- That night, Sasha sleeps homeless-style in his aunt's basement, using some newspapers for warmth. He's clever like that.
- He's careful, though, to set aside any pages that have photos of Stalin on them. Because, you know, that just wouldn't be right.
- He reminisces about the last time he saw his aunt: his dad was taking his mom to the hospital because she was sick. Sasha stayed with Aunt Larisa for two days before his dad came back and gave him the bad news that his mom had died in the hospital.
- Aunt Larisa had said something mysterious at that time: "You look guilty, not sad" (10.2).
- Sasha has always wondered why his dad did not take him to his mom's funeral.
- Back in the present, Sasha hears someone playing music (and not the patriotic marching stuff that he usually only listens to). He wonders why his Aunt Larisa would have said such a thing—about his dad looking guilty.
- Oh well. Tomorrow will be a much better day, because Sasha will be made a Young Soviet Pioneer.