" Mathew."
" Ramilya, Rina."
Unexpectedly, my friend responded, approvingly squinting at the bag, which in fact turned out to be full of smoked fish.
" I smoked it myself," Mathew said proudly.
" Have a seat," Ramilya almost purred.
Smoked fish was her weakness. She consumed it in immense quantities and drank it with sweet tea. To me, it was a terrible combination. The guest did not talk himself into it, and sitting down at the table, he grunted approvingly, taking a mug of mulled wine. Being in some shock from unexpectedly formed neighbor's meetings, I snatched my phone without looking and answered the call.
" Hi, " Dimitri said hello.
" Hi," I answered muffled.
My heart sank somewhere in my stomach and fluttered. I must have changed my face, because Ramila immediately looked up to see who was calling me. When she saw the contact, she hissed angrily. We had agreed on the train that I would not answer his calls.
" For some reason I can't reach you. I miss you very much," Dimitri went on the offensive.
I kept silent, because I knew who was the only one of us missing, and who was living life to the fullest and had even started a family.
" Where did you disappear to? Why are you silent? " Dimitri asked, without waiting for an answer.
" I'm here."
I couldn't pull myself together. The words were stuck in my throat. They were backed up by sobs, which I was ready to burst into tears. My head was like a balloon, it was going to blow away.
" Someone important is on the phone," Mathew said.
" Yes, it is," Ramilya snorted.
" Who's that there? " Dimitri asked suspiciously. " A man? Did you get another one? Is that why you don't answer my calls?"
" Why? " I got angry.
" I'm working for our future! And you!"
I couldn't believe my ears. He's trying to make me jealous?! I was sitting at home like a fool, daydreaming. and now he's accusing me of cheating on him!
" It's the neighbor! " I enlightened him.
" Oh, yeah?!"
" Well, yes! " I confirmed it with a challenge.
" I've got it all figured out, it looks like I'm in danger of catching a scene from a cheap joke!"
" Vaudeville," I corrected him.
" Are you laughing? Honey, if I came home, would you at least let me in?"
I didn't say anything, desperately fighting myself. To start sobbing into the phone was to bring myself down even lower. We'd meet at the office sooner or later. It's a miracle we haven't crossed paths yet.
" Tell him we're waiting for him, and we'll make pies, his favorite! With meat! " Ramila came to my rescue
" With cabbage. Dimitri likes cabbage, " I corrected him.
" What kind of man doesn't like meat? " muttered the neighbor.
" "The best," Ramilya grinned. " Tell me, I'm already running to the market for cabbage. Or better to the fields, I'll take it from a private citizen, just in time for his arrival and I'll turn around."
Now Dimitri was silent, listening to our argument. I tried feverishly to think of something to say to him. When Ramilya and Mathew laughed, Dimitri hung up.
I sank down in my chair and stared dumbly at the screen.
" Should I call him back? " I muttered.
" He'd call me. He's in dire need of you right now," Ramila snorted.
" What's that? " I didn't understand.
" He badly needs your part of the money for the mortgage," she said.
Unfortunately, she was right. In my mind I understood it perfectly well. But that didn't make it any easier. I finished the contents of my glass in a gulp, said goodbye to my neighbor and went to pack my things.
I decided not to take too much with me, so I pulled out a small gym bag and packed two suits, one dress, and a pair of shoes. The clothes had to come from Ramili's closet. That made it a little embarrassing. If it wasn't for this trip that couldn't be turned down, I would have gone to the mall on Saturday and bought my own. The tutor didn't need business suits. Oh, and for the past few years, I've only bought things out of necessity. When things that had fallen into disrepair couldn't be darned without a mark.
" Are you going? " Ramila asked. I nodded. " Ta-dam!"
My friend pulled out several tubes of paint from behind her back.
" Now we'll do your head. Since we can't fix the contents, we'll fix the outside. Please!"
I frowned skeptically, then sat down resolutely. It was reckless to entrust my hair to a manicurist. Though it wouldn't be any worse than it is now.
Ramila stirred the paint with inspiration and made the first stroke. Judging by the number of bottles used, she was a professional. I sincerely hope my hair won't fall out after it!
Chapter 4
A nasty, nasty sound popped into my ears, cracked my head, and threw me out of my dream and into reality. My body wasn't going to give up just like that, so I tried to sleep it off. But as soon as I closed my eyes, the sound repeated itself. The realization that it was an alarm clock brought a sharp sense of doom. By the end of the week, after commuting to work every day, spending four hours a day on the subway, my only dream was to get some sleep.
Fumbling for the phone under my pillow, I decided to cowardly postpone rising for ten minutes and was surprised to find that it wasn't an alarm clock! It was a bell! And it was only half past five in the morning!
Wondering who could have called at this hour, she accepted the call. I was going to say everything I thought about this person, and in the most obscene form.
" Rina! I knew you'd been awake for a long time. Smart girls get up early!"
The voice of the unknown interlocutor was ringing. I wasn't thinking straight, and it took me fifteen seconds to understand the meaning of the word "early".
" What?" I asked in surprise. " Who are you? "
" I'm Mila."
In fact, if I wanted to insult her to her face, that's what I'd call her.
" I asked who you are and why are you calling so early?"
I sat down on the couch and shrugged irritably. Today I have a hard day ahead of me and instead of getting a good night's sleep and rest, I have to talk to some crazy woman.
" I'm the manager, I'll bring the waiters to your office," she reported cheerfully.
" It's twelve o'clock in the afternoon! " I got angry.
" Yes, yes, there's not much time left. We'll be there at eleven o'clock and…"
I breathed through my teeth and dropped the call. I collapsed onto my pillow and tried to sleep. It didn't work, though; anger was more energizing than anything else.
After turning around for about ten minutes and realizing that she couldn't fall asleep, she got up and went to the kitchen.
In fact, Mila had woken me up only half an hour earlier than my alarm clock, but that half hour was exactly what I needed to sleep. I had been missing half an hour all week.
To my surprise, Ramila was already in the kitchen, absent-mindedly stirring coffee in a coffee pot. She looked as if she hadn't been to bed at all.
" Can't sleep? " I asked glumly.
I usually got up first, showered, and then met her in the kitchen.
" You could say that. I keep thinking, what exactly Dimitri was counting on when he went on a walk?"
" Does it