I am your woman!. Julia Rudenko

covered all around. And only the rockets of fireworks flying up to the sky sometimes broke it.

      Alex sat on the steps of the commandant’s office and Djohar the dog came up to him. He touched Sasha’s chest with his moist nose. The young man hugged him as if the dog could realize his misery.

      Chapter 13

      Dasha Sviridenko went onto the balcony. Somewhere at the distance the darkness was torn by the salute and in her thoughts there was a strange inexplicable connection between the darkness of the night and what was on behind her back – a feast in a new flat gifted to them, a young married couple, by her in-laws.

      The house-warming dated for the 7th of November was at its height. One toast after another, plenty of vodka, broken glasses…

      – But where is Dasha? Did you hear her singing? She’s the greatest singer! – her father-in-law boasted to the guests.

      – Yes?! – a drunken man’s voice answered. – And what’s she singing? Let her sing of a nightingale!

      – What a hell of a nightingale? – a rude stout woman in her fifties with a red drunken face. Can she sing «Am I guilty or not?»?! – and at once sang that song loudly.

      Then the boozy company caught up the words «That I love!..»

      Dasha squatted down, closed her ears with her hands and… words themselves began to form a sort of ornament of verses:

      Among noisy and shameless struggle

      For the small sweet of toyish power

      Son is growing. And for happiness

      I’m begging the fate. —

      Not for me, but for him only.

      – Dasha, what on earth are you doing here? – her husband rushed to the balcony.

      – Me? Just make poems.

      – What?! Let’s go inside! You’ll freeze here! Why did you leave us?

      – Wait a minute. Let’s stay here for a while. Look – here’s the Milky Way! I wonder if there’s anyone alive among the stars? Like a human being?

      – Dasha, don’t be angry with me but I can’t lisp. Well, the Milky way, I see it. But what of it? It’s all the same to me. No matter if there’s anyone or not. I’m more anxious about my future place of service. By the way, your aunt Galya promised to talk to her son, a colonel, about it. And what?!

      – Darling, you have a year before you to find it!

      – You think it’s a lot of time? No, it isn’t. Time flies you know! And what’s then?! To go to Grozny, to war? To death? Or you want your son to lose his father?! Maybe, you don’t love me at all?! Maybe, you’re fed up with my parents?! Why deuce are you here now?! Sent our Max to your bloody Mummy beforehand! Or my mother can’t do with children?!

      – Oh, Sasha! He’s only two months old. Too little! Why on earth fetch him to this booze!

      – Don’t speak any more! If you want to stay at the damned balcony – OK!

      The pane in the balcony door clinked – Alex Sviridenko shut it violently behind him.

      – Oh, my Lord! I’ll stand it! Stand it! Stand t! I’m strong! Strong! All will be alright! Alright! Alright! Alright! – Dasha repeated to herself clinching her fists. – Please, God! Let everyone be happy! – But her tears dropped.