Survivors by Christopher Meyer

Author:Christopher Meyer [Meyer, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Whitefox Publishing Ltd
Published: 2023-12-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 26

After the party, Svyet’s speech was the talk of the town. Russians tend to honour their families. Svyet had ignored hers. The Feutzes did not like the idea of being on the wrong side of a family divide, particularly when the family included Je Jin. So Svyet was politely invited to leave their house. She returned to the Chinese House in the vilest of tempers.

For six weeks, she either immured herself in her room, emerging only to take meals, or left the house early in the morning without telling anyone where she was going or when she was coming back. When she was at home, she refused to speak to Gulya and was barely civil to Katya. The atmosphere was poisonous.

It all came to a head at the beginning of September, as the three sat in the drawing room on the eve of Svyet’s departure.

‘I am astonished, Mother,’ said Svyet with patronising pomposity, ‘that a Polkonina, born an Alexandrova, could tolerate living in such demeaning circumstances. The sooner I get to Pekin the better.’

She had not noticed that Je Jin had just arrived and was within earshot behind the door. He came into the drawing room, obviously angry.

‘Well, Svyetlana,’ said Je Jin, who never called her Svyet, ‘you will find yourself surrounded in Pekin by a veritable multitude of Chinese people. Your faculty is but a tiny English-speaking island in an ocean of slitty-eyed orientals. How will you manage to cope?’

‘I did not mean you,’ stammered Svyet, flushed with embarrassment.

‘Why didn’t you mean me? I am one hundred per cent Chinese. I am responsible for installing you in this Chinese apartment that you despise so much. Don’t you think, given your distaste for us Chinese, it would be better to pursue your studies here in Harbin, where the ratio of Europeans to Chinese is far higher than in Pekin? If the Feutzes won’t have you anymore, I am sure you will find a Russian family who will let you a room. After all, most of the Russians in this town are short of money. I should know – I’m a moneylender.’

This was delivered in acid, unforgiving tones, as Je Jin stood intimidatingly over her. Svyet had committed the cardinal sin, in his eyes, of showing disrespect to her mother.

‘On second thoughts, just go,’ he continued. ‘Why do you think the Feutzes threw you out?’

‘They did not throw me out!’ screamed Svyet. ‘They needed my room.’

Je Jin pressed on. ‘You may have a half-good brain, Svyetlana, but emotionally you are behind. Your jealousy of Gulya defies reason. Just because Marcello Feutz preferred to dance with her . . . ’

‘That’s enough, Je Jin, please,’ Katya interrupted, her maternal instinct no longer able to endure the flaying of her older daughter.

Je Jin fell silent for a while. Then he turned to Katya and took her hand.

‘I am sorry, Katya. I let my anger get the better of me. That was inexcusable.’ With that, he walked out of the drawing room.

Gulya awoke

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