Anfisa Kryuchkova

Anfisa sat in the kitchen, drinking tea. It was November 1997. She looked out the window. It was already quite cool outside; there had even been a light snowfall recently, but by evening it had all melted. Anfisa had recently moved from her small room in the college dorm to Misha's rented apartment on Zina Portnova Street. It was small but cozy. It had one room and a small kitchen; it only had room for a gas stove, a small refrigerator without a freezer, a sink, a table, two chairs, and a dresser. There was a separate bathroom and a cramped hallway. The room they slept in wasn't exactly spacious either, but it had everything they needed and plenty of space left over. The whole "mansion" cost just five hundred and sixty rubles a month. She and Misha split the rent. Misha worked at a small theater somewhere near their home. He didn't earn much, but it was enough to live on and chew gum for change. Anfisa herself was also busy.