this very moment
a man is sitting
in some Southern country, thinking:
"Now I'll get in my pirogue
and go for bananas".
Beautiful!
I read a story recently...
I don't remember where.
A short story,
but nice. About a girl.
She was in love with a student,
the student was in love with her.
He read books to her,
she listened.
In the evenings they sat by the river
watching the lights on the boats.
They sang songs, they dreamed...
They kissed, exchanged vows.
- Who wrote that story?
- I don't remember.
The girl wore her hair
brushed down over the ears,
and she always smelled
of the river water.
They imagined their life
to be a big, continuous celebration,
with a lot of room in it
for the two of them.
And they were happy.
One day the girl said
she had to leave
for Petersburg for a couple of days.
"Will you let me go?"
She asked.
"I will," he said.
"But I'll miss you very much".
At midnight he took her
to the station.
She hugged him tenderly.
He squeezed her hands,
hardly managing to hold back tears,
but he said nothing.
And after the train took off,
he watched its receding lights,
and repeated softly:
"My dear girl...
My magnificent girl..."
A day passed.
And another, then five days.
And a whole month.
She wasn't coming back.
She never came back.
The student went to the station,
drank there,
then met the trains, and drank again...
But after a while he calmed down,
came to his senses...
And became an ordinary man.
It's something reminiscent
of Gleb Uspensky.
Or Leskov.
You're being so unthoughtful.
You upset everybody again.
Enough! I've had it!
Everybody to the river! The fireworks!
Misha! Where are you?
Look, how beautiful!
Wait! Hear me out!
Please, Sophia!
Wait!
My magnificent one! I'm a lost man,
and I resigned myself to it long ago.
But you?! Sophia, my dear,
what happened to you?
What happened to your pure soul,
your sincerity, your courage?
Wait!
All right... Sophia...
Are you out of your mind?
My dear, tell me honestly,
for the sake of our past,
why did you marry that man?
- He's a fine man!
- Don't say what you don't believe.
He's my husband!
Why didn't you marry a working man,
a sufferer?
Why have you chosen that pygmy
who's up to his eyes in debt
and idleness, why?
Please, Mikhail Vassilyevich...
I beg you, have mercy,
don't ruin my life.
You may laugh at me, you may
think whatever you wish, but...
I've got nothing else in my life.
Nothing.
Mikhail Vassilyevich!
I loved you more
than anything in the world.
My darling!
There's no afterward.
It only seems
that everything will still happen,
that life is long and happy,
that now you can live
as if making a rough copy of life,
and change everything afterward.
This "afterward" will never come...
Never.
If I knew it on that night
when I watched the lights
of the last train car...
Why didn't you go looking for me?
I was young and happy.
I believed in the long,
happy life.
I believed in "afterward".
And afterward, a pig in a poke.
Oh, God! I can't believe it...
I got so frightened
when I saw you today.
- Do you remember the wharf?
- Of course I do.
Sophie, you wanted your talma.
I've brought it.
I didn't stand there on purpose.
Oh, my goodness...
My God, how vulgar!
How vulgar it is, how vulgar...
If...
Do you understand anything?
Do you...
Congratulations, Misha!
Maman! I need a horse!
I must leave now and for good.
What is it this time?
What a crazy night! You may take it.
Thank you.
Sergel!
Mamma Anyuta, it's so awful!
You must teach me how to go on living.
Or shall I not live at all?
I'm alone, alone again.
It's so horrible!
What have I done to deserve it?
What's the matter?
Someone beat you, or offended you?
Meet the husband
who's been cheated on!
Sophia? You saw her? With Platonov?
Oh, God, Sophia!
Sophia! Sophia! Sophia!
My happiness...
my salvation... my hopes...
Mother, send me to a lunatic asylum!
I'm insane!
Because I