and look at Amina: only her eyes remained from her former face; scars remained on her face after the car accident, her nose turned into a swollen mess, her hands twisted, one leg limp. A lump caught in Amina’s throat. Tears began to flow uncontrollably, impossible to stop, streaming until her eyes swelled and it was impossible to look. It was her, Amina… Marianna’s soul was torn apart, looking at Amina; everything that hadn’t been cried out poured out of her soul. Amina could only be recognized by her eyes; even her voice had changed. And she used to be so beautiful, as slender as a flower, and now her face resembled a flattened Pekingese muzzle because her facial bones were broken. But the worst part was that she couldn’t walk…
“I can’t speak…” (Marianna’s thoughts), only tears flowing from her eyes. They continued to flow like a stream without end.
“First, reconcile with your sister…” – these words echoed in my head. They weren’t my words; I had heard something like this, it seemed written in the Bible, before giving gifts – reconcile with your brother or sister.
“What children you have…” Amina remarked, especially the younger one… so lively.
“Let’s eat, I’ve prepared something,” and Amina reached out with one twisted hand for the plates that inexplicably stood on the floor.
“It’s more convenient for me down here, with the pots; I can’t reach sitting,” Amina explained. Again, a silent stream of tears rolled down Marianna’s face. Then Marianna noticed that Amina was in the chair, she didn’t have a wheelchair: “How do you get around without a wheelchair?”
“You know, I rarely go out,” those idiot neighbors… When Sergey carried me in his arms from the entrance, they laughed, bastards; they laughed at me; well, I told them… couldn’t stand it.
Marianna watches as Amina warms tea and food.
“Sit down, take tea, eat from the road!”
Marianna sat down on a chair near the tea.
“This leg doesn’t move at all,” Amina pointed with a crooked hand – clapper into the twisted leg, “strong pain, I scream… And the other leg… they set the bones wrong, but I’ve learned to crawl if I need something in the bathroom,” and Amina smiled, revealing her toothless mouth.
Marianna had only one wish, to throw her legs up as soon as possible, about which she had forgotten in tears; a couple of hours – and the swelling might subside.
And in the evening, Marianna lay down next to Amina, the children settled on a cot and chatted until Amina fell silent. Marianna saw how Amina suddenly switched off and fell asleep.
One day… we stayed in Rostov – one day.
The farewell began… Amina sat on the couch, yes… she couldn’t approach the door. Like in a haze, Marianna looked at Amina sitting: one thought flashed through her mind – maybe we will never see each other again…
I will go to the Red Sea
I will go to the Red Sea…
Maybe for a second, for a moment,
Let the expanses rush past,
And only my soul speaks within me.
The boundless Red Sea…
Embraces and cherishes me,
With its depth and even in sorrow,
It will heal all my sorrows.
It will pass like a fairy-tale wind,
Like a hot avalanche flow,
I don’t dream of anything in the world,
Only the sea – like a sip of life.
And the sea depths are bottomless,
It’s dark there and a foreign environment,
There souls are like an unconscious refuge,
There their own miracles happen.
I will go to the Red Sea…
And let fate not allow me,
There I will find the majesty of the mountains,
The Red Sea will reward us.
I will dive into the heavy waters,
Blue with blue fountain;
Only red sparkles with freedom,
That was born in the soul, and paradise.
The warm sea seems great,
I will forget earthly matters;
I will only remember that in the Red Sea
I was once happy.
And the sea corals and reefs,
These are wonderful castles for us,
They rush past the gaze swiftly,
To delight the eye with the sea.
The unreal Red Sea…
It rarely makes noise with a wave,
In the silence, it echoes blissfully,
With a touch, it creates a miracle…
A Walk in Hurghada
Egypt. Hurghada.
Marianna flew to Hurghada with Albert and Nikolash. It was her first time in Egypt, it just happened that way, and they didn’t plan it; but then a tour came up, and only $300 for three. Marianna and the kids immediately plunged into Egyptian life, as if they found themselves in another world. Just today they were in Semivetrinsk, and the scenery changed: Marianna is lying on a lounger by the pool and feels the Sun warming her from the inside. And here the Sun is different…
There wasn’t much time to be bored. Marianna met Yana and her mother at the hotel, Yana is a young girl, also from Ukraine. The three of them walk through the market rows in Hurghada, blown by the Egyptian wind and enjoying the Sun. Here are the perfume shops. Now the local sellers will start pushing perfumes. Marianna knew that Arabs literally grab you by the hands just to get you into their shop. Yana and her mother entered a small shop that sold creams and perfumes. Marianna had to wait for them at the entrance. Yana’s mother sat in a chair, and an Arab started applying rejuvenating masks to her.
How long… God, when will he finish?
– I’ll take this, this, and this, – Yana’s mother said. The Arab packed everything into a bag and happily saw the customers out.
We continued walking.
– Oh, the Mirage Hotel. – Do you know there’s a water park and a pool here? – Yana said.
– Wow, I’d love to swim in the pool, the sea is so cold, – Marianna.
– Well… we just pass through, there’s security at the entrance, but we might get through – Yana.
With stone faces, we walked past the hotel security and reached the pool. Here it is – the blue pool with slides, beautiful…
Someone approached from behind: – Ma’am, you’re not from our hotel, please leave.
– Why not, we’re from the neighboring hotel, – Yana.
– You don’t have Mirage Hotel cards, pay fifty euros and you can swim, – said the guard.
– Well, no… – we said in unison, and left.
Hurghada. Marianna by the pool of her hotel with Yana and her mother,