Masha's annoyed. This makes Masha feel naked, despite a bunch of warm clothes and gloves that you don't want to take off even in the car.
And Alina says. More precisely, Alina talks silently. Her gentle, round face contrasts with the rough intonations of a low, broken voice.
Masha, locked in a car with her, feels like a hostage.
Behind, in the child's chair sits Machine daughter. Masha calls her a Rabbit to herself - that was her name once in childhood. Nearby - Rosa is Alina's daughter, a transparent two-year-old with a sharp nose and eternally open mouth, surprised forever.
The girls are sleepy.
It snows at night. Now it is dirty, clean, heaps, dunes everywhere. The road slips, shapeless flakes fall on the windows of the car.
Masha is taking her children to a music lesson. Drive on the slush, bypassing road construction sites, about ten minutes.
Alina tells about her husband's birthday.
About the fact that her parents surprised them: a portrait of Alina, Andrei and Rosa in the form of a royal family. Oily," she emphasizes.
- And the outfits on us are so solemn, a cape, you know, he has a furry, with such droplets and I have as if we were a crown and we are very much like ourselves, just like in life. As soon as they guessed!
In order not to be silent, Masha asks:
- Andrei is happy?
- I hung them in the bedroom. He watches for a long time and smiles.
Masha saw Alina's husband. Three days ago. On a children's tree. He spoke little, filmed the holiday, and when not filmed, held his daughter in his arms - gently as an unhealthy animal.
His eyes were transparent. Water-blue and shiny. Masha, when she looked into them by accident, it seemed that she had gone into failure. She immediately wanted to jump out, put on a blanket and flick whiskey. He was also energetic, athletic, and avaricious in his movements. He clearly dreamed of getting out of the children's party and into his life as soon as possible. However, in this Masha understood him well.
It immediately became clear that he was cheating on Aline - densely, habitually, like drinking vitamins.
Later, they dressed their children next to each other, on neighboring banquets.
Masha's husband was paying the administrator, and Alina's ringing voice came from the dance hall, where she was giving information about the sale of insulated trousers.
Andrei turned Rosa confidently and gently, edging her like an experienced postman taping a box with duct tape. Masha struggled to cope with her spinning girl.
Andrei stretched out his jacket - the jacket was hanging at the level of the Machine head - and, as if for the sake of support, put Masha's palm on his back. She smiled, she looked away.
Of course, he had to react. But I didn't have to. The others came back.
Then everybody said goodbye in the street, Alina laughed loudly and told us what she had just seen.
- How did he look at Rozonka, huh? And she was so embarrassed. Yes, Rozunchik? Was the tall one Santa Claus, the big one? Yes? And the gift wasn't bad, was it?
Finally, we split up, almost forgetting to give each other gifts.
At the command of his wife Andriy pulled out of the trunk and handed the car package to his husband. There was a bottle of brute, stands for cups with laughing kittens and a Christmas tree toy - a white rocking horse, painted with flowers.
Her daughter immediately clung to her.
**
The car is standing at the crossroads in the left-hand row. Clicking turn signals. Snow arrives.
That's not how it should be," Masha says, not knowing what it's about. Not like this.
The windshield catches a breeze of snow porridge.
Alina, meanwhile, has changed the subject and tells the story of how her older sister bought the bots from a woman who lives in Rome and carries Italian clothes to Moscow.
Masha looks in the rearview mirror at the girls. As long as they don't feel it - snow, cold, irritation. The sleeping bubble wrapped around them must remain invulnerable and untouchable.
Three hundred meters after the intersection Masha is suddenly slowed down by a traffic policeman. She passes sharply to the side of the road. He trumps, it seems.
From his patter Masha understands only "company". "The company is vomiting," rhymes in the brain. Alina stops.
Policeman asks for documents. Masha is used to looking for them blindly. Her hand, stirred up in the womb of the bag, remembers how it was shifting the glossy driver's wallet into her backpack.
- I think I forgot at home," Masha said. And for some reason, she's muttering: - I've been driving for a long time, not a single accident, never. We are taking the children to classes.
Policeman also has wet flakes - on his cheek, under his eye, everywhere.
Masha understands that the miracle will not happen.
- By law, I have three hours to bring you the documents.
A hint of surprise appears in his eyes. Masha turns to Alina, they look at each other confusedly, she nods uncertainly, swallows. Suddenly Masha feels a terrible tenderness for her.
- I'll be right there," Masha says.
The girls don't understand why Aunt Masha is jumping out sharply. She is in such a hurry that she does not even kiss her daughter. She just turns around and whispers that she will be back very quickly.
She leaves the ignition on. Aline snoops a stack of children's books from the glove compartment and two bags of baby juice apple banana. Aline looks into her eyes with an encouraging look.
The Masha's passport remains with the cop.
To be continued on the next part