The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons

Author:Paullina Simons
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

It had stopped raining when Tatiana told Aunt Rita she was leaving.

Uncle Boris stared wearily at his wife, at his daughter. “Marina, why does Tania want to go home? What are you doing to make Tania want to leave us?”

“She is not going!” cried Rita. “My brother will never forgive me if I don’t take care of his daughter the way he takes care of ours every August. We might need him to take care of Marina again in the future. What if we need his help? Tania’s not going!”

“Why don’t you treat her a little better,” Boris yelled, “and maybe she won’t want to leave your house! How many times do I have to tell you?”

“Another thousand before I listen to you!” cried Rita, and off they went, slamming screen doors, into dark trees, screaming through the echoes of the damp night that carried their voices across the water, their shouting returned to them unsoftened even by the serenity of the lake amid the tinny din of the mosquitoes that were too displeased by the racket to sting them.

Late that night, Marina crept to Tatiana’s cot in the hall. “Tanechka,” she whispered, putting her hands on Tatiana. “Saika says she is sorry. I’m sorry, too. Please don’t go back to Luga. Please. Come with us tomorrow. It rained so well today, the mushrooms will cover the forest. Come on. It’s our annual Lake Ilmen trip. We always go, you, me, Pasha.”

“You don’t notice my brother here, do you?”

“Mama wants our blueberries and mushrooms. Yours too. We’ll have the best soup, the best pie. Your Dasha is waiting for the mushrooms. You know how she loves them. Come on, think of her. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“You did upset me,” said Tatiana.

“I’m just playing. You know that. Stop being so sensitive. Please come. I won’t do it again, I promise. Come on, you’ll be happy to row without Pasha.”

“I’m not happy doing anything without Pasha,” said Tatiana. “Look, what do you need from me? I’m tired.”

Marina touched Tania’s hand. “I just don’t understand why you don’t like Saika, Tania. She’s so funny and worldly—”

“How can she be worldly, Marina? She grew up on collectives in the middle of Transcaucasus. She’s been with unclean goats her whole life. Even her pores smell of goat. Where did she get her worldliness from, you think? And why does she talk to me like that, say those unbelievable things to me and you stand and snicker?”

“She is just being funny. You don’t understand her.” Marina chuckled. “It’s child’s play.”

“The children are sure growing up fast under Saika’s eye,” said Tatiana. “She would’ve touched me if I let her,” she whispered, shuddering. “That’s child’s play? Have you seen her back? Is that child’s play?” She fell back on her bed. “And mark my words, there is something she’s not telling us.”

“Forget it, it’s got nothing to do with us,” said Marina.

“All right, so go with her. What do you need me for? Go with her, go into the woods, pick your mushrooms, pick your berries.

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