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Once we’re seated in the car and the engine is idling for the heater to run warm, Yuri asks, “Home, Mr Volkov?”

Rubbing a thuh theIt takes raveyard The Orthodox one on the hill”

Igor shoots er seat, but he doesn’t ask questions

I’ve only been there once in recent years, not long ago In fact, it was right before I left for New York City

The traffic is heavy We make it around the city and to the hilly part in just under an hour

“Wait here,” I tell Yuri, getting out of the car and unfolding my umbrella

Igor exits, pulling a beanie over his shaved head He follows a few steps behind as I ate is locked A sign on the driveway gates says the graveyard closes at six An iron chain dangles fro open

Igor pulls out his gun as I slip through the opening between the gates I knohat he’s thinking, because I’ Maybe soraves and paint the walls with graffiti Street gangs steal the fresh flowers and sell theraveyard is also a popular place for drug dealing The police are cla the city of criet rid of a cockroach infestation

The graveyard is well lit Spray lights cast a yello over the faate

Our shoes crunch on the gravel road as Igor and Ithe siilant, I check in the dark corners of the shadows and prick up ush of the water reaches all the way up here Except for the river and the noise fro else makes a sound

When we get to a sheltered corner under a big tree in the back, we stop Sadly, the yard seeht I need a fight to ventforward to one

Igor hangs back on the road while I take the path to the double gravestone The angel guarding it is a work of art She kneels on the steps, one arraves The herass It’s so well-crafted that the athers in soft folds around her hips To have given her no grief in such a setting would’ve been a lie, and a lie would’ve distorted the beauty of the artist’s work She wears the signs of suffering and pain that I can’t show the world What I’ve locked in raveyard, her only audience the ghosts She’s perfect, down to the broken wing and the teardrop that runs down her cheek The sculpture in the garden of my New York home is a copy of her I had it made so I could look at it because the pain wouldn’t let me come here