Empilweni ka-Anastasia, kwakukhona isiqephu esinjalo lapho yena (noma kunjalo wabonakala kanjalo) wayethandana ngaso leso sikhathi emadodeni amabili. Kwenzeka ngemuva kwesehlukaniso sakhe nomyeni wakhe wokuqala. Ngaleso sikhathi wahlala nendodana encane ezandleni zakhe futhi wazizwa eshiywe yiwo wonke umuntu futhi enesizungu. Futhi-ke uMauritius Mintz uvele endlini yabo - waya ekhuluma nothile abavela kubangane, wabe eseqala ukuvakashela nsuku zonke ukuthi akhulume no-Ase.
Ngokusho kwakhe, yena neziqhumane bavele baxosha, ngasikhathi sinye nokubi nokuthukuthela kwaphuma emphefumulweni wakhe. Futhi waqala ukuhlala ndawonye, akanakushada, ngoba wayengumJuda, kepha umndeni wakhe wamaJuda ozinikele awuzange wamukele ubhapathizo lwakhe.
Lapho i-Anastasia ikhulelwe, yathola ukuthi uNikolai Mironov wayengumngane wakhe nothando lwangaphambili, waya ngaphambili waqala ukubhala izincwadi ezigcwele izinkumbulo namazwi afudumele. Futhi emphefumulweni wakhe konke kwavuselelwa. IsiMoriki sakhe sayazi ngezincwadi, nemizwa yomfazi wayo ocishe. Kodwa-ke, ukuthi ungazi kanjani, ngoba ngokwakhe wamukele: "Ngiyamthanda futhi ngiyakuthanda. Kumele ngenzeni?" Futhi uMintz akazange acabange okwesibili: "Hambani!"
Futhi-ke konke kwakubuhlungu futhi kungenathemba. I-Anastasia yasuka impela uMironov, kodwa isitimela sagula futhi sasihlukunyezwa e-Echelon. UMintz wafika ngemuva kwakhe, wathwala waze wasindisa ingane yesikhathi esizayo. U-Asa wahlupheka. UMintz wayeseduze kokuzibulala. Futhi ngokushesha u-Ayaya elahlekile no-minza, owabulawa yi-peritonitis, nendodana eyambulile.
Futhi manje mayelana nento esemqoka: UMauritius Mintz wayengumuntu uqobo uMarina Tsvetaeva anikezele ukuthi awuguli ... "Futhi u-Anastasia Ivanovna wakhumbula ukuthi lapho uMauritius wakhe ebona uMarina okokuqala, wakwazi nje ungathathi amehlo akhe. Futhi ngubani owaziyo ukuthi izenzakalo zingakhula kanjani uma uMintz wahlangana noyedwa hhayi owokuqala u-Anastasia, kodwa uMarina.