Chapter 8: New Year

The Crystal Ball shattered in Time’s Square, and far, far away, in another state, the Russians watched the event on TV, raised their goblets clinking them against each other.

The Lapins were celebrating this New Year with Marina and Ruslan. They drank, ate, and talked for a while, but Nina could not help her yawning, then the smiling Marina got up and started to clean the table of the numerous dishes.

Soon the women, holding stuff for bed, entered Larisa’s bedroom, and put their load on the couch.

«Are you sure?» murmured Nina, barely staying in control. «I feel so impolite…»

«Go to sleep,» Marina whispered, kissing the hostess. «Happy New Year!»

«Happy New Year!» Glancing at her daughter, Nina left the room.

Still smiling, Marina made her bed on the couch, and approached Larisa, checking her out.

The girl was sleeping, holding her teddy bear tight, but this peaceful sight washed out Marina’s grin, and deep wrinkles appeared on her forehead and around her mouth.

She quickly turned away, fell onto the couch, and burying her face into the pillow, she wept with her memories.

She hated New Year, because, fourteen years ago, celebrating this holiday, her parents got drunk as never before, and the awful events of the following night were engraved in her soul forever.

Nobody ever figured out how it had happened, because no one saw how the cord of the old, tattered Christmas lights dropped a spark, and the nearest piece of cotton, imitating snow, caught fire.

Twelve-year-old Marina woke up sensing unusual warmth. Drowsy, she sat up in bed.

Suddenly she smelled smoke and sprang up, looking around with horror; half of the room was enveloped in flames.

Her younger sister, Masha, was still sleeping in her crib and Marina darted to her parents’ chamber. «Daddy! Mom!» she screamed, tossing the door wide open. «Fire!»

Cursing, the drunken man threw a bottle at her and put down his head again. Marina heard her sister’s cry and she ran back.

Glancing at the little black-headed girl standing in the crib holding the bars, Marina knocked at the door of her brothers’ room. It was locked, and no one answered.

Vainly Marina pounded, kicked, thumped the door, trying to get in. She was only twelve. She could not break the lock, and feeling increasing heat, she realized she had not much time.

She screamed again dispiritedly calling her brothers, then rushed to Masha and hoisted her out of the crib. Squealing like a piglet, her sister wriggled in her arms. Marina could barely hold her.

Marina turned toward the exit door, but a big burning piece fell from the ceiling blocking the way. Hugging crying Masha, Marina slowly retreated from the advancing fire.

The smoke filled the room and irritated their eyes, asphyxiating the girls, and a panicking Marina could scarcely see the things around her. She grabbed a chair and threw it at the window, smashing the pane. Coughing, forcing herself to stay in control, Marina climbed up onto the windowsill.

Her blouse caught fire, but the girl did not notice. She looked outside. They were on the third floor, and Marina clearly understood that a jump down would be suicide.

«Help!» she cried with all the power in her lungs. «Fire! Please, in the name of God, somebody help us!»

With hope Marina stared at the flashing lights of oncoming fire-trucks and police cars, but the heat became intolerable, and she realized her time was up. There was nothing for it, and crazy with pain and terror, still embracing her sister, Marina leapt out as far as she could.

Despair increased her strength. She reached the bushes near the building and, in the last second, she spun in the air like a cat, trying to avoid the branches that would hurt Masha in her arms. The sticks and thorns thrust into her own back, and, choking with exquisite agony, Marina slid down onto the ground, and could barely breathe.

A policeman grabbed Masha, and a stunned Marina did not protest, seeing her sister was okay. A fireman took Marina to an ambulance, and only now the girl felt all her pain, and sobbed with suffering.

* * * * *

It was Jeff’s day off and he saw Vera in the grocery store. Hoping to talk to her, he tried to catch her alone. Jeff had a good subject in mind for a conversation. It was January 1, and he wanted to wish her a happy New Year.

But people were around her all the time, and a vexed Jeff had no chance to speak privately. He dared not call out.

Waiting for his chance, he pretended that he was only doing his shopping. He stayed behind her, keeping his eyes on her gracious figure. Wearing a fox fur coat, the elegant woman with brownish red hair looked like a real vixen, moving quickly and smoothly, and the delighted Jeff could not tear his stare from his adored one.

He saw the Lapins meet her and start talking. Jeff quickly went into the next aisle, hoping to intercept Vera when she had finished and moved on herself.

He waited and waited, but only other people passed him.

* * * * *

«How was your New Year?» asked the smiling Nina. Larisa and Vlad, wearing identical bored expressions, stood next to the women. Vera was looking around and did not reply. She had seen Jeff appear a few times and she dearly wanted to talk with him.

«Where is he?» she thought, upset, as she did not notice where he had gone.

«Are you searching for someone?» Vlad’s deep calm voice startled Vera.

«No.» She sighed, pushing her cart again. «Sorry, what did you ask? I just didn’t get enough sleep. We went to bed at 5 a.m.»

«Cool.» Nina laughed. «No, I can’t stay awake for so long. I barely waited till twelve. I’m an early bird.»

«Yeah,» Vlad gently teased his wife. «But it doesn’t mean you have to wake me the same time you wake up.»

Still good-naturedly bantering, the Lapins walked to the cashier, and the displeased Vera followed them, losing hope of meeting Jeff.

