Flash Fiction: Pavlovi

Ivan Pavlov and Anna Pavlova were brother and sister. In winter they would go ice skating in the public rink. 

In the whitest Mitteleurop frost Anna would double axle gracefully. Ivan was there to catch her and skated at great speed too. The bells of St Basil’s chimed at midday. It was then the public retired to cafes and small restaurants. 

In low tones Ivan would sometimes sigh to Anna that he wished he was agile as her. Anna would encourage Ivan to keep trying his axles, to stretch daily. 

The pines of the streets tingled cold noses with part-forest. Anna motivated Ivan continually. She waited by the edge of the rink to see Ivan attempt difficult manouevres. He’d get them in rudimentary but unmistakably successful ways. 

The bells of St Basil’s chimed. It was time for them to walk home. The blue afternoon was slowly merging into clear night.