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A Simple Life

 

Today I heard from my half sister. Did you know I have two half sisters and one whole sister? Lol.

Olya just turned 61, and I, not being a very good sister, forgot to say happy birthday. Well, we didn't communicate for a large part of our lives. We lived not too far from each other, but she lived in a closed city where I couldn't go without a special invitation. We didn't have a phone at home, so contact was very limited. Then we started getting together, first to visit our common father's grave, and later just to meet and talk. That was right before I relocated to the US. Have you ever noticed that the further away you are, the closer you become?

So, I sent her my late happy birthday wishes, and she sent a few messages back. She said she was tired from working at her dacha. Do you know what a dacha is? My husband does. It's a summer cottage with a garden, and not a small one. So Olya was tired from growing vegetables and berries and preserving them. Other than that, she is fine. Her kids are working. Her grandchildren go to school. She goes to the dacha.

And here I am. I have a job, and I have school. I have to speak English to communicate. My husband and I are developing land. Have you ever developed land or built a house? It's too much of everything: thinking, discussing, negotiating, driving, checking, planning, and so on.

...We went for a walk. Daniel and I spent the whole day on our land, which I call our cliff, and I am right to call it that. Before calling it a day, we took a walk. As usual, Daniel talked about which trees need to be taken down next year so we can get electricity. I heard him but didn't listen. I was thinking about Olya and me. Why don't I have a simple life like hers? Why do I need all these complications? What if I lived in Russia again? Well, maybe not. I don't have a house in Russia to live in. Can I have a simple life here in the US?

I don't know.

We returned to the motel. The room is tiny. My neck is sore, maybe because of the bed. My homework is partly done. My husband is sleeping. I am pouring my thoughts out of my head.

I hope my neck will be all right tomorrow.

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