Chapter 6

• My friend smiled and then took my hand, fear along with life left her body as if it was the easiest thing in the world, tears started to come out of my eyes, I couldn't believe that my friend, the only one who had shared my darkest moments was in that state, abandoning me, where were all those dreams we promised to fulfill together?
• “F”finally”we”are”free” she smiled as a tear fell down her cheek, why not me? She wasn't to blame for accompanying me. “Find my brothers and give them the same freedom you promised me” she said with her last breath and her body fell fainting on my legs.
• “Do something, damn it, call a doctor, an ambulance, something!”. I shouted in annoyance, because she had just stared at me, I hadn't tried to do anything to save her, as if she was in shock or just knew the fate of my friend, my dear Ann.
• “That won't happen, she's already dead.” she commented, it seemed as if she didn't care about what her eyes had just seen, besides, I was more than sure that it hadn't been the first time she had faced death like that, let alone that it had been the first death she had witnessed. I looked at my friend for the last time and that man was right in everything he said, she had died, I felt unhappy, the happiness I felt a moment ago tasted bitter, I regretted having wished death to those men, but that would not give me back my friend.
• I should have died with her, I should have let those men shoot me, they should have been looking for me, no one else.
• “I have failed you, Ann, but your body will now rest in peace, don't worry. I will look for your brothers and give them my best, so they don't meet the same fate as you and me. I will always be grateful for all you have done for me”. I smiled. “Since you met me, protecting my back, until the last day of your life”. I finished whispering, giving her one last hug goodbye. “We have to do something for her”. I mentioned with tears in my eyes, feeling sad, helpless for not being able to do anything.
• “I'll take care of it. How many men were there? How many men were there? “asked the man who still had no idea of the name, but who seemed concerned about that little detail and about me, who apparently had a wound on my arm, of which I had not been aware until now.
• “I think two, at least those were the ones I heard”. I replied trying to remember, but maybe and there were five, I wasn't sure of anything now. “Who are you? Tell me your name and stop looking at me like that”. I asked curiously, I had never seen him before, not that I had seen many people around this place many years ago, but he was not the man I was expecting. “And where is Julian?”. I mentioned again, curious.
• “I don't know any Julian”. He said, looking at me with that serious look, which left me absorbed, not only in the thousands of things going through my head, but trying to think of what was going through his. “And I am the owner of this house, Nikolay Petrov, yes, I am Russian, that's why my accent”. he added, I nodded in surprise, the man sensed what I was going to ask him long before he did, all the letters I have been sending to this address have reached him....
• “Since when...? Well...” I fell short, I couldn't finish the sentence I wanted to, I felt embarrassed. Could it be that he has read the letters that arrive in Julian's name?
• “About a year ago”, he answered me. What a shame, this man knows my life! Sure, if he's read everything you've written. “Don't worry, your letters were never received, because I guess you were the one who sent them”. he said, making my body relax a little, but I couldn't help shuddering as I realized that he knew exactly what I was thinking, COULD IT BE SO OBVIOUS WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH MY MIND? “Come on, let's go inside, we'd better, Antoine will take care of your friend and I'll call my doctor to check you out, lest you get that infected”. He said coldly, but with the same cordiality.
• “I don't know if I should go into his house”. I commented, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, not wanting to disturb him and suddenly feeling cornered by his gaze. “I was looking for a person who is not there and I don't know where he might be”. I added, feeling sad to realize that the person I had come looking for wasn't to be found and was back to square one.
• “No problem, I guess you can stay as long as you need, I won't object at all, but I ask you to fulfill some requirements that will help your safety and mine”. He commented in the same manner as a while ago. “I don't want you to see me as your enemy, in fact, I wouldn't like to be, but I can become somewhat egocentric, or moody, however you want to say it, but I like order in my life, I need that, that when you stay, you don't interfere in my affairs”.
• “Okay,” I replied a little doubtful of the possession I had just made, but I had no choice, I didn't want to meet other thugs out there, much less did I want to know about the person who had caused all this in my life. What should I do?
• “I'll tell you that when I wake up, for now, come in and rest, I'll tell Katherina to fix the room that will belong to you from now on and I'll send you to the doctor once I arrive. “Who was that woman?” We entered the mansion; the layout was the same. I stayed with Nikolay for a moment, while the woman, Katherina, finished tidying up the room that the Russian had entrusted to me a few minutes ago.
• I entered the room and seeing it so clean, so tidy, so neat and beautiful, I didn't care how light blue it was, but it looked like the holy glory compared to my old room.
• I wish I could share it with Ann, but I'm sure she was watching me from heaven, because a person like her couldn't be in a different place.
• “What a bed”. I mentioned smiling, staring at nothingness and putting my hand on my chest. At last, a real bed and not a cot and recurs hitting on my back. Ann wishes you were here with me, but don't worry, I will fulfill your last will and your siblings will be like mine.
• “Has your life been so difficult?”. commented the man behind me, God Nikolay has no idea how my life has been from a while to here, I did not know I was there, and my body shuddered completely, without a doubt he was a cautious man, not afraid to disturb whoever crossed him.
• “Um... Yes, it's been a bit complicated since my parents died and abandoned me in the care of my aunt, or stepmother, how you want to see it, although that will be a story, I will tell you another time”. I mentioned. “Can I know what happened or with my friend?”. he added. I don't know why I had responded and said that information that I didn't have to know, but I did, maybe because I hadn't had communication with the outside world for three years, I assumed it was because of that.
• “I understand... Tomorrow, we will bury her so that you can prepare, my trusted man is taking charge of the body at the moment. For now, I think I'll let you rest, we'd better leave it at that”. he said, smiling. His smile appeared a strange current in my spine, but I didn't discover that meaning and it's not like I cared to discover it.
• Nikolay Petrov
• I had it in front of me, I couldn't believe it, as much as I have dreamed this day, I never thought it would be this way, why was I running away? Who were these men who persecuted her? Why did it seem like the first time he had faced such a death? Why do I suddenly feel so confused to shelter him under my house?
• But, even with all my questions, I could not refuse the fact that this woman is much more beautiful and younger than I ever imagined, in the first instance, I assumed that it had been that she never mentioned it in some of the letters, but I could guess that it was an older woman by the way she expressed herself, not just a teenage girl.