Hewokeupughingandsaying，"I’mhere！I’mtheoneyou’r🍡elookingfor！"Thepeoplewaitingatth🟒ebusstop,eagertogethomeafterahardday’swork,turheirheadsandlookedathimcuriously．Dimitrilookedaroundhimdazed，andfoundthatitwasalreadygettingdark．Hesighed，"Backtotherealwain.”Helookedupatthetallimposingbuildingwithlightsalbze，ahimself，sittingonthecurbofthesidewalk．"HowItoppleabanklikethatsingle-handedly?Iamonlyoneinacrowd;amalikeanantintheforest．Butaninsignifitmanlikemesurehadaludicrousdream!”WhathedidnotknowwasthatMr．Kaffeewasalreadyfagthegreatestchallengeofhislife．Fromwithinhistight-knitcircle，thestruggleforpowerhadbegunandhislieutenantswerefightingforsuccession．
Dimitrishookhishead，stretchedhisstiffandagbodyandsaid，"Timetogohome，Iguess.”HewalkedslowlytowardsMarianna’shouse，dubiousastotheroleheshouldpyinthisprosperous，fast-movingandcut-throatworld．Hemused,"Idonotaskmuchoflife．Ionlywantthebaresties，enoughfoodtosurvive，tolivelifethewayIwant，freeasabirdtoroamwhereverIwillinthiswideworld，bearnoresponsibilitytoahustransflifeintothehighestspiritualsublimation．Idon’tcareaboutwhatothersthinkofme．Callmeastreetcatifyouwill．Ionlywanttodreammymagnifitdreamsunhampered．Iwillbesatisfiedtoekeoutalivingthisway，buttheeventsofthestfewdayshavebeengingrapidlylikeakaleidoscope，andnowIhaveawoman🗌andahometogobackto.”Dimitrishookhishead．Thisnewlifemadehimfeelhedgedinbyitspressuresandresponsibilities．"No，thi🈤⛹sisnotwhatIwant.”hethought，butMarianna’sloveandaffeatesolicitudewerethetiesthatpulledhis🅌🅈🄤relutfootstepstowardsherhouse.
Marianna’stwo-bedroomhousewassituatedinacul-de-saiddle-cssresidentiarea，notfarfromthemainthhfare，quietbuteasilyaccessi😐ble．TheoutlihehouseuhemoonlightgaveDimitrianunfamiliarfeelingofwarmth，asenseofbelonginghehadneverfeltbefore．Hewentintothehouseanddrewbackallthecurtainsintheliving-roomtoletthemoonlightsurgeinandfillitwithhertranslucidbrilliance．Beiodarkness，hedidnotturnonthelight，deemingitsacrilegioustospoilnature’spoeticbeauty．Hesatthereonthesofa，baskinginthemoonlightaasrexedasifhewassailingonanopensea.Hiseyesfellonahecoffeetable．Unsciously，hepickeditupandlookedatit．
"Ah，it’sfromItaly，Marianna’shometown.”H🔶edidnotuandItalian，sohecouldheletter，buthewasfasatedbythepictureofamanandaboy．Themiddle-agedmanwasarustworthytypeofafellowandtheboywasabouteightornineyearsold,chubbyandcute．Atthatmoment，anotedroppedoutandDimitrigit，surpriseditwasinEnglish．Tohischagrin，hefounditwaswrittento"DearestMommy"telliheirimmiimmigr🕃🔢ationtotheU.S.Theshortletterwassign😩ed"Yoursonnyboy，David"．
"OhmyGod！Marianna’smarried！Shehasahusbandandason!”Dimitriwasfullofself-nation．"IshouldhaveknownawomanofMarianna’sagecouldhoutafamily．Howstupidofmenottohaveasked．HowunfortunateofmetohavemetthewomanIloveonlytofindsheisanotherman’swife!”Hekwashisownover-simplisticcharacteratwaiookanotherlookatthe🁲twoiosenseofremorse.Hehadwroheses☒imple，trustingpeoplewhowouldneverhaveimaginedevenintheirwildestdreamthatMariannawaslivingwithanothermanandhavinganuninhibitedsexualretionshipwithhim．
"WhatshallIdo?"heaskedhimselfdesperately．Histhoughtsthent♑urohisdreams．"WhatrighthaveItoexecuteIleensocruellyforadulterywhenIhavebeendoingthesamethingmyself?🂪👣"Heseemedtobesailingaloheclearicywatertothepceofexecution．
