Pink cat

1

Diana took one last look in the mirror... It wasn't bad: she tucked her hair under a loose, knit blue beret, and covered her unusually pale complexion with powder and rouge...

In fact, she was ready to leave... In fact, because in her heart she felt a sort of reluctance, she knew that She was asking her to stay, that she didn't want to go anywhere...

"Calm down, what's so special about me wanting to go out, to have fun? You have no right to forbid me, come on, don't be ridiculous..." She...

She closed the door, left the key under the mat, and left.

The "Parade" was crowded as usual, the air was filled with cigarette smoke and the faint scent of something pleasant...

"I'd say it was chocolate mixed with rum... or no, with lemon... yes, there's definitely a hint of lemon...

" "Sure, and since when does lemon smell sweet?" Diana smiled wryly. "It's more like baked apples... or... I don't know, but definitely not lemon, Maduska...

Gosh, they could start the show already... they're already half an hour late... And I should be home by 10:00 PM...

" "10:00 PM? Well, we still have an hour and a half... Why are you so nervous today, Di?

" "I'm not nervous, I just don't like it when someone is late. I regret coming here at all...

" "You know, I don't recognize you... did something happen? Why are you nervous? If you don't want to stay here, just tell me, we can leave...

" "No, there's no point now... I'm sorry, Maduska - I'm just not having the best day today... don't be angry, okay?

" "Would you like to?" Maduska made a silly face, "but tell me what happened?

" "Nothing serious... it's just that when I was cleaning the room, I found something that I think... that I'd already forgotten about, and then boom, it's back. You understand, right?"

"Let's just say... It's about...

" "Look, it's starting. Oh, they changed the trumpet player... that one's probably retired by now... and the new one is not bad... he's got a nice beard... if I were a man, that's exactly what I'd want. And the one up there..." Mada wasn't listening to this monologue; she was staring at Diana, and a look of genuine astonishment appeared in her eyes.

I got home after 10 p.m. - the concert turned out to be better than I expected. Aśka was sitting in the kitchen over a cup of tea. She was waiting, you could see she was waiting...

"Aren't you still awake? Normally you're unbearable at 9 p.m., and this is a change... whoa...

" "Don't joke. I was waiting for you. You promised you'd throw them away, you said you didn't want to know, you hate me, you don't want any fucking souvenirs... You shouldn't be upset now, you know that, and you just take out those letters out of spite and just...

" "Fuck off, okay? I know what I have to do!" And how do you even know about them?! Are you checking out my room? You're pathetic, just plain pathetic! Go to sleep, you're crazy!

She gave me a long look; I know those looks of hers—she practices them in front of the bathroom mirror for hours—and left the kitchen. The idiot, she'd ruined my good mood. Even she'd been calm throughout the entire show...and now...it's pointless talking about it.

The letters were still there, though they were more scattered than they were three hours ago when I left the house. I'd intended to organize something in my head, sort through these swirling thoughts, but today I just don't have the energy. Nor the will.