His wife

>just act<

13th of March 1942

Saint Petersburg, Soviet Union

''five six seven eight-''

Here we go again.

''- and one two three, Anastasia strech your left leg more.'' My teacher once again notes while I do the next pirouette. ''Now jeté. Softer! You are not trying to murder your toes are you?'' Actually all I am trying not to fall.

''Next up we have your twenty pirouettes and this time I wanna see how your arms looking gracious just like a swan." Usually I'd feel enthusiasm for dancing but today she made me only do this and it got boring after the 42nd time. This time I turn my head faster while focusing on the door so that I don't get dizzy this time. This time it actually seems to me as if I-

''Anastasia! Great news!'' Father shouts at me why opening the door to my dancing studio which makes me lose all my balance and fall.

With pain in my doll-like eyes I look up at him and see that he smiles at me brightly while having a book under his arm.

''What is it that you interrupt our utmost important lesson? Mr Nabokov, how do expect me to make her a ballerina if you frighten the child so much that she hurts herself?'' Even though I maybe should speak up for my father, I can only smile at her for saying what she said. Though Maria is very strict when it comes to ballet because she kinda is the replacement for my mother, but nother was nicer.

''She won't become a ballerina now if everything goes right. She won't even have to think about working if we play our cards right!'' The excitement in his voice is shoking me. This- his willingness to just throw my dream away sounds surreal to me. After all it was him who encouraged me dancing because mother did so too. It was him who put me into ballet shoes when I could barely walk.

''Pardon?'' I ask a little bothered yet still softly while he pulls me by my arm into the hallway. Still in ballet shoes and my tutu he drags me along side him.

''Just now I received a letter from Moscow and it will not only keep me alive but also secure yours.'' Keep him alive? Wait, is he in danger? But if so, why wouldn't he have told me?

''I still don't get it.'' As I admit this, I also free my red hair from the bun it was in for hours by now.

''Stalin has invited me, well us to Moscow. Which means that I can get myself an even higher position in the party and you, my dear daughter will be interduced to his son, his unmarried son. And if you behave well then you will be married by the end of the year.'' The way he pronounces unmarried gives me the feeling he has already a plan in mind.

But this would be so much unlike my father.

Stalin has been in power my whole life and father has joined the party as quickly as he could after they seized power. The pure fact that he is in the party has surprised me when I learned it. Though concidering what I know from school that is the only party one could be in.

But may I just say that his idea of marrying me off doesn't amuse me at all? Clearly I know my opinion doesn't matter to him but I might as well try to make him listen to it.

''Father, don't you think I am too young for that?'' Now he stops our walking, turns his head and looks at me like he got hit by a whole train.

''There is no such thing as too young for the chance of your life! But now we have to immediatly start with lecturing you to behave the right way and for that you will start to see this book now as your new bible.
Christianity isn't a thing anymore since the communist are in charge, so I should have never let you go to church anyway.''