* * * * *

Jeff carefully peeped out and gasped, seeing Vera had gone. He hastily walked around the shop and saw her on the point of leaving. He left his cart where it was and went out also. Jeff understood that this was his last chance to talk to her today, and he did not want to miss the opportunity.

Seeing that Vera was putting her shopping bags into her car, Jeff increased the speed of his steps. He saw Vera look around for a few seconds.

«She’s looking for me!» Jeff tried to get into her view, but he had to wait as a van passed by, and Vera did not notice him. Sighing, she drove away, and, frustrated, Jeff only followed her car with his eyes.

Whirling, Jeff saw the Lapins walking out of the grocery store and he scolded himself. «Why didn’t I come to them when they talked with Vera? They are friends, I’m sure they wouldn’t make fun of her or set a gossip going.»

* * * * *

Deeply upset, he drove home, but this time Jeff changed his route.

«What if her car fails?» he thought, cherishing some absurd hope.

Passing her house, Jeff saw Oleg’s car parked next to hers, and painful flaming envy struck the man like the discharge of a police electro-shocker. He barely maintained control of either the vehicle or himself.

«You asked for it, you got it!» his inner voice mocked. «You knew she was married. What did you expect? Her hubby would disappear because of your stupid feelings for his wifey? You are a fool, Jeff Menard. You’re such a fool.»

* * * * *

At home his thoughts still ran to Vera, and, feeling melancholy, Jeff changed a few channels, found a New Year comedy program, and started to watch.

Soon, cheered up, he was laughing with jokes that a young black stand-up comedian was telling.

However, when the comic started mocking whites, for the first time in his life Jeff felt uncomfortable with it. As this guy took on white women as a subject, thinking about Vera, Jeff changed the channel.

He watched for a while, but his joyful mood was wrecked and he went to bed.

Racked with the pain of love and jealousy he could not sleep for a long time.

«Maybe she doesn’t like me because I’m black,» he thought.

«No.» He recalled her playful glances at him. Jeff saw her eyes brighten every time they met. «I’m sure she likes to see me.» He smiled, but another thought spoiled his gladness again.

«My foolish flirting only flatters her female feelings,» an irritated Jeff said to himself. Yet his love for her could justify any of her actions.

«She’s just a moral woman,» he whispered, suffering with the despair of the situation. «She has to think about the reputation of her family. I’m sure, if she were free…»

Jeff tried to force himself not to think about Vera, but he was unsuccessful. He closed his eyes, and her strange snow-white face stood in his mental view. He yearned to hug her, to feel her slender refined body. For only one kiss of her thin purple lips, he was ready to die.

«Vera,» he repeated, taking pleasure from that sound and tormented at the same time. «Vera…»

* * * * *

…They slowly made their way together along the edge of the summer forest. On the left side a plain stretched to the skyline. Hot yet tender sunshine washed over the young couple.

Jeff walked holding a primitive cotton bag. A bottle of water, a few oranges, and a loaf of bread were inside. It was all their food and neither knew when they would be able to get anything else, but it was no matter for them.

Somehow Jeff was not surprised seeing Vera wearing a strange dress. This indigo robe with a deep décolleté, fleecy and lacy, looked very elegant and expensive, but absolutely out of date.

They reached a barn, and sat on the porch. Jeff looked at Vera with an elated smile; she was his mistress, and she loved him, and they both knew and enjoyed it.

He took out an orange, peeled it, and broke it into segments. He held one out to Vera, and, closing her eyes, the woman took it with her lips, holding and sucking his fingers as well, and, overloaded with desire, they uttered a simultaneous quiet moan.

* * * * *

The beaming sun peeped through the small window of the barn, stealthily spying upon them making love on the fluffy pile of aromatic hay. The magic fragrance of the dried grass made them drunk, increasing the pleasure beyond reality, and some straws pricking their bodies stimulated them like a spur drives a horse.

Panting with overflowing delight Jeff was close to that magic line when nothing exists except the enjoyment when he heard a worried voice, and saw a black girl wearing a very old-fashioned gown.

«They found us,» she said uneasily. «You have to run.»

* * * * *

Helping each other, they ran, struggling through a marshland forest along the bank of a river. The ground was swampy, and Vera ran holding the edge of her very long dark blue skirt.

Looking at her superannuated dress and being clothed himself in a wide shirt and cotton pants, Jeff wondered, «Why are we wearing this?» But another worry pushed this thought aside.

They heard dogs barking behind them, and they knew the hounds had come upon their tracks. They did not have much time.

The thorny branches of the bushes, lianas and brushwood, shrubs and ferns were catching their clothes, making their trail into a nightmare. Every passing yard asked the maximum strain of their decreasing strength.

They had already abandoned the bag with the food and water. A tree branch tore Vera’s blue hat off, but she did not stop. She did not lose even a second of their valuable, diminishing time. She was still running full out, and the chestnut mane of her beautiful hair seemed like wings on her shoulders.

Glimpsing the brave face of his sweetheart with anxiety and helpless compassion, Jeff nevertheless felt sincere veneration. Exhausted, she neither complained nor faltered. She ran as fast as she could, and it was not her fault that the relentless barking was getting closer.

The dying vermilion light of the sunset lit up a glade.