"Beware, Closing Doors" by Maria Metlitskaya, summary Automatic translate

"Beware, Doors Are Closing" is a collection of psychological prose by Maria Metlitskaya, published in 2020. The book consists of three standalone stories exploring themes of human loneliness, missed opportunities, and belated reconciliation with loved ones. The work was published in the "Women’s Fates: The Cozy Prose of Maria Metlitskaya" series. This series also includes the author’s other well-known works, such as "Mother-in-Law’s Diary," "Almost Happy Women," and "House on Mansurovsky."

Be careful, the doors are closing

Elderly émigré Yevgeny Sviridov returns to Moscow after thirty years in the United States. At the Park Kultury metro station, he waits for his daughter Katya, whom he abandoned as a child. Yevgeny feels like an outsider in the changed, bustling capital. Old memories of half-empty streets don’t correspond to the new reality.

Father and daughter take a walk across the Crimean Bridge toward the park. Katya, who has chosen to be a ballerina, maintains a reserved and distant demeanor. Sviridov notices traces of his ex-wife Valentina in her, but finds more grace in his daughter’s appearance. The silence is broken by occasional exchanges, revealing the deep gulf between the close friends.

Evgeny’s thoughts drift back to the late 1980s. Back then, he felt trapped in the Soviet system, with its queues and shortages. His wife, Valentina, was angry at his dissident talk and considered her husband lazy. The young family huddled in the apartment of his father-in-law, Pyotr Petrovich, and his mother-in-law, Anna Ivanovna. The kindness of these simple people oppressed the proud artist.

Sviridov recalls the harsh life of his grandmother Katya. After the revolution, her family lost their home, her brother Semyon went to serve the new government, and her first husband, Fyodor, disappeared during the years of repression. During the evacuation in the Urals, Katya became involved with a disabled man, Isai Berlin. Returning to Moscow, she gave birth to a daughter, Lyusya, Yevgeny’s mother. Katya later brought the ailing Isai to the capital and devotedly cared for him until his death.

Sviridov’s life changed thanks to his meeting with the American gallery owner Greg. He bought four paintings for $3,000. Sviridov quickly obtained exit documents through Israel, proving his Jewish ancestry through his grandfather, Isaiah. Leaving his wife and young daughter behind, he left his homeland forever.

In America, Evgeny faced severe trials. It was discovered that Greg had been ruthlessly stealing from Soviet artists. Sviridov suffered severe depression, poverty, and illness. He cohabited with a Czech woman, Magda, then shared a cold apartment with an illegal immigrant, Lena, from Pskov. Evgeny’s only true love was Alla, a philologist from Leningrad, but she left him due to a lack of ambition.

The artist’s wealth came by chance. He took a job walking the dog of an elderly wealthy woman, Jenny Abbott. The banker’s widow became attached to Evgeny, made him her companion, and bequeathed two original paintings by Watteau and Canaletto. After selling the paintings at auction, Sviridov acquired a luxurious house with a swimming pool and a Bentley. He lied to his Moscow relatives that he had become rich thanks to successful exhibitions.

From the park, Katya takes her father to the Skazka cooperative, a dacha outside Moscow. There, they are met by Valentina. Her ex-wife, who has aged considerably and has moved to the countryside after undergoing surgery, shares her concerns over dinner with French cognac and Black Eyes wine. They dance a silly "lonely tango" on the old veranda.

Valentina admits she never loved her second husband, Viktor Ryzhy, even though he was a saintly man and raised Katya. Evgeny feels unbearable shame for his deception. Early in the morning, while the women are sleeping, he leaves a credit card and tickets to the Bolshoi Theater on the nightstand. Sviridov secretly leaves for the airport to return to his comfortable but lonely American life.

Present

Salikhat lives in a secluded mountain village. Having lost her parents at an early age, she remained alone for a long time and was considered an old maid. The girl worked modestly as a switchboard operator at the post office. One day, she rejected the proposal of the clumsy foreman Zaur Giriev, refusing to marry without love.

Salihat’s life changed after meeting Kamal. He had recently returned from the city after divorcing his Russian wife. Kamal regularly came to the post office to call his son, Kostya. Salihat secretly admired his masculine appearance and sincerely pitied the lonely, unkempt man.

Some time later, they met by chance on a bus heading into town. Kamal showed his affection by treating Salihat to hot coffee and a sweet bun. Soon, he came to her home and asked her father’s consent to their marriage. The father trusted his daughter’s decision, and that spring, they had a lavish country wedding.

