It was Sunday, and the phone rang at an ungodly time. He grabbed his phone blindly and answered the call. „Hello, Ivan?", scratched a familiar voice in English. He grunted as a response.
„I really need you to help me out! My hotel is closing, and there are no flights! I have nowhere to go- can you arrange some special transport for me to leave Russia?", the voice rapidly shot out. Ivan sighed, then rubbed his temple with his free hand. It was too early for this. „Prussiya, calm down. I'll see what's going on as soon as the day has actually started.", he said.
The one on the other side of the phone hesitated. „… It's half past nine, Ivan. In the morning. Were you still sleeping? I've already been to the airport and back-", „I understand.", Ivan interrupted, already stressed from the short conversation. The previous day was coming back to him.
The starting pandemic, reaching for Russia. They had checked their emergency plans and equipment, and there was that spontaneous emergency meeting, which had been held yesterday. The countries close to Russian borders had been there, and Gilbert, subsitituting for Germany, who was busy with an emergency meeting with the states of the European Union. Everyone had left for home late in the evening, except – apparently – for Gilbert, who was going to return in the early morning of the following day. Today. The day before all non-essential businesses were to close, including hotels.
„What do you mean, there are no flights?", Ivan asked, sitting up in his bed. „Apparently the EU has closed their borders to all travellers, and now I am stuck here.", Gilbert drawled dryly on the other end of the line. „I have already called Ludwig, and he said it would send the wrong signal to make exceptions at this time. At least that is what has been decided." Ivan groaned. „Let me check. When do you have to leave the hotel?"
„They said by 2 in the afternoon." , „I will call you back a bit later. Stay in the room.", Ivan replied before hanging up. For a moment he looked at the number shown on his screen, then looked for a number in his contact list and dialled.
The driver was wearing gloves and asked to be paid contactless. Gilbert, who did not have any physical money on him anyway, happily obliged. He got out with his duffel bag and the suit bag, and shivered when the cold air got under his open jacket. He shivered again when the door of the big old house opened, and Ivan came out to greet him. The tall man was wearing a large natural wool-coloured cable-knit sweater and an only lightly disguised frown. Somehow the sweater made him look much more massive despite its light colour.
„Hi, Ivan.." Gilbert said, slowly walking towards the entrance. It was mid-day in March, and still only about 3°C, the ground slippery in front of the house. „Come on in.", Ivan said and made space for Gilbert to walk into the house.
The entrance was still pretty much unchanged, though things had gotten renovated since the last time Gilbert had been here. The old wallpapers had been removed and replaced by white-washed walls. He removed his jacked and shoes, feeling watched by the Russian. „It looks nice.", he said to break the silence, indicating the walls. „Oh, we did not really change much on the first floor.", Ivan said, „but the second floor looks quite different now. Come, I'll show you." With that, Ivan walked into the house, towards a large staircase leading upstairs. Gilbert swung his duffel bag over his left shoulder and followed while looking around. The house definitely looked less old-fashioned inside now. There still was a lot of old and very old furniture, but mixed with the clean white walls, it had a different vibe than in the middle of the last century.
When Ivan had called him back after almost two hours, Gilbert had been on edge. Somehow he had already known that this story would end up with him staying in Ivan's home, he had just kept hoping that it wouldn't. For naught. Judging from the tone of the Russian's voice on the phone, he had had similar thoughts. The whole drive he had dreaded walking into this house, and now that he was here, it turned out to not be that bad. Some of the very hideous paintings had even been removed, he noted. The staircase was as creaky as it had been some 70 years earlier, but the second floor seemed to belong to a different house. It was light and modern, with an open second living room. The layout seemed to have changed a bit, and Gilbert looked around to count the doors. Ivan glanced at him with a small smile. „I have had this completely remodelled. Since I don't need that many rooms anyway I have had the two bathrooms enlarged and modernized, and we removed two of the smaller rooms to create this new open space up here. The library is my working space now, and you can find most books here instead." He then motioned to one of the doors to the left side of the stairs. „Here, you can stay in this room."
Gilbert walked into the room which was much bigger than he remembered any room in here to be. It too was furnished in light colours and featured a large window looking out towards the front of the building. The bed was made and there were shelves and a wardrobe, as if waiting for a guest. Gilbert remembered that Ukraine used to stay in this room whenever she was here. „What happened to the room I used to stay in?", he asked, placing his duffel bag by the wall, hanging his suit bag on one of the garment hooks above it. Ivan still smiled his small smile. „It is a closet for cleaning supplies now." he said, „Want to see?". „Nah", Gilbert said, pressing down annoyance, sitting down on the bed. It was very soft and he sank quite a bit into the covers. „Actually I would really like to show it to you.", Ivan answered, moving forward to loom over him. His voice was still friendly, but Gilbert tensed. „And why is that?", he asked defiantly looking up to the tall man. „You see..", Ivan started, „I have received a call this morning from the friendly person I employ to help me out with cleaning and cooking, you know. He too cannot leave his house anymore from tomorrow, so I was thinking, since you are here, you could help me out instead." Ivan was still smiling at him in a very friendly way, and from looking at him, anyone would swear he could never hurt a fly. Gilbert grumbled. „You want me .. to cook and clean for staying here?", he summarized, a bit incredulous. „You don't mind, do you?", Ivan said asked with his infuriatingly friendly smile. „I will have to work all the time, and it will really help me out not to have to worry about dinner."
Gilbert got up. „I am working too, you know.", he retorted.
„Ah, but I think it is not so much.", Ivan replied in his friendly voice, „and since I had to accept you into my house for political reasons, it just makes sense that you help out around here. Don't you agree?"
„No, uh. It's ok I guess.", Gilbert replied tautly as Ivan loomed above him. „Show me that closet then."