«Really? Is she so gifted?»
«I’m sure she will be the next Picasso!» exclaimed Nina emotionally.
«And who is her husband?» Marina moved an office chair from the computer and sat next to Nina.
«Oleg?» Nina shrugged her shoulders. «A businessman. Selling, reselling cars, apartments. It’s all that I heard. I bet even Vera doesn’t know for sure. They got married just before they moved to the States. They barely had time to finish all the formalities. What was he doing in Moscow? Some Russian business, I suppose.»
«A crook, eh?» Marina snorted.
«It’s none of our business, is it?» Nina smiled. «Nah, he’s a good person, he’s teaching Vlad how to drive a car, he helped us when we moved. No, he’s not bad. Vera told me she doesn’t like his greediness for money, but I don’t know… Vlad, for example, is a very niggardly man, but I think it’s better than if he was a squanderer.»
«Vlad told me you were studying in the same group in the University, right?» asked Marina, as a new idea came to her.
«Yes,» confirmed Nina. «But I did not graduate.»
«No matter. Could you help me to finish checking the students’ tests? I have a lot of work left, but I’m babysitting tonight.»
«Of course, I’ll be happy to help. But how did you find a client? Most of the people in town are still afraid of Russians.»
«Maybe,» Marina answered calmly, and held out a bunch of papers. «But I’m sitting with the children of the VanSteins.»
«Ah.» Nina nodded. «Yesterday when you helped Dylon, you so impressed all of us. You are a hero. It’s a shame, but if something similar happened to Larisa, I would be only able to faint or sob, not act in such a resolute manner.»
Looking at the first test, Nina did not notice the face of Marina flush. Thinking about David, she closed her eyes for a second, recalling his hug. The memories of his tender strong arms around her body filled the girl with hot sweet emotion and her breathing became panting with thrill and excitation.
«My God!» Nina gasped with great surprise. «This student classified oxygen as a poison gas.» She checked the next paper. «The molecular mass of water is sixteen tons? What the hell is this?»
«Cool down, buddy.» Marina smiled at her reaction. «Just count the numbers of mistakes, okay?»
«Deal.» Nina shook her head, still murmuring with amazement.
The woman silently helped with the grading, then Marina said thanks and drove her home.
Nina opened the door, and Marina heard Larisa screaming happily: «Mommy, Mommy! Aunt Vera taught me how to draw a horsie.»
A huge feeling of loneliness fell heavily on Marina, and she quickly drove away, dreaming about David. When she finally saw him standing on the porch of his house, like a captain on the bridge of a ship, the painful, ashamed joy jammed her heart.
He icily nodded to her and got into his car, and Marina entered the house.
Seeing her, Megan VanStein compelled herself to smile. «Thank you for coming.» It was all that she was capable of saying, and she silently went outside.
Marina heard the VanSteins’ car pull away. She sighed, then sat down with the kids. Soon the merry bustle with them cheered her up, and the pain of loneliness hid deep in her soul, but the girl knew it would be back when she would have to leave.
Chapter 2: Meeting True Love
Whites are wrong if they think that every African man reacts like Othello.
Thirty-two-year-old Jeff Menard was under control when his wife… Well, it was his girlfriend to be accurate with titles. When his girlfriend informed him that she was leaving, Jeff created neither scandal nor scene. He felt offended but did not show this. He calmly helped his ex to pack her belongings, and even waved his hand while she drove away.
After she left, he returned to the house and thoughtfully removed everything that reminded him of her.
He took a shower, and that evening he went to bed a little earlier than usual. A police officer, he wanted to be in a good shape for tomorrow’s shift.
* * * * *
Vera Grach parked her car on the riverbank. She had discovered this rest area and wanted to show it to her friend, Nina Lapina, because they both loved nature.
«Look how beautiful the view is from here.» Vera smiled, seeing that Nina was impressed. The autumn forest displayed a whole range of hues and tints from a very light yellow to brownish red and dark purple.
The women got out of the car. Nina took the bag of snacks; Vera carried the box with her painting equipment and her easel. They chose a table and started their picnic.
«It looks like Russia,» Nina said sadly, observing the river. Vera sighed. They silently ate, thinking about their motherland.
«Why don’t you get together with Marina?» Nina asked suddenly. «We are the only Russians around. I think we should stay together.»
«I don’t like her,» Vera answered slowly. «I don’t like gloomy people.»
«She has gone through so many ordeals.» Nina was talking, keeping her eyes on the river. «Her father was an alcoholic, as was her mother. One day her parents got so drunk that when the fire started, they didn’t wake up. Both her brothers were gone, too. Her sister was sent to a different orphanage. They lost each other forever. Oh, she’s a real heroine. She was able to find strength and fight her fate. She graduated from the University. She worked and studied. No one supported or helped her; she did it all alone.»
«Gosh.» Vera shook her head. «I didn’t know that. But I don’t feel that she needs my friendship.»
«No, she does!» Nina exclaimed emotionally. «I visit her often. She feels so alone.» She stopped short. «Look, I’ve been watching that for a few minutes, but I can’t figure it out. Is it an animal or just a plastic jug or something?»
Vera turned her head. The women looked hard at a white spot moving in the water not far from the riverbank.
«It’s a cat!» Vera gasped. Forgetting about everything, they ran to the river.
When they got close they saw a white cat. The current carried it, and the animal uttered plaintive meows. Despite their disgust for water, cats can swim well, and the women were surprised that this animal could not get out of the river.
Struggling through bushes on the bank, they ran along the water’s edge.
Nina noticed a few rocks led almost to the middle of the river, and she started to walk upon them carefully.
But her foot slipped. She lost her balance and fell into the water. Now, she was not afraid to get wet, so she just waded through the waist deep water towards the cat and grabbed it.
When she pulled the cat out, she saw its back leg was tangled in a net. This was why the animal was so helpless.
Nina struggled out of the water, and Vera helped her. She gave Nina her jacket, and the women ran back to the car.
* * * * *
Jeff Menard parked his police cruiser near an apartment building and checked the address. He got out and knocked. The door was opened immediately, and he went in.
He saw two young women and recalled that they were Russian. Then he looked around the apartment with curiosity. One woman started to talk, but he only understood the word «cat». Another woman was painting, and she put down the brush with visible displeasure.
Jeff’s eyes involuntarily stopped at her braid. It impressed the young policeman. He had never seen a white woman with hair so thick. The long chestnut braid went all the way down to her waist. Like some fantastic snake, it stirred with any movement of her body, emphasizing every curve.
The woman turned toward him, and her braid fell onto her chest, between her breasts. Jeff was afraid she would misunderstand his gaze and lifted his eyes. Her paleness and strange, severe beauty struck him like a gangster’s bullet. Jeff just stared at her face, barely realizing that the first woman was trying to explain something to him.