The news about Vincent's father, being from the Caucasus, that Vincent himself revealed to Victor.
And the story that Vladimir's father left home to go to war, again from the Caucasus had become inconceivably puzzling for Victor.
Was it a mere coincidence, a parallel conduct, with no connection, or the resemblance of the stories, had a fatal liaison ?
He knew that Madeleine's husband, or to be exact, Vincent's father, was a Prisoner of War, who had escaped from Germany to France, at the end of the war, and they met in a hospital. And his name was Sergey.
He knew also, what Vladimir had told him, that his real surname was Alexandrov, and his middle name came from his father's name, Sergey, who went to war and never returned.
It existed an association between the names.
Madeleine Findji Alexandrov.
Vincent André Sergeyvitch Alexandrov.
Vladimir Sergeyvitch Tamarov ( Alexandrov ).

" This cannot be real ", he thought to himself, " Before I will introduce them, I must find, if Vladimir's father was in France any time ".
It was a very sensitive matter for both sides, and for him. It would create a traumatic effect on Madeleine. Who knows how Vladimir will face it. Will he be disappointed if he finds out that his father had returned to Russia with another woman carrying his child ?.
He had fallen in a very complex dilemma. He really wanted to turn this coincidence into a happy ending, but how. Somehow, he felt it was well above his head. Third parties had committed blunders, and it had fallen on his shoulders.

The trip to Leningrad was greatly enjoyable and fulfilling, both for Victor and Vincent. On their return to the Leningrad Rail Station, Vincent had gone home and Victor returned to his room.

Vladimir had taken a job on a construction site, as a labourer. He had to support himself.
Victor had over ten volume of books to read during his holidays, to catch up with the studies on his second year. His social activities were mostly the same. Anaïs would visit him and they would venture out to different entertainments. On weekends, Vladimir and he would go to the Stadium to watch a game of football, or stay in the room and have several games of chess, which by now, Victor had advanced well enough to challenge Vladimir.

" Vladimir ", He asked him one day, " Next summer I might go home for holidays. You remember, when you told me about your father, you said, I might look for him one day when I return. What makes you think your father is in France ?. If you have any proof, I really would like to find him for you ".

Vladimir's smile faded and his facial expression turned to sadness.
" This was about five years ago, when I first came to Moscow for my military duties, I went to the information bureau for the Prisoners of War, They looked for his name and they told me that he was in an insane asylum in France. A second time when I went, they said he was in an insane asylum in America. And a third time, they said he was dead. So which one to believe.
Victor, all I want to know is the truth, whether he is alive or dead, that's all. I am young, I'll find out one day ".

" The last week or so, I came upon some revelations. Please, Vladimir, listen to me with concentration. My mother's friend, Madeleine, who I found. You know. Her last name is Alexandrov. Her son, Vincent, told me, when we were in Leningrad, that his father was from the Caucasus. Madeleine met his father, who's name is Sergey Alexandrov, in Paris. They fell in love with each other and moved to Moscow in 1948. Two or three weeks later, Sergey Alexandrov was exiled for betraying the State. His son, Vincent was born later. I am very much in bewilderment, if there is any association in this saga, which is related to you ?, If there is, you have come closer to solve the mystery of your father's whereabouts. Do you like to meet her ?. She is a marvellous lady, who has suffered a lot. Don't built up much hopes, your father is still missing, but at least you know he is on this soil. Would you agree ?."
                                    **************************************************************

" I don't know what to say, Victor. The day you entered this room, I had a feeling that you were the bearer of good omen. That was the reason, I said, might be able to look for my father. And now you're telling me a blend of events that might resolve the anguish that I carried with me all my life. I like to meet Madeleine, if she would like to meet me. Of course my father will not be there. But I don't blame her for anything. If my father had fallen into German's hands, he was regarded as a traitor, anyway. I know the laws of this country ".

" If that's how you think, Vladimir, I feel much better now. I'll visit Madeleine and Vincent, who might turn out to be your stepbrother now, and uncover this incredible encounter to them, tomorrow. I am sure she will be emphatic about meeting you, since you both had the same fate of loosing the same man, as a father and as a soul mate ".

