a younger sister and two brothers,» Marina explained calmly. «My mom often left me with them. Sometimes we spent a few days all alone.»
Her accent surprised Megan, and she recalled that David had told her his teaching assistant was Russian. Deep instinctive fears and worry about her children stirred in Megan’s soul, but she pressed it down with her mind.
«Don’t be stupid,» Megan ordered herself. «Why should we be afraid of her?» And she started to explain to Marina what to do with the kids.
***
Hannah VanStein hated it when her parents left her at home, like she was a baby. She was seven, almost eight years old, and did not think of herself as a child. She hated all babysitters, and when Megan and Marina entered her room, she started wailing.
«Honey,» Megan pleadingly addressed her. «Marina is a kind lady. Please be a good girl.»
«Don’t worry Mrs. VanStein.» Marina sat down near Hannah’s dollhouse. «We’ll be fine.»
«What did she say?» Hannah did not understand a word. Amazed, she even forgot to cry.
«I said,» Marina carefully pronounced every sound. «I really like the vest on this Barbie.» She pointed to the doll.
It was Hannah’s favorite toy. Very old, with thinning hair, it was still first in the girl’s heart. Hannah was glad that this unknown lady who was talking so strange liked her doll, and noticed its new and really elegant vest.
«I made it myself.» Hannah said proudly, taking the doll out and trustfully handing it to Marina.
«Wow!» Marina took the toy.
Megan smiled. «Honey? We’re going, okay?»
«Bye, mom!» Hannah did not even look at her mother. She addressed Marina excitedly. «Have you ever seen such a beauty? Her name is Lola. She’s a princess.»
«Then we shell made a crown for her,» suggested Marina, and Megan quietly left.
***
David would have not thought about Marina, but Megan talked about her all the way to the city, and even during the play. The image of Marina involuntarily appeared in his mind, disturbing and worrying him.
He recalled how she flung herself towards him, there in the laboratory. «Why?» he thought, and was afraid to allow himself honestly to admit the reason.
***
Two weeks later when the VanSteins organized a picnic, David, as an adviser of Vlad Lapin, invited him, with his wife Nina and daughter Larisa.
With delight Hannah looked at the big beautiful bows that decorated Larisa’s pigtails. Nina Lapina brought the same for her, but Hannah did not like to tie her hair, so she refused. Seeing how Nina got upset about that, Megan VanStein took the bows and said thanks.
«I’ll try later,» she assured Nina, and the girls moved aside, still assessing each other.
Larisa was five and younger than Hannah, so Hannah looked down on her. But Larisa’s timidity touched her young hostess, and Hannah recalled that her parents had told her to be polite.
«My Lola is a princess.» Hannah showed Larisa her doll with the crown that Marina helped to make.
«My Margarita is a police officer.» Larisa held up her Barbie.
After her time talking with Marina, Hannah had accustomed herself to understanding Russian people, but Larisa spoke with barely an accent anyway. Hannah looked at the Barbie with skepticism. «If she’s a policewoman why is she not wearing a uniform?»
«She’s not on duty,» retorted Larisa. «She’s a guest.»
Hannah accepted the explanation, and the girls started to play together. They seated the dolls around the toy table and put candy on their plates.
«It will be a tea party,» suggested Hannah. Larisa did not argue.
Nina Lapina did not speak English well, so she could not keep up conversation for long, and when more guests arrived she moved close to Marina Aleksandrova.
Seated on a plastic chair with her elbows on the molded arms, the teaching assistant propped her chin up with her fists and kept her eyes on the people in the yard.
«Hi,» Nina smiled, and sat next to her. «I think we should get to know each other a little better.»
«I’ll be happy to,» Marina replied with sincere gladness. «Why does your daughter speak English so well?»
«It’s a touching story.» Nina smiled. «Our neighbor in Russia was American. My mom once saved her doggie, and they became friends. She spent a lot of time with Larisa and taught her English without any charge.»
«Wow.» Marina sighed.
The women kept silent for a while, pensively looking around. This day there was no sun; the sky was hidden behind an unbroken cover of grayish blue clouds. The warm and humid air was still, casting a drowsiness over everyone and arousing in their souls odd, various, and bizarre fantasies.
«What do you think about Vlad’s adviser?» Marina suddenly asked.
«About David?» wondered Nina, looking at the host.
«Yes, about David…»
Marina’s dreamy voice surprised Nina. She shrugged her shoulders. «I don’t know him well yet.»
«Don’t you think he looks like a pirate?» continued Marina, still staring at David. «Have you ever seen a professor with a beard and mustache?»
«Yes.» Nina laughed. «You’re right, he looks like some buccaneer! I don’t like brunettes, but… It would have been so romantic. Imagine a pirate ship, they captured us…»
«Yeah.» Marina breathed out a slight moan. «Captured…»
While the adult guests were talking, Dylon, Hannah’s baby brother, crept closer and sat next to Larisa. Laughing, he stretched his arm out towards the toy table.
«Mom!» Hannah called with displeasure. «Dylon is disturbing us!»
«Play nice!» Megan glanced at them, and turned to the adults again.
Hannah pursed her lips, but Larisa cheered her up, «It’s even better. He can play with us.»
She addressed the boy, «Would you like a cup of tea?» She gave him an empty plastic cup. The child took it, looked at it all over, and made a motion that he was drinking.
«You see!» exclaimed Larisa. «He understood.»
Merriment returned to Hannah, and, smiling, she moved a plate with sweets to Dylon. The boy grabbed a handful of the candy and stuffed his mouth.
«No!» Hannah angrily shouted at him. «You should take just one.»
The boy coughed, and candy fell from his mouth.
Feeling
