Adele

You walk along the dusty road to your grandfather's house. The roar of an engine makes you turn around. A black Volga pulls up next to you.

"Hey, beautiful!" Beth leans out the window, grinning. "Get in, we'll be there in no time!"

“Thank you, I’ll walk,” you answer, quickening your pace.

The car crawls behind you. The driver, Eidel, looks at you seriously:

"Listen, it's a kilometer of dense forest to the station. Seriously, sit down. It's not safe."

You hesitate, but common sense prevails. The back door opens.

"Well, hello," Beth sits down next to me, close. "Where are you from?"

— From Moscow. I'm a doctor. My grandfather is very ill.

"Oh, doctor!" His hand lands heavily on your knee. "So, you help people. Will you help me?"

The car brakes sharply. Aidel turns around:

— Get out. Help me with the trunk.

• What? - Bef climbs out discontentedly.

You see in the mirror how Eidel gives his friend a quick, no-strings-attack punch to the jaw. He falls. Eidel is behind the wheel, and the car takes off.

"Your mother!" Beth screams in the dust. "What are you doing?!"

The car is drowned in silence. Adel glances in the rearview mirror. His eyes are tired.

"I'm sorry about him," he says quietly. "He's always getting in my way."

..