                                                   W          W          W

When Victor arrived at Madeleine's, she had gone shopping, for food. That was a task that would take hours, because there were queues for every single item to buy. Never mind, Vincent was home. Victor had a few exposures left in his camera, so he took advantage to photograph the cottage, and scenes of the despondent neighbourhood, during Madeleine's absence. Vincent was all the time questioning Victor about France. This time it was Victor's turn to ask the questions.
" Tell me Vincent ", he asked naïvely, " have you seen your father?".

" No, Victor, my father was exiled the night before I was born, I just know him through photos that my mother keeps, from the time that they met in Paris. She even showed your mother, your father and you in one of the photos. You're funny ".


" Did she ever tell you, that your father had another son "? Right at that moment Victor realised he shouldn't have asked that question to a fourteen-year-old boy, but it was an unintentional error. And he continued by saying.
" Forget it, Vince, I didn't mean to ask any question like that ".

Vincent was lost, but when Madeleine came through the door at that moment…
" Mum ", he said, " do I have another brother? Victor just asked me if you ever told me that".

Madeleine had a sombre face.
" Son ", she said, " let me take my breath for a second, Hallo Victor, Vincent told me about the magnificent trip you both had. He wants to travel the world now. How am I going to stop him, I hold you responsible to rouse this passion in him. Where is your roommate? I thought you were going to bring him over, that's why I went shopping specially ".

" Before he comes, Madeleine, I want to talk to you ".

" What is it, son, Vincent, why don't you go to Misha, and ask for their big casserole, please "?
" Did you tell Vincent, that Sergey had another son? ", she continued.

" Well, I asked him if he knew. I guess I shouldn't have done that. But you remember when I told you that my roommate's name is Vladimir, and he comes from Gislavotsk? Well, Madeleine, the authorities, here, five years ago, when he was looking for his father, had told him that his father was in an insane asylum in France. And you know what his name is? Vladimir Sergeyvitch Alexandrov. I didn't know how you will respond to such a revelation, therefore I didn't bring him with me. Sorry, Madeleine, if I am putting you in front of a difficult situation, but it was just an incredible coincidence that I happened to share my room with him. He is a very generous, and intelligent person. Do you want to meet him?".

" How old is he? He must be twenty-three or twenty-four. He was four years old when Sergey left home. I wonder how much pain he has inside of him. Sergey loved him. I think that's why he persuaded me to come. You should write about all this to your father, so he will understand my plight. My heart breaks for Vladimir and his mother. Is she still in Gislavotsk?
Yes, if he wants to meet me, I want to share my sorrow, my misery with him. Bring him ".
                                    *****************************************************

The instant Madeleine came face to face with Vladimir, she acclaimed.
" Oh, my God, Vladimir, you look exactly like your father. How can I be mistaken that you're not his son. Please come in, come in Victor, and sit down. I am going to faint, I feel very light headed. Forgive me if I lay down for a minute ".

Vladimir and Victor stood motionless, speechless, expressionless, over her bed.
Vincent went to get a glass of water, it was not the first time he was witnessing his mother's irremediable condition. She will regain her strength in a little while.
Victor noticed that Vincent had tears in his eyes. He approached him, put his hand around his shoulders, and he said.
" Don't worry Vincent, everything will be all right ".
" She is Diabetic and her heart is very weak, I am afraid something will happen to my mom ".

The whole scene was galvanising. Soon Vladimir had tears in his eyes. Emotions were running wild.
Those four people will, never, and never forget what was happening in that room that day. At the same time, this tragic gathering would create one of the most cherished bonds between four human beings.
Finally Madeleine, pulled herself together, sat at the edge of her bed, invited every body to sit down and asked for Vincent to sit next to her, and she leaned towards Vincent, taking him into her arms, and thus she spoke.
" I am sorry Vladimir, I lost my soul mate and the father of my child. Your mother lost her husband and you lost your father. It doesn't make sense, does it? There exists an inequality in this life. Your father was an excellent man. After he was taken away and Vincent was born, I went to the Interior Ministry, to talk to someone, to find out where they have taken him. I met this person, most probably a " chekist ", by the name of Yuri Kalyuchov, I never forget. He found Sergey's file and he said, " I cannot tell you were he has been sent, because his sentence includes the phrase, " WHITHOUT THE RIGHT OF CORRESPONDENCE ". I said " Why, he was a good man, he loved his country, he never conspired against the State. " He said, " Go now, you have a child, be thankful that you're not going to follow
 him ".
I am realising now that this country has become a world of death. All we wanted was a peaceful and meagre existence. An evil man has imposed death upon us. It seems to me no one will survive this struggle of the proletariat. The history of human society has proven, war after war, conflict after conflict that no one man can claim the life of another. These despots never realise that they are mortal too. Nothing will save them. These foolish dictators think that this life that they have for a few years is all in all, therefore they are killing the vitality of the human energy. Ideals are like old garments, they are due to change. Nothing lasts forever. Only foolish people attach importance to ideals, similarly, foolish leaders make appeal to ideals, which are perishable. Only and only the laws of nature are permanent, everything else is temporary.
They can torture my body and they can poison my mind, but they will never crush my spirit. My spirit is full of knowledge. The knowledge of God. The knowledge of freedom from doubt and delusion. The knowledge of forgiveness and tolerance. The knowledge of truthfulness. The knowledge of satisfaction. The knowledge of charity.
My spirit cannot be contaminated by ideals.
I did my share of talking, I am sorry my boys; you have been listening to me like obedient students. Tell me about yourself now, Vladimir. I can understand how much suffering you have gone through ".

