Memoirs of the Unborn. Family

Memoirs of the Unborn. Family

Sixth story

We are a wonderful family. Everyone around us thinks so: neighbors, friends, the tram conductor, the cinema cashier, the ice cream seller, acquaintances, colleagues, and even the cat that has been living happily with us for four years now.

 On Father's Day, we give Dad gifts, and on Mother's Day, we give Mom flowers. On New Year's, we exchange gifts with each other, turning family birthdays into a cheerful celebration.

 

Everything is fine with us.

This is what everyone who knows us thinks. After all, we always take care of others, without neglecting ourselves. We always have an abundance of everything - attention, positive emotions, food, books, toys, ideas. We often come up with something new, write poetry, draw pictures, win in competitions and contests.

 

We are an excellent family - both literally and figuratively. We are the best!

Some envy us a little, but mostly, it's a benign envy.

 

We live harmoniously, supporting each other in everything.

By the way, it's time to introduce ourselves.

My name is Mark, and I am the head of the family.

The father of Erica and Erika.

I work as a clerk in a law firm, earning a decent salary, and I love my job very much.

I love to read. Sometimes I indulge in writing, mostly poetry. The best of them is dedicated to my beloved family, and even to our cat, Adi.

Sometimes I allow myself to have a mug of beer with colleagues, play billiards.

But this happens extremely rarely. Most of all, I love spending time with my family.

 

We often go out into nature, have picnics, walk in the forest for mushrooms and berries, fish, and barbecue meat over an open fire.

 

And this is Anita, my wife and the mother of Erica and Erika.

Anita works as a pastry chef. My family loves her pastries very much. Anita often spoils us with it after work.

It seems that she never gets tired and does a lot of work at home.

 

I know - my wife loves her job and our family.

 

She sews for her loved ones, saving money and giving us - her beloved ones - beautiful and original shirts, blouses, skirts, dresses, pants. Sometimes she knits mittens and scarves.

 

Anita devotes almost all her free time to me and our twins.

 

Eric and Erika are schoolchildren. Eric is in the fourth grade, and Erika is in the first. Eric responsibly performs all the unspoken duties of an older brother: takes care of Erika, helps her with homework, entertains her when we are not at home. He shows slideshows. And before bedtime, he reads fairy tales to his beloved sister.

 

Eric is into sports and already plays for the school football team. He is a strong and tall guy, playing in the attack. And Erika, with her friends, attends all his matches to cheer for her beloved brother.

 

Erika likes to draw. She has been drawing since she was three. And a year later, our family friend Gustav saw her drawings. He liked the works of our little one. Gustav suggested enrolling her in the art school where he teaches. Today, Erika's works decorate the art gallery of our town.

 

Recently, we went to the fair. Eric and Erika liked it the most. The thing is, our fairs are always accompanied by puppet theater performances or jesters, and sometimes acrobats. And not far away, there is always an amusement park, to which our children are never indifferent.

 

We had fun, took photos, and enjoyed ourselves.

 

And we bought Adi a new bell with a bright blue ribbon.

 

Our cat is grateful to us for being there. And for that, we love him.

Eric and Erika love Adi the most.

 

Sometimes they allow themselves to tug at his tail, ears, or stroke against his ginger fur. But he learned not to take offense at them for it. Adi knows that they mean no harm. Just fooling around. After all, Adi loves to play pranks too. Slightly. But we forgive him for small pranks because we love and appreciate him.

 

And now, a heavy downpour outside. Pouring rain, like from a bucket. We are all sitting by the fireplace, drinking cocoa with marshmallows, and looking through the family album, sharing memories of the fair and other significant events in which our family could have participated... if it had been born.

 

And not because it is perfect, and perfect families, like perfect people, are known not to exist. Like our family. It doesn't exist and never did. It just wasn't born. Like the twins and the city, they could all live in. Like the country and the universe - they all remained unborn. Like that unborn God, according to whose unborn plan all this did not happen.

 

It was not born.

October 18, 2014. Original (Russian) Version