Possessed hearts - стр. 50
– I forgot to warn you: we don't have electricity," Misha said suddenly, approaching me. – To be more precise, we have only one working socket, but only for charging phones.
– Are you kidding? – I grinned. – My MacBook is going to die in four hours, and I need to write to Elle about how busy I am!
– Do you have internet access on your phone? – Misha asked. – I don't.
– Of course I have internet! I'm just addicted to it! How do you live here? Without electricity and internet? – I hummed, surprised more and more.
– I assure you, life without the internet is magical! We are free of it. And we don't need electricity: in the evening we light candles and a fireplace. And it's so cosy! I only need water for my flowers.
– Don't tell me you don't shower? I know you, you're so tidy, you can lie in the bath for hours! – I laughed.
– We have a whole lake for that! But we have a shower, of course! True, it's more like a hose with water, there behind the house, but there's a wooden cabin! – Misha replied to this with delight. She took me by the hand and led me to a low jetty, next to which a big red boat was tied up. – Look how beautiful it is! The water is so clear and clean that you can see the bottom. But it's actually quite deep.
– Yes, it's very beautiful," I agreed eagerly. – But, you know, I couldn't live like this. With no electricity, no internet and an outdoor shower! Even in the middle of this lonely paradise. You could get bored out of your mind here!
– Yes, it can be lonely sometimes… But that's what we have a house in the capital for. And when I get tired of Stockholm, we come back here again and again. – Misha smiled dreamily. – I have so many memories with this place! And it helped me to recover from my bad experience in Oxford.
– After a crisis, you mean? – I asked, and immediately saw my sister's eyes round with surprise. I stroked her shoulder encouragingly. – Yes, yes, Martin told me! But don't be angry with him because he made me swear not to tell you what I know. And so I did. – I smiled warmly. – But it hurts me that you kept it from me. Why, Misha?
She lowered her gaze to the ground.
– I was ashamed… And I didn't want you and Mariszka to know," she answered quietly.
– So Mariszka still doesn't know? – I clarified.
– No. Not unless Martin has told her.
I can't believe it! It's happened! I know something about Misha that our sister doesn't!
I was very pleased with that.
– Well, let's put it behind us. Now show me your house, missy! – I said cheerfully, to distract Misha from unpleasant memories. – What about the cleaning? Do you do it yourself? Or do you hire mortals?
– Yes, ourselves, but when we are in Stockholm, an elderly couple from the local village lives here. They clean, take care of the flowers and the boat," Misha said with renewed vigour.
– And someone voluntarily agrees to live here without electricity? – I teased.
She took me by the elbow, and we walked towards the house. There was fine gravel all around, and I was unhappy to think that I would scratch my expensive shoes.
– We pay them well. All the more reason for them to like it here! – Misha showed me her tongue. – All you want is comfort! Which one of us is the cleaner?
– Aren't you afraid to leave them in a house with a blood supply of their kin?