Howondaland

Chapter 8. Part 2. Lina

Anya was furious. His nostrils flared, and his eyes seemed to strike sparks. I
could not stand it and hid behind Denis. He held his hand behind his back, and
I grabbed her like a lifebuoy. I was scared. What will happen now?
And how did Denis manage to remain so calm? I could feel the wave of anger from
him, but my voice was cold.
— What’s wrong? Do I need your permission for everything?
Anna coughed with anger. Cope with the cough, she growled:
— Do you recall your age? What, your
rattling roof does not allow you to count? I can help!
She slapped him. Denis drew the air through his clenched teeth. I felt his
muscles tighten and cling more tightly into his hand.
— Do not be afraid, — he suddenly turned
to me and smiled. But his eyes remained wicked and completely yellow.
— Do not you dare turn your back on me!
— Anya again grabbed his shoulder and suddenly turned his attention to me. —
And you! We’ll go home right now and there I’ll talk to you!
She pushed Denis away and grabbed my hand painfully. Long nails dug into my
skin and my eyes filled with tears.
— Anya! — Denis tried to detach a woman from me, but it was useless. And where
did Anya take so much power?
She dragged me to the door and I had to follow her. Denis followed us, but the
man was surrounded by a crowd of his students and he fell behind …

**
Anya drove the car in silence, only breathed furiously. I hoped until the last
time that Denis would have time to escape from his disciples and save me from
this red witch …
In the apartment she dragged me into the living room and pushed me onto the
sofa. I have never seen a man so angry. But why? Is it really due to the fact
that we almost kissed Denis? She really is not all the same or?..
— Listen, — Anna began sharply, and I flinched. — What do you know about Denis?
In addition to the name and age is nothing, right? And with all this luggage of
knowledge, you’re going to have an affair with him? I do not even mention your
age!
— Do you know,— she continued, -what is Denis really like? Do you think you’ll
be easy with him? He’s not an ordinary quiet man, Angelina! Denis is a genius,
one of the few artists who will symbolize our time! You did not know that, did
you? Well, of course not! This he will not tell about himself. Do you
understand what this all means? You’re not his level, Lina!
I jumped from the couch. I was tired of these conversations and I did not want
to learn the truth about Denis from Anya, especially in such confused flow. A
genius, right? Is not it all the same to me! Not his level? Well, we’ll see
about that!
I wanted to say a lot to Ana, but I could ask only one question:
— Why?..
Her answer struck me. I ran out of the apartment in tears — to stay there did
not make sense.
— I love Denis, — just answered Anya. — And it should be mine.

**
Denis.
Sometimes I thought why I did not immediately get rid of my students, but let
them hold me. Perhaps this is all because of the fear of scandals, how many
times did I faint in my childhood, when my father shouted at me? ..
Home, I raced, as if undermined. I did not find Lina in Anna’s apartment, only
Anya, who was crying on the sofa in the living room.
— Where’s Lina? — I cried out.
The girl looked at me angrily and said nothing.
— What the hell, Anya? With what joy did you decide to intervene? Why did you
decide for me that Lina does not suit me? I do not believe that age is involved
in this!
— You yourself know what will end, Denis! You part way sooner or later, and you
crawl to me! How many times has it already happened? Do you recall why you are
abandoned? And with it everything will be the same and even earlier! You even
can not communicate normally because of the difference in age!
— Thank you,— I said dryly. —I perfectly remember why women run away from me.
And I perfectly understood that you do not want me to be happy once in my life.
— You will not be happy with anyone but me, Denis!  We’ve known each other all my life and only I
can be with you and not escape!
This is news. Does she really think so? For all these years I’m used to having
sex without obligations and we are both completely free. I was wrong, right? So
blind that I do not see the obvious? But now it’s completely unimportant.
— I asked you to marry and you refused, remember? Now stop annoying me and just
tell me where Angelina is!
— I do not know, — she said dully. — Denis!
— What else? — I answered discontentedly. Where could Lina leave? Where can I
find it? And why am I still here?
-I love you, Denis, — said Anya quickly and with hope grabbed my sleeve.
I turned and looked into her eyes. And he said what he really thought.
— And I do not care. I need Lina.
Also has left, hearing behind the back Anna’s crying.

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Russian text

Chapter 8. Part
1. Lina.

I
leaned elbows on the cool balustrade and set my face to the wind. It
was a hot August, exhausting in the afternoon with arid stuffiness and only at
night it became easier.
I
escaped from the exhibition hall, where paintings of Denis’s students were
exhibited. Most
of all I was surprised that Denis, with his obvious dislike for people, manages
to teach art. And
even more surprised when I saw that his students literally adore the man. Denis
appeared before me in a different light and it was very unusual …

After
that walk in the park, we practically did not communicate, Denis was busy, and
if we saw each other in the evenings, then always there was Anya. It
was she who ran her fingers through his hair, slowly moving through the tangled
strands; hugged
a man, as if they had been married for several years, and, it seems, did all
this in full confidence that Denis belongs only to her. He
tried to escape from the hands of a woman, guiltily looking at me. I
shrugged and turned away-what could I say to Ana? What
do I really need this man, that I should be in her place? I
think she would have just laughed at me — oh, damn age, when you still are not
taken seriously, but they demand a lot.

I
was so absorbed in my thoughts that I did not hear when Denis came up to me.
— I barely found you, — he
smiled. — Tired of everything?
He
put a hot hand on top of mine and lightly squeezed his fingers. Surprisingly
— a simple touch of hands, but my knees buckle and all thoughts and desires
become completely indecent.

I looked into his eyes. Strange,
but people really did not stand the look of Denis, studiously looking him in
the bridge of the nose with close contacts. Sometimes
it seemed to me that the man is even amused, though, that I could even know
about him? He continued
to be completely incomprehensible to me. But
when he looked at me, his eyes warmed, out of them went away alertness and I
wanted him to continue to look at me as long as possible …
From the hall, the
sounds of a waltz were heard. Denis listened
attentively to the music and smiled.
—
It’s funny, at school we were taught to dance a waltz, it would seem, why do
teenagers have such knowledge in our time? And
the school was not particularly fortunate … But it seems that the old skills
are not forgotten. Give me a hand.
—
I do not know how,— I laughed, but held out my hand.
He
drew me to him, tightly squeezing his waist and said quietly:
— What are
you doing to me, Lina?
He whirled me in the dance. Why next
to him do I feel so grown-up?
—
I would never have thought you could dance, — I said.
-You
do not know much about me, — Denis said cheerfully, and suddenly bent sharply
to my face. In
his eyes, I saw my reflection, so small and infinite far …
—
You have amazing eyes, Lina.

He traced a finger along my cheek. I sighed convulsively. Oh God, now he’s gonna kiss me,
right? Mothers …
He did not hurry. He
pressed his forehead to mine, as if enjoying every drawn second. I
put my hand on his chest and felt how fast his heart was beating and even a
little scared …
His
lips slid on mine — only the shadow of a real kiss … And, suddenly, he seemed
to be flung from me.
Behind
Denis there was an angry Anya and breathed heavily, holding the man by the
shoulder.
— What are you doing? — she cried out. — What are you doing, Denis?

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