Sixteen years have passed since Timur left his native village, slamming the gate of his father’s house. He was a young man then—only twenty, with a suitcase in his hand and pain in his chest. All these years, his mother wrote to him: at first often, every week, then once a month… over time, the … Read more
On a rainy autumn evening, when the sky was covered with dense clouds and the whole world was painted in gloomy gray tones, I was walking home after an exhausting workday. Suddenly, through the sound of rain and the hum of traffic, I heard a strange, piercing cry. It stood out from the other sounds, … Read more
On the ninth floor of the new building, the air smelled of fresh renovation—glue, whitewash, and cardboard boxes from Leroy Merlin. Outside the windows, there were gray garage roofs and in the distance, a barely noticeable strip of forest, still asleep from its winter slumber. Spring was somewhere nearby but hesitated to enter. Lena stood … Read more
Late evening. The streets were almost empty—just the right time for the work Zamira usually did. Slowly, without rushing, she emptied the trash cans and placed the rubbish into a large black bag. A young Uzbek woman with no education beyond school struggled for every ruble to make ends meet. In the morning, she swept … Read more
You?” Elena’s voice was surprised and even frightened. When she opened the door, she least expected to see Oleg standing on the threshold of their former apartment. “Yes,” he smirked. “Will you let me in? After all, I’m not a stranger here.” Elena stepped back, letting her ex-husband into their once-shared apartment. Oleg walked in, … Read more
Olga eagerly flipped through the culinary magazine, making notes in the margins. The new recipe for French julienne seemed especially interesting to her. “I’ll have to try adding white mushrooms instead of champignons,” she thought, imagining how she would surprise her husband with the unusual flavor. Cooking had always been her passion. She could spend … Read more
Let’s take mine then,” Svetlana persisted. “Why not? We could go on the honeymoon with the whole family. We could even bring your sister, and your uncle and aunt, sorry, I forgot their names.” “Don’t make it worse, Sveta. What did I say? Dad needs a rest. Mom, as a doctor, advised him to breathe … Read more
Family secrets can destroy even the strongest relationships. Sonya and Matvei got married a year and a half ago. Matvei had his own one-room apartment. It wasn’t new, but it was in a good location. Sonya had a three-room apartment, but she still had four more years to pay off the mortgage. They decided to … Read more
Stepping over the threshold of the apartment, Olga froze. Something was off… A familiar sight: the guest slippers were treacherously placed by the door instead of lying peacefully in the dresser. In the kitchen—complete chaos! Chairs haphazardly pushed aside, dirty dishes on the table… Another “surprise” from the uninvited guests. “Oh my God, not again!” … Read more
Asya worked for many years as an orderly in a maternity hospital. She had never been married. Since childhood, she heard her mother’s lamentations: “Oh, Asya, you’re so unlucky, you’re ugly, and cross-eyed to top it off…” Asya herself could see that she was different from the other girls. She had a potato-shaped nose, a … Read more