Waving their hands, the city veterans ceremoniously went pass them, and they saw Bill Thompson without his cane. He walked with noticeable effort, but he tried to march, and the women felt tender pity for him, as if he was their own grandfather.
Nina’s eyes were glistening with tears when she lowered her camera.
«My grandpa was killed in the Second World War,» she explained to Megan, and cried.
«The whole family of my granny, twelve members,» Marina said sadly, «died from starving when the Germans were blocking Saint Petersburg. The War cost twenty million Russian lives.»
«My God.» Megan mumbled. «No, Mr. Thompson isn’t so old. As I remember, he was wounded in Vietnam.»
She did not understand why the Russians snorted after her phrase and exchanged glances. Megan forgot about the opposition between the United States and Soviet Union during this war.
Next, after the group of veterans, a platform with a dais and a royal throne on the top moved along the street. Lana was seated in state wearing a regal green dress.
She was not a queen of the parade, but Mr. Limpson could not pass up the opportunity to show off his adored daughter.
Her escorts, Tom and Oleg, were standing at each side of the throne. Clothed in the costumes of Celtic knights, both men appeared very showy, and looking at Vera’s husband, Jeff Menard felt himself plain and miserable.
Jeff glanced at Vera, and to his pleasant surprise he found out she did not even notice Oleg.
«I swear it’s true.» She was talking emotionally with Jeff’s colleague. «Moscow police used bulldozers to destroy this exhibition. My dad was one of these artists. It had happened about in the same time as Caribbean crisis.»
«Since that time the siren sounded every Saturday.» The policeman laughed.
Vera snorted too and glanced at Jeff. «Are you still afraid of Russians?»
«It’s a shame to be afraid of such pretty Russians,» Menard’s colleague retorted gallantly, and Jeff felt jealousy, but he dared not add his own compliment.
Lana Limpson was throwing sweets and erasers around, and Jeff picked up some chocolate bars and gave them to his colleague and to Vera as well.
Staring eye-to-eye, Jeff and Vera opened their candy and put the pieces into their mouths at the same time. Their gazes still were linked when they slowly chewed the chocolate, and, because it was the same taste, they both were imagining that they were kissing each other.
Four girls, two at either side of the platform, went along the street delivering pencils with cloverleaves and the trademark of Mr. Limpson’s company.