. Be that as it may, it mattered little now – when he heard Nok’s unexpected news, Ivan felt as if everything in his head had fallen into place. The circle had reached its logical conclusion; his thoughts had acquired harmony. He saw himself at the beginning of a path leading to the creation of something genuine. Something incredibly important – and no obstacle would get in his way.
Over the next three weeks, they barely spent a moment apart. Then they got married – because of the pregnancy, the doctors advised Nok not to fly to Thailand, and the wedding was held in Russia. Brevich exhibited his strengths to their full degree – nothing could stop him. A dozen petty officials suddenly found themselves a lot richer, but every single bureaucratic issue connected with the marriage was resolved in the blink of an eye. Just as quickly – and very brutally – he concluded his divorce with his wife, giving her what he thought she deserved: an apartment in the center of Moscow and some money. She became indignant and started to talk about a full-fledged division of his capital and business, but Brevich pressured her, threatening to leave her with nothing, and she signed the papers. As a result, one beautiful April morning, Ivan and Nok found themselves standing in front of the registrar at a local registry office.
The only people present at the wedding were their families – Brevich’s father and mother, Nok’s parents and her younger sister Pim. Ivan got to know his new relatives on Skype – it was not easy and happened in several stages. First, Nok talked to her mother who, having sighed and wept a little, quickly realized that what had happened to her daughter was not a fantasy, but an irreversible fact needing to be accepted for what it was. They set about discussing the main question: how to break the news to Nok’s father that his pride and joy was pregnant, stuck at the edge of the world and planning to marry a foreigner whom neither they nor their neighbors had ever met. The discussion went on for two days and a detailed plan was hatched, but even this was insufficient to avoid her father’s wrath. He shouted and cursed, flatly refusing to admit the obvious; he blamed both mother and daughter for their folly, claiming that farangs were not to be trusted, Nok had been duped, Ivan would soon abandon her and the whole family would lose face. Nok, however, remained unperturbed, knowing that her mother, Brevich and the future child were all on her side – and in the end, common sense did prevail. Her father’s anger softened to forgiveness and he agreed to talk with Ivan, which took place in the presence of Nok and her sister.
To everyone’s surprise, they got along quite well, and then Brevich arranged for their trip to Moscow, providing a luxurious program. He paid all their expenses and on the very first day not only ceremoniously presented the head of the family with a generous sin-sot – “ransom” for the bride – but also organized a fun-filled tourist schedule with their personal Thai-speaking guide. This greatly impressed the family, and Nok’s parents came to the cautious agreement that their daughter had been unexpectedly and unusually lucky. Her father, however, added that they still needed to be on their guard with Ivan. You need to have your finger on the pulse and be ready for anything, he insisted. Out of habit, Nok’s mother agreed with him, not seeing any reason to argue. Although, in fact, she really liked the big silent man with the grim face that instantly transformed the moment he looked at her daughter.
After the wedding, which was held quietly at home, Brevich promised that in a year he and Nok would come to Thailand for a considerable period. He even agreed to another wedding ceremony – a Buddhist one this time. That finally inclined her father to fully accept Ivan – especially when he imagined how envious the whole village would be when they set eyes on his new son-in-law. So, on that positive note, Nok’s family set off for home, and the newlyweds were left to start their life together, full of minor cares and pleasant trifles.
Brevich rarely went to the office; his entire attitude toward his business cooled. He knew this created consternation, and his colleagues were gossiping that the boss had gone off the rails, but he didn’t give a damn. Soon he realized that – for the first time in his life – he was deeply in love. He felt fully in possession of what he loved – and he was well accustomed to taking responsibility for what he possessed. When Nok cautiously hinted that her family might be hoping for some material “support,” Brevich only shrugged. For him, who always paid for everyone and everything, it seemed only natural. In addition, the size of the expected assistance was laughable by his standards, and the very fact that he could offer it won him great respect in the eyes of his wife. For her, this was the finest of his masculine qualities, and in return, she was happy to express all the best sides of herself. Sometimes he would joke to himself that business-wise their marriage had been a very good “deal.” Maybe that was why he had fallen madly in love, like a teenager, at his age?…
Still, all joking aside, he was perfectly capable of looking at what was happening seriously. Of seeing and acknowledging that fortune had really smiled on him this time. It was undoubtedly a level of happiness he had never experienced before. Other people’s opinions, rumors and gossip did not bother him in the slightest; his and Nok’s cultural differences no longer frightened him – especially when he reminded himself of the pretentious nonsense he had experienced from girls who shared his culture and spoke the same language. And he knew: Nok would genuinely love their child. This was much more important than anything else.
Time passed swiftly, tempestuously and richly. Brevich was overflowing with positive energy; he thought he could move mountains. Most of this energy was directed at organizing their everyday life. The very best that Moscow could offer, from doctors to beauty salons, was identified, verified and placed at Nok’s disposal. Ivan searched and found food she was used to and a pile of films with Thai subtitles – even some classic Soviet comedies, which they heartily laughed at together. He showed her the city, took her to its museums and performances at the Bolshoi, which delighted her immensely. Before going to sleep, they would have long talks – about which country it would be better to live in or who their son would resemble – they already knew Nok was expecting a baby boy. Looking after her was an extraordinary pleasure; Brevich felt that every minute of his existence was filled to the limit with meaning. He was living in an idyll in real life; he was aware of it and not even surprised. For some reason, it seemed perfectly natural and could not be otherwise.
And then the idyll turned into tragedy.
Chapter 9
Ivan Brevich’s new life wasn’t just the subject of idle rumors and gossip. In at least one person, it provoked intense hatred. That person was Inna Vitzon, his ex-wife.
Inna had been brought up in a very straitlaced, very “Moscow” Jewish family. The diploma she had received from what people called Inyaz, a prestigious university in Soviet times, gave her cause to believe that by marrying Brevich she had raised his social status. Her family was of the same opinion, despite the fact their well-being depended entirely on Ivan. Brevich was not particularly bothered about this: he didn’t take his relatives seriously. But for Inna, everything was serious and always had a strictly defined place. Nothing in her life could be deemed insignificant – because her own significance was beyond measure.