Напряжение / Voltage: Глава 19

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Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 14:09

A line of thunder on the horizon, seemingly tiny and harmless on the second day, turned into an unrelenting storm that pounded the big windows of the coach with heavy slaps of downpours. Dark silhouettes of buildings whizzed by, blurred by the surge of water, barely visible in the yellow light of the roadside lamps. Once in a while, the sky would be illuminated by a flash of distant lightning, giving a glimpse of another nameless village on the left side of the road. For a moment, everything around became incredibly clear, albeit in black and white - one could see the buildings of the village churches, the angular sails of the mills, and the smoothness of the lakes in the gaps in the hills until darkness took the world back. Thunder came, making the old glass shiver with fear. And so - all night long.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 17:18

Another night without sleep on another route to a town I don't want. Neither did the place I had left. For the second twenty-four hours, I wandered from side to side, trying to get away from who knows what. Not from friends, was it? But I didn't seem to have any more enemies - I was dead to them. Nevertheless, something inside me demanded that I change cities and buy tickets almost without looking, as long as they passed through a couple or three settlements with their bus stations. Sometimes I would change directions, take advantage of passing cars, throw away the tickets I had bought, and walk to the next stop. I changed clothes several times and, like a good detective, even bought dark glasses - which, unfortunately, I had to get rid of due to bad weather.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 17:20

This should have been the last trip on the way to the railway line and the concrete platform near the rails, where the light train, which passes by once a day, stands for exactly five minutes - so it says on the internet. But it was also the most exhausting - the bus was very old, hitting me on the back with its hard seat and turning my head hot and humid - water was seeping out from under the rubber pad, accumulating in large drops and dripping near the seat.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 17:21

The glare of a tiny colored television set was walking around in the cabin, its barely audible mutter diluting the noise of the rain, the measured breathing of the sleeping passengers, and the awake engine. Of the people, only three were awake: the driver, myself, and the specialist recommended by Uncle Kolya - he sat next to me with a deceptively sleepy look, his eyes closed. I once checked by trying to touch his nose. He was definitely awake and also biting painfully.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 17:22

The specialist's name was Valentin, he was two decades older than me, and from the first moment he disliked the address "Uncle Valya", asking me to call him Wolf - and I even know why. I hired him to watch over my sleep, but rather I guarded his anxious slumber several times a night. But Valentine bought tickets, politely specifying at the small windows of the ticket office: "For me, and my son," and would go shopping with me and make arrangements with the taxi drivers. He also did not ask a single question, was silent, and soon came to be seen as a very necessary, indispensable mechanism. I even stopped saying "we" when planning my next move, replacing it with a simple "I". My guard became part of the journey, not a companion.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 17:50

About a decade and a half ago, when I was not yet in this world, Uncle Valya served under Uncle Kolya and was the only one who came to see the former commander when Uncle Kolya was in great distress. His kind-heartedness and loyalty, however, did not prevent him from taking as much money in three days as my shop had earned in three months by exchanging several bundles of money for a piece of stamped paper - with his and my signature. The agreement promised that no one would know about the journey together and that my life would remain with me, as would the contents of my pockets.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:00

"Who will ensure that the contract is fulfilled?" I asked two days ago in the car park outside the train station in the sun-heated interior of the Volga.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:01

We took a seat in the back seat - me and Uncle Kolya. Simon politely left us alone, informing us that he was going to look at the engine, and to be sure, he shielded himself with the wide bonnet. Valentin bored beside him, prompting something in a confident, quiet voice.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:03

"No one," Nikolai answered honestly, folding back the corner of a thick rectangle of paper. "If he wants to get rid of you, no one will find a trace of you."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:03

"Then what's the point?" I pointed to the contract in his hand.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:06

"Pay taxes," he shrugged, then raised his head and looked me in the eye. "Sometimes you just have to have faith in people. Let them show that they are worthy of respect.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:06

I could hear the reproach in his words, the reminder of the half-burned building behind me, and looked away.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:07

"Did you believe in me?"

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:07

"I keep believing in you," a hand touched my shoulder, "even now. And you, please, have faith in your friends. Don't scare them away with a bad word, like you did with Tolik."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:32

"He started stealing, even though he had enough money."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:32

"He almost ran away from town," he added cautiously.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:34

"He could have just apologized," I shrugged.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:34

"After all I've heard about you and boarding school, I understand his fear."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:35

"What have you heard?" asked without much interest, looking at the commotion near the platform.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:35

"You made them pay for the right to live," Nikolai said.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:35

"Not true. I was offering an interesting and fun day out for a small fee."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:37

"And those who didn't pay?"

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:37

"They lived as they did before. Only soon they regarded their ordinary lives as punishment." I turned to the uncle, expounding without any remorse.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:38

"Nevertheless, even your friends are afraid of you."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:06

"I didn't want that."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:06

"Aren't you curious as to why this happened?"

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:07

"No."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:07

After a short answer, the uncle's face became very anxious. He touched my forehead for some reason and even shook my shoulder slightly.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:08

"Maxim, you really don't care?"

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:08

I looked at my hand, turned my wrist up, and, just like a year and a half ago, I didn't find a single star near my skin. Gone, gone, and with them, as if everything inside had burned out. Or had it burned out before? It didn't matter. There, under the soot of the deeds I had not wanted to do, under the ashes of the expectations that had not survived the indifference of others, lived the understanding that it was better not to do, not to touch, not to touch, not to be disappointed again.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:09

"He has a job, you will become a father, and I will apologize for someone else's mistake. Everything's gonna be all right."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:28

"Forget about Tolik temporarily," the uncle muttered uneasily. "Tell me, your curiosity - where has it gone?"

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:10

"I still have it with me," I looked at him in surprise.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:29

"Okay, wait. There, you see Valentine standing there. He has a tattoo on his chest, the top of which extends to his neck."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:32

Indeed, if you look closely, you can see a small flag on the mast, apparently of a ship, showing slightly from the lapel of the T-shirt.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:32

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:33

"Why aren't you running to him to see what the whole tattoo is like!" As if in pain, Uncle Kolya groaned, running his hand through his hair.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:33

"Probably a ship," I shrugged, glancing indifferently at the T-shirt hiding the pattern.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:34

"Very bad," he added quietly. "But hopefully, it's not too late. Try going to the zoo or the circus."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:35

"No way," I closed my eyes.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:35

"To the theatre? To a children's show! It's fun and very interesting."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:03

"Uncle Kolya, I've arranged for the theatres to come several times," he said patiently, not opening his eyes.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:03

"There are different theatres, and if you don't like..."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:35

"The first of them was about to leave as soon as they heard there would be no television. I raked out almost all my money to make sure they stayed. Everyone was really enjoying it. The second team arrived drunk and demanded a place to sleep, the third..."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:36

"A movie then, eh?"

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:02

"Why?" I looked in his direction, lifting my eyelids slightly.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:02

"To bring you back," the kindly gray eyes squinted at me with unconcealed concern. "You must learn to be curious again! At least try ice cream in other cities!"

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:01

"The composition is the same, ours is still the tastiest."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 18:59

"What if there's somewhere tastier?" he teased with a wink. "The water is different somewhere else, isn't it? And the sugar, eh? What if someone uses Indian sugar? You've never tasted sugar like that! Understand. A gifted person must not go against his essence. It is the death of the soul. You must be curious! You don't even see how much you've changed. I thought you were just tired..."

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 19:01