Polina jumps to the side with a shriek.
We all hysterically laugh
as Arseniy steps on a fat shoelace
in front of her on the floor.
He picks it up and winds one half of a twisted snake
around his finger while he dangles the other half
in her face to scare her.
Granny stares daggers at him, but her admonishment
is just an act of affection while she tries
to convince me he is a proper furbo*!
From under his eyebrows, he then gives me
a wicked look, and for the first time he laughs
like a child.
*A rascal