Читать книгу The Russians Are Comming! 14 Months in the Life of the Town - Lily Alex - Страница 17

The Crystal Ball shattered in Time’s Square, and far, far away, in another state, the Russians watched the event on TV, raised their goblets clinking them against each other.

The Lapins were celebrating this New Year with Marina and Ruslan. They drank, ate, and talked for a while, but Nina could not help her yawning, then the smiling Marina got up and started to clean the table of the numerous dishes.

Soon the women, holding stuff for bed, entered Larisa’s bedroom, and put their load on the couch.

«Are you sure?» murmured Nina, barely staying in control. «I feel so impolite…»

«Go to sleep,» Marina whispered, kissing the hostess. «Happy New Year!»

«Happy New Year!» Glancing at her daughter, Nina left the room.

Still smiling, Marina made her bed on the couch, and approached Larisa, checking her out.

The girl was sleeping, holding her teddy bear tight, but this peaceful sight washed out Marina’s grin, and deep wrinkles appeared on her forehead and around her mouth.

She quickly turned away, fell onto the couch, and burying her face into the pillow, she wept with her memories.

She hated New Year, because, fourteen years ago, celebrating this holiday, her parents got drunk as never before, and the awful events of the following night were engraved in her soul forever.

Nobody ever figured out how it had happened, because no one saw how the cord of the old, tattered Christmas lights dropped a spark, and the nearest piece of cotton, imitating snow, caught fire.

Twelve-year-old Marina woke up sensing unusual warmth. Drowsy, she sat up in bed.

Suddenly she smelled smoke and sprang up, looking around with horror; half of the room was enveloped in flames.

Her younger sister, Masha, was still sleeping in her crib and Marina darted to her parents’ chamber. «Daddy! Mom!» she screamed, tossing the door wide open. «Fire!»

Cursing, the drunken man threw a bottle at her and put down his head again. Marina heard her sister’s cry and she ran back.

Glancing at the little black-headed girl standing in the crib holding the bars, Marina knocked at the door of her brothers’ room. It was locked, and no one answered.

Vainly Marina pounded, kicked, thumped the door, trying to get in. She was only twelve. She could not break the lock, and feeling increasing heat, she realized she had not much time.

She screamed again dispiritedly calling her brothers, then rushed to Masha and hoisted her out of the crib. Squealing like a piglet, her sister wriggled in her arms. Marina could barely hold her.

Marina turned toward the exit door, but a big burning piece fell from the ceiling blocking the way. Hugging crying Masha, Marina slowly retreated from the advancing fire.

The smoke filled the room and irritated their eyes, asphyxiating the girls, and a panicking Marina could scarcely see the things around her. She grabbed a chair and threw it at the window, smashing the pane. Coughing, forcing herself to stay in control, Marina climbed up onto the windowsill.

Her blouse caught fire, but the girl did not notice. She looked outside. They were on the third floor, and Marina clearly understood that a jump down would be suicide.

«Help!» she cried with all the power in her lungs. «Fire! Please, in the name of God, somebody help us!»

With hope Marina stared at the flashing lights of oncoming fire-trucks and police cars, but the heat became intolerable, and she realized her time was up. There was nothing for it, and crazy with pain and terror, still embracing her sister, Marina leapt out as far as she could.

Despair increased her strength. She reached the bushes near the building and, in the last second, she spun in the air like a cat, trying to avoid the branches that would hurt Masha in her arms. The sticks and thorns thrust into her own back, and, choking with exquisite agony, Marina slid down onto the ground, and could barely breathe.

A policeman grabbed Masha, and a stunned Marina did not protest, seeing her sister was okay. A fireman took Marina to an ambulance, and only now the girl felt all her pain, and sobbed with suffering.