Translated by Kirill Bobrovsky. Published in English for the first time - Let me visit my mother! I'll stay there some time and be back soon, really! - It's rather peaceful for you to stay with mom. No one will disturb you. However, you will become estranged and forget about relationship. No! - I'll heal myself ... Maybe, better feelings will come .. - In Shakhty? - Lena Yakovleva invites me to the parents' farm - to see the real nature! I lost contact with him for almost a whole summer. It was possible to eat raspberries (with a taste of sour milk), apricots, honey, rabbit...

Day had broken cold and grey, exceedingly cold and grey, when the man turned aside from the main Yukon trail and climbed the high earth- bank, where a dim and little-travelled trail led eastward through the fat spruce timberland. It was a steep bank, and he paused for breath at the top, excusing the act to himself by looking at his watch. It was nine o’clock. There was no sun nor hint of sun, though there was not a cloud in the sky. It was a clear day, and yet there seemed an intangible pall over the face of things, a subtle gloom that made the day dark, and that was due to the absence of sun...