“Rodya, I don’t feel well…” Galya had barely stepped over the threshold of their room at the sanatorium when she clutched her stomach. “It’s all because of that cheburek you bought at the station!”
She threw down her suitcase and immediately disappeared into the bathroom.
“But you were the one complaining, ‘I’m starving to death, give me anything!’ Am I supposed to be guilty that there was nothing there except chebureks?” Rodion dragged the bags into the room and, with relief, collapsed onto the neatly made bed. “Well, that’s it, finally a vacation! I’m going to live like a human being!”
“And I think I’m going to die here…” Galya came out of the bathroom looking pale green. “Those chebureks ought to be sent to the lab along with the woman who sold them. There was definitely something wrong with them.”
“But while you were eating it, you liked it just fine!” he smirked.
“I was hungry! You know my brain switches off at times like that!” she snapped irritably. “And it seems like you fed me that garbage on purpose.”
“Oh, enough already, just look at the view!” Rodion stepped out onto the balcony.
On the balcony one floor below, a woman was sitting with a glass of wine. He couldn’t help staring. The stranger looked up, noticed him, smiled, and waved. Rodion didn’t miss a beat and waved back.
“And who are you waving at over there?” Galya asked suspiciously as she headed toward the balcony.
But he quickly went back into the room and shut the door.
“No one, I was just shooing away a fly… You’d better unpack.”
Galya had barely reached for the suitcase when she clutched her stomach again and rushed back.
“It’s started…” Rodion muttered.
His wife got much worse: her temperature rose, and her condition was worsening by the minute. They had to call a doctor.
“Looks like an infection,” the doctor said after examining her. “She’ll have to stay in bed for a few days. Here’s a list of medicines.”
He handed the paper to Rodion.
“The illness is contagious, so keep your distance if you don’t want to come down with it too.”
“Doctor, but what about me? Who’s going to take care of me?” Galya asked pitifully, but then immediately ran off again.
“Thank you,” Rodion said, wanting to shake the doctor’s hand, but the doctor pulled it back.
“Oh right…” he realized, and walked the doctor out.
“Galya, are you still alive in there? I’m going to the pharmacy, don’t get bored!” he shouted while hurriedly getting ready.
As he stepped out of the room, Rodion smirked to himself: “What, I’m supposed to sit here and listen to all that? I came here to отдыхать, so I’m going to enjoy myself.”
In the lobby, he saw the same woman from the balcony again. A perfect chance.
He walked past, hoping she would notice him — and he was right.
“Lovely weather, isn’t it?” he began. “Are you here alone?”
“The weather is wonderful,” she smiled. “Yes, alone. And you?”
“Well, what luck! Such a beautiful woman, and all by herself! I’m alone too. Maybe we could have lunch together?”
“With pleasure. My name is Elvira.”
She held out her hand, and Rodion eagerly grabbed it with both of his.
“Rodion! Very pleased to meet you!”
“You’re about to tear my hand off,” she remarked with a smile.
“Oh, sorry! Then I’ll see you at lunch. I need to stop by the pharmacy now.”
“Are you sick?” Elvira asked warily.
“No, no, just vitamins,” he hurried to assure her.
She visibly relaxed.
“Then see you at lunch.”
When Rodion returned to the room, he saw that Galya was asleep.
“Excellent, at least there won’t be any questions,” he thought as he laid out the medicine.
But the moment he tried to leave, his wife woke up and disappeared into the bathroom again.
“And later they’ll tell me how I ‘rested’…” she said wearily when she came back. “Rodya, sit with me…”
“I’d love to, Galyunya,” he sighed theatrically, “but you heard the doctor — it’s contagious. The last thing we need is for both of us to be sick here. Here’s the medicine — get better. I’ll go have lunch for now, look around a bit, maybe walk to the waterfall. Once you recover, I’ll be your guide!”
Galya only sighed.
In the dining hall, Rodion had warned the waitress in advance that he would be there with his wife. So when Elvira sat down next to him, she was assumed to be his spouse.
After lunch, she suggested a walk to the waterfall.
“It’s very beautiful there, romantic…”
“Maybe we’d be better off going to your room?” Rodion winked.
