Chapter 18: Moscow
Finally, I decided to throw a party for all the people I’d been wanting to bring together for ages. My birthday was the perfect excuse, especially as I’d cut myself off from the outside world of late. I rang my neighbour Natasha, Lyudmila, Lena, Samuel on his mobile, Iris, and her friend Viktor aka Psycho. No-one picked up… it was as if they’d vanished into thin air. “Fine,” I thought, “I’ll go and buy the food.” I went out. The streets were empty as if I’d gone out at four in the morning. But it was broad daylight. Two cars raced by as I walked down Novyy Arbat Street. The shops were closed. Was it a holiday? The supermarket on Novyy Arbat should be open. It was open round the clock. I went inside. It was dark. A young woman, a Tajik by her appearance, was sitting at a
