Tales of Ghosts. Playing Another Reality. Edgar Allan Poe award

Taking church wine with him, Father Alexey went to the grave of the newly departed and bumped into a handsome young man at the cemetery gate. The priest immediately recognized his son, but the son would have never recognized his father, since he looked too bad…

    June 28, 1994

3. Two women

I just loved her too much! Haven’t you ever felt like to sacrifice your life for the sake of your beloved?

…I don’t remember where and when I met Jeanne, because we lived in the same house, played in the same yard, studied at the same school. Everyone liked Jeanne, she was surrounded by a crowd of suitors, and at first I was even afraid to invite her for a walk. I have had problems with women since childhood. I have always been afraid of them. And, as it turned out, not for nothing!

We started dating in early spring, when Jeanne was eighteen. We often went to that lake, with an uninhabited island in the middle of it. Jeanne said that she would like to get on it! No one was pulling her tongue, mind you!

I always took my favourite, Junga, on my walks. Just in case. I felt much more confident next to her. Many people even believe that such dogs should not be kept at home, they are said to be dangerous to life! Yes, I agree, her character, frankly, wasn’t simple, I couldn’t bring a friend into the flat, not to mention the whole company. Junga would attack anyone who was not a member of our family, and, being locked in another room, she would burst into unbearable barking and “break down” the door until the stranger left. Junga, by the way, disobeyed even me, but I loved her very much! Isn’t a dog man’s best friend?

Honestly, I sincerely hoped that the girls would become friends, however, Junga – now everything became clear to me! – had scanned the future and hated Jeanne in advance, growled at her and tried in every possible way to bite her. I tried to persuade Junga to accept the situation, in vain! She was stubbornly adamant. Then I realized that she was jealous of me! Finally! Anyway, under pressure from others, I still made a decision to get married. Must means must. No way to avoid! They would think that I was indifferent to the opposite sex, unlike my own!

Junga, of course, couldn’t forgive me for such a turn of events! Her aggression went off the scale, she began to rush at me as well! No matter the way I tried to explain to her the human ‘must’, it was all in vain: dogs don’t forgive betrayal. How would you feel about someone who betrayed you? I left Junga at my mother’s and after the wedding moved to live at Jeanne’s.

I really missed my Junga very much, I was awfully homesick, I dreamed about her every night, and, God knows, I tried to visit her as often as I could! With every fiber of my soul, I felt her incredible suffering and, as a result, I suggested my mother to make Junga get married as well. One-time, of course… Who would have known how much I was worried about her wedding night! However, self-hypnosis is a great thing! So, if I was cheating on her with Jeanne…

That morning my mother called me to tell the amazing news: Junga was going to have puppies! I jumped around the room with happiness, I would take one for myself! A girl, of course! The spitting image of Junga! I even barked with joy. For the first time. And at that very moment, Jeanne appeared in the room and said that we were going to have a baby.

M-yes!

In the evening we decided to celebrate the imminent replenishment of the family at my mother’s flat. Junga, as usual, began to throw herself at the fragile Jeanne. My mother, in spite of my protests, closed Junga in the room to let us have a quiet dinner in the kitchen.

After the meal, my mother and I retired to the balcony to discuss the upcoming changes. Suddenly there was a roar and screams. The door to Junga’s room was blown off its hinges. Running into the kitchen, we saw Jeanne. Instead of washing the dishes, she was laying unconscious with a bloody knife in her hand! Roaring menacingly, Junga sprawled on her belly…

We called the doctor and the vet. I was depressed! I howled! Yes, I howled at the Moon, not embarrassed by either veterinarians or doctors. Junga could no longer have puppies, and my wife could no longer have kids. God! It seemed I couldn’t survive that!

We were walking by the very lake, with an uninhabited island in the middle. It was already too late, and not a soul around. A terrible picture came back to life and froze on the inner screen: my beloved Junga and the knife in Jeanne’s hand… I don’t remember how that very knife ended up in my hands…

I just loved her too much!

    December 13, 1996

4. Frozen

“Hey!” Yuri whispered, glancing sadly at her beautiful cold face. “Today I came late, because I took the child to the cottage… I am sorry, Inna!”

She was silent.

“Well, forgive me!”

Inna said nothing.

So, all summer long Yuri came to her every evening to talk about his current life, and he brought her ice cream. Yes, I will always remember, she loved ice cream, and she froze some berries for the winter to defrost them then and eat with ice cream… in the winter.

“God told us to forgive everyone. You’ve always believed in God, haven’t you, Inna? Forgive me!”

She was silent.

***

Autumn came, and it rained heavily. That evening, Yuri bought her a bouquet of small chrysanthemums.

“I have never given you flowers before. I’m sorry… Do you want me to bring them to you every day?.. And ice cream as well! Whatever you loved!”

Inna was silent. Yes, she was mercilessly cold!

Yuri often remembered that everyone envied him for having such a wife – beautiful, young, cheerful, sociable…

“How long can you be offended, Inna? Yes, I was wrong! Although I’ve been holding back for so long! Just think, only once I was jealous of our child! Yes, because you spent too much time on him and paid no attention to me! I was very hurt, really! Well, I’m sorry!”

Yuri looked at Inna with such a plaintive look, but… she remained silent. And he could hardly restrain himself, since men don’t cry.

***

In winter, almost every evening, in addition to ice cream, Yuri brought her also tangerines. Inna must have been fond of them as well, but… she continued to be silent. She was so cold… of course…

***

And then spring came. When everything frozen begins to melt, and it seemed to Yuri that Inna was about to melt, too! He came to her with hope, but she was still cold.

“Have pity on me!” Yuri shouted. “Hear me! I can’t go on like this! I can’t live without you! I feel like I’m going crazy! I’ll take you away from here and make you happy! Just come back to me please! Well, forgive me!!!”

At that moment, I couldn’t stand it anymore. You never know what one would do in such a state! I stepped away from the video camera and, fastening my bulletproof vest on the go, went to the client.

Yuri turned around as I opened the door and greeted me with a nod.

“Have a nice evening you too!” I said. “So, have you made your mind? Are we going to renew the contract?”

Yuri was still in a state of trance, fiddling with the edge of his jacket with nervous fingers.

“Have you brought me the money for your ice cream?” I added a passphrase to speed up the process.

Yuri involuntarily shuddered and even somehow cringed, but then he immediately grabbed and opened the briefcase, filled with bundles of foreign banknotes.

“Yes, yes … of course … yes … here you are…”

…And have you really thought that the maintenance of my underground business “Cold Storage at Boris’ garage” is cheap? However, the rich have their own quirks, especially if their roof ‘has gone’, I mean, their madness, and, of course, the money is not lying on the road!

“I’m very tired,” Yuri whispered and sobbed, “well, forgive me, Inna, forgive me! I love you! Please open your eyes! Look at me! Give me your hand! Get up! Let’s go home! Come on… Let’s go!”

In the ensuing deathly silence, Yuri cast a desperate glance at Inna to see once more her thin cold hands, which had once gently caressed him; her pale, dear to the point of pain and yet already someone else’s face; her petrified lips, which he so lacked. He couldn’t see only her eyes and the scars beneath her dress, left by his numerous stabbings made in search of a heart…

    June 26, 1998

5. Cranberries