Cast of Characters (Partial)

Sasha -> Twenty-two, absolutely brilliant and my closest friend at the Dacha. She keeps me in check and from running completely wild because she is a LADY. I mean it. A real one. Basically, she's who I want to be when I grow up. She travels, knows several different languages, is very well read and is such a nice and well spoken girl. Also the only one my Grandmother would trust me with anywhere and everywhere. "Oh well if Sasha is jumping into a fiery hell pit, then sure you can go!".




Sasha's grandma and mom always feed me little cakes and offer me tea when I come over, so naturally they are my most favorite people in the whole wide world. I also have no idea why they like me so much because I swear to god I'm sort of a dumb ass and get into scrapes quite often. Like if I had perfect daughters like Sasha and Anya I would NOT be so enthusiastic about them having a girl like me as their friend. I giggle about boys, I jump of piers, I am not as well read and I drink. I also fall out of trees and come home late. Maybe they don't know. I hope they never find out.

Anya -> Um 17? 18? She's Sasha's younger sister and classifies herself as a geek. Right. You look like a model. No I don't care that Kafka puts you to sleep, you look like a model. You. Look. Like. A. Model. Be careful if she has her hair in a braid and whips her hair around because I've been hit by that thing and it almost knocked me out.


Shurik -> Fuck. Why did I start with ages when I don't know anyones for certain. A little older than me I'm going to guess. 23, 22? Back in the day Dima and him used to be inseparable. To the point of him dating Arisha when Dima didn't want to date her. Haha, apparently that was him helping Dima out because Dima wanted to kiss me/ date me (which in the Dacha honestly is the same thing) and figured that would make me feel more comfortable. We used to call him "Frog Legs" because he would wear this green sports costume around everywhere. He might be getting married to Aleona, the girl with him in the photos. My dear frog legs!


Shurik used to have this white "peterka", this really shitty old Russian car, that he was obsessed with and one summer afternoon he roped me into helping him tint the cars windows so that he could be more bad ass. This involved take the door off the frame, unscrewing it so that we could see the inside, then since he had the roll-up kind of windows, we had to take the tight chain off two screws so that we could take the window out. One chain broke, which caused him to swear and to huff and puff at me though I was simply watching and the rest came off only after they had thoroughly cut up our hands and there was no more trouble for them to cause. We tinted the windows. We put everything back (again much cursing and blood and sweat and my frustrated tears were involved). Then after everything was back, and one window permanently sealed shut, Shurik informed me that the car had to stay this way, with the windows up, for four days for the tint to take hold. Hmm, alright but didn't we have plans to drive to the sea today with 5 other people and go swimming? Don't you have the only car right now? We almost died. Well you know what they say. There is no manslaughter without laughter.


Igor and Tanya -> yeah two different people, and Tanya isn't even from this Dacha, she's Igor's girlfriend but they are getting married! In late August or early September. I just can't process it. I can say it. I just can't seem to process it. They are my age. Maybe a year or two older. Good god. Marriage. Wow. I mean honestly, they've been together for four years already and they are a great pair, but still. Marriage. I still can't get over how young people get married here. So young. I mean I like the idea of settling down, of falling in love and being happy with someone for a long time, but Marriage is still quite out of the picture. I remember when Igor and his friend Deshka got pissed that Arisha and I were hanging out with the boys from Gosplan (a neighboring town) and so they challenged them (aka Shurik, Dima and their friends) to a soccer game. As in, who ever won the soccer game would win us. I think we were thirteen or fourteen at the time. It was horribly silly and unflatteringly puts me in the role of property to be won, but I would be lying if I said that my teenage heart didn't tremble from the excitement and romance of it all. Now he's getting married.


I need to stop writing posts that make me cry. I'll finish this one later