Download The Bronze Horseman PDF by Paullina Simons published in 2000.
Inside this book
The light came through the window, trickling morning all over the room. Tatiana Metanova slept the sleep of the innocent, the sleep of restless joy, of warm, white Leningrad nights, of jasmine June. But most of all, intoxicated with life, she slept the exuberant sleep of undaunted youth. She did not sleep for much longer. When the sun’s rays moved across the room to rest at the foot of Tatiana’s bed, she pulled the sheet over her head, trying to keep the daylight out. The bedroom door opened, and she heard the floor creak once. It was her sister, Dasha.
Daria, Dasha, Dashenka, Dashka. She represented everything that was dear to Tatiana. Right now, however, Tatiana wanted to smother her. Dasha was trying to wake her up and, unfortunately, succeeding. Dasha’s strong hands were vigorously shaking Tatiana, while her usually harmonious voice was dissonantly hissing, “Psst! Tania! Wake up. Wake up!” Tatiana groaned. Dasha pulled back the sheet. Never was their seven-year age difference more apparent than now, when Tatiana wanted to sleep and Dasha was… “Stop it,” Tatiana muttered, fishing helplessly behind her for the sheet and pulling it back over her. “Can’t you see I’m sleeping? What are you? My mother?”
The door to the room opened. Two creaks on the floor. It was her mother. “Tania? Are you awake? Get up right now.” Tatiana could never say that her mother’s voice was harmonious. There was nothing soft about Irina Metanoia. She was small, boisterous, and full of indignant, overflowing energy. She wore a kerchief to keep her hair back from her face, for she had probably already been down on her knees washing the communal bathroom in her blue summer frock. She looked bedraggled and done with her Sunday.