Free Happiness is Possible by Oleg Zaionchkovsky Page B

which began in the morning, when Nastya finished her shift. Right outside the gates of the Central Hospital she was met by – who do you think? – yes, the owner of a pleasant voice, an ordinary dislocation and also, as it turned out, a very decent automobile.
    â€˜Good morning!’ he said. ‘Allow me to introduce myself at last: I’m Ivan Saveliev. How would you like to have a coffee with me?’
    â€˜I’m tired,’ Nastenka replied. ‘But I’ll have a coffee with you. I’m Nastya.’
    It had slipped her mind that coffee wasn’t served in the catering establishments of N-burg at such an early hour. And even if it hadn’t slipped her mind, she wouldn’t have refused. But if any of you are thinking that she was hoping to become intimate with this almost total stranger, Ivan, you are mistaken. Firstly, Nastya was tired after her night shift and, secondly, she wasn’t that kind of girl. Anyway, she got into the car. Ivan pressed a button somewhere, and the car was filled with beautiful music. The car drove away. On the way, Nastya felt slightly nervous, but eventually she dozed off. When she opened her eyes again, they had arrived.
    As was only to be expected, Ivan had not brought Nastya to a cafe, but straight to his own block of flats, a simple building of five storeys. Reassured by a quite unaccountable trust in her companion, Nastenka walked up the stairs with him and into his flat. Ivan’s residence was rather well furnished, especially in comparison with the medical college hostel. The girl’s host seated her on a plump leather sofa, while he went off to the kitchen to brew coffee, not forgetting on the way to press a button on the music centre. The music poured out, filling the room, in the same way as it had recently filled the automobile. Lulled by the music and the sofa, Nastenka started feeling dozy again, and then even dozier . . . until she fell asleep completely.
    And this time too, nothing happened that a girl might subsequently regret. Nastenka woke up on the same sofa, only now there was a cushion under her head and she was covered with a rug. She opened her eyes and saw Ivan sitting in the armchair opposite her. In fact, they both opened their eyes at the same moment because, after settling Nastya, Ivan had admired her for a while as she slept, until sleep overcame him too. Their glances met and Ivan said:
    â€˜How happy I feel, seeing you wake up under my roof.’
    Nastenka smiled.
    â€˜You have a nice flat.’
    He shook his head.
    â€˜The flat’s not bad, but it’s not mine, it belongs to the firm. My flat’s in Moscow, I’m here in N-burg to develop the business.’
    â€˜So that’s it . . .’ The smile faded from Nastya’s face. ‘So you’re on a business trip. Now I understand.’
    â€˜You don’t understand a thing,’ said Ivan, upset. ‘You think I’m just looking for a good time with you, but my intentions couldn’t possibly be more serious. I promise that I won’t make any advances until we’re married. And once we’re married, I’ll take you away to Moscow. We’ll live in a beautiful flat and there’ll be a fountain in the courtyard.’
    â€˜I need to think about it,’ Nastenka replied. ‘And you were going to make coffee.’
    She told me what came after that in brief, because it was time for her to go and feed her baby. They got married the same day, so Nastya didn’t think about it for very long. She never went back to the A&E department or the college. When Dr Popov met her in the street by chance, he told her that she was stupid to throw away her career. Nastya laughed a lot at that. A month later, the Savelievs moved to Moscow. Ivan was promoted, and let us hope it will not be for the last time.

REAL ESTATE DIVORCE
    So here we are back home. I could recognise my own dear abode with my eyes