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MY SISTER XENIA

One day, on a very ordinary day, I came home from school, had my lunch and went over to sit on the windowsill. I'd been thinking about sitting on the windowsill, watching the passers-by and not doing anything special. This was just the right time for it, so I made myself comfortable and began doing nothing. That was when Daddy barged in.

"Feeling bored?" he said.

"No. When's Mommy coming home? She's been gone for a week."

"Hang on to the window frame, because I don't want you to tumble off."

I gripped the frame, just in case, and said, "What's the matter?"

Daddy took a step back, pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, waved it at me and said, "She'll be home in an hour! Here's the telegram. I've come straight from work, just to tell you. We won't eat now. We'll all have lunch together. I'm going to the station to meet her. You tidy up a bit and wait for us. All right?"

I jumped off the windowsill. "Sure! Hooray! Run, Daddy! I'll clean up in a minute! Everything'll shine. Go on. Don't waste time! Bring Mommy right home."

Daddy dashed out and I got down to work. It was "All hands on deck!" like on a real ship, but the storm soon stopped and the waves straightened out. That's called a calm. That's when we sailors get down to work.

"One, two! Swish-swish! Chairs, line up! Attention! Broom and Dustpan, start sweeping? Hey, there, Floor, you look awful. I want you to shine. This minute! Right! Lunch, obey my order! Pot and Pan, one, two, up onto the stove!

Let's have a song.

When someone strikes a
match,
Watch the fire,
catch!

Go on warming up. There. Good for me. I'm a real help. A child like me is a blessing. When I grow up, you know what I'll be? I'll be-oho! I'll even be oho-ho! Ohohohoho! That's what I'll be!"

I went on playing and boasting to make the time go faster till Mommy and Daddy come back. Finally the door flew open and Daddy burst in again. He was very excited. His hat was pushed back on his head. He was playing on all sorts of imaginary instruments, as if he was a brass band and the conductor at the same time. Daddy was waving his hands.

"Boom, boom!" he shouted. That was the big bass drum playing in Mommy's honor. "Crash, crash!" went the brass cymbals. Then everything became a swirling, yelling chorus of a hundred voices.

Daddy was the whole hundred, but since the door was open I ran out into the hall to Mommy.

She was standing by the coat rack, holding a bundle. When she saw me she smiled and said softly, "Hello, darling. Did you miss me?"

"Awfully."

"I have a surprise for you."

"An airplane?"

"Here, have a look."

We'd both been speaking very softly. Mommy gave me the bundle.

"What is it?"

"This is your sister Xenia," Mommy said just as softly.

I didn't say anything.

Then Mommy turned down the lace corner and I saw my sister's face. It was so little you couldn't really see anything. I was clutching her as tightly as I could.

"Boom, boom, boom!" Daddy said, appearing beside me. "Attention, please," he continued in an announcer's voice. "Dennis has just been presented with a new, live sister. Her name is Xenia. She's fifty centimeters from head to toe and fifty-five from toe to head. Net weight: 3 kilos, 250 grams, not counting the packaging."

Daddy crouched down beside me and put his hands under mine, because he was probably afraid I'd drop her. Then he spoke to Mommy in his usual voice. "Whom does she resemble?"

"You."

"No, she doesn't. In this little cap she looks just like old Korchagina-Alexandrovskaya, the famous actress whom I admired so in my youth. I'm convinced all new-born infants resemble Korchagina-Alexandrovskaya. Especially the nose. You can't miss the resemblance."

I stood there smiling like an idiot and holding my sister Xenia.

"Be careful, Dennis. Don't drop her," Mommy said in a worried voice.

"Don't worry, Mommy. I can lift a three-wheeler with one hand, so I won't drop a little thing like this."

"We're going to bathe her this evening," Daddy said.

He took the bundle with Xenia inside and I followed him, and Mommy followed me. We put Xenia in an empty drawer in the chest of drawers. She didn't even peep.

"This is only for one night," Daddy said. "I'll buy her a crib tomorrow. You see that nobody closes the drawer by accident, Dennis, or we might forget where we've put her."

We sat down to lunch. I kept jumping up every minute to look at Xenia, but she went right on sleeping. It was amazing. I kept touching her cheek. It was as soft as silk. Now, when I'd had a close look at her, I saw she had long, dark eyelashes.

That evening we got ready to bathe her. Xenia was lying in the drawer, waiting. She seemed to be worried, because she kept making creaking sounds like a squeaking door, but Daddy kept cheering her up so she wouldn't be too scared. He rolled up his sleeves and said in a cheery voice,

"Who's the best swimmer? Who's the best diver? Who's the best bubble-blower?"

You could see by Xenia's look that she thought she was the best diver and swimmer. Daddy's pep talk had done the job. But when we started bathing her she got so scared you'd think her own parents were going to drown their only daughter. She felt around for the bottom of the baby tub with her heel, found it, braced herself against it and finally calmed down. Her face smoothed out a bit. She didn't look as miserable as before and she let us pour water on her. Still, she looked like she thought Daddy might dunk her.

I ducked under Mommy's elbow and offered Xenia my finger. I'd guessed right and done the right thing, because she grabbed it and calmed down completely. She clutched it as hard as a drowning man clutches at a straw. I felt so sorry for her, holding on to me of all people, holding on as fast as she could with her tiny fingers. You could see I was the only one she could trust her precious life. She might have thought this bathing business was torture. It was horrible and risky, and dangerous. She'd have to try and save herself by hanging on to a finger, the finger of her strong, brave elder brother. When I realized all this and finally understood how scared the poor baby was I started loving her right away.


 
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