Russian

The morning after the blessing, Katya reads Sam the registry office's list for a foreigner: a passport with a certified translation, a certificate that he is not married, necessary and required from the consulate, a copy of everything, and Galina Petrovna reminds him they are on the friendly you.

Sam takes his passport and the apostilled certificate to a notary: I'm listening, I need a certified translation, I certify the translator's signature, when will it be ready, the day after tomorrow, signed and certified, how much is a certified copy, two thousand for the passport and five hundred a page.

At the registry office Sam and Katya fill in the joint application: each your own part, first name, patronymic and he has none, leave it blank, when and where were you born, on the fourteenth of March in Portland, in figures here and in words at the ceremony, citizenship and registration, both sign, the state fee is paid.

At the registry office the registrar asks which surname the bride takes: Katya stays Volkova, at the hospital she is Doctor Volkova, the groom stays Cooper, Sam is not against it and asks about the children, later, then the date, no sooner than a month, a Saturday in June, the twenty-sixth, half past eleven, when they become husband and wife.

At the jeweller's Sam and Katya choose their rings: a ring of what size, mine is sixteen and a half, try it, tight, take one size bigger, this one fits, engraving with the date and the names in three days, how much are these two, fifty-two together and the wide one four thousand dearer, we'll take the narrow ones.

Sam calls Igor at the studio: is it convenient to talk, what's happened, we invite you to the wedding which is on the twenty-sixth of June, at last, where, the registry office and then the dacha where you fished, the one you can't drive to, I'll come by train, and a present, nothing, just come.

In the dacha kitchen Baba Valya counts for the wedding: how many people, forty or forty-five, twenty-five chairs short, shall I bring chairs from the neighbours, no, Vova, and ten kilos of cucumbers, where do forty guests sleep, in the hayloft like in my day, let me help, you'll help if you don't get in the way.

In the dacha garden Uncle Vova puts up the tent with Sam and Dima, then tries the old car: take that end, lift, higher, where do I put it, put it here, hold it, don't let go, lower it slowly, turn the key when I say, it won't start, don't turn it so long, wait, now, it started, Uncle Vova, buy a new car.

In the Sokolniki kitchen Sam reads Galina Petrovna his wedding speech: I've written a speech, will you listen, read, I thank you for coming, simpler and warmer, I wish you happiness, health and long years, that's what people wish you, say your own, thank you for Katya, may this house always be full, now that's a speech.

At Sheremetyevo and in the car Sam carries every question between his mother and Galina Petrovna: ask her whether she's tired, Mum says not very, ask whether they'll stay with us, she asks whether it isn't a bother, tell her Granny has got everything ready, Dad asks whether there's a piano at the dacha, tell him there is and his son tuned it, he says he doesn't doubt it.

The ceremony at the registry office: dear bride and groom, do you agree to take her as your wife, I do, exchange rings, sign here, I declare you husband and wife, and Dima's congratulations.

The wedding table at the dacha with Uncle Vova as toastmaster: fill your glasses, to the young couple, bitter, to the parents, your word, to this family, drink to love, to the bottom, and bitter again.

Sam's father's toast at the dacha table, relayed line by line: Dad says that he let his son go for a month, the month turned into a family, he asked me to pass on his thanks, tell him we thank him, he asks that we come to Portland.

The morning after the wedding, on the dacha veranda: live with us for now, the room is free, we need a flat of our own, if we rented near the hospital Katya could walk, it would be cheaper here, we'd save and we'd quarrel, young people should live apart, we'll look for two rooms, let Dima help.

Reading flat adverts with Dima: a two-room flat five minutes from the metro, fourth floor, no lift, what without intermediaries means, the owner lets it herself, eighty-five plus utilities, a one-room flat forty minutes from the hospital, thin walls, call about Chistye Prudy.

Calling the agency about the two-room flat on Chistye Prudy: the agency, I'm listening, I'm calling about the flat, it's still free, could you come tomorrow, couldn't we after six, my wife works till five, does seven suit you, may I ask whether the owner will be there, she lives on the same stair and will show it herself.

The first viewing, a one-room flat near the hospital: fresh renovation and new windows, rather dark and cramped, too cramped, quite cosy and ten minutes from the hospital, the kitchen is tiny, where would a piano go, the window gives onto a wall, for this price you won't find lighter, show us Chistye Prudy.

The old house off Chistye Prudy: come in, mind the step, what ceilings, what's under the cover, my late husband's piano, opening the lid, a tone and a half flat but alive, you understand pianos, having tuned it I'd play you something, then tune it and I'll listen, we're taking it, don't bargain yet.

The rent, at the landlady's kitchen table with the agent's papers: eighty-five thousand roubles a month, commission fifty percent, with utilities, utilities separate, couldn't it be eighty, if Sam tunes the piano, I'll tune it for nothing once a season, then eighty, deposit eighty, commission forty, a contract for a year and I don't raise the rent.

Signing the lease at Vera Pavlovna's table: the lessor undertakes to hand over the flat, the lessee undertakes to pay, and if a tap breaks, repairs are done at the lessor's expense, the contract is concluded for a year, guests may, animals may not, may we register at this address, I'll go with you to the MFC, sign on every page.

Moving day in the lane off Chistye Prudy, four flights and no lift: bring the boxes in, the books up first, where does this lamp go, the new neighbours, all up by evening, not through this door, the back stairs, and tea.

The migration office in the first week of August: registration within seven working days, we moved in on the first, you're in time, the permit by marriage, what is required, the decision in four months, can he work meanwhile, I'll file no later than Friday.

A phone call in August: this is Nina Sergeevna, is it convenient to talk, I'm calling about a job, our teacher is retiring, I'm a tuner but I have taught, could you come in on Monday at ten, I'll be there, what shall I bring, the diploma and the passport, thank you for calling.

The director's office on Monday at ten, Galina Petrovna at Sam's side: long time no see, I've brought you a teacher, tell me about your experience, I've worked as a tuner since twenty eighteen, teaching for two years now, where did you study, a college in Portland, then jazz, the children will love you.

The HR office at the music school on Thursday: the passport with a translation, the permit, the diploma, the diploma with a translation too, and a certificate of no criminal record, where do I get it, order it at the MFC, thirty days, the school year is from September, file tomorrow and you'll make it, may I come on Thursday.

The MFC, the one-stop office, on a Friday morning: ticket A forty-two, window seven, a tax number, a pension number and the certificate, three services one at a time, does the certificate take long, up to thirty days and a text, we'll issue the tax number in five days, collect it here, sign here and here, next.

The HR office with the contract on the desk, the director passing: a fixed-term contract for a year, why fixed-term, because of the permit, next year we extend, salary sixty thousand twice a month, and leave, you're entitled to fifty-six days in summer, and you're due a fee for tuning, I'll sign, on every page.

The first lesson at the music school, Nastya, eleven: are you the new teacher, I have no patronymic, then Sam, son of America, deal, sit down and play, it's a bit fast, well done, now nice and slow, little fingers round, as if holding an apple, like this, once more, softly, and don't rush.

The fifth of October, the first full pay slip at HR and then home: accrued, withheld, to be paid, why is it withheld, tax, thirteen percent, the advance on the twentieth, the rest paid on the fifth, fifty-two thousand, your first Russian salary, on time, the flat is paid for, let's go for a walk.

A walk on Chistye Prudy in October, the neighbour from the house: they say you tune pianos, ours hasn't been tuned in a hundred years, I'll come on Saturday when I'm free, two more in the third house, nobody tunes them, look, a workshop to let, if I open a workshop I'll repair them too, when you open it I'll hang the sign, first the school.