Now, when Emmanuel looked at this city from a car window, she did not know about anything what now here was described. She just looked at Moscow, and admired its beauty. She with admiration said in English:
– The beautiful city, I for the life did not see anything finer.
– Yes. – Luda agreed. – It is worth looking at Moscow. – then she added. – But you will not see Moscow, do not go down to the Moscow subway yet.
Emmanuel with obvious interest took an interest:
– And what subway?
Luda having looked at Emmanuel with pride inherent in it told:
– The subway is the heart of Moscow, the second for value.
Emmanuel with obvious female curiosity asked:
– And the first?
Luda having looked at Emmanuel carefully took an interest:
– And you as think?
– I? – did not know that to answer this question, Emmanuel having made a pause, having looked in a window, and having seen some churchlet which they passed by and which immediately disappeared, Emmanuel assumed. – Church. – these words at it took off from her lips mechanically. She did not know why she told "CHURCH", she never thought of it. She in general did not trust in anything. She hoped only for herself and on anybody it is more.
Luda ambiguously thought. She did not know that to answer this question. For it, as well as for many in Russia there was one precept. Grandfather Lenin's precept. In which it was said: "There is no god". This unambiguous "There is no god", and there was a doctrine about it. In general, the atheism practiced in the USSR. Nobody went to churches, all were afraid to take off from party. And since eight years when we were accepted in Little Octobrists, already then inspired in us doctrines of V.I. Lenin and his associates: – There is no god and never was. Our teachers inspired in us this theory which at that time was the Bible for the people. And having come to a higher educational institution. We had to besides the main subject whether you want it or not to know Marx's capital and Lenin's doctrines by heart. It was also the main subject of the doctrine. And then all the rest. But there passed time, times changed. The power of the CPSU fell, having left behind only a heap of unresolved problems. The power of dictatorship fell, on light came to light a huge number of parties. Such about which nobody till ninety first year heard at all. The religion became popular, all a coma laziness stretched in church. It turned out that all those people who abused church sent her, and. t д, and. t. п, became jealous opponents of atheism, and believed in God. Strange? People who despised church and wanted to kill it in its germ became truly believing. It is unlikely it so. It is simply fashion. As fashion for expensive fashionable dress. When there passes on it the fashion, it will be just thrown out on a garbage can. As well with religion. Once you come to the power of other party and who knows? Where will the truth believers get to? Will go underground or again will change belief, and will become atheists as it already was at the CPSU. So Luda could not respond unambiguously to this answer Emmanuel. It as well as all left the USSR were atheists. Luda told the following:
– There can be you and are right, but nevertheless I consider that the first heart of Moscow it?. – Luda thought. – It is Moscow. – Luda, and then kind of in justification of the words answered, added. – Moscow – heart of Russia.
Emmanuel significantly looked at Luda. She understood that on this question there is no answer. On extremely measure the people living here have no answer in Russia. They just dumped fetters of the Iron Curtain, and for these two years of freedom given them, they still fully did not feel that taste of freedom which is in the West, in the USA – the country of freedom of democracy. Countries of Washington, Granda, Lincoln. Emmanuel told:
– Perhaps you are also right.
There passed some time. The car stopped around one from the house on (X) Street. It was the big twelve-floor house in the center of Moscow.
Luda told:
– Arrived.
They drove to the yard, and having parked a car at an entrance, Luda killed the car engine, and having addressed Emmanuel, told:
– Here you will also live.
Emmanuel having left a car looked around. It was the usual site on which at the playground played little children with the parents. Emmanuel paid attention to one woman. She stood together with other women and with them spoke about something. This woman was about to give birth, probably six months gone. Emmanuel bitterly sighed. This minute it presented itself on the place of this woman. She was pregnant, and Emmanuel having looked at the tummy, touched it with a hand, and thought: what this fine feeling to be a pregnant woman! She wanted to become pregnant. She wanted to give rise, but who could become for it that person who would present it this joy? She did not know it.
In it it is a high time, Emmanuel heard behind herself Luda's voice. She told:
– Go what here to stand?
Emmanuel having looked at Luda, saw that that pulled out from back luggage office all bags and suitcases, looked at Luda, and heard who asked:
– What will you take?
Emmanuel understood that both of them should bear suitcases and bags. She approached the things, and having taken two weighty bags, having left to Luda a suitcase, asked:
– Where to go?
Having taken a suitcase, Luda showed on the closest door of an entrance, and told:
– There.
Women went to an entrance bearing on themselves things. In it it is a high time the young guy ran up to them and offered them the help.
Luda thanked the man for the help, and that helped to inform of bags and a suitcase the apartment.
The living space settled down on the fifth floor, this was the one-room apartment with the mixed bathroom. From the room there was an exit to a spacious loggia which lasted from the room to windows of kitchen. To apartments there was old furniture. Book shelves on which there were books of different years and subjects. On a floor the oriental carpet was put, and on a wall the carpet was hung up. One of walls had a double bed, the RUBIN-208 TV eight-channel was by the window on a bedside table. On which there were hours. On one of a wall the shelf on which there was stationary phone of red color was beaten. As for kitchen, here everything was ordinary. Table, chair. The gas stove, a table for cooking. On a wall regiments were beaten. The refrigerator ZIL was by the window. Radio Beacon hung on a wall. On which broadcast only one wave – the beacon. All as usually was in the Soviet ordinary apartments.
Luda told:
– Here so there lived once Soviet citizen.
Emmanuel took an interest:
– This whose apartment?
– Ours.
– I understand that yours, but who lived here earlier?
– My mother. – Luda answered. Then she with despondency and chagrin added. – She sits now. – then she explained. – For speculation during the Soviet period. – it having made a long pause, gloomy added. – Year remained.
Emmanuel