Вадим Иванович Кучеренко
Life is Boundless
– There, now. Why are you crying?
– I’m crying away my grief to come,– the girl replied when her sudden despair was over, and she was able to talk. Her voice was wavering, unfolding the emotions she tried to hide. – Every time I’m in a world of hardships I just cry, and it helps me.
– A grief to come? – The boy was all at sea – What’re you talking about?
She shivered as she was nestling by the campfire in order to get warm. She talked in a low voice, staring at fire, as if she was talking to herself.
– I wish life to be free of many things. Vicious dogs. A ball that speeds into face. Nails that are spread across a road… – For a moment she became silent, then she went on, – although I think that everything that happens, happens for good. Even if something bad happens – it will be good in the end.
– I asked you about that grief of yours. In our future life, – the boy asked stubbornly, with a gloomy look on his face.
– I know that there are blackholes among the stars. And it might happen that you… and our son… – Her voice was full of fear, when she finally said it, – will never be able to come back!
The boy laughed with ease as he began to realize what was going on.
– Until you wait for us on Earth, that will never happen! – He said ensure of his words.
– It depends neither on me nor on you. – She shook her head, staring to the fire and trying not to look at the boy’s face in order not to cry again, – my nanna says that one’s fate depends only on God which is to be found in one’s soul.
– What about you?
– Me? It seems that I haven’t found my God yet. I’m not a religious kind, but if I see the crucifix, I cross, – she answered pensively after a moment of silence.
She averted her gaze to meet the boy’s eyes as if she wanted her words to sound eloquently.
– One thing I know for sure. Even before the grief to come, hovering of it is going to break me. And one day no one will be there for you.
Her eyes dimmed with tears again. The boy hugged her and patted her head like soothing a baby, and whispered:
– Don’t cry. Please.
– No, no, don’t believe me! – She suddenly exclaimed almost subvocally, as if it was not her, but her soul. – I will wait for you forever, won’t I? Just tell me that it is so, and I will laugh my fear away.
– Indeed you will. We love each other, and estrangement will not fear us, – he ensured her.
– Just don’t, – she nestled against him as she was trying to get warm, – don’t ever leave me. Neither for the sky, nor for the ocean or the underground. Deal?
– Deal, – taking a deep breath, as if he was punching above weight, he answered with resignation. She was about to sacrifice anything for her happiness. He looked at the sky and said dreary: – Look. We need to go back. They might look for us if we don’t. The stars have already become dim.
Sure enough, the sky got white before the dawn has hidden all the stars.
Several years passed. That year’s May was amazingly warm and sunny, despite all weather forecasts, – its dawns were beautified with cheerful aubades, saluting from the kitchen window. A man and a woman of middle age were sitting at a table and having breakfast. He was on a heavy site a bit, with a light dusting of grey in his thinned hair, but his eyes looked pluckily through thick lenses. She was gracious and pretty with a specific femininity that a woman is able to reach in case she takes care of her appearance.
–And where is Gleb? – Asked the man, spreading bread with butter,– he is still sleeping, isn’t he?
–This mischievous kid spent a half of the night at his telescope once again, – trying to be as much grumpy as she could, said the woman, gazing into the starry sky. You have to chew him out!
– Anastasia, may I ask you, why do I have to do it, not you? – asked the man with actorish astonishment. – You know that I…
– You have to do it, Dmitry Ivanovich, at least because you did gift him the telescope on his birthday, –the woman interrupted, passing him a cup of tea, – so stew in your own juice!
– It would be better if I had gifted him ballet slippers…
– What have you just said? – Asked the woman strictly, but her eyes smiled, – I’m sorry, cannot hear you because of this annoying bird yelling. Why do they need to scream blue murder such early?
– I said, of course I will do it, honey! – The man gave a hasty answer, hearing a hint of anger in woman’s voice, and decided not to be the next after the innocent birds, – I am certainly going to talk with our son about this night watches at the telescope.
– I’m happy that common sense has prevailed in our family, – the woman noticed drily, and suddenly she smiled like a playful girl. – By the way, ballet slippers are called pointe-shoes.
– That’s good to know, – the man sighed with relief, being grateful that the storm has passed at a distance, – and birds are singing remarkably this morning!
– I agree on this, my dear husband.
– And on what don’t you agree with me? – Feeling the hint of understatement in his wife’s voice, asked the man. He was curious, as all the scientists are, sometimes he was his own enemy.
– On how you look on our son’s future, – she answered amazingly looking at her husband, as if she was baffled with his incomprehension. – He shouldn’t stuff his head with that space. And you should not help him doing so.
– Don’t you think it’s up to him to decide? – He asked trying to be as soft as possible.
– Certainly, but…
She didn’t finish her speech. A tall black-haired boy entered the kitchen. He resembled his mother surprisingly, but something elusive in his appearance was akin to his father – maybe eyes, to be precise, his way of looking on things, sagely and with curiosity. He looked at his parents with a mocking reproach, as if he understood that their morning talk was related to him, and sat at the table. The boy anticipated that their yet another controversy was impossible to become a quarrel, because father always yields to mother on such occasions as he loved her so much, and he wasn’t anxious.
