In July after passing all my exams I’ll have a lot of free time. Some of my friends will go to the country. Others will stay in town. Still others will go abroad. What shall I do? Strange as it may seem, all my relatives have already decided that question.
My father wants me to go to Germany to study the language because as he says knowing only English is not enough nowadays. Oh Daddy, better give me that money and I’ll spend it my own way.
As to my mother she wants me to attend a judo club at the far end of Moscow. She has a strong belief that every young lady (including her poor defenseless daughter) must know how to protect herself in danger. But in my opinion, wasting four hours two times a week seems more dangerous for my weak health than a bunch of hypothetical bastards.
My cousin Mike wants me to go to his country house to work for him instead of his lazy wife and her mother. ‘If you have time to lean, you have time to clean,’ Mike’s boss used to repeat when he worked at McDonald’s. Oh Mike, if you were brave enough to marry Jane, have courage to make her work now and then. Or work like a mule yourself.
My friend Boris would like me to teach English to his younger sister Linda. Does he really mean that? Linda is fourteen, thinks she is something special and spends hours in front of the mirror, devouring all sorts of food from the fridge. I’m dead certain the last words she wrote were on the wall. Besides if she raises her voice at me I’ll simply strangle her. And I’m not sure that the court will acquit me. So I have what my grandma calls Hobson’s choice.
Frankly speaking, I haven’t made up my mind yet. Most probably I’ll go to Mike’s country house. There are several reasons for it. First, fresh air won’t do me any harm. Second, we are relatives after all. Of course I have a premonition that his wife Jane will be a little disappointed as you can guess I’m not going to work in their kitchen garden day and night. Then why go there? The answer is simple – they have a nice river with clear water. And I am going to swim, pick berries and mushrooms in the forest and have a lot of fun at the discos.
Forgive me, Mike…