«Lena! Leneen!» Beneath the window of a five-storey block of flats, its entrance door hanging loose on its hinges, a boy stood with his bicycle, craning his neck as he shouted up at someone.
«Lenaaa, Len…»
«I swear Ill throttle someone in a minute,» growled a man in a blue vest, leaning out of one window. «Clear off!»
«I wasnt calling you! Lenkaaa…»
«For heavens sake,» snapped a woman in a nightgown and curlers, peering from another window. «Its Saturdaypeople are trying to sleep!»
«Just shut up, will you?» barked a tall, bald man from yet another window. «I barely slept all night, finally nodded off, and now this…»
«Lenkaaa, come on, hurry up!»
The creaking, half-broken door groaned open, and out stepped a girl in a light summer dress, clutching a string bag with something wrapped in parchment.
«Hey, what took you so long? Oversleep?»
«No, I was making sandwiches,» she said matter-of-factly, securing the bag on the bikes rack before perching on the crossbar.
With a sharp turn, the boy pedalled off.
«Bloody hooligan!» shouted the irritable man.
«Let us sleep!» came another voice from a window.
«Sleep, then!» the boy called back, laughing as they rode past the block again. «Its Saturday morningwhats wrong with you lot?»
Laughing, the two sped out of the courtyard.
The boy pedalled hard, soon leaving the small town behind, racing down a dusty country lane.
«Len, you tired?»
«Nah. You?»
«Not a bit,» he said, legs pumping.
They toppled into the long grass, laughing, when the bikes tyre gave out and sent them veering sideways.
«Oh no, what now, Lesh?»
«Dunno,» the boy said, sprawling in the grass. «Maybe well just live here forever.»
«Leshhh.»
«What? Well build a little hut. Rivers closeIll catch fish, grill em over a fire.»
«And how do we start a fire?»
«Rub sticks together. Or nick matches off the fishermen.»
«Ah.»
They collapsed into giggles again.
«Lesh, look at that cloudits like a teapot.»
«Yeah. Now its a dog.»
They lay there, watching the sky.
«Fancy a swim?»
«Go on, then.»
They raced to the river, then sprawled on the sun-warmed sand to dry.
«Len, what dyou reckon youll do when you grow up?»
«Hmm finish school, go to uni, get a job. You?»
«Marry you and get richor vice versa. Thats the plan.»
«Dont be daft.»
«Fine, fine. Ill join the army too, get a trade, so you dont go marrying someone else first.»
Lena snorted.
«Like who?»
«Dunno Vitya, maybe. Saw you giggling with him the other day. Leaning in all close-like.»
«We were working on the school paper! Honestly.»
«Whatever. Just knowIll fight for you, no matter what.»
***
Saturday, early morning. The summer silence shattered under the roar of a motorbike.
«Lenaaa, Len…»
«Hooligan!» a woman yelled from an upstairs window.
«Let people sleep!»
«Keep it down!»
«Lenkaaa Not calling you! Go back to bed, its Saturday!»
The same wobbly door creaked open, and out stepped a young woman into the sunlight.
«Hey. Oversleep?»
«Nah. Made us sarnies.»
«Some of us want peace!» a voice snapped from a window.
Lesh handed her a helmet. She pulled it on, climbed onto the bikeits rear raised highand wrapped her arms around him.
«Disgraceful!» shouted the man with chronic insomnia.
Lesh revved the engine, shouted one last «Sleep well!» and sped off.
They cut through the town, hit the tarmac road, then veered onto a dirt track.
«You all right back there?»
«Fine!» Lena yelled, pressing closer to his broad back.
The wind whipped tears from her eyes, loose strands of hair flapping wildly.
Lesh killed the engine. Lena hopped off, shaking out stiff legs.
They flopped into the grass, staring at the sky.
«Look, Leshthat clouds like two cats sitting together.»
«Yeah, and that ones a motorbike.»
«Swim?»
«Go on, then.»
They swam, baked on the hot sand, then kissed until they were dizzy.
«Lenka…»
«Hm?»
«Ive been called up. Army. Youll wait for me?»
«What? When?»
«Tomorrow. Got my papers.»
«You why didnt you say?»
«Didnt know myself,» he muttered.
«Thats why you didnt apply to uni, isnt it?»
«Dont cry. Ill go after. Then Ill marry you. You wont run off with Vitya, yeah? Len?»
***
Lena stood on the platform, waiting.
The train disgorged a crowd of soldiers.
«Lesh, son!» A woman flung herself at the tall, sharp-eyed young man, nearly buckling under the force of her sobs. «Home, youre home…»
His father gripped his hand. His little sister, tearful, leapt into his arms. After hugging them all, Lesh scanned the crowd for the one face that mattered.
