Then I opened the wardrobe in the parents’ room with Mom’s dresses and Dad’s jackets hanging in the dark warm compartment behind the door that bore the big outside mirror. Just in case, I checked even behind the wardrobe’s right door though there was no room for hiding in the compartment filled with the drawers for stacks of sheets and pillowcases, except for the one at the bottom where I once discovered the blue square of a seaman collar cut off a sailor’s shirt. And, wrapped into it, there was a dagger of a naval officer with spiral ribs in the yellow hilt and the long steel body tapering to the needle-sharp point hidden in the taut black scabbard. A couple of days later, I couldn’t keep the temptation back and shared the great secret with the younger ones. However, Natasha casually shrugged the news away and answered that she knew about the dagger all along and even showed it to Sasha…
And now Natasha, with happy giggles, was following my vain search and after my frantic cry addressed to our absent brother that, okay, I agreed to be the “it” one more time, only let him go out from wherever he was now, Natasha also yelled instructing him to sit tight and quiet, and not to give up. I ran out of patience completely and refused to play anymore, but she suggested that I leave the room for a moment. Returning from the corridor, I saw Sasha in the middle of the room pleased and silent, and blinking bemusedly at Natasha’s report how he climbed the fourth drawer in the wardrobe where she piled socks over him…
At times there happened exclusively family games at home, with no neighbors taking part…
Merry laughter of several voices was heard from the parents' room, I put the book aside got up from the big sofa and trotted over there.
"What’s the fuss?" asked I envious of the mutual mirth.
"Checking the pots!"
"How’s that?"
"Come on and have a check!"
I was told to sit on Dad's back and grab him by the neck while he was firmly holding my legs. So far, so good, I liked it. But then he turned my back towards Mom and I felt her finger rooting my ass as deep as the pants let go.
"This pot is leaky!" announced Mom.
Everyone laughed and me too, although I felt somehow ashamed…
Another time Dad asks me, "Wanna see Moscow?"
"Wow! Sure!"
Coming from behind, he puts his hands over my ears, tight, and lifts me up above the floor by my head squeezed in between his hands.
"How now? D'you, see Moscow?"
"Yes! Yes!" scream I.
He puts me back where taken and I do my best not to hide the tears from the smarting pain in my ears flattened against the skull.