Ruslan saw a squirrel. The shabby animal vigorously scratched itself, and the gray fluff of its old winter fur flew away like tiny clouds of smoke. Ruslan watched as another squirrel ran to the first one and they started playing.
A couple of pigeons were making love on the telephone wire, and a few yards farther on a cooing dove courted his mate, spinning around and blowing his crop out.
«Everybody’s two-by-two.» Ruslan sang a Russian song. «Only I’m quite alone, like an island in the ocean.»
Humming this melancholy melody, he reached the VanSteins’ house and knocked, and David opened the door.
«Happy Birthday!» greeted Ruslan, handing a present to the professor.
«Thank you.» David smiled, and together they went to the living room.
Ruslan looked round about.
Here were the Lapins, Megan in the armchair, and Marina sitting on the floor playing with Dylon. To his surprise, he saw Vera Grach here as well, but the subsequent dialogue explained the situation.
«Thank you, Nina, for recommending me to them,» Vera said in Russian, while drawing. «I really need clients.»
«They have money, we don’t.» Nina giggled. «Let’s shake them, eh?»
«Girls, speak English.» Marina interrupted them. «It’s not nice to speak a language that others present can’t understand.»
«Ruslan!» exclaimed Nina. «I didn’t know that you would come.»
«Didn’t Vlad tell you?» Ruslan looked at his friend.
Vlad shrugged his shoulders. «I didn’t think it important.»
«Where is Larisa?» asked Ruslan, taking an appetizer.
«She’s playing with Hannah in her room,» replied David.
«I brought a puzzle for the girls,» said Ruslan.
«Then let’s go.» A smiling Megan got her feet and they went upstairs.
When Larisa saw Ruslan enter the room, she gasped, and ran to him. Hannah looked at the man with astonishment.
«Mom? Who is this?» she asked.
«Ruslan is Larisa’s godfather,» Megan explained to her daughter, also surprised by the reaction of Larisa.
«I love my Uncle Ruslan very much,» the girl explained very seriously. «Because he’s kind. Once Daddy killed a spider. I pitied this spider. I like insects. I like animals. But Uncle Ruslan never kills spiders.»
«My mom always said it’s bad luck to kill a spider,» pronounced Ruslan such an upset intonation that Megan guessed at once, «His mother had passed away, and probably not a long time ago.» She said nothing aloud.
Ruslan gave the girls the puzzle and went back down to the living room with Megan.
When they entered, Megan saw her husband talking on the phone, and he was not smiling, but listening with a disgruntled face. «Okay,» he said into the receiver. «Thanks. Bye.» He hung up and looked at his wife. «The Jacksons can’t come, honey.»