Dark Avenues (Bunin)
Short summary
Russia, autumn, early 20th century. An elderly military man, Nikolai Alexeyevich, stopped at a roadside inn during his journey. To his astonishment, he recognized the innkeeper as Nadezhda, a woman he had loved and abandoned thirty years ago.
They reminisced about their past, with Nadezhda revealing that she had never married because of her enduring love for him. When Nikolai suggested that everything passes with time, including love, Nadezhda firmly disagreed.
"I never could forgive you. Just as there was nothing on earth dearer to me at that time than you, so was there nothing afterwards either. And that's why I can't forgive you."
Nikolai confessed that his life had been unhappy - his wife had left him and his son had disappointed him. As he departed, he admitted to himself that Nadezhda had given him the best moments of his life, yet he questioned whether they could have had a future together.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Arrival at the country inn
On a cold, rainy autumn day, a tarantass carriage pulled by three horses arrived at a roadside inn on one of Tula's highways. The carriage was covered in mud, with its top half-raised against the foul weather. Inside sat an elderly military man, svelte in appearance despite his age, wearing a large peaked cap and a grey greatcoat with a beaver collar reminiscent of Nicholas I's era.
The coachman directed Nikolai Alexeyevich to the living quarters on the left. Inside, he found the place warm, dry, and tidy, with a new gold-colored icon in the corner, clean benches, and a freshly whitewashed stove. The sweet smell of cabbage soup wafted from behind the stove door. After removing his greatcoat, cap, and gloves, the weary traveler called out impatiently for service.
The unexpected recognition
A dark-haired woman entered the room. She was plump but light on her feet, with large breasts under her red blouse and a triangular stomach under her black woolen skirt. Despite her age, she remained unusually attractive, resembling an elderly gypsy with dark down on her upper lip and alongside her cheeks.
The woman welcomed Nikolai Alexeyevich and offered him food or tea. He responded curtly, asking if she was the mistress of the establishment. She confirmed that she was, explaining that she enjoyed being in charge. He complimented the cleanliness of her place, and she replied that having grown up with gentlefolk, she knew how to keep things respectable.
Then, to his astonishment, she addressed him by name. Startled, he stared at her and asked if it was really Nadezhda. She confirmed her identity, noting that thirty years had passed since they last saw each other. She was now forty-eight, while he was approaching sixty. Nikolai Alexeyevich was visibly shaken by this unexpected encounter with someone from his past.
Confronting the past relationship
Nikolai Alexeyevich's weariness and absent-mindedness vanished as he began pacing around the room. He questioned Nadezhda about her life after they parted, learning that her owners had given her freedom shortly after his departure. When he asked why she never married despite her beauty, she replied simply that she couldn't do it.
"I know nothing about you from that time on. How did you end up here?... You weren't married, you say?" "No, I wasn't." "Why? With the sort of beauty that you had?" "I couldn't do it." "Why not?" "You probably remember how I loved you."
Blushing, Nikolai Alexeyevich began mumbling about how everything passes with time - love, youth, everything. Nadezhda countered that while youth passes for everyone, love is different. She reminded him of their past intimacy, how he used to call her by pet names and recite poetry about "dark avenues." She reproached him for abandoning her heartlessly, saying she had wanted to end her life many times because of the hurt he caused.
"Everything passes, but not everything gets forgotten."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Nikolai Alexeyevich turned to the window and asked her to leave. Pressing a handkerchief to his eyes, he said that while God might forgive him, it seemed she had as well. Nadezhda paused at the door and stated firmly that she had never forgiven him. She explained that there had been nothing dearer to her than him, and that was why forgiveness was impossible. But she acknowledged that there was no point in remembering what couldn't be changed.
Departure and reflection
Composing himself, Nikolai Alexeyevich confessed that he had never found happiness in life. He had loved his wife madly, but she was unfaithful and abandoned him even more cruelly than he had abandoned Nadezhda. His son, in whom he had placed great hopes, turned out to be a disappointment - a spendthrift without heart or conscience. Before leaving, he admitted that he may have lost the dearest thing in his life when he lost her. They kissed each other's hands in farewell.
As they traveled away from the inn, Nikolai Alexeyevich reflected on how beautiful Nadezhda had been. The coachman mentioned that she had been watching them leave and commented on her business acumen, noting that she lent money on interest but was fair about it. "If you haven't repaid on time, you've only yourself to blame," he remarked.
"'Yes, you've only yourself to blame. Yes, of course they were the best moments. And not merely the best, but truly magical! 'All round the scarlet dog rose bloomed, the avenues of dark limes stood...'"
Watching the horses splash through puddles, Nikolai Alexeyevich wondered what might have happened if he hadn't abandoned her. He quickly dismissed the thought as nonsense, unable to imagine Nadezhda as his wife in St. Petersburg or as the mother of his children. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes as the carriage continued its journey.