Dawn slowly wrests rights from the night. The stars gradually dim, becoming pale. In their place comes a bright disk. The sky is painted in shades of orange and pink, a gray haze somewhat obscures their brightness, but I know that in reality, these colors are rich and carry freshness within. The singing of birds becomes louder. Somewhere, among the branches of the trees, little creatures are hidden, who from birth know what freedom is. They have no idea that one can live in a cage. It is unknown that sometimes freedom can be close, yet at the same time unattainable.
— Hey.
Timur pulls me from my thoughts. He hands me a cup of hot tea and sits down beside me. I expect him to continue the story. To share the details of why it was necessary to take revenge for Milana. What did the Wild man do that made their sister suffer? He is a scumbag and a tyrant, but that attitude didn’t pertain to everyone. With the rest, Volodymyr communicated well with strangers, so what could have gone wrong with this girl?
The pause stretches out. I realize that Timur won’t say anything more. I decide to ask about Vlad. After all, there’s a chance that Dobry will share something about them and their shared past?
— What was Vlad like as a child?
Dobry finds my question amusing. A pleasant smile plays on his soft lips:
— Do you want to understand my brother?
— Is it that obvious that I don’t understand? — I chuckle relaxedly. The pleasant taste of tea encourages heartfelt conversations.
— He is a complex person.
Now I smile:
— That’s evident.
Timur sighs:
— Who will understand you artists? Vlad has always been older, stronger, wiser. I have known him since birth, but we have different parents. Mom was married three times, three times unsuccessfully. She tried to provide us with everything necessary, but it didn’t go very well. The nineties were tough times. When my brother and I finished school, it began a difficult journey from the bottom to the top. It was very hard. Corruption, nepotism, bribery… — he smiles bitterly. — We stepped on heads, Yuliana. Literally. This territory, — he gestures around the yard, — belonged to us. To mom, to be precise. We expanded it through our joint efforts. I won’t tell you what we went through, but those events made us who we are.
— How are you connected to “AMB”? Where did you get shares?
— My dad left shares for me. He passed them down, to be precise. Our relationship is somewhat different from Vlad's with his father. So it turned out that I met your dad, started working at “AMB.” Of course, we also developed our business alongside.
— And Milana?
— Milana, realizing that now we were providing for her, plunged into the whirlwind of life, — he chuckles. — We owe her. Just the death of mom knocked us all out, you understand?
I hadn’t thought that their mother had died. For some reason, the thought about their parents had never crept into my head at all. Nevertheless, I nod as if I truly understand. I haven’t lost anyone, fortunately. I don’t know what it’s like to be without a mom. I know something else, not better, but my life differs, no matter how you look at it, from theirs.
— Milana seemed to have broken free. Vlad closed himself off. And I… I watch as the dearest people to me slowly fly into the abyss. I'll add that my brother had a fiancée. A real one, — he looks at me somewhat guiltily, — with whom he wanted to marry, to create a family.
— What happened to her? — I ask quietly.
— Betrayal happened with her. She thought she could sit on my brother’s neck while simultaneously being in the beds of everyone belonging in some way to the world of the wealthy. She said she was helping us in this way when we were still struggling for a better life. Vlad didn’t appreciate it.
I finish my warm tea. My gaze wanders among the trunks of trees as I ponder. Based on Timur's story, it becomes clear why the Saint does not promise love or family. He does not want either. Betrayed once, he fears that it will happen again. He set goals for himself, closing off his heart and soul. This is why his paintings are dark, sinister, full of inner anger and fears.
— I wouldn’t appreciate such a sacrifice either...
Dobry chuckles. Now I understand why they have different last names. Perhaps Milana also has a different one.
— Will you tell what Volodymyr Dykij did? What happened to your sister?
— Not this time. I feel that after a brief excursion into our lives, I will listen to morals.
— I won’t tell that you shared the story of your life, — I smile gently.
— Only part of it, Yuliana. To tell the tales of our struggles would take more than a few hours. And you don’t need it, believe me.
Behind us, the entrance door creaks. I glance back. Mom stands at the threshold. Her green eyes are watchful, sad.
— I’ll leave you, — Timur says immediately.
He stands up, takes the cup from me, and goes into the house. Mom sits in his place. She says nothing. She hugs me around the shoulders and pulls me close. So we sit for a while, greeting the new day.