Why.. are you smiling? Do svidania... Izvinite...
Nineteen fifty, December twenty first. The cold harsh winter win whipped against my face as I was roaming around the streets of Moscow. Children's laughter and chorus's of giggles came out from here and there as lights were brightly lit up in decoration welcoming the kind spirits of Christmas. It's been several years since the war and yet, things are still out of place. Russia was barely keeping up- taping the fragments of what was left. Thinking these thoughts, I shoved my hands in my plum coloured coat, a fog coming out from my lips right in to the cold freezing air.
"Sestra! Sestra! Come here, and look at this!" My blue eyes averted to the direction of a little blond boy running towards his elder sister tugging on her hand with his tiny little hands, a smile sat right across his face. Sights like this warmed my heart as it reminded me of my life back before the war had started. "Bang!" A loud crack had whipped it's way in to the silent jolly atmosphere as the blond lady fell to her knees, the sound of a cry erupting from the area. Instantly, shifting my head around I looked towards the direction from the source of the sound- but no one. Slowly turning my head around, many people started to huddle around in a crowd around the dead lady as her little brother held his sister's hand weeping bitter tears. "Sestra! Sestra! N-Nyet.. Sestra! Please!" The little boy begged and begged, what a pitiful boy that was.
Biting my lips and turning in my heels, I began to walk off in to the cold dark world making my way back. Brushing some of my long blond locks away from my eyes, my hands trembled and shook from this harsh winter as my fingers fumbled around with the lock- unlocking it and sliding open the door. "Ah- Lotti privjet~" A puff of smoke came out from the lit pipe as the bulgy old man leaned back in his chairs, both hands behind his back with a grin that sat on his face as if he had won a million dollars of somewhat.
"Privjet." I muttered back in reply. Sliding the door close behind me, I began to unwrap my pale blue scarf and hang it up on the hanger making my way to the kitchen. A small sigh escaped from my lips at the sight that was in front of me. Many pots and pans were here and there scattered all over the floor. Some new and some cheap and old looking as some had even lost it's colour turning dark red from rust. A foul small of many rotten fruits and meat lingered in to the air almost making me want to gag pretty much. Looking down on to the floor, my thick rubber boots began to squeak as I walked closer and closer to the fridge. Perhaps I can get something warm to heat up for now. Lately our rations of food had started to decrease ever since the end of the war, as mother Russia still tried to keep her economy together, but just like a broken family portrait- it was useless. Upon opening the cabinet and finding a small can of tomato soup, my eager hungry hands grabbed the can as I grabbed one of the pots with my other free hand putting it right on top of the stove.
"Gospodin , do you have any matches on you?"
"Da- da little Lotti, come over here and get them!" With a small curse escaping from my lips I walked over to the bulky old man grabbing a match and headed back in to the kitchen muttering a quick thanks. Damn that man. I hated when he called me 'little Lotti' damn him. Slightly irritated from the name, my hands quickly and harshly scraped against something hard as a nice glow of orange lit up on my pale complexion bringing slight warmth in to this cold building. How nice it was... perhaps maybe one day... just one day I can be in a nice field of sunflowers... Throwing the match in to the stove the cheap metal pot began to warm up as I dumped the contents in to the pot, grabbing a small wooden spoon stirring the thick red liquid around and around like a small whirlpool. "Basil... do we have basil?" I questioned myself and looked through the cabinets to find a small pouch, a smile of sheer joy lighting up in my face. Sprinkling some of the basil on, the nice aroma lingered on in to the air, which helped a bit in to eliminating the rancid odor.
Alas, the soup was ready and dumping the delicious soup in to an old mug I made my way back out in to the parlor sitting by the old man as his beady black eyes were glued on to the newspaper. Silence began to linger around as if an ominous presence was looming over them.. as if death was sneering right above them. "So, anything interesting ya found, comrade?" Looking up from the papers, his black eyes stared in to mine as I perked my head up.
"Nyet." Focusing back to my soup, I took a small sip before he could say anymore.
"You seem awfully quiet today, hm little Lotti?"
"Don't call me by that." I warned him with a slightly dark tone. A laughter erupted from the older male's throat as he sneered putting his paper down taking my mug away then staring dead in my blue orbs.
"Comrade, no need to be angry here, da? Da?" Tch. This drunken old man must have been drinking again. The stench of burning Vodka reeked from his mouth as his deadly breath was soon inhaled in my nostrils making me squint my eyes from such horrible stench.
"Nyet. Izvinite." Raising his hands and gently placing it over my blond head, he ruffled my hair as a toothy grin was back on once more rather than that look of death which sat on his face earlier.
"Da, good girl. You're forgiven, it's alright." Looking up at the ticking clock with his beady eyes, a small grunt escaped from his lips. "It's late. You should go to bed." In a stern voice he commanded as I perked my head up once more.
"Spokoinoi nochi." Leaving the mug on the table not even bothering to clean it up, a small screech came out from where I had pulled out my chair, and sat up heading upstairs towards my room. Turning the doorknob and entering the room, I kicked off my brown rubber boots throwing off my coat and changing in to my nightgown. The bright moon's light illuminated through the old worn out windows shining giving a glow to my locks. My blue orbs wandered around the room- it was the same as I left it before. Washing up in the bathroom, I carelessly plopped on to the old bed as the sounds of springs creaking echoed through out the room, the dust shooting up like the bullets and gently falling down like snow outside my windows. "What a long day it was." Slowly my world began to get consumed into darkness.
"Mama! Papa!" The warm sun's ray lit up brightly, the many arrays or yellow flowers scattered here and there. The scenery looked as if it were almost from a portrait it seems like it. The skies were as blue as any beautiful sapphire I had ever seen and the sunflower was yellow and bright just like the atmosphere happy and free from sorrow. Giggling, my hands brushed through the soft petals of the vibrant sunflower, my blue eyes lit up - filled with such hope and happiness. Turning back, an elder lady side by side with an elder man, a smile sat on both their faces. Both blond hairs dancing along with the wind such happiness... My blue eyes shot back open as the harsh winter winds welcomed me back to this dark cold world. Instead of bright sunflowers, only a bleak worn out wall stood right in front of my eyes. Instead of a nice beautiful blue sky, a cold dark sky just remained outside. Flipping the covers, I grabbed my boots and threw on my coat once more grabbing the pale blue muffler as I slid the door heading outside in to the cold harsh winter.
A/N translations ~
Do Svidania – 'Good-bye' in Russian
Izvinite – 'Sorry' in Russian
Gospodin – 'Mister' in Russian
Spokoinoi Nochi – 'Good-night' in Russian
Da – 'Yes' in Russian
Nyet – 'No' in Russian
Sestra – 'Sister' in Russian