Julia Frauental - The Smell of Spring. And other stories

Passing Nina, I greeted her and I went further into the garden without stopping, but after a minute I heard Lisa’s voice and turned around.

She stood at the edge of the pool in a colorful terry bathrobe.

– Well, how’s the water? Is it cold? – Lisa touched the water with her foot. – Eh, nice!

Nina also leaned towards the water.

– Brr. Too cold.

Lisa dropped her robe. And I was stunned. There was nothing under the robe. Well, apart from herself, of course.

Nina raised her head and saw the naked Liza in front of her. She looked stupefied, backed up awkwardly and fell – right into the pool. Lisa immediately dived after her.

I rushed to the rescue.

– Are you alright there?

The scene I saw was quite amusing: Nina was pressed against the side, gasping, and Lisa was splashing water on the poor girl with all her might, diving and grabbing her knees.

She was making me angry on purpose.

– Am I dreaming, or do we have a mermaid here? Or am I suddenly hitting a nude beach? – I could only joke.

– You are dreaming! – They continued their mermaid games.

– Wake me up!

Finally, Nina managed to escape and she got out of the pool.

– I’ll go… drink some water … – She was obviously fleeing.

– You haven’t had enough water yet?

I just couldn’t help it.

*

Nina moved out to live in her new apartment long ago. But she began to skip our sessions under various pretexts. When she finally did come, she announced that she wanted to quit therapy.

– Why? – I didn’t even know whether to be happy or upset. While she kept coming, I at least “kept my finger on the pulse” – There are crises in any therapy. And that’s okay. When we overcome them, we go to a new level…

– I don’t trust you anymore. I feel that you hate and despise me. The way you look at me, how you’ve talked to me lately, clearly shows that I am disgusting to you and you can’t stand me, – she said all this with gloomy calmness, even with a grin.

– This just shows how you perceive me… From the point of view of the perception distorted by the neurotic state … – I was rambling.

– I feel that you cannot be objective, and you have not been “on my side” for a long time, but, of course, I am to blame. Everything got so terribly confused and out of hand. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I am very grateful to you for everything that you have done for me. I loved you… both. But it will be better if I don’t see you again. I can’t take this anymore. And that which cannot be untangled is better to cut.

– But it’s not better at all! And it doesn’t solve the problem. – I tried to find the reasons for it to prove my point, but in vain.

Nina looked at me defiantly.

– I can no longer allow myself to be held on a leash and pulled by the strings! – She was on the verge of tears. – Solve your own problems first! I’ve had enough! – And in tears she ran out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

It was the first time I ever heard her shout. I was sad and bitter that there was nothing I could do. And scared too – that she was so close to the truth about my professional fiasco.

Lisa was also to blame! Along with her sweet or frankly erotic games, she also shouted at Nina more than once when she showed the slightest signs of disagreement or disobedience. And Nina – tucked her tail, like a shamed faithful dog.

A week ago, when I came to pick Lisa up after the training and was waiting for her at the locker room, I suddenly heard her screaming in a bad voice:

– It’s you, with your decadent mood, your resistance, stubbornness – you lower the energy of the whole group! Why do you treat us so badly?! Why don’t you respect your fellow group-mates?! You’re just using us! Why do we all have to work for you?! And I’m not an icon for you to pray! And there is no need to look at me like that!

It looked like hysteria. Worried that something might be wrong, I looked into the locker room.

Lisa stood leaning forward, with a distorted red face, literally pressing Nina against the wall. The latter looked absolutely aghast, as if she had been smeared on that wall, and now she was trickling down on the floor. The faces of the ladies around them were filled with bewilderment and fear.

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