General Fiction posted August 3, 2025

Chapters:

...14 15 -16- 17 ...

tfawcus

Tony Fawcus, ex-RAF Navigator and Junior School teacher, spent 22 years living on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula where he ran a small farm and a B&B cottage before his recent move back to Adelaide.

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He is an accomplished poet and is currently at the #84 spot on the rankings.

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Almost Eighteen

A chapter in the book Dmitri's Extraordinary Fate

Dmitri's Extraordinary Fate: 16

by tfawcus

Background
A bomb blast in Ukraine killed Dmitri's 17-year-old twin sister. As a result, he suffered catatonia but has now recovered under Elena's care. He is in love with Leila, who works for Elena.

Dmitri returned to the lodge in high spirits, buoyed by the responsibility Madame Miret had given him. Not by the responsibility itself, which was fraught with difficulties, but by the fact that his revered teacher had thought him worthy of discharging it. What other responsibilities would adulthood bring? Few so fraught with danger as his years with Mira, but this was different. Eighteen at last! The world was at his feet! Now he could drive a car—as soon as he could afford one! He could have his say in who ran the country—or would be able to, if it wasn't for the rule of martial law. He could even marry—if he had the courage to ask!

What wild prospects lay ahead! He took his hands from the handlebars, stretched them out like wings to embrace the future, hit a pothole, and was tossed unceremoniously into the ditch. He picked himself up, dusted himself down, and continued the journey with unabated exuberance.

As he swung into the driveway leading up to the lodge, he took his feet off the pedals and freewheeled the last few metres, leapt to the ground, propped his bike against the garden shed, and raced into the kitchen.

His words came in staccato bursts, like popcorn. 'Wonderful news! You'll never guess what. They're throwing a party for my eighteenth birthday. Tonight. At Major Kolt's place. Pavla has it all arranged. You're invited, of course, and Leila, so you'd better start hunting out your glad rags. We must be there by six.' Without waiting for a response, he dashed off in search of Leila.

Elena stood like an oak that had weathered a storm, and she glanced at the still unopened parcel on the dresser as she listened to the fading notes of Dmitri's cries. 'Leila! Leila! Where are you?' Silence slowly descended, and she waited.

He came bursting back in. 'Where is she? I've hunted high and low.'

'She had to go away.'

'Oh, damn and blast! There's so little time. I hope she’s back in time to get spruced up a little. Not that she needs it — but you know what I mean.' He gave Elena a broad wink. 'You know what girls are like. Never think they're pretty enough without half an hour in front of the mirror.'

'Dmitri! Listen to me. You don't understand. Her mother is desperately ill and may not have many more days to live. Leila has gone to Kyiv. She needs to arrange for the necessary permits before her flight to Istanbul.'

Dmitri looked at Elena blankly while the words sank in.

'She left a note. It's there on the kitchen table.'

His eyes followed her gesture. The filigree locket glowed dully, a jaundiced eye in coils of gold. He picked it up, pressed it to his lips, slipped the chain around his neck so the cool metal rested near his heart, and began to read Leila's letter.

Dmitri, my darling... The words swam before his eyes... I waited as long as I could... My mother is dying... gone only as long as it takes... I'm sure you will understand... All my love...

He looked at Elena accusingly. 'Why didn’t you tell me? We—we could have gone together! She shouldn’t have had to—' He broke off. 'What have you done?'

Elena waited for the outburst to finish. She wasn't offended. She understood the anger of grief. 'You weren't here. We waited as long as we could. She wanted so badly to see you before she left. I'm sorry, but she had to catch the last train that would connect with the night train from Lviv, else she'd have lost a whole day. Don't you see? This isn't about you.'

'But you knew I would be at the studio. You could have rung Pavla.'

'I tried, but she didn't answer. I left a message. I did everything I could.'

'Then I must follow her. She can't do this alone. She needs me.' He looked at Elena with desperation in his eyes. He waited. 'Well? Are you going to take me, or do I have to cycle to the station?'

‘Sit down, Dmitri, and listen to me. Leila will arrive in Kyiv at seven in the morning. Until then, we have no idea what she is doing or where she is staying. It could take her days to sort out the necessary paperwork. Right now, there’s nothing you can do. When she has news, she’ll contact me. Can’t you see ... rushing off won’t help.’

‘I must go at once. There’s no time to lose.’

Elena reached across the table, but Dmitri drew away sharply. 'At once! Do you hear?'

'Dmitri, you're almost eighteen. Surely you realise what that means. There's a government edict. No man between eighteen and sixty can leave the country. You can't go to Türkiye with her. She has to do this on her own. There's no other way.'

Dmitri clenched his fists, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. His knuckles turned white, and his eyes brimmed with tears. He fought them back angrily.

Elena placed her hands on the table. 'I'm going upstairs now. To get ready for the party. We can't disappoint Pavla after she's gone to so much trouble, now can we?' A draught swirled around the door as she left the room.

He brushed away the tears and, pushing against the table, shoved the chair away from behind him. He stood up, tall and straight, and took a deep breath. He was almost eighteen: the age when a boy becomes a man.

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#9
August
2025

Characters

Dmitri, a teenage boy recovering from catatonia (a state in which someone is awake but does not seem to respond to other people and their environment).
Mira, his twin sister, who was killed in a bomb attack.
Elena, a volunteer carer looking after Dmitri and aiding his recovery.
Leila, a Syrian girl employed by Elena.
Pavla Miret, an art teacher.
Andriy Kolt, an army major.
Mykola Doroshenko (Myko), proprietor of Baba Roza's cafe in Velinkra
Nadia, his daughter

Setting: A hunting lodge in the Carpathian Mountains.

British English spelling and grammar are used throughout.

Thank you for reading and reviewing. I welcome honest, constructive criticism.

Photo by Klugzy Wugzy on Unsplash

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