A now-calm Maria stood by the side of the road. Andrei hailed another taxi. Shouldn’t have given money to that first driver, the bastard. The street was silent and deserted. The fog had given over to light rain. A car pulled up and Maria allowed herself to be lowered into the back seat. On the way home, she repeatedly cried out: “We can’t go there!” Andrei had no idea what she was on about.

“We have to stop him. He’s lost. He has a brain tumour.”

The driver, he was just like the one who had left them adrift, turned around.

“Who?”

“I loved him.” She covered her face with her hands and felt her head.

They got home and climbed up to their flat. Andrei took off her coat and sat her down at the kitchen table. He poured out some water and set a handful of almonds onto a plate. He rummaged through the cupboards; she had pills somewhere.

“Where are your pills?”

She looked surprised and asked: “Do you have a stomachache too?”

The almonds lay on the table in front of her arranged into a snake-like chain.

“Yes. I do.”

“They’re in my coat.”

Andrei clenched and unclenched his fists. He picked up her coat from the floor and searched the pockets. There was a bottle of pills and an envelope. He slid it out, read it, and seethed. “I left you a message . . .” circled in red. That handwriting . . . He put it back in the pocket and took the pills. He put a pill on the table in front of her.

“What is it?” he asked, handing her the bottle.

“Antibodies. You take it and your body vanishes. Give me one.”

She agreed to be put to bed. Andrei returned to the kitchen for a breather. He didn’t know what to do. Call her mother? An ambulance? And that fucking letter.

Maria was restless, tossing and turning, moaning in a disturbed sleep. Her face was drawn and wretched. He lay down beside her. His thoughts were a jumble: anger, jealousy, fear, love. He tried not to move. Maria continued tossing, turning and moaning.

“Let’s take off your clothes. You can’t lie in bed in dirty clothes.” As he slipped off her shoes and blouse, Maria just whimpered. He unbuttoned her jeans and peeled them off.

“Come on, take off your clothes, you’ll feel better, you need to calm down.”

Her underwear was all she still had on. Black, soft underwear. She shuddered, woke up, trembled with fear, and closed her eyes. He stroked her forehead, chest and stomach. “It’s okay, it’s fine now.”

Her body was hot, helpless, and feverish. Andrei was overwhelmed by a sudden, torrid desire.

“Come on, come on,” he said through clenched teeth, thrusting his hand down between her legs. She wailed helplessly and turned around. That excited him even more.

“Finally, she’s not pulling away,” he thought as he kissed her cheek, the edge of her mouth. He unbuttoned and lowered his trousers and pushed aside her underpants.