«Really? Is she so gifted?»
«I’m sure she will be the next Picasso!» exclaimed Nina emotionally.
«And who is her husband?» Marina moved an office chair from the computer and sat next to Nina.
«Oleg?» Nina shrugged her shoulders. «A businessman. Selling, reselling cars, apartments. It’s all that I heard. I bet even Vera doesn’t know for sure. They got married just before they moved to the States. They barely had time to finish all the formalities. What was he doing in Moscow? Some Russian business, I suppose.»
«A crook, eh?» Marina snorted.
«It’s none of our business, is it?» Nina smiled. «Nah, he’s a good person, he’s teaching Vlad how to drive a car, he helped us when we moved. No, he’s not bad. Vera told me she doesn’t like his greediness for money, but I don’t know… Vlad, for example, is a very niggardly man, but I think it’s better than if he was a squanderer.»
«Vlad told me you were studying in the same group in the University, right?» asked Marina, as a new idea came to her.
«Yes,» confirmed Nina. «But I did not graduate.»
«No matter. Could you help me to finish checking the students’ tests? I have a lot of work left, but I’m babysitting tonight.»
«Of course, I’ll be happy to help. But how did you find a client? Most of the people in town are still afraid of Russians.»
«Maybe,» Marina answered calmly, and held out a bunch of papers. «But I’m sitting with the children of the VanSteins.»
«Ah.» Nina nodded. «Yesterday when you helped Dylon, you so impressed all of us. You are a hero. It’s a shame, but if something similar happened to Larisa, I would be only able to faint or sob, not act in such a resolute manner.»
Looking at the first test, Nina did not notice the face of Marina flush. Thinking about David, she closed her eyes for a second, recalling his hug. The memories of his tender strong arms around her body filled the girl with hot sweet emotion and her breathing became panting with thrill and excitation.
«My God!» Nina gasped with great surprise. «This student classified oxygen as a poison gas.» She checked the next paper. «The molecular mass of water is sixteen tons? What the hell is this?»
«Cool down, buddy.» Marina smiled at her reaction. «Just count the numbers of mistakes, okay?»
«Deal.» Nina shook her head, still murmuring with amazement.
The woman silently helped with the grading, then Marina said thanks and drove her home.
Nina opened the door, and Marina heard Larisa screaming happily: «Mommy, Mommy! Aunt Vera taught me how to draw a horsie.»
A huge feeling of loneliness fell heavily on Marina, and she quickly drove away, dreaming about David. When she finally saw him standing on the porch of his house, like a captain on the bridge of a ship, the painful, ashamed joy jammed her heart.