We have already discussed lots of things, let's do it on the Net now.
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
If I had a talent, I would write novels...
... but I am teaching small fries. You will write your stories here, if I find time, I will write mine as well. Hugs and kisses, E.Yu.
12 comments:
Coffee_and_his_love_will_last_forever
said...
You know, I have a lot of bijouterie, I` m really into everything that shines and is iridescent. Hundreds of motley pendants, catchy hairpins and pearl earrings are thrown about my bedside table. But this coral bracelet is special, it`s a present from the most mysterious and beautiful stranger...I`ll tell you this story. When I was 19, I was really crazy about Brazil. Primeval sounds of drums inspired me, bright colors of national clothes fascinated me and indescribable beauty of Brazilians took my breath away. I cut down my expense – I stored up. So when I finally felt a rugged surface of an airplane ticket, I could hardly keep my hands from shaking. It was my first time when I visited this fantastic country. I lived in a small house in the suburbs of St. Paul, right near the Atlantic Ocean. Once it was late in the evening, when I understood, that there was not a drop of mineral water all over the house. I hadn`t any desire to die of thirst - no choice, I put aside a book of Jorge Amado and walked to the nearest shop. Yes, it was there, where I met him for the first time. He stood only a few feet from me, near the man in a faded felt hat. He was wearing a really decent suit, two buttons on his white shirt were undone; he was tanned, brown-haired, not very tall, broad-shouldered, brawny. He was very much like a movie star, but stood till with his head down without even a fleeting glimpse of me. I wished I had done a make-up and I was wearing really shabby clothes. So to escape disgrace, I decided to retreat. Before I made a step, a big fat man stamped my foot. I couldn`t help crying out bitterly. My stranger was turning over a magazine thoughtfully, when he looked at me anxiously and an instant later smiled at me with a snow-white tender smile as if it was a sunny ray through low rainy clouds. It amazed me so, that I couldn`t move, I stood looking at him, smiling..yes, I was very ridiculous. But he reached into his pocket for money, bought something and came to me..right to me. “Hello, young creole! My name is Ariel, I`m from Haifa, Israel. I leave tomorrow, don`t you mind having a cup of cafezinho with me? Of course I didn`t mind. And if he had offered me his hand and heart, I wouldn`t also have minded. I just nodded my head. We walked along the coast, Ariel told me about his work: he was an amateur painter and he had come here for the inspiration, because everything in Israel had got unbearable. He had no time to amuse himself, because he was in search of a new muse. According to him, my beauty distinguished itself by its aristocratic coldness and fathomless look. So he offered to paint my portrait, but before that he presented me a splendid coral bracelet. “It fits into your appearance perfectly” – he said and looked up at me with his amber brown eyes. I sat for the portrait staring straight ahead. He was making sketches, when I remembered, that I had forgotten my handbag at shop. I apologized to him and asked him to wait for me. But when I came back, he disappeared. I felt so wretched, so cheated. I turned away and began walking home. A lot of years had passed since those summer days. I was already on a pension, when my children presented me a trip to Israel. At one Art Gallery I suddenly saw a familiar picture. It was me in that coral bracelet; it was that night in Brazil. My stranger remembers me and I`m still wearing this grain of youth and love affair - the coral bracelet.
John Peters, a simple clerk, lived in London in Whitechapel, on of the worst and poorest districts of the city. he had to keep his family that was rather large. So, he lived from hand to mouth. One day he was going to his office place, as usual. Every morning he thougt only about one and the same thing- how to survive in the conditions like these. He did not even notce a man, that was going in his direction. Mr Peters managed to cacach a glimpse the man. it was so co cold, so unpleasant and repellent. it seemed to him, that his sockets were absolutely hollow.
The man approached to Peters. He introducedto Peters as his uncle. But John knew that it was abominable lie. ' I know, that you have financial problems, my friend"- said the Death( it was exatly she), "but I can help you. You should be a doctor. - But ido not have medical education-answered Peters. -You will not have to do anything.
If I stay in front of the bed of a sick man, you will be able to cure him, if I stay near his feet, he will die. We will cure onlly tose people, who can reach something out of their pockets, we do not do it for charity.And Peters agreed. Now he lived in clover. he has forgotten about his shabby clothes. But once he was sorry for a woman, who had a sick baby, and agreed to cure him. The death stood near babys feet. but john removed the bed. Next day he was found dead.
