Solo For Two

“Karel.”My father, Sasha, spoke in a voice that sounded pitiful even to my ears. He was almost on the verge of tears.“Do you really have to go this far…?”It wasn’t a feigned voice. Sasha trailed off and began to breathe sorrowfully. Watching him made my heart ache. It hurt to see Sasha cry.“Charles.”That’s when it happened. My dad called my name.It was the voice of my other father, Karel Clements. I was startled to the point that my heart almost dropped.“How long are you going to hang around there? Stop hiding and come in.”Before Dad came out of the house, I had climbed up the tree and hidden among the branches. How did he know I was there? I carefully lowered my legs and climbed down the tree. When our eyes met again, Dad gestured toward the door.He had no expression, which was unusual. It meant he was angry.Reluctantly, I went inside and tried to look outside through the window, but someone drew the curtains. When I looked up, it was Laurent, the housekeeper.“Please go inside. They’ll be coming in soon.”“But… Sasha.”Sasha seemed like he was going to cry.I was partly responsible for the incident, so I couldn’t easily leave. To be precise, Sasha was taking the blame for my share of the fault. I hadn’t told Dad about that yet. Even though I thought I should tell the truth, it was hard to speak in front of angry Dad. In the end, I couldn’t say anything and returned home. It was really an unmanly thing to do.As I kept glancing out the window, Laurent led me to the room.That’s when it happened. Suddenly, Dad’s shout was heard from outside.“Sasha!”I heard Dad’s angry voice. I shook off Laurent’s hand and ran to the window again, pulling back the curtain.At that moment, Sasha smashed the bottle against the fountain. Shards of the bottle shattered on the marble. I unknowingly gaped at the sparkling golden liquid scattering in the air. Sasha then reached for a second bottle. I felt like screaming, so I covered my mouth with both hands.Eventually, Dad grabbed Sasha’s wrist, and Sasha dropped the bottle. As the liquor bottle hit the ground and shattered, I closed my eyes tightly. I was sure the unfortunate grass was soaking up all the liquor.The two of them started arguing loudly.“Oh dear, oh dear… this is a big problem.”I unknowingly sighed and muttered. I could sense Laurent stifling a laugh at my attempt to mimic adult speech.“Why are you laughing, Laurent?”“It’s not for others to worry about matters between couples living under the same roof. They’ll make up soon enough.”Contrary to Laurent’s words, I was anxious.In the garden, dozens of wine and whiskey bottles were lined up, glistening in the midday sun. As expected, they were all going to be poured into the garden fountain today. By Sasha Sedrin’s hand, no less.And it was Dad who had imposed that punishment. But even he hadn’t expected Sasha to suddenly smash the bottles like a madman.“I have to go stop them.”“Master!”Before Laurent could stop me, I quickly ran outside again. Just in time, Sasha, whose wrist was firmly held by Dad, was struggling defiantly.“Breaking bottles! You could have gotten hurt.”“Whether I pour it out or smash it, it’s the same thing!”“Are you venting your anger while being punished?”“I told you! Do you really have to go this far? And I begged!”“Sasha, should I do it myself then? It won’t change anything. I won’t leave a single drop of alcohol in this house.”“I’ve been collecting this for years, how could you….”“You’re the one who broke the promise first. Let me see your hand, are you hurt?”But Sasha pushed away Dad, who was trying to examine his wrist.“Let go! Making me miserable…!”“Don’t be stubborn. Give me your hand.”“Sometimes you’re too harsh. I hate you for it.”“What….”I stopped in my tracks before getting closer. Dad seemed at a loss for words and stopped like a statue, letting go of Sasha’s hand.Strangely, when Dad let go, Sasha stopped resisting. He seemed eager to run away while being held, but now looked unsure of what to do. However, Sasha, with tear-soaked cheeks and still glaring at Dad, kept breathing heavily.Dad placed his hand on his hip and let out a sigh. For some reason, my heart sank at that moment.“You’re saying I was harsh again.”“I didn’t say that.”“You said it was miserable.”Dad raised his hand to stroke his chin with his gloved hand, looking a bit troubled.