Cказки Призраков. Tales of Ghosts. Премия им. Эдгара По / Edgar Poe Award (Билингва: Rus/Eng)

The next day I was leaving for the sea, not yet knowing that I would no longer teach there, because I would get married and move to another country.

Someone silently approached me from behind and gently touched my shoulder. I turned around and saw Christina. She held out to me a bouquet of flowers she had picked. I hesitated to take them.

«Come on, Alice!» she said.

«Again?»

She didn’t answer and sat down next to me.

«Do you miss your parents?» I asked, trying not to get angry. «Do they often go on business trips?»

«That’s what they say…»

«Anyway, business trips end sooner or later!»

The girl silently shrugged her shoulders and sighed.

Another car drove up, Christina’s father got out of it. The girl threw herself at his neck.

When he came up to me and started thanking me for something, I couldn’t hear anything anymore. I remembered his daughter ugly behavior: she addressed me like a girl, hung up phone, listened to the player, and did whatever she wanted. I don’t remember what exactly I said to her father then, but he listened to me calmly.

«I’m sorry… Don’t take offense, miss Flitch!» he said sadly, when I cooled down.

He left us alone, inviting his daughter to ask my forgiveness.

«Forgive me, Alice! Come on!» the girl said defiantly coldly, clearly feeling no remorse.

I abruptly got up from the bench. Christina even asked for forgiveness, addressing me like that! I took a few steps and heard her voice.

«You look like…»

I didn’t even turn around.

***

I got married and went back to college on the first day of the new academic year to pick up some papers. My kids had grown up, but had hardly changed much. Among them, I didn’t see Christina only. My friend, the teacher, said the girl was present on the pupils list.

My friend and I went to the chief office. I didn’t really care about Christina. I needed the chief’s signature on my documents.

«Her father is a school friend of mine,» said the chief. «When Cristina’s mother died last year…»

«Oh, did her mother die?» I exclaimed in surprise.

«Yes. The girl was told that her mother had gone on a business trip abroad. Christina’s grandmother, my friend’s mother, liked neither her daughter-in-law nor Christina. So I advised my friend to bring the girl here.