Mansard

The entire mansard of the huge house was just for her. Here, in addition to the room in which Natalie lived, there was another room-museum with antique furniture, utensils and a part of the church altar. The doors of the museum room were just opposite the living room, and between them there was a rather spacious and cozy hall with a sofa, a small coffee table, bookcases and old clothes hung here and there.

The huge, gold-embossed tomes in German looked great, and although Natalie did not speak German, books always attracted her. After looking through some of them, she discovered art albums.

And suddenly she wanted to paint uncontrollably.

There was a day when, sitting on the floor in her room, she plunged headlong into drawing, completely forgetting about the time and about where she is now. She felt like she was at HOME. And suddenly she heard German speech outside the window. It was so unexpected that Natalie laughed heartily. And immediately returned to reality.

Among other drawings in pen and pencil, she drew herself and Amir, hugging her neck, and signed it: “Friends forever”.

On the evening of the same day, she sent the drawing to him via Skype.

Let's digress here a little, leaving Natalie with her pencils and paints while she is so happy, and talk a little about... Really, I don't know what to call it... About the bizarre interweaving of threads of fate and the mysterious structure of our outer and inner worlds.

Let's forget for a while all the conventions and boundaries that separate 'yesterday' and 'today', external and internal, me and you, present and future. This is a novel, and I am its author. EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR ME.

So, having finished her drawing, Natalie will publish it on one page on Facebook, with the caption: “My unfaithful swan”.

Why she called her lover a swan, albeit an unfaithful one, is unknown.

She probably knew something about him that we do not yet know, reader...

Later, at other times, under different circumstances, she will make him a gift of a clip of photographs on Lara Fabian's song "Karma", and a little later this song will be released in Russian under the title "Love of Tired Swans".

It will be a male version of the story, Dimash will sing it. The leitmotif of the song will be the words: “Swans cannot live in separation”... This will be a hint of fate that they have yet to hear.

Did you want to play? Did you think it would be fun?
 
But the game called 'Life' turned out to be harsh. It has its own rules and many players. Destiny is one of them. They will come face to face with its power more than once. However, fate has its favorites. As Jack Sparrow used to say: "Savvy?"

In the meantime, Natalie finished the work, as usual, all soiled in paste and colors. Laughing cheerfully at herself, she took a towel and went to the shower.


from the novel "Natalie: The Art of Living".
Published. Links are at the bottom of the author's page and in the BOOKS section.