don’t have an address. You’re an old lady; you live in an abandoned trolleybus. Who would even notice if something happened to you? You know you can’t help Sveta now, and you aren’t fit to look after Masha. Give her over to my care.”
“All in good time.” Granny suddenly bent down and began rummaging in a bag under the table, muttering to herself.
“What’s that? What are you saying?” Igor looked nervously under the table.
Granny sat up again and, reaching over, appeared to slip something into his jacket pocket.
“What?” Igor put his hand in the pocket. He felt around quickly and pulled his hand out again, empty. He glared at Granny. “What are you doing? What did you put in there?”
“Oh, nothing, nothing.” Granny looked innocent. “Where were we? Oh yes, I’m an old woman; I live in an abandoned trolleybus. And whose idea was that, may I ask? Who moved us there with promises to build us a new home? Who lured my granddaughter away with promises of well-paid work abroad? Oh yes, I’m an old woman. And I’m wise in ways you can only imagine. Remember that. Because I remember everything. Especially grudges.”
Igor stood up quickly. He felt around again in his pocket, breathing heavily.
“Well,” he said in a very reasonable voice, “I won’t rush you. I don’t want to split up a family. I have your interests at heart; I want only what is best for dear Masha. I hope and trust you’ll see that she’s better off with me. Because, I’m terribly sorry to say, there is nothing but bad in her mother, and to have anything more to do with her could work out very unfortunately, for all of you. I wouldn’t answer for the consequences.”
Granny and Ira stared up at him silently.
“I’m afraid Sveta may come back here, tell you some ridiculous lies, try to take Masha away. Of course you’ll tell me if she does. If you don’t, I’ll find out anyway, and so will the police. And I’d hate for you to get into trouble.”
“Thank you,” said Granny. “I think we understand.” She looked into the bag under the table again. Igor’s hand immediately went to his pocket, and Masha could see the bulge of his fingers scurrying around in it frantically.
“Well, I’ll be off,” he said, and the menace cut right through the reasonableness of his voice. “I’m out of town tomorrow, but I shall expect to hear from you the day after that. I know you’ll take good note of my advice.”
Ira made a small move to rise. “I’ll see myself out,” Uncle Igor said.
As soon as Masha heard the flat door close she scrambled down from the bath and ran into the kitchen.
“What did he mean, Mama is bad?” she cried. “Why did he say the police would find out? You won’t let him take me away, will you, Granny? What did you put in his pocket?”
“Hush now, hush,” said Granny, putting her arms round Masha.
“Were you listening?” demanded a pale, flustered Ira. “I told you to stay in the other room.”
“You can’t believe him,” Masha insisted. “He’s the bad one, not Mama. You can’t let him take me to his horrible house, you just can’t.”
“I won’t, Mashenka, I won’t,” Granny said. “Of course I don’t believe him. I know my Sveta better than that. She may have got into trouble in Turkey, but she’s no criminal.”
Masha looked at Ira, and saw a strange expression of indecision and fear on her face. “Oh, but…” she said. “The police…” she tried again. “You know, maybe Sveta did get involved—” She stopped and put her head in her hands. “I just don’t know what to think.”
“Well, I do,” said Masha loudly. “My mama only got mixed up in something wrong because Uncle Igor sent her to some awful place with bad people, and she was just stupid and didn’t know. And I don’t see why I should call him uncle any more, because he isn’t my uncle and he’s never going to take me away, so there.”
“Quite right,” said Granny. “Good girl.
“All in good time.” Granny suddenly bent down and began rummaging in a bag under the table, muttering to herself.
“What’s that? What are you saying?” Igor looked nervously under the table.
Granny sat up again and, reaching over, appeared to slip something into his jacket pocket.
“What?” Igor put his hand in the pocket. He felt around quickly and pulled his hand out again, empty. He glared at Granny. “What are you doing? What did you put in there?”
“Oh, nothing, nothing.” Granny looked innocent. “Where were we? Oh yes, I’m an old woman; I live in an abandoned trolleybus. And whose idea was that, may I ask? Who moved us there with promises to build us a new home? Who lured my granddaughter away with promises of well-paid work abroad? Oh yes, I’m an old woman. And I’m wise in ways you can only imagine. Remember that. Because I remember everything. Especially grudges.”
Igor stood up quickly. He felt around again in his pocket, breathing heavily.
“Well,” he said in a very reasonable voice, “I won’t rush you. I don’t want to split up a family. I have your interests at heart; I want only what is best for dear Masha. I hope and trust you’ll see that she’s better off with me. Because, I’m terribly sorry to say, there is nothing but bad in her mother, and to have anything more to do with her could work out very unfortunately, for all of you. I wouldn’t answer for the consequences.”
Granny and Ira stared up at him silently.
“I’m afraid Sveta may come back here, tell you some ridiculous lies, try to take Masha away. Of course you’ll tell me if she does. If you don’t, I’ll find out anyway, and so will the police. And I’d hate for you to get into trouble.”
“Thank you,” said Granny. “I think we understand.” She looked into the bag under the table again. Igor’s hand immediately went to his pocket, and Masha could see the bulge of his fingers scurrying around in it frantically.
“Well, I’ll be off,” he said, and the menace cut right through the reasonableness of his voice. “I’m out of town tomorrow, but I shall expect to hear from you the day after that. I know you’ll take good note of my advice.”
Ira made a small move to rise. “I’ll see myself out,” Uncle Igor said.
As soon as Masha heard the flat door close she scrambled down from the bath and ran into the kitchen.
“What did he mean, Mama is bad?” she cried. “Why did he say the police would find out? You won’t let him take me away, will you, Granny? What did you put in his pocket?”
“Hush now, hush,” said Granny, putting her arms round Masha.
“Were you listening?” demanded a pale, flustered Ira. “I told you to stay in the other room.”
“You can’t believe him,” Masha insisted. “He’s the bad one, not Mama. You can’t let him take me to his horrible house, you just can’t.”
“I won’t, Mashenka, I won’t,” Granny said. “Of course I don’t believe him. I know my Sveta better than that. She may have got into trouble in Turkey, but she’s no criminal.”
Masha looked at Ira, and saw a strange expression of indecision and fear on her face. “Oh, but…” she said. “The police…” she tried again. “You know, maybe Sveta did get involved—” She stopped and put her head in her hands. “I just don’t know what to think.”
“Well, I do,” said Masha loudly. “My mama only got mixed up in something wrong because Uncle Igor sent her to some awful place with bad people, and she was just stupid and didn’t know. And I don’t see why I should call him uncle any more, because he isn’t my uncle and he’s never going to take me away, so there.”
“Quite right,” said Granny. “Good girl.
Similar Books