“My, you’re quick! And what about courtship? Flowers, poems, champagne?”
“That would take up half the vacation,” he waved it off — and immediately realized he had said too much.
Elvira became wary.
“Wait a second… Are you married?”
Rodion instantly recovered:
“No, what are you talking about… My wife… died. I’m a widower.”
He paused. Elvira softened.
“I’m very sorry…”
“And about the romance — you misunderstood me. I’m ready to do everything properly. Flowers, champagne… Let’s just not drag it out.”
She smiled.
“All right. Then I’ll be waiting for you at five.”
Rodion quickly ran back to the room, cleaned himself up, and took some money.
Galya was asleep, her face pale, but her breathing had become calmer.
“Sleep, it’s good for you,” he said quietly.
At exactly five, he knocked on Elvira’s door — with a bouquet of carnations and an inexpensive bottle of wine.
She let him in, sighing a little.
“Well, let’s see… maybe he’ll manage to surprise me with something after all,” she thought.
“Rodya, I feel absolutely awful…” Galia said, clutching her stomach as soon as she stepped into the sanatorium room. “It’s all because of that cheburek at the station!”
She раздражedly tossed down her suitcase and immediately disappeared into the bathroom.
“But you were the one whining, ‘I’m starving to death, give me something, anything!’ How is it my fault that they weren’t selling anything there except those chebureki?” Rodion carried the bags inside and flopped onto the bed with relief. “Now this is a vacation! At last I can live like a human being!”
“And I, apparently, am going to die here…” Galia came out pale, with a greenish tint to her face. “Those chebureki should be sent for testing along with the woman who sold them. There was clearly something suspicious about them.”
“But you liked them well enough while you were eating!” he smirked.
“I was hungry! You know my brain shuts off in moments like that,” she snapped irritably. “And it seems to me you fed me that garbage on purpose.”
“Oh, stop grumbling and look at the view from the window!” Rodion said as he stepped out onto the balcony.
On the floor below, on the neighboring balcony, a woman was sitting with a glass of wine. His gaze lingered on her involuntarily. The stranger noticed him and waved pleasantly. Rodion immediately waved back.
“Who are you waving to over there?” Galia asked suspiciously, heading toward the balcony.
But he quickly came back into the room and shut the door.
“No one. I was shooing away a fly… You’d better unpack.”
Galia had barely opened the suitcase when she grabbed her stomach again and hurried back.
“Well, here we go…” Rodion muttered.
His wife’s condition worsened sharply: her temperature rose, and she felt truly awful. They had to call a doctor.
“Looks like you picked up an infection,” the doctor said after examining her. “You’ll have to stay in bed for three to five days. Here’s the medication.”
He handed the list to Rodion.
“The illness is contagious, so keep your distance if you don’t want to end up in the same condition.”
“Doctor, but what about me? Who’s going to take care of me?” Galia asked plaintively, but then immediately ran back to the bathroom.
“Thank you, doctor,” Rodion said, wanting to shake his hand, but the doctor tucked it into his pocket. “Ah, right…” Rodion caught himself and walked him out. “She really will be laid up for five days?”
“Usually three to five. Adults recover quickly. All the best.”
When the doctor left, Rodion narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
“Galyu, you alive in there? I’m off to get the medicine!” he shouted while getting ready.
As soon as he left the room, he smirked to himself: What, did I come all the way here to sit by her side? She can manage somehow on her own…
In the lobby he saw that same woman from the balcony again. He decided not to miss his chance.
“Lovely weather, isn’t it?” he began. “Are you here alone?”
“The weather really is wonderful,” she smiled. “Yes, alone. And you?”
“Well, what luck! Such a beautiful woman, and all by herself! I’m alone too. Shall we have lunch together?”
“With pleasure,” she said, extending her hand. “Elvira.”
Rodion enthusiastically squeezed her hand.
“Rodion! Very nice to meet you!”
“Careful, you’ll tear my arm off,” she smiled.
“Oh, sorry! Then until lunch. I need to stop by the pharmacy first.”
“Are you sick?” she asked warily.