" Daragaya Dama, dear lady. Since I was eight or nine years old, I started asking, searching for my father, until today. I am glad I met you, because, somehow I can fill the gap, from the day my father left home, until this moment. You were part of a period in his life, when I presume he was happy. I hear you have photos of him. You will make me tremendously happy, if I can look at them later. I have promised myself, I will never stop searching for him, until I find out whether he is alive or dead.
On the subject that you talked about, I know exactly what you mean, because both of us are the victims of those ideals of Leninism or Stalinism, who created false Gods and they forgot the power of the supreme nature. I am very glad I met you ".
                                    *******************************************************

" Vladimir, you have inherited numerous characteristics from your father. One of them is a sensitive intelligence. The first time he pronounced your name, was when he was in a unconscious state for quite many days, and he was calling for you. I asked him, who was Vladimir. And he said, he is my son that I left behind. And from then on, he always talked about you. He was so happy on his way back, because they promised us that he was bound for rehabilitation, which is some kind of confessions, I suppose, and everything would be all right. I had a position in the Conservatory that never eventuated because I was related to a traitor. My music was assassinated also. For a long time I didn't play piano, until I met Pavel Simianov, who was managing a music shop on Gorky, where I used to go to look for music sheets, at least to read them and sing the notes. And one day, he asked me if I have a piano. I said, I really wish I had one. We became friends, and I used to go to his apartment and play the piano when Vincent was in school. That lasted for several years, until one day he disappeared too. I didn't ask questions, when I didn't see him there for a while, I never visited the shop any more. Victor, Vladimir I am telling you about an unhappy life. I should stop.
Vincent here is five roubles, go with Victor and buy some beer, I have prepared a great dinner. I think we should celebrate this occasion of coming together ".
" Mom, let Vladimir come too".

" All right, you two are almost brothers, you have an exceptional father in common, I also have wine if any one of you wants wine, except Vincent".
Madeleine felt very comfortable with Vladimir. He was a "young" Sergey. So identical.

She set up the dinner table with plates full of different pickled vegetables, smoked fish, black caviar, sour cream, chicken cutlets. The main dish was shashlik, which was skewered lamb meat pieces with tomatoes, onions and capsicum in between, accompanied with rice pilaf.
They all gathered around the table, like a traditional family. There were no prayers, but in the mind and hearts of all of them a compassionate and tolerant notion had taken over.
With Victor's presence, Madeleine was assured that her past was still existent.
With Vladimir's presence, a renewed hope for the recovery of her lost expectations were exposed.
And Vincent, of course, remained her inseparable companion through darkness and light.

After dinner, Madeleine brought a bottle of Armenian cognac.
" This bottle", she said with tears in her eyes, " Vladimir, your father bought the first week we arrived. He said we'll drink it for special occasions. I think this is one of the most special occasions we had since then. I never opened it. Come on, Vladimir, open it, and let's drink for his return ".

Madeleine was aware that with Khroushchov coming to power, he had delivered a strong condemnation against Stalin and on the " Cult of Personality ", a program of deStalinisation was going on, concentration and labour camps were being closed, and purge victims were being rehabilitated.
She was not naïve to believe that democracy would ever be installed, but the hope that Sergey, could return one day, was never extinguished. She had witnessed a few exiled persons returning in appalling figures. But at least alive.
Amid these events, Vladimir's emergence seemed a good premonition of future hopes.