“…I see.”Oh, Sasha! This isn’t the time to be stubborn.Dad now seemed truly angry with Sasha. The cold, hardened expression and clenched jaw made that clear. Dad was endlessly gentle when he was kind, but once he got angry, no one could calm him down. At this point, I began to resent Sasha.Why did you get mad at Dad? If you had just poured all the liquor into the fountain as he asked… no, even if you hadn’t broken the bottles…If Sasha had poured out just about ten bottles, or even pretended to, Dad would have eventually stopped the punishment, unable to resist that pitiful crying face. That’s probably why Laurent said there was no need to worry, expecting as much.But…“Karel, where are you going?”Dad didn’t answer Sasha’s question and walked out of the garden.“Karel!”With a small sigh, Dad stopped in his tracks and turned back.“Since you’re probably angry with me too… it’s better to talk later.”“Karel?”“No, that’s just an excuse.”I saw Sasha’s face fill with mild fear. It was the look of someone afraid of Dad’s words.“I don’t really want to talk to you right now.”I quickly grabbed Sasha’s arm, trying to run after Dad.“Not now.”Sasha looked anxiously between Dad’s back and me. After a moment, the sound of the car starting was heard.“Where is Karel going?”“…….”“Let me go, I need to follow your dad.”I pursed my lips tightly and shook my head. I remembered Dad saying several times that Sasha was a bit impulsive and shouldn’t be left to do as he pleased. Dad always said the right things, even if he had a slightly distant side.“Dad probably needs some time alone.”“Again? Karel was away from home for two weeks.”Sasha’s face was once again filled with sorrow as he said that. I felt sorry, but I shook my head maturely.“But that was for work! It wasn’t time alone… you need to understand he’s working.”At my words, Sasha lowered his head. He already seemed full of regret.“I know too.”I held Sasha’s hand and led him across the garden and back into the house. Sasha walked slowly, turning back several times.“Even though you’re still so small, you already understand Karel.”“I’m not small! I’m already eight.”Sasha sat on the sofa in the drawing room with a view of the garden and looked out the window. He seemed intent on waiting until Dad returned.“He’ll be back soon, right?”“I’m sure he will.”“Then why did he take the car?”“…….”“You shouldn’t leave liquor out there in the sun….”Even as he spoke with a voice full of regret, Sasha didn’t bring the liquor back inside. He probably didn’t want to make Dad any angrier.“Sasha, what should we do with the bottles? Should we bring them back in?”Laurent kindly asked, and Sasha shook his head. “We’ll throw them out.”But he still looked at the garden with lingering eyes. It was a bit confusing whether he was waiting for Dad or looking at the liquor.“You should have thrown it out earlier before Dad really got angry….”“…….”“Why did you break the bottles?”At my question, Sasha covered his face with both hands and let out a deep sigh. Then he shook his head. He meant he didn’t know either. It wasn’t surprising, as it happened often. As Dad said, Sasha was often impulsive.I quickly closed my mouth and disappeared from Sasha’s sight. As I mentioned earlier, I also bore some responsibility.＊ ＊ ＊To understand the reason for this situation, we must go back further.Sasha had a hobby of collecting expensive liquor. Laurent had said it was a really dangerous and extravagant hobby.“Actually, due to Prohibition, it’s hard to even buy a glass of beer on the street. But with money, anything is possible.”Dad even had a display case custom-made for Sasha’s collected liquor, and the glass case, which was initially just one compartment, grew with more and more bottles brought by Sasha until it filled the long corridor connecting the kitchen and living room.And they say I showed interest in alcohol from the time I was crawling on the floor. Coffee, black tea, and even alcohol… I could somehow tell what only adults could drink, and I refused milk, making Dad very worried I’d be like Sasha and have a liking for alcohol.As Dad worried, I naturally became interested in the liquor in the cabinet as I grew. The cabinets were all locked, so I could never open them, but I would sometimes, perhaps by chance, try to push the door open, hoping it might accidentally open. Of course, I only did it when no one was watching.And two days ago, while trying to push the glass door of the cabinet again, I got caught by Sasha.“Charles.”Sasha looked surprised and quickly ran over to lift me into the air. My view suddenly heightened, and I looked down at Sasha. I’m already eight, but Sasha still easily picks me up.“So that’s why there are fingerprints on the glass every day. It was you.”