But Sasha preferred her, Lera Lavrova, a tutor in the kindergarten. Yes, she is not very pretty. But rather well-off, thanks to her parents. She could live as she wanted. Not worry about the future.
How wonderful their love-affair began! Lera leaned the back of her armchair and recalled how they’d met first.
It was a Sunday evening in summer. She was returning from the sea-side in her Opel. He, being a last-year cadet, was on the way home for summer holidays. So he was hitchhiking on the road, at the outskirts of Krasnodar.
Lera stopped her car beside him. Alex opened the door, flopped down onto the seat and began kidding:
– Nice to meet you! My name is Alex. Alex the Hijacker. Hijacker and car-stealer. And what’s your name, you, wonderful owner of a not less wonderful car?
– …Va-le-ria, – Lera answered in syllables, drawling the vowels, and pushed the gas and clutch pedals gently, without any fuss.
Shifting the gear she hit Alex with her elbow by chance. The latter didn’t lose his head and put his hand on hers:
– Can I help you?
Lera moved aside slightly but the guy took off his hand at once:
– Well, I only wanted to help you. Don’t think wrong of me. – Sasha said and stared at her.
Lera turned her eyes to the highway in front of her. Hardly overcoming nervous strain that seized her, she continued driving. Lera felt she was blushing and tried to break that strange, uncouth silence:
– By the way, where are you going? – she asked Sasha.
– To the stanitsa** of Dinskaya. And may I ask you a question? Where from and where to are you going now? You, such a beautiful, young and brave Amazon?
Lera was taken aback again. She tried to speak of the sea-surf, but everything mixed in her head. Alex saw it. And he was pleased. He was so pleasedwith his newly-invented image of a hijacker and seducer that suddenly he whispered right into her ear:
– Lera, dear, please relax! Or you’ll skid but I want to live…
And then Valeria suddenly pulled the brakes. At that moment she wanted only one thing – to get rid of this impudent passenger. But at the same time she was pleased with his courting.
– Please… – but Alex didn’t let her finish.
He nearly bumped against the windscreen but turned harshly and caught Lera by her shoulder, pulled her to himself and kissed. She couldn’t resist.
She remembered trying to protect her virginity: «We can’t do it! We’ve just met… know each other for a couple of minutes». But this attempt was too weak. Alex put his hand lower and lower. Her breasts betrayed her and made her moan…
*Alex, Sasha, Sanyok – diminutive for Alexander, Lera – that for Valeria.
**Stanitsa – a Cossack village.
Chapter 3
Somebody was knocking at the door and shouting:
– Comrade Major! Comrade Major! Please, open the door!
– Private Glushko, fuck off! – major Smirnov bawled from inside.
– To you… A kind of… your wife or so has come!
The door opened half. Major Smirnov, scared, wrapping his naked body with a towel mumbled:
– Did you really see her?
Glushko who was not the least frightened lost the gift of speech completely when he saw the major’s hairy chest. So he just nodded.
– And where is she?
Glushko waved his hand towards the commandant’s office:
– Th-th-ere…
– Where?! In the office? Speak out!
Then Glushko began to mutter:
– There… A car stopped… A blue one… Or not. Not know… Forgot… A woman get off. Very pretty! Good heavens! Ryzhov said: «Such pretty things’re driving to and fro in their cars in Grozny like at home». That’s what he said! And she came up to us. Ryzhov also said to me: «Big tits!».
– Shut up! Or I’ll show you! Big tits!
– Comrade major. Please don’t punish Ryzhov! He didn’t mean anything bad.
He didn’t know she’s your wife. But if you beat him He’ll guess… And he’ll kill me!
– OK, come down! But where is Svetka* now? I hope she isn’t here, is she? – Smirnov leaned over Glushko’s shoulder examining an empty corridor in one of the hostels of the Northern Airport.
– She is… Ryzhov saw her to the office. He said: «So you’ll have to wait a little. Major Smirnov is on a secret commission.
– Ugh… Well, Ryzhov’s a brick! Now Glushko, stand at the hostel door and don’t let Svetka here while I’m dressing. Clear? Repeat!
Pleased with such trust private Glushko stood straight and said distinctly: «Stand at the hostel door and not let Svetka in!».
– That’s a good boy! But Svetlana Vladimirovna for you. Go away. You’re free!
Glushko went to the exit.
– But don’t tell her it was my order!
– Yes, sir. Not tell.
– Because I know you well! – grumbled the major, closed the sauna door and entered the sweating-room. – Now dress! That’s all! Had a good time together! Wife’s come!
Ensign Lyubov Antonova said lazily:
– I heard. You go alone. I’d rather sweat out a bit.
– As you like, – Smirnov pulled up his trousers quickly.
Five minutes later Smirnov knocked at the door of one of the rooms opposite to the exit. Before anyone inside could answer, he pushed the handle and opened the door.
There was nobody inside. Smirnov came up to the window and opened it. Then he got out of the window. High and dense grass hid him up to the waist. Smirnov walked for five meters, then he bent and put his hands on the dusty road. Smirnov thrust his hands into his wet hair, tousled and sleeked it slightly.
– Now it’s alright! – he thought. Smirnov scrutinized his camouflage uniform slowly and rubbed the trousers with his dusty hands.
Major Smirnov bent around the two-storey hostel and went impetuously towards the commandant’s office. Ten meters near it, a lonely figure of private Glushko, scrawny and small.
The major cried:
– Private Glushko! Doing nothing as usual?! Go and put yourself in order at once! Wash! Wash and press your outfit! Clean your gun! Be ready by tomorrow! You’ll go with me, to follow the column to Khankala!
– Me… to Khankala?! – Glushko gasped.
While the soldier was trying to understand what to do first, Major Smirnov entered the commandant’s office, round and low.
– Wow! Svetlana? It’s you! Or am I dreaming? Where from? With whom are our children?
*Svetka – diminutive and familiar for Svetlana.
Chapter 4
Hardly