" Now I have two brothers ", suddenly Vincent declared, " I am going to tell at my Komsomol meeting, that I have a brother from France and a brother from Gilavotsk ".

" You don't tell anything, at your meeting ", interrupted Madeleine, " this is only a family matter, dear, you promise me you keep quiet. All right? ".

Time came for the show of photos. They all surrounded Madeleine.
" This one is in Tournus, Sergey and I, in front of the hospital.
" This one is at the Gare de Lyon, when we arrived in Paris. The same day, Christine, Papa, Maman, Sergey and Emile holding Victor.
" This is I, sitting on the couch at Sergey's. And this one Sergey sitting. I took this photo.
" Oh, this one, Vladimir, is the motorbike, which your father stole to escape the labour camp".
Vladimir's eyes were tearful; he was looking at photos of his father that he never knew.
                                    ******************************************************

Back to the classrooms.
A day before the start of the second year. Victor received a letter from home. From Christine.

" My beloved son,
The days of calm and tranquillity are interrupted again.
Your father has fallen ill for a second time, this time very severely.
Soon, it will be a month, that I have been spending sleepless nights, near his bed. My priority was to attend and comfort him and dispense his medications. That's the reason I was late to answer your letter, in which you were writing about Vladimir's and Madeleine's meeting. I know that your father was somehow responsible for not cautioning them about the situation in the Soviet Union, but the times were different. You know that he read the part, where you were implicating that Madeleine's tragic circumstances were to be blamed on him. I think that insinuation caused his second heart attack. He was deeply hurt.
The danger, at the present has passed, but his previous health still lags. He defeated the illness but an everlasting effect will linger.
Thank God, he is on his feet for the last few days. Yesterday, for the first time he went down to his office, and made some phone calls. When he returned, he said to write you and inform you that the political conditions are favourable, and that Maman, can claim her only daughter to return to her, because she is over seventy now and she has to be looked after. Madeleine never married Sergey, so she is free from marital obligation. And it is still early for Vincent to go to military duty; he will still need his mother.
But, son, this is a big BUT, the bureaucratic proceedings in the Soviet Union, are extremely slow, there will be applications submitted from here, then the circumstances will be scrutinised, examined and considered by the Soviet Authorities and who knows what else will happen, until she will be able to return, so I want you to sit quietly and patiently, without, I repeat, without opening this subject to Madeleine, until I write you a letter and tell you about the progress of the proceedings. Of course the time will come for her to be involved too. But for the time being, sit still. I hope you understand the urgency of my request. It might take as long as two or three years. Meanwhile, be a good student and contract as much knowledge as you possibly can. Your father is very proud of you. Your letters are convincingly showing the maturity that we always hoped you will adopt.
We are planning to visit Maman Findji the next couple of days. She will be told of the plan.
Tell Madeleine my thoughts are with her all the time. I think your company and Vladimir's surprising revelation will give her the strength she needs until things take shape. I wish Madeleine agrees for a photo. The photos you sent were excellent, I would say, both Vincent and Vladimir reminds me of Sergey.
If you need anything, I might be able to find people travelling to Moscow, I will ask them to come and see you.
I better go, for now, my beautiful son, I love you and I miss you very much.
Do not get lazy with you answers.
Your Mum,
Christine.

He read the letter a second time, and a third time. The more he read the more he felt close to his parents. The news of his father's illness and recovery, his mother's dedication, their scheme to bring Madeleine and Vincent back to France, were encouraging and satisfying.

But there was something missing in Victor's life. Nothing around him was stimulating any more. As if he was repeating the same activities over and over again. And that state of mind had created boredom with immense significance. He felt he was going around and around in a cage. He had exhausted himself inwardly, psychologically, emotionally and mentally. All the sensations, amusements and experiments had become dull.
He couldn't sleep at nights.
A glass of Vodka to conquer his insomnia turned to two and three glasses.
It was hard to wake up in the mornings. He started missing classes.
Vladimir tried to approach him with counselling intentions, but he was rejected.
He stopped visiting Madeleine, who became extremely concerned about him, in vain.
Finally, Philip, who was the " Doctor ", among them, forced him to visit a Doctor.
                                    *************************************************************