“Oh, I didn’t do anything.”“You can’t drink those.”“Why not?”“…….”“Why not?”Sasha looked momentarily confused by my question, then mumbled.“Well, why not?”“…….”Seeing my suspicious look, Sasha quickly answered.“No, I made a promise to myself. I’ll only drink alcohol when Karel allows it….”They only drank alcohol three or four times a year on their special days, like Christmas and their birthdays. I remember how happy Sasha looked then.That something so good could only be done with Dad’s permission… Sasha’s eyes, still gazing at the cabinet, looked sad. As I touched his warm cheek and neck, I said.“It’s okay to drink, right? It’s yours anyway.”“That’s true, but….”“So what I’m saying is, you can drink a little in secret. If you drink it sip by sip, Dad won’t notice.”“Karel is coming back tonight.”“That’s why you should drink now. While Dad’s not here!”“You’re right.”Sasha gave me a little kiss on the forehead as if to say I had a good idea. I felt happy, thinking I’d come up with a good idea for Sasha.Sasha paced in front of the cabinet for a long time, considering his decision. Then, after much deliberation, he took out a bottle of wine.“This was a gift from Julian, and he has good taste, so… if I can only drink one bottle, I’ll choose this one. And since there’s no time to chill it, I have to pick one that’s good to drink as is….”It sounded like he was making excuses to himself.“I should just have one sip, no, just one glass.”I stayed close to Sasha as he poured the wine into the glass, waiting for my chance. I was so curious about the taste of those dark red or amber liquids in the cabinet. It would be a lie to say I didn’t encourage Sasha.Maybe seeing my eager gaze, Sasha said no with an awkward face.“It’ll be a big problem if you drink this.”But Sasha’s vigilance was only strict while drinking the first bottle.Sasha sat alone and drank the whole bottle, then silently went back to the cabinet. For some reason, I thought he wouldn’t take long to decide this time. As Sasha turned his back, I quickly downed the few drops left in the glass.I tilted my head. I had drunk so little that I couldn’t tell what it tasted like.“I’ll need to drink more to know.”“Charles!”Sasha snatched the glass from my hand. Oops, I shrugged and handed the glass back without protest.“You must never, ever touch this with your lips. Understand?”“Yes.”I replied with a grin. Sasha wasn’t scary even when he got mad. He never was.Next, Sasha opened a light pink rosé wine.“This was a gift from Georg. Georg is really… stupid. He gave it to me right in front of Karel. Fool…. If it was my present, he could’ve given it to me secretly. Then I could’ve drunk it in secret….”Sasha soon emptied the second bottle of wine. There was still about half of the liquid left in the glass. Sasha didn’t seem to notice me watching it.Sasha leaned his head back on the sofa, resting it for a moment as if feeling dizzy, then got up again.By then, Sasha was already swaying, but I knew it was natural to do so when drunk. Sasha was even hiccupping. His back occasionally shook significantly.I quickly reached for the glass. Then, without hesitation, I drank it all in one go.As the lukewarm liquid went down my throat, a shiver ran through my entire body. Bitter, sour, astringent, and sweet, all sorts of flavors filled my tongue.At that moment, I understood why Sasha liked alcohol.And then, I don’t remember much after that. When I regained my senses, Sasha was bending one of my legs, saying he was helping me stretch as he laid me down.“Sasha!! Sasha!! Dad! Ahhh!”“Hahaha, you’re so young… hiccup, you’re flexible~.”“Ah, it hurts…. Dad. Ahhh….”“Does it hurt? It’s okay…. It’s supposed to hurt. If you do it every day… hiccup, you’ll become flexible. Dad knows~.”“Ahhh…. Dad, I’m sorry.”Damn it! I quit ballet because I hated this so much.I cursed like Dad. Of course, only in my head.I was pinned under Sasha, who was out of his mind, hoping for a savior. Unfortunately, Laurent had left early, saying she had something to do at home, and it seemed that the staff had moved to the annex, another building, as night fell.And how much time passed? I heard the sound of a door opening and closing in the distance, footsteps coming to a halt, and then those steps suddenly quickening in urgency.“Sasha?”It was Dad’s voice, the first time in two weeks. Sasha quickly got off me. It wasn’t by his will but because Dad had forcefully pulled him up.