Inthedeadsilenlythesoundofoarshittierwasaudible．Hewalkedashoretowardsthetreeonthedesotehilndthebloodysefshedoncemorebeforehim.HeseemedtoseethetophalfofIleen’sbodyhangingfromthetreewhilethebottomhalfbelowthewaistybloodyandmaheground．"WhatIdotoremedythis?"heaskedhimself．ShewasoherarebeautiesinthisworldandIorderedhertobechoppedinhalf!"Hehadastrongwishtomakereparationstoherandbringherbacktolifeagaiory🔛🁖🅴oftheCreatioohismind，sohescoopedsomeofthebloodysoilfromthegroundandtookittothewater’sedge,wherehemixeditwithwaterandshapeditintotheformofawoman．Hewashesitant，notquitesureifitwouldwork，butheblewonitanywa💷yinimitationofJehovahanditgrewbiggerandbiggeruntilitmiraculouslyturoIleeifugasever．
"ThankyouSireforlettingmeliveagain.”shemurmuredkneelingathisf⚐eet．
"Iwaswrong,Ileen．Itwasmyfaultand1willmakeupforit．Fromnowonyouarefree．Freetodowhateveryouwanttowithnofearofretribution.”Asifwantingtosaysomethingbutrefrained，Ileenkowtowedandturogo．ButjustthewoAsiahatwerealwaysbythesideofhisthroneroaredandrushedoutather，toppliheground．Dimitriimmediatelysh🁾🚈outedatthemandorderedthemback,butthedamagehadbeendone．Ileenwasagainabloodymass,thoughstillive．Sheyonthegroundandlookedathimcoldly,h🖀ereyesfullofhate．
"Youle♘🈭tmeliveonlytosufferoncemore.”JustasDimitritriedtoex♑pin,hewokeup．
“That’sterrible”hethought，“I’vebuandmadethingsworse．NowIleenhate😬smemorethanever．Imusttrytofindanopportunity🙛🗄toexpinitalltoher.”
Jus🗠tthen，familiarfootsteps🔘souhededthefigureofMariannaappeared，sailinginfromtheopendoor．WhenshesawDimitrisittingaloneagainstthewindowinthemoonlight，sheclosedthedoorandcametositbesidehim．
"W🅵hydon’ty📧outurnonthelight?"sheasked.
"Isn’titbettertositinthe🄙♥moonlight?"repliedDim🂾🔗itri.
"Hm...Iguessso．It’smoresoothingandromantic.”Shesmiledandlookedaroundtheroom．Whenhereyesfellontheopeeraoonthecoffeetable,herheartskippedabeat．SheraisedhereyestoDimitri．Thepainon⛈😜🂐hisfacetoldherheknewev🆈🍥ery😘thing．
"S🅵oyouknow"shesai🜺🗰ddully.
"Yes，I’msorry．Ishouldhaveknownyouweremar🖙📀🗯ried．Ishouldhaveasked．"
"W🅵hys♹🍔orry?"shegavehimherwarmhands．"Loveneedsnoapologies.”
"Bu🗠tIhurttwoipeopl😹🆒🎽😹🆒🎽e.”
"It’snotyourfault….”Therewassileheroom，butitwasafortableandpanionablesilenwhichtheirsoulsunicatedandtheyuoodeachotherwithoutwords．herofthemwasveryvolubleandtherewasusuallymoresilehantalkwhentheywe🈴🂢🐛retogether．AfterawhileMariannasaid．"Wellgoandlookforanapartmentforyou．Youneedapcetostay．I’lltak🔛🁑ecareofitallforyou．Ihatetoseeyoulivethelifeyoudidwithnopermashelterorfood，exposedtotheheat，thecoldandtherain．Inmyeyes，youareanobleureate.Youshouldhaveawarmwhereyoudreamandwriteyourpoems，enjoyyourwineandassociatewithwomen，notnecessarilyme.”TearsshimmeredinDimitri’se🕩🌎yes.Noonehadevercaredthatmubefore．
"Whyareyousogoo🐧dtome?🍪I’mnotworthyofyou🃓🗔rkindness.”
"Whymentionallthis?Youshoulduand🕌me．Iretmeetingyo🏧uwhen1amnolonge🗣🝟rfree."
"Whatdoesyourhusbanddo🍔?"
"He’sacarpenter,anexcellerustworthyandhardwman．Mysonisaffeateandlovable．You’lllovehimtooifyoumeethim.”Thereregnantsilence．Mariannasnuggledclosertohimandleanedherheadonhisshoulder．"IpromisedtocaterasupperforMrs．Kaffeetomorrow．soI’llbebusy．OnSundaywe⚏🐘’lllookforanapartmentsomewherearoundhere，nottoofarawaybutnottooher.”Sheraisedherlipstoh🁒isandtheykissed．Soontheirbreathbecameshorterandtheirbodiesfusedtoget🙉🈦herinapassionateembrace．However，theytrolledtheirdesiresforfearthetwopeopleioonceagaihoughtheywerefarawayinItaly．