“Is there any chance of getting a flat?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not… married?” It’s difficult for him to get the question out, but he usually copes with such challenges sooner or later.
“No. And all’s well with you, I hope?”
“Yes. Two children. Boys. Vika has graduated from the institute. Basically, everything’s going as planned. Do you see much of the lads?”
“Not really …
*
We were searched by some relative of Eldar’s: a man with a hooked nose and shaggy eyebrows wearing a coarse grey shirt with a thin belt round the waist. Taking no notice of the cries of protest from Eldar, whom he usually obeyed respectfully, he turned our pockets inside out, made us put our hands up and felt all over our bodies from our armpits down to our feet — I could tell that it wasn’t the first time he’d done it
