Edith and Kim by Charlotte Philby

Author:Charlotte Philby [Philby, Charlotte]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2022-03-07T17:00:00+00:00

Dear Edith,

We had a disturbing incident last month: two nights running, with the temperature at about minus 20°C, a young woman rang our bell to ask for a glass of water. The second time, we asked where she lived and she waved her hand vaguely in the direction of Gorky Street. It seemed most odd that she should twice come all the way up to our flat for a glass of water; evidently she was casing the joint for someone or other. We reported the matter, of course, but there was precious little to go on. Anyway, there has been no follow-up so far; so we are just keeping our fingers crossed. There are many occasions in life when one has simply to take the elementary precautions and then hope for the best.

I have promised to take Nina to Tbilisi for ten days in the second half of March. She has never been there and it is an absolute ‘must’ – a gorgeous city in itself with wonderful excursions into the Caucasus. My only fear is the far-famed Georgian hospitality, which is more awesome even than the Volga kind. I have strenuously asked the people here to insist that I am a total valetudinarian, capable of only one banquet a week. But once we are there, we are in the hands of the locals and Gawdelpus!

Alas, any vision one might have of us gliding through the Taiga towards blini lunches is unfortunately a mirage. It is true that, for the first time in five years, we are enjoying a real Russian winter: lots of snow in December, January and February, with temperatures ranging from minus 10 to 25°C. But in mid-December Nina got a nasty attack of angina (sore throat, a cold, etc.). It was nothing serious, but it lasted about a month. She had scarcely got better when I lost another anchor-tooth, and spent ten days or so, in and out of the polyclinic getting another plate. Finally, I ran into this spate of work. So we have not skied at all this winter, although we hope to do so soon. The forecast is for a cold and snowy March, which will give us a chance, if it comes true.

Yours,

Kim

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