“My goodness…. What is this mess? Sasha, just how many bottles did you….”At that moment, Dad and I locked eyes. I quickly wiped my face and stood up, tears streaming down from the harsh stretching.“Dad, you’re back?”I reached out, expecting a kiss from Dad after two weeks, but he didn’t hug me, seeming too shocked by the state of the house.“Karel… huhu… ugly.”“Sasha?”Sasha started patting Dad’s pale, shocked cheeks.“Two weeks… you’ve been away for two weeks? How… could you? It’s really terri… you’re ugly….”Then he started covering Dad’s supposedly ugly face with kisses, on the eyes, cheeks, and lips.But Dad still seemed unable to get over the shock. He was looking at Sasha, who had collapsed onto him, counting the empty bottles scattered on the table behind him. There were a total of seven bottles.“This is insane.”“Yeah! It’s insane because you were away for two weeks….”Dad shook Sasha off, not wanting to hear more. Sasha staggered and leaned back on the sofa, looking up at Dad in disbelief for tossing him aside like a piece of laundry.“How could you… treat me like… hiccup, hanging out laundry….”“Charles, come with me. I should put you to bed first.”Sensing the seriousness in Dad’s voice, I quietly followed him. Sasha continued to babble from the living room.Dad held back his anger while he washed my face and helped me change clothes. He didn’t say a word while leading me to bed. As he was putting my pajamas over my head, he caught a whiff of something on my breath and his expression hardened.“Did Sasha give you alcohol too?”Sasha hadn’t given me any; I drank it secretly. But, afraid of being caught, I couldn’t say anything.Dad’s angry face up close was terrifying.“Answer me. Did you drink too?”I nodded before I knew it.Dad suddenly swore, “Damn it!” and stood up abruptly. The intensity made me fall back on my butt.“I can imagine how you’ve spent the past two weeks.”Dad paced back and forth in the room, trying to calm down. I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. I wanted to tell him how well Sasha held out during that time, how hard he tried to stop me from drinking, and how much he had been waiting for Dad for two weeks….But I couldn’t say a word. Dad picked me up like a broom and put me to bed, then gave me a very angry goodnight kiss.“Sleep well.”Even until he turned off the lights, I could tell Dad hadn’t calmed down. I briefly worried about Sasha, who would have to face all of Dad’s anger, but I soon fell asleep.That day I learned for the first time that drinking makes you sleep very well.＊ ＊ ＊The next day, suffering from a so-called hangover, I woke up late to find only Dad sitting at the breakfast table.“Where’s Sasha?”Dad didn’t answer, but from his uncomfortable expression, I could tell Sasha was suffering from a terrible hangover too.While Sasha stayed in his room, the family doctor came and went. Dad, with an unmistakably cold face, saw the doctor out and discussed Sasha’s condition.It wasn’t until after noon that Sasha, wearing a robe, stumbled out of his room. Saying his stomach felt bad, he only had a bit of hot soup and drank water with a pale face. Meanwhile, Sasha vomited several times. Seeing that, I felt like throwing up too. My stomach felt hot, probably because of the alcohol.Dad didn’t mention the previous night to Sasha at all. So I thought the two of them had already reconciled last night.But that was my mistake. Dad was just waiting for Sasha to recover from his hangover and be in his right mind to listen to him.After a hot bath, Sasha, who had finally regained some color, sat quietly in front of Dad like a child awaiting punishment.With his face flushed, it seemed he remembered the drunken antics he had done the night before.“Sasha, I didn’t say anything when you collected alcohol because I trusted you.”“…….”“I trusted you to know self-control. You knew that I trusted you, didn’t you?”Dad said that in a cold voice. Even I felt my heart freeze and trembled; I couldn’t imagine how scared Sasha must have been.“But I was fooled again.”“Karel, I….”“I’ve only been away for two weeks.”Sasha bowed his head.“Do you know how much you drank? If you drank any more, it could have been really bad.”“…….”“And you even gave Charles alcohol….”At those words, Sasha lifted his head and looked at me. His eyes were shaking wildly.I knew those eyes were asking me, ‘Did I do that?’ but I couldn’t say anything since Dad was right there.“Sasha, what am I going to do with you?”“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”“You always apologize quickly.”Dad gently caressed Sasha’s chin. But Sasha flinched as if frightened.