There she stood, hands clasped to her chest. He pushed through the throng towards her.
«Lenka whats this? Crying?»
«Happy tears, Lesh.»
«Ah, well more of those to come.»
Never mind his sisters pout, his mothers pursed lips, his fathers gruffnessright now, it was just her. The girl hed loved since childhood.
***
«Son, its too soon. Youve only just got backwhat about uni? Thought you wanted to study?»
«Already enrolled, Mum. And Im getting married.» He spoke softly. «Dont be like the others. I love Lena. She loves me.»
«At her age, shes desperate to tie you down. You ought to see a bit of life first, meet other girls»
«Mum, shes nineteen. I dont want anyone else. Understand?»
«Lesh, its too soon»
«Enough. When I got back, you and Gran were at me night and day to settle before I went wild.»
«To save you from drinking yourself into a gutter!»
Lesh smiled, shutting the door quietly behind him.
***
«Its a boy! A son!» Bursting into his parents flat, Lesh was radiant. «Mum, DadIve got a son!»
His mother wept for joy. His father wiped away rare tears.
«Hooray! Ive got a proper little nephew!» his sister cheered.
Five years later, a daughter arrivedtheir little princess.
***
«Son Dad says you quit your job? How will you manage?»
«Had enough of working for scraps. Weve got plans.»
«And Lena agreed? This job was security!»
«Mum I want my family to live properly. I wont have my kids splitting one chocolate bar between them.»
«Love, we grew up without such things»
«That was then.» He kissed her cheek. «Well make it work.»
And they did.
Not at first. There were highs, lows, moments of despair.
Sometimes hed itch to scream, to give upbut there she was. Unshakeable Lena, quietly buttering bread.
One evening, she handed him a guitar.
«Len, what?» He bit back a shout. Songs were the last thing he needed.
«Sing, Lesh. It chases the darkness away.»
Softly, they began: *»Ill ride my bicycle far, through quiet fields where the willows are…»*
Lena cried sometimes when he wasnt looking. He knew, pretended not to, and fought harder.
In time, they thrived. Lived, as his mother put it, «like lords.»
Yet lately, Lesh found himself restless. Midlife, comfortablecountry house, city flat, kids settled, parents cared for.
He and Lena travelled the world.
Still, he itched for something.
Then an old mate invited him to a lads night.
«Sauna? Really?»
«Not just that. Come on.»
He wavered.
«Lesh weve got theatre tickets.»
«Cant make it. Work thing.»
First lie hed ever told her. Felt vile.
The sauna was dull. He sat scowling until a woman approachedpolished, pretty.
«Lets get out of here. Hate these places.»
«Why come, then?»
«Needs must.»
Outside, she confessed: a young son, deadbeat ex, scraping by.
«Saving up to leave. Or find a decent bloke like you.»
Honest. Clever. Bold.
They walked all night, talking. He returned dazed.
Met her again. And again.
A month passed. Came home one evening to silence. Emptiness.
RealisedLena had been gone three days.
Phoned the kids. *»Seen your mum?»* No. His parents. Hers.
Called the other woman. Met her.
«Sorry. I love my wife. You were fresh air. I hope things work out.»
«Thank you, Alex. I realised this wasnt my path. I envy your wife. But youre rightlife goes on.»
«Should I tell her?»
«Ill do it.»
***
Lena sat in her childhood kitchen. Four days here, thinking.
She spread butter slowly, methodically.
*»Lenaaa Leeeen!»*
A motorbikes growl, then shouting below.
«Give it a rest, you louts!»
«Outrageous!»
«Some of us need sleep!»
Then, singing: *»Ill ride my bicycle far stop in the fields where the willows are»*
The door banged. Lena walked out, took the helmet, slid onto the bike behind Lesh, and held tight.
They roared through town, down to the old dirt track, through meadows thick with wildflowersjust like before.
«Len, you tired?»
«No.»
They lay in the grass, arms wide.
«Lookthat clouds a ship.»
«And thats an old couple having tea.»
«Len»
«Hm?»
«Forgive me?»
«For what?»
«Dont know. But I hurt you.»
«I forgive you.»
«Wont happen again.»
«What wont?»
«You singing alone. You did sing?»
«I did.»
«So did I. Lets do it together.»
«Alright. They began slowly, softly, the old song rising between them like smoke from a long-tended fire. The sun dipped low, gilding the fields, and somewhere beyond the trees, the river whispered over stones. Lena rested her head against his shoulder, her fingers laced with his. No more words were needed. The years stretched behind and ahead, not perfect, but theirsworn smooth like river stones, warm as sunlight on skin. And in the hush that followed the last note, they stayed, breathing together, as the stars blinked on above the willows.
