Cказки Призраков. Tales of Ghosts. Премия им. Эдгара По / Edgar Poe Award (Билингва: Rus/Eng). Александра Крючкова
спросил я, ещё ничего не понимая.
– Мама… МОЯ мама. Она рассказала мне правду… Сколько ты заплатил своему другу-врачу, чтобы убить её и объявить меня «мёртвой»? А кого убили и похоронили тогда вместо меня? Ты даже не явился на похороны, папа, а её муж каждый год в мой день рождения заказывает сорокоуст за упокой моей души! Если бы она знала, как ты поступишь, она бы выбросилась из окна. Я сделаю это за неё!
Внезапно я протрезвел, метнулся к Танюше, чтобы остановить, но не успел, поскользнувшись. В тот день ей навсегда исполнилось 12 лет…
8. Stillborn
«I will do it instead of her!» Tanya said, stopping me with a gesture. She turned twelve years old that day.
***
We got acquainted in the bakery across from our office, where Nastya baked amazing buns. That evening, as usual, she knocked on the door and entered my office.
«Hello!» I said automatically, continuing to leaf through the mail, and Nastya silently stood at the table with the hope that I would honor her with a look after all.
She was unusually beautiful that day. Something seemed to have changed in her.
«What’s happened, darling?»
Nastya smiled enigmatically, nodded and, coming closer to me, sat down on the edge of the table. I frantically ran through the options in my head. A new dress? No. Had she changed hairstyle? Makeup? What was the difference?
«Don’t torture me, I’m tired, give me a hint!»
Nastya took my hand and ran it over her tummy.
«We love you!»
I was breathless with joy. Finally!
***
Tanya was always a joy to us, she grew up in front of our eyes, being a beautiful, cheerful and smart, albeit wayward girl. She drew wonderful pictures, played music and figure skating, studied foreign languages. We loved her, spoiling in every possible way. My long-awaited child, she knew no refusal in anything.
***
Nastya came to the window. It was pouring rain outside.
«You know, Boris… I dreamed about my mother last night. She said that we would have a girl, and she would look like me. For some reason, my mother began to cry, then she added something, something important, but I didn’t catch it. She was called somewhere, and I woke up.»
«Darling,» I went up to Nastya and hugged her tightly, «you have no right to think about anything bad! My daughter will be the most beautiful, the smartest, the happiest, the richest! All the required of you now is to take care of yourself! My baby is supposed to be born healthy, so you have no right to worry! You have to live for her now!»
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