LITMIR.BIZ

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need to return it. We took a lot of things and said we’d bring the money, but we want to give it all back, it’s too expensive for us.

      – So return it, what’s the problem, – Marianna.

      – Well, it’s awkward, and if you bring it back, he won’t be angry. When these Arabs get angry, they can curse you.

      – No problem, I’ll take it back, I’ll go.

      Marianna at the market. She approaches the shop. She hands the package to the Arab. The Arab, standing by the doorpost of the shop, flashes his eyes, shrugs, and takes the package back. Marianna leaves, the Arab staring daggers at her back.

      The Spirit of the Desert

      Egypt. Today is the last day in Hurghada. Only six days. We splurged on the last day. Marianna’s eyes were shining. Crabs were served for dinner, small ones, but Marianna and the kids enjoyed them as if they were an exotic delicacy. Yana and her mother approached the table and sat with us.

      – Try this wine, – Yana offered.

      Marianna shrugged.

      – It’s very tasty, – Yana urged.

      Marianna sipped from the clear glass, the light brown wine. Heat spread from her mouth to her stomach.

      – Strong…

      She drank more from the glass.

      – Wait a minute, – Yana took the glass in her hand, – This is rum, definitely rum, but tasty.

      Warmth spread through Marianna’s body, making her feel good and cozy.

      Dinner ended. Marianna, Nikolash, and Albert walked through the hall of the long corridor with many small shops. Marianna looked at the goods through the glass. Here were tea, spices, and something unidentifiable. They entered a shop with papyruses. A young Egyptian was bustling about selling papyruses.

      – I’ll take this one, please, – Marianna pointed to a golden papyrus with the faces of a man and a woman looking into each other’s eyes.

      – Look, – the Egyptian turned off the light, and an image of an eye appeared on the papyrus. Miracles… (Marianna’s thoughts).

      I would buy all the papyruses here if I could, they are extraordinary…

      The papyrus seller looked at Albert:

      – He doesn’t look like yours, he looks like our children.

      – Yes… he’s dark-skinned, – Marianna noted.

      Returning to the room, Marianna put the children to bed and decided to take a walk, to stroll one last time, as tomorrow they were leaving.

      She walked around the hotel, listened to the performance of Egyptian singers in national costumes in the hall, and headed to the elevator. As she entered the elevator, she saw an Arab slip in quickly. Marianna recognized him: he was the porter who carried their luggage when they arrived. He was short, with small, unremarkable eyes, thin and fidgety. He was probably from a deep, poor Egyptian alley, working here for pennies to survive. The elevator seemed to take forever. Marianna’s eyes met the Egyptian’s.

      – You’re beautiful, – the Egyptian said, looking into Marianna’s eyes.

      I guess I am beautiful… in my black top and pants (Marianna’s thoughts).

      The elevator stopped. The Arab didn’t seem to be leaving and followed Marianna to the door like a shadow.

      – Can I come in? – he hesitated in front of the door, shifting from foot to foot.

      – No, why, the children… – Marianna backed up to the door, entered, and quickly closed the door behind her.

      – Whew…

      A minute later, the phone on the nightstand rang.

      Who is it, maybe the receptionist?

      Marianna picked up the phone:

      – Hello, it’s me, open the door, just for a minute, – the Arab’s voice came.

      Marianna hung up and calmly went to take a shower.

      A knock on the door, very quiet, scratching.

      I won’t open it, it’s probably him… Five minutes later, the phone rang again, another call.

      Enough… Marianna felt uneasy.

      Then a knock on the door. The knocking continued. Marianna paced from corner to corner of the room.

      Knock again. Okay, I’ll open and explain to him.

      Marianna opened the door slightly and didn’t notice how deftly the Arab slipped into the room, into the corridor. He entered the room, walked around, and stopped, mumbling:

      – This will be our little secret, no one will know.

      – But I’m married, – Marianna.

      Why did I let him in (Marianna’s thoughts), but he’s already here, I need to get him out somehow.

      – Quiet, the children are sleeping, better come this way. Marianna guided the Arab closer to the door, they entered the open door of the large bathroom.

      The Arab stood opposite Marianna. Marianna with a towel on her head, and another around her hips.

      – No, sorry, you have to leave, – insisted Marianna.

      – I guess you don’t like me, – the Arab said disappointedly.

      – Well, one last thing, – the uninvited guest said in the corridor, and before Marianna could react, his tongue slipped into her mouth, making snake-like movements. Marianna recoiled.

      As he left, the Arab turned, piercing her with his narrow eyes, filled with the hatred of a murderer.

      The girls talked about the Egyptian curse, will it really affect me… he looked so angrily, gave me chills, his hateful gaze pierced my eyes (Marianna’s thoughts).

      Marianna lay down on the fold-out couch. Now she couldn’t sleep. Marianna recalled standing in the bathroom with a towel around her hips, and the Arab looking at her. What if he… his tongue when he left… The spirit of the desert came to tempt Marianna. From the side of the pyramids, across the hot sands of the desert, the spirit wriggled its tail, strong and powerful. Marianna could never have imagined that in this frail, young Arab was the sinister spirit of the desert.

      Alex

      Not far from the town of Semivetrinsk.

      Marianna is in the forest, sitting on a bench. In the distance, on a clearing, Nikolash and the children are practicing Jiu-Jitsu with their coach. It’s a summer sports camp. Marianna sits and enjoys the forest scent of pine. The training ended, and the kids dispersed. Marianna watches as the coach, Alex, approaches her. Alex was a coach in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, the coach of the children’s section that Nikolash attended. Alex stopped near a pine tree, leaned against it, and stood with his legs slightly crossed, looking at Marianna. Marianna couldn’t take her eyes off Alex either. There was something magnetic in his squinting gray eyes. She felt they had been staring at each other for too long and looked away, for instance, at the nearest pine tree.

      – Why was he looking at me like that? – Marianna thought, examining her summer flowing dress.

      Marianna didn’t stay long at the summer camp and, after leaving Nikolash there, was about to head to the bus.

      – Wait! – she heard Alex’s voice calling after her.

      – The guys will drive you home! – he said, pointing to the Jiu-Jitsu coaches’ Jeep. Marianna realized that Alex had arranged this for her, which warmed her heart. Marianna got into the car, and within an hour, she was home in her

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