“No, no, just vitamins,” he answered quickly.
She nodded.
“Then see you later.”
When he returned, Rodion saw that Galia was asleep.
Excellent. Fewer questions, he thought, laying out the medicine.
But the moment he tried to leave, his wife woke up and ran to the bathroom again.
“So later you can tell everyone how I ‘rested’ here…” she said tiredly. “Rodya, stay with me…”
“I’d love to,” he sighed hypocritically, “but you heard the doctor—it’s contagious. If I come down with it too, one toilet won’t be enough for us. You get better, and I’ll go have lunch for now. Then maybe I’ll take a walk to the waterfall and scout out the area. Once you recover, I’ll show you around!”
Galia only waved her hand weakly.
In the dining hall, Rodion had already said he would be there with his wife. So when Elvira sat down at his table, everyone assumed she was his spouse.
After lunch she suggested a walk.
“There’s a waterfall there, it’s very beautiful…”
“Maybe we’d be better off going to your room instead?” he said with a wink.
“My, aren’t you persistent! And what about courtship? Flowers, champagne?”
“There’s no time for that,” he blurted out, then immediately realized he had said too much.
“Wait… are you married?” she asked warily.
“No, of course not! My wife… died. I’m a widower,” he said after a pause.
“I’m sorry…”
“As for romance—I’m ready to arrange everything. Flowers, champagne… How about this evening?”
“All right, I’ll be waiting for you at five.”
He quickly cleaned himself up and bought flowers and wine.
Galia was still asleep.
“Sleep. It’s good for you,” he said quietly.
That evening he knocked on Elvira’s door. She let him in, though with some hesitation.
The night passed merrily. Both of them were satisfied, though in different ways.
“Coffee or tea for breakfast?” she asked the next morning.
“I’d better go back to my room. I don’t want to keep you awake—I snore,” Rodion said. “Shall we do it again tomorrow?”
She did not object.
When he returned, Galia was already waiting.
“Rodya, where were you?” she asked sternly.
“Where was I? Having dinner! Then there was a concert. What, am I not allowed to go?” he snapped.
“You are…” she said, embarrassed. “By the way, I do feel better.”
“Then lie down some more!” he cut her off. “The doctor said five days, so five days it is!”
So several days passed. Rodion continued his “excursions,” finding new excuses each time.
On the fourth day, Galia felt better and decided to go down to the dining hall.
“Could you tell me where I should sit?” she asked the waitress.
“Are you related to Rodion?” the waitress brightened. “He and his wife sit at table eight. They just left.”
“With his wife?..” Galia repeated quietly.
“Yes! We were all saying how sweet they were—just like newlyweds!”
Galia understood everything.
She returned to the room, cried at first, then started thinking… and came up with a plan.
That evening, when Rodion returned, she said:
“Rodya, could you bring me something to eat?”
“Maybe go yourself?” he answered lazily. “All right, fine…”
She stepped out, but instead of heading to the dining hall, she went to room 305.
She knocked.
“Rodion, come in!” a voice called out.
“Today I’m here instead of him,” Galia said calmly as she entered.
Elvira froze.
“Who are you?”
“I’m his wife.”
“He said he was a widower…” Elvira said in confusion.
“And all that time I was sick in our room.”
“What a bastard…” Elvira exhaled. “I had no idea.”
They quickly found common ground.
“How about we arrange a farewell dinner at his expense?” Galia suggested.
“With pleasure!”
They ordered expensive dishes, desserts, drinks—the works.
Then they even took a photo together.
“Get out of here,” Galia told her. “I’m leaving tomorrow too.”
The next morning she quietly packed her things and left.
Rodion woke up—his wife was gone. He ran to Elvira’s room—and that was empty too.
Then a message arrived on his phone: a photo of Galia and Elvira together, captioned:
“A surprise for a free man.”
And then the restaurant bill arrived.
The amount was impressive.
“That’s even with a discount,” the waiter cheerfully informed him.
At home, one final surprise awaited him: divorce papers.
Galia had decided everything—division of property, separate apartments.
Sometimes one mistake destroys everything that took years to build. And the price for it turns out to be far higher than it seems at first…
