Page 4 of Capuleto

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Kalinka

Kalinka, kalinka, kalinka maya!

V sadu yagada malinka, malinka maya!

The song flowed from the masculine lips while mine could not abandon the stupor that this song professed to me.

It was impossible, it was...

"Yuri..." I muttered, feeling the urge to slap myself.

His laughter silenced the jingle, while the sailor's cough clouded the atmosphere.

"You plan to stay there perched instead of coming to hug your bratishka."

I stood up, incredulous, and descended the remaining steps to stand in front of him.

"It can't be, it can't be," I muttered, bringing my hands to his face to touch it just like his body. He kept smiling, watching as I tried to give a logical explanation to the fact that my dead brother was standing in front of me.

"It's me, Kalinka."

"All this time, have you been alive?" He nodded, and I raised my hand to slap him across the face with all my strength.

"Sukin syn![1] "

"Come on, Kalinka, you can't be like this!" my brother laughed as I started punching his abdomen like it was a damn punching bag.

"Can't I? Can't I?! You were dead, Yuri! Dead! I cried for you, I scattered your ashes, and I made sure your death wasn't in vain! Are you going to tell me how I can or should feel?!" I shouted.

"Doesn't the joy of getting me back make up for it?" He grabbed me in his arms to hug me and we spun around. I should have felt happy, but all I felt was unease.

"I don't understand," I replied, letting him hug me. My swollen cheeks were getting wet. I was crying, though I wasn't sure if it was relief or deep resentment.

"She's dead." The hoarse voice of the guy I had tried to drown sounded fearful.

Yuri looked over my shoulder.

"Then take her to Ivan, tell him to chop her up and feed her to the fish. She's fulfilled her purpose and there's no better fate than giving a tribute to a planet free of plastics." A horrified sound escaped the man's throat.

"A-are you serious?" Yuri's friendly expression changed, he pulled out the gun from behind his belt and shot point-blank. I heard the dull sound of the body collapsing.

"As you get older, you stop liking having to repeat things twice. Come with me, Kalinka, we have a lot to talk about."

He took my hand and led me with him.

We stepped over the blood-soaked bodies, and my brother told me not to worry about the footprints, that they would clean it up. Upon reaching the first floor, two men dressed in black hurried down, alerted by the gunshot. They had their weapons in hand.

My brother addressed them to calm them down. He ordered them to take care of the bodies, make everything spotless, but first, to show their respect to me. Both offered me a nod.

"They are Ivan and Basile, my left and right hands."

"Come, Kalinka, let's sit." We reached the sofa closest to the minibar, I still couldn't believe it. Yuri was right in front of my nose, taking out a bottle of Grey Goose to pour a couple of drinks.

"Does your nose hurt a lot? I'm sorry that bitch hurt you, it wasn't my intention, she had very clear orders, she won't mess it up again..."

He handed me the drink and sat next to me, he looked as handsome and wonderful as always, even a bit broader.

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