“What about us?” I ask him as I plate sausage and bread and hand each of them a plate.
“You two can stay. I don’t plan on staying here very long. But when I do, I like the view from here. Michael can help with all of that. Make the soldiers comfortable. If they desire they can find places of their own if they don’t want to live in the houses you build. It’s up to you two.”
“So like Derzhatel obschaka and brigadier?” I ask him.
“Yes. Work that out amongst yourselves, but let me know because I need to address your troops here.”
“Ivan, you need to be derzhatel,” Tim states.
“Why?”
“Because one day you will be Pakhan when your father dies from eating fatty sausage, it’s good training,” Tim says and my father glares at him.
“I can assure you that I’m not dying anytime soon,” he rolls his eyes at Tim.
“Good to know, sir.”
“Then it’s decided. It's time to put rank structure to this place,” he says.
“But my father is going home?”
“He is. He’s going to be feeling the wrath for not following my orders for awhile. If I decide he needs to meet his end, he will be sent back here to Ivan,” my father utters.
“I understand,” Tim bows to him and then digs in.
“This is good, son,” my father beams.
“Learned from the best. Staff and you,” I compliment him.
“I’m glad you’re doing better,” he answers before digging in. I drink my coffee, I’ll eat later. I’m never hungry after I cook. I have no idea why that is, it just is that way.
I’m going to go for a swim downstairs, chat with the men down there, see if they have anything to add about this situation. I’ll meet you both downstairs for lunch in the restaurant and then we will call the men in to announce the changes. Make sure your father is there.”
“Will do, sir,” Tim says as my father goes to his side of the apartment to change. I place dishes in the sink and Tim starts washing. This is how it’s always been, we wash dishes together. My aunt and mother always told us that we won’t have people to rely on sometimes and we have to learn to fend for ourselves. Tim never really took to it, I did. But we do wash the dishes, we’re not total savages.
“How do you think your father will react?”
“He will be pissed. But he will learn the error of his ways when he gets back to Russia. My mom will be happy that he’s home. I wish she would leave him, tell the Pakhan that she wants a divorce and he can help her get it. She can do so much better.”
“I know she can,” I agree with him.
We wash in silence and then I put them in the dishwasher for sanitation. I like clean plates. Once that’s done, we watch some TV.
“I’m going to head to the casino. I want to see about security for tonight,” I tell Tim.
“What about your father?”
“He will understand. Just give some rousing speech to the men for me,” I say as I grab a suit to change into and make my way down to a car to take me to the casino.
“Sir,” the man at the front door greets me. It’s empty at this time of day, even though we are open. This might change with the changes my father suggested. The casino will be empty as well since it’s only open when we say so.
I hang my suit when someone knocks.
“Sir, you’re father is requesting we head back,” the young man says.
“I know. I was hoping he would let it slide. Everything looks good. We can go,” I say. I’m almost to the door when a man steps out of the shadow.
“You can’t be down here,” the soldier says.