Their life together was happy and harmonious. The only problem was the lack of children. Salihat unsuccessfully sought medical treatment, visited healers, and prayed in the mosque. The herbs of the reclusive village witch were of no help. Resigned to childlessness, the woman focused on caring for her father, who had been gravely ill for three years before his death.

Kamal regularly visited his son Kostya in the city, bringing him gifts collected by Salikhat. The boy grew up, married Daria, and joined the army. Soon, the couple had a son, Sasha. Daria proved an indifferent mother. During a trip to the village, she suggested leaving little Sasha in the care of his grandfather and his wife.

Salihat was transformed, surrounding Sasha with maternal tenderness. She raised the boy lovingly for six years, baking his favorite pies and taking him for walks. But these happy years were cut short by Kamal’s sudden death from heart disease. Salihat was left alone with her child.

Soon after the funeral, Daria arrived. She announced that she had divorced Kostya and was moving to her wealthy sister in Krasnodar. Daria cruelly took Sasha with her. The empty house plunged Salikhat into despair. The woman decided to commit suicide. She prepared mourning clothes and went to the cemetery to say goodbye to her loved ones.

That night, Salihat dreamed of her late husband. Kamal strictly forbade her to commit suicide and ordered her to move on with her life. She woke up, calmed down, and returned to her daily routine.

Seven months later, a letter arrived from Daria. She announced that she was getting married and moving to Tikhoretsk, and that Salikhat wanted Sasha to return temporarily. The delighted woman ran to the post office to send a telegram of acceptance.

Salikhat met her grandson at the train station. As a token of gratitude, she gave Daria her most prized possession — a gold ring with diamonds, a gift from Kamal. On the bus, Sasha handed her a gift in return. The boy bought an inexpensive metal ring with a black stone with his modest savings. This gift became her most treasured possession.

Letter

Successful Moscow auditor Andrei Morozov sits in his dark office on a rainy November evening. His marriage to Lana is crumbling due to mutual resentment and selfishness. Andrei opens a letter from his mother, Svetlana Vasilyevna, which she wrote to him because she was unable to speak openly.

Svetlana Vasilyevna describes her life story in detail. At twenty-six, she was left a widow with a young daughter, Katya. To support her child during the famine of the 1990s, she cleaned entryways, sold jackets at the market, and ran errands in the office.

Later, she found work as a nurse for the infirm Nadezhda Ilyinichna. Her son, Valery Mikhailovich, paid a generous salary. After his ward’s death, Valery introduced Svetlana to his respectable but unhappy friend, Oleg Morozov.

Oleg and Svetlana met on Lenin Hills and quickly became close. He won her over by taking care of her daughter Katya on their very first date. They soon married, and Oleg took on all the household chores. Five years into their marriage, they welcomed their long-awaited son, Andrei.

His father adored little Andryusha, waking up to him at night and taking care of him in every way. The family’s life was happy until Oleg’s business collapsed. His business partner, Siluyanov, turned out to be a fraudster, racked up debts, and fled to Canada. To pay off the debt, the family was forced to sell their spacious apartment and move into Svetlana’s small two-room apartment.

Oleg took the collapse hard, feeling like a failure. He took over the household and looked after his granddaughter, while Svetlana supported the family as an auditor. As Andrey grew older, he began to despise his father, seeing him as nothing more than a useless and boring pensioner living off his mother. The young man often made caustic remarks about him.

Svetlana Vasilyevna wrote this letter to convey to her son the truth about his father’s nobility and honesty. She implores Andrey to show respect for the man who sacrificed his career for the well-being of his family.

After finishing the letter, Andrei is deeply shaken. He realizes the injustice of his treatment of his father. Late that evening, the young man drives to his parents’ home. His mother is visiting her sick granddaughter, so he is met by his lonely father.

Father and son are spending the evening in the kitchen. They dine on hot borscht and pickled tomatoes, drink vodka, and engage in a long man-to-man conversation. Oleg confesses to his son that he’s been beating himself up all his life for failing to provide a decent life for his wife and children. Andrey sincerely supports his father, calling him the foundation of the family.

In the morning, Andrei wakes up in his father’s tracksuit. He notices that his father has carefully polished his shoes. The two men hug goodbye. In the car, Andrei receives a call from an enraged Lana. He realizes that his wife still loves him. He turns the car around and races home, determined to save his family.