The crowd erupted into cheers and a smile slowly broke out into my face. I said my thanks and walked over to the manager who was leaning against one of the walls, his gaze on me with a smug smile on his face. The fact that I was becoming fluent in Russian from Dimitri's lessons was the only reason that I didn't get given to the cops straight away.
"Did it go well?" I asked translating to Russian, the man's smile grew.
"Very well" he replied, "you have earned your keep and there is no need to press charges." I smiled at that
"Thank you sir" I said graciously.
I walked back over to the table and Dimitri's awestruck face.
"Why did you do that?" He asked in disbelief.
"I didn't have enough money, I had to earn my keep or I'd be in a jail cell for the night. I struck a bargain with the owner, I said I would perform tonight as entertainment. If I failed, I wasn't allowed here ever again and I had a big bill to pay, if I did well I didn't have to pay anything." I replied, Dimitri looked at me mesmerized and fascinated for a second and then remembered his manners.
"You have a beautiful voice" he said quietly and slightly blushing at the compliment he gave. "It sounded like silk velvet wrapping itself around your vocal cords" he went on, "like dripping honey or an angel singing" he mused while gazing intently at me. Dimitri's eyes widened and my heart was beating erratically fast. This was far beyond flirting in Dimitri's books because he never complimented so vividly, I knew that and the fact that he had stated this to me meant a lot on my own script.
He cleared his throat "where did you learn how to sing like that?" He asked shyly while trying to shift the conversation, I smiled broadly.
"The days before I was diagnosed I used to sing at concerts, in competitions, at gigs." I said still grinning about the thought "when I was diagnosed, I thought it was over, I didn't sing for months." As I was explaining I drummed my fingers against the corner of the table as if I were still playing the piano. "But one day, I noticed a piano in one of entertaining rooms of the hospital that no one went into. I was meant to have chemotherapy that day but instead I sat there and played and played and played. The only thing I heard for seventeen hours was the sound of a piano and my own voice." I smirked, "when they found me their anger was so indescribable and so was the punishment but it was always, always worth it." I said passionately with a smile on my face. Dimitri smiled as he imagined the scenario.
"What's your family like?" I asked, wanting to find out things about the big bad Russian jailor.
"I love my family it's absolutely amazing" he said his eyes twinkling
"I grew up with just ladies in the house and me." He said chuckling "I was always the dress up model, but I didn't mind because it was always worth seeing them happy." He said, "But it doesn't mean that I didn't pout when I was having photos taken of me in dresses." I chuckled at the thought of a pouting, small Dimitri in a pink, fairy princess' dress.
Dimitri continued "I have three sisters, a mother and a grandmother whom I would protect with my life. I now have a niece and nephew and a new one on the way." He said, his lips curving up slightly and eyes sparkling affectionately. I was amazed at what an amazing family he had, all love and protectiveness over his siblings. I would have killed to be in his place.
"What about you?" he asked
I just sighed and looked at him "I don't have that much luck with family." I said, Dimitri got the picture and left it. I looked at Dimitri and smiled
"Thank you" I said out of the blue
"What for?" Dimitri asked startled
"For making my time here so far incredibly enjoyable. I have already crossed one thing off on my bucket list." I really wanted to say that I had covered two things of my bucket list in the past three weeks and that not only did I move to Russia but I had also managed to fall in love. But I realised that he'd have to have feelings for me to check it off. I coughed and coughed again, wondering what was happening I looked at Dimitri.
"May I please excuse myself?" I asked
"You're not going to start singing again?" He asked while chuckling
"No" I said not even realising I was smiling "I actually need to use the restroom" I stated.
"Well then" Dimitri said, "be my guest."
I made my way over, only being able to tell the difference between the two toilets because of the female and male logos on them. And once I got in there I started coughing and coughing. I was unable to stop. I started to sink to the ground as I knew that I was having difficulty in breathing. I just kept coughing and gasping, I could breathe but not enough to satisfy my lungs. I kept trying to breathe deep breaths but they were always interrupted by coughing. I was now gagging on air and lying on my side in recovery position just like I was taught.
My brain was screaming and I kept trying to yell something out, trying to catch someone's attention. But I couldn't, all that came out was a strange strangled sound. At first I wasn't trying to yell anything but then I caught myself trying to catch someone's name, Dimitri.
Why did I always muck up like this? I had such an amazing night so far but like usual I managed to screw it one way another. Regret clouded my mind in my moment of death, suffocation wrapping itself around me like a blanket. But then it all stopped, a whole bunch of air was inhaled in my lungs and I sunk in relief, turning onto my back and trying to catch my breathing. I knew this wasn't a normal occurrence this had something to do with my leukaemia, it had to. Interrupting my thoughts, I felt something dribble down my chin, it had a watery yet sticky substance. I coughed one last time into my hand. But then I felt the substance also over my fingers. I moved my fingers and looked at what was on them. My heart was beating irregularly and my breathing became uneven.
All over my fingers from when I coughed on it.
Was blood.
