Chapter 87

MAY 2013

If at the beginning of my search I wondered why the town of Krasnoyarsk was empty, as soon as I arrived I found the answer: the place was falling apart. It was far from the city and to go up to the terrace where the buildings were located, you had to follow an intricate and dilapidated route. There was no danger of avalanches due to the trees that grew on the slopes, and the cold was dry even for spring. There were others of us in the area, but they preferred to live closer to the city and in a flat, accessible area. I didn’t bother to wonder why no one was taking care of the repair of the villa.

It was just perfect, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Ivan Zelensky and his wife, Anna, were the only inhabitants; they were around eighty years old but looked much older. Ivan’s partial deafness only reinforced the impression. However, they were both quick-minded and very knowledgeable. Ivan recognized me immediately and greeted me with all those honors