“You sure know how to make a mess.”“I’m really sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?”Sasha took Dad’s hand and gently stroked it, as if pleading or comforting him.Dad sighed and said, “Let’s get rid of all the alcohol.”“…….”“Pour it all out yourself. In front of me.”“Karel! I… I’ll be good. Anything but that… okay? Something else….”Sasha pleaded, rubbing his cheek against Dad’s hand.What else could there be? Getting punished, maybe.Sometimes when I misbehave, Dad would have me bring a soft ashwood branch to strike my palms. Sasha seemed to think that was better than throwing away the alcohol.But Dad shook his head.“Pour it out. There’s no other way.”“Karel….”Finally, Dad forcibly stood Sasha up, made him open the cabinet, and had the servants move all the alcohol to the garden fountain. Dad, a former soldier, was very methodical in giving orders. Meanwhile, Sasha kept begging Karel to punish him some other way, but it didn’t work.“I don’t know how many times I’ve let it slide.”From Dad’s words, I realized that Sasha had disappointed him many times before. And each time, Dad must have punished him.For a moment, I imagined Dad taking a rod to Sasha. It seemed strange for a married couple to involve corporal punishment. But since Sasha was wrong, it couldn’t be helped.There really was no other option left.Sasha had no choice but to pour out the alcohol.And that morning, while pouring out the alcohol, Sasha broke a bottle in frustration, which Dad found utterly exasperating.That’s what happened until now.“He’ll be here soon.”I said this, sticking close to Sasha’s side. Sasha was so focused on looking out the window that he forgot to hug me.“He’ll come when it’s time.”“Yes, but….”Sasha seemed to think he should have gone with Dad.“Dad doesn’t listen when he’s angry…. Talk to him when he calms down.”Then Sasha patted my head with a strong hand, as if he found me admirable. My hair was all pushed to one side, but I shook my head to get it back in place.That evening, even as the sun went down and Loren said dinner was ready, Sasha wanted to wait a little longer. He seemed to believe Dad would return before dinner.“What could he be doing out there at this hour? It’s not like he has anywhere to go…. I wonder if he’s having a proper dinner outside?”Then Sasha held his head in his hands and began to regret everything.“What have I done to someone who came home after two weeks?”But Dad didn’t return until long after dinner. Loren, telling Sasha not to worry, brewed him some warm tea and left for the annex, while the old butler said he’d contact Dad’s secretary, Georg, and headed out.I was left alone with Sasha in the big mansion.Sasha sat back down where he could see out the window. Occasionally, when the sound of a car passing by was heard, he got up and leaned against the window.That night, before going to bed, Sasha finally poured all the remaining alcohol in the garden into the fountain.In the living room, the gifts Dad had brought back from his business trip remained unopened.＊ ＊ ＊The next morning, I heard Sasha on the phone when I woke up.“He’s at the Ritz-Carlton? I know where that is. Yes, Karel has a room there, so he’s probably there. I’ll go see…. What? Why? Why can’t I go?”I rubbed my eyes and looked out the window. Empty bottles were lined up next to the fountain. A few servants were holding their noses and inspecting it, presumably because of the strong smell of alcohol.I heard the butler smack his lips outside the window.“How about a barbecue party next to the fountain?”“We could float ice in it and scoop it into glasses.”“Wow, that’s a great idea.”I perked up at the mention of a party.“Do you think the alcohol poured here is worth a thousand dollars?”“It’s probably worth more. In times like these, it’s hard to find alcohol like this anywhere.”Meanwhile, a quick-handed gardener took a sip from the fountain.“How does it taste?”“The aroma of whiskey, the color of wine… and a touch of sparkling. It has the mature taste of all fruits. It’s a truly enchanting taste!”The servants gathered and applauded. They praised Sasha for providing such an event. They said it had been a long time since they’d had a proper drink due to Prohibition.The outside was a happy ending. I drew the curtains again.“What do you mean, Georg? Karel told me not to come?”After Sasha hung up, I approached to say good morning and hugged his waist. I was waiting for a pat on the head and a good morning kiss, but Sasha stood there, dazed, in front of the phone.