Very bad English / Очень плохой English

Apparently, that was some kind of northern state… This whole situation…

A damn joke!

And then an idea came to my mind. I asked:

В«When you were born?В»

В«August 9th, 1985,В» he answered.

В«August 9? Right? And where?В» Three of my short questions followed at once, but I did not receive a single intelligible answer. Well, at least I could understand and answer something.

В«My mother reluctantly talks about it,В» my twin said.

В«And now, can you tell where you are?В»

В«Minneapolis, USA.

В»

В«I'm in Tomsk. Siberia! Well, you know: matreshka, lapti and bears!В» I tried to joke.

I was not good at joking. A sticky stream of cold sweat ran down my back… Finally, I asked for his name.

В«Donald Frost, or just Doni,В» he answered. В«And you?В»

«Dormidont,» I answered for some reason…

He said that he was going to Europe for business or personal reasons and that he wanted to come to St. Petersburg if he was approved by a Russian visa. When I was ready to break the connection, he suddenly, noticing my watercolor portrait hanging on the wall, asked who its author was.

I could literally feel a treacherous cold stream of sweat running down his spine…

В«Her name is Tatiana,В» I replied, and showed the recent Taska's photo, taken against the backdrop of a gobbled Wolf, В«The Monument to Happiness.В»

His face changed even more than at the beginning of the conversation.

В«I know her! Rather, I saw her. In a dream. Really.

I just did not know where to look for her. Whether it is real or just an obsession,В» he sighed.

He exhaled and looked at me as if his whole life depended on me now to say the least! I saw an unhealthy glow in his eyes. I know it happens in the eyes of people whose despair borders on madness… Or love. In a word, it was a kind of painful and desperate sparkle. He begged me to give at least her address. I reasoned that Taska would risk absolutely nothing if he wrote her a few lines… And send her a letter.

In an envelope. Maybe she wouldn't read it… Which would be in her style. She'd throw it somewhere without even opening the envelope, or immediately take it in the trash. Carefully, in block letters, he copied Tatiana's address. «The idea is hopeless!» I thought. We wanted to exchange phones just in case… But at this very moment the lights went out in the entire house. «Damn!» I swore, and went to look for a flashlight.