Ngobomi buka-Anastasia, kwabakho isiqendu esinjalo xa esenzeka emva kokuba ebonakala ethandana naye kwaoko kumadoda amabini. Kwathi emva koqhawulo-mtshato wakhe kunye nomyeni wakhe wokuqala. Ngelo xesha wayehlala nonyana omncinci ezandleni zakhe kwaye waziva elahliwe ngumntu wonke kwaye waloloni. Kwaye emva koko iMauritius Mintz yavela endlwini yabo - waya kuthetha nomntu kubahlobo, emva koko waqalisa ukutyelela yonke imihla ukuthetha ne-Ase.
Ngokutsho kwakhe, yena kunye neenqwelo zokuhamba zihamba nje, kwaye kwangaxeshanye ubuchule kunye nokrakra kuphume kumphefumlo wakhe. Kwaye waqalisa ukuhlala kunye, wayengenakutshata, ekubeni wayengumYuda, kodwa usapho lwakhe oluzinikeleyo lwamaYuda lwangamkele ubhaptizo.
Xa uAnastasi ekhulelwe, wafumanisa ukuba uNikolai Mironov wayengumhlobo wakhe kunye nothando lwangaphambili, waya ngaphambili kwaye wabhala iileta zakhe ezizele ziinkumbulo kunye namazwi ashushu. Emphefumlweni wayo yonke into ivuselelekile. UMorik wakhe wayesazi malunga neeleta, kunye neemvakalelo zomfazi wakhe. Nangona kunjalo, ukungazi, kuba yena ngokwakhe wavuma kuye: "Ndiyamthanda kwaye ndiyakuthanda. Ndingenza ntoni?" Kwaye Mintz ayizange icinge okwesibini: "Yiya!"
Kwaye ke yonke into yayiyintlekele kwaye ingenathemba. UAstastasia washiya i-mironov, kodwa uloliwe wagula kwaye i-Echelon yayiphethwe gadalala. UMintz wafika emva kwakhe, eqhutywa kwaye wasindisa umntwana wexesha elizayo. I-asya i-asya. I-mintz yayikwi-verge yokuzibulala. Kwaye kungekudala u-Anyahlekile noMina, owafa kwi-stereo peritonitis, noNyana owazala yena.
Kwaye ngoku malunga neyona nto iphambili: I-Mauritius Mintz yayiyeyona nto yayingumntu onguMarina Tsina Tesvetaeva wanikezela ngo-Doung Warve-"kwaye uAstastasia Ivanovna wabona uMarina okokuqala, wayenokufumana nje ungathathi amehlo akhe. Kwaye ngubani owaziyo ukuba izehlo izahlakuhlalisa njani ukuba mimidz yadibana njani e-Antstasi, kodwa uMarina.