After mother’s death Chris felt so wretched. She was the only person in this world, who had been near his heart and now he felt, as if he had been left to the mercy of fate. Chris had no work, no money, no shelter, no friends. When he thought about future, he gave himself up to despair. The situation got unbearable and Chris understood, that he must undertake something. When he was looking through his notebook, he came across his father’s business card. He hadn’t seen him for ages. His father was a successful lawyer and a happy family man. After he had left Chris and his mother, he had settled down to a new married life. Now he lived with his wife and two smart daughters in a bid detached house on the outskirts of town. Chris stood on the street turning the business card over thoughtfully in his hands. He detested his father, considered him to be a vainglorious and mean person. He had repudiated his son and had never shown an interest for him. Chris was harried by doubts. Not having realized how, he found himself in front of a garden gate of his father’s house. He looked up and stared straight ahead. There was some kind of a party in the garden. Guests were talking to each other, drinking cocktails and children were rushing over the garden, singing songs and amusing themselves. Chris had a feeling, that he was the odd man out. He stood there, in the middle of the road, in shabby clothes, with his faded felt hat on and with his head down. Suddenly somebody’s voice broke off his thoughts. Chris turned around and saw his father, standing only a few feet away from him. He wore a decent suit and looked very much like a president. He looked anxiously at Chris, but Chris became dumb. Instead of saying anything, he turned away and went off. He regreted, that he had gone there. “What a ridiculous idea it was! I will never fit into his private life!’
It was a nice summer evening. I was walking along the Moscow-river and admired all the charm of the city. I saw a gentleman who was standing only a few feet away from me. He was trying to cross the road. But the street traffic was so dense that it seemed as if he was thinking that he would never cross the road. Moscow. Friday. You know what it is =) He was likely to give the book, which he was turning over thoughtfully in his hands, to the gentleman on the other side of the road. He looked so wretched that I decided to help him. I knew that there was a pedestrian crossing in 300 meters. So, I came up to that man and offered my help. He looked anxiously at me. I smiled at him and repeated my question. But he still stood keeping silence. The pause got unbearable, I felt so ridiculous but I decided to speak up in case if he hadn't heard what I had said. He seemed to be on a pension. I guess, You know that sometimes it's rather fraught with consequences to help old people: they hear practically nothing but when you begin to speak up they turn out to be so irritable. But I came to the conclusion that it was rather difficult to catch what I had said because of the noise of the cars. The man stood still with his head down, when he looked up, I saw some kind of fear in his eyes. He reached into his pocket for the money and told me something, but I couldn't make it out. And I could hardly understand why he was looking so frightened and... was trying to palm dollars off on me. Finally I got the idea. I had noticed at once that the man was dressed too strange: he wore a faded felt hat, 2 buttons on his vest were undone, but this clothes was not shabby, in fact he was dressed in a decent suit. Of course, he was a foreigner, but why he had taken me for a petty thief is still a secret for me...)
A red-haired girl stood in the street playing guitar. Near her was lying a faded felt hat, it was almost empty. The weather was too hot, there was not a breath of fresh air, that’s why rare passer-byes paid no attention to her, trying to find a place in the shadow as soon as possible. The heat was getting unbearable. Porcelain skin of the girl became red, she had a headache. But the girl continued to play. She felt wretched. But never the less she did continue to sing her song about homeless cats, nodding her head in time. «Poor little cat…poor little cat…who will show you the way to your home…» The girl was singing slower and slower till the song turned into murmur… «Amuse yourself? »-asked somebody’s voice rudely. She gave a start and looked up. A tall middle-aged man with unpleasant eyes was looking at her. He wore a decent English suit, even in that heat. Two buttons on his vest were undone. «Snob»- thought the girl. Her own shabby clothes, bracelets, rings and tangled hair were opposite to his glossed appearance. She didn’t answer, just started to play faster. He was standing a few feet away from her, but she felt sick. «What is about your profit? Not much, not much…Would you like to earn some money in another way?» -an awful complacent smile appeared on his face. «Bastard! Buzz off!» - He murmured something like «you, dirt, how dare you speak to me like that.» Then the man reached into his pocket and threw some bank notes into the felt hat. He went away. Suddenly it started to rain. It was raining heavily, the drops fell onto girl’s face, drummed upon the guitar. She stood singing: «Poor little cat…poor little cat…who will show you the way to your home…» The banknotes turned into a mess in the rain.
There was not a cloud in the sky... Only stars were brightly shining.. It was very late at night, when a strange man dressed in shabby clothes stood only two feet away from the telephone box. Two buttons on his vest were undone and his faded felt hat looked battered and dirty. His hair was turning grey. It was obvious, that he was nervous. Every time when someone walked nearby the man looked anxiously at him, trying to catch his breath in order to be unnoticed. He looked very much like a man, who had just escaped from a prison and who was trying to grope for someone important. He stood still with his head down.. He looked very pale in the newmoon light, his hands were trembling. He stood turning a small piece of paper with a telephone number in his hands... He wanted to go home, come back to his family. All his thoughts were only about his old father, who was on pension now. He remembered the time, when he was happy, he had lots of time to amuse himself. He always shared all the important every-day-events with his father... It got unbearable. He wanted to cry out bitterly, but he couldn't.. He thought it was stupid to look back now, when everything was over. So, he turned away like a man, who had no past and no future...
A Detective Story On the 19. of April 1876 Mr. Brown, quite an old man in shabby clothes, with a faded felt hat and an old suitcase in his wrinkled hands got on a board of a steamer going to India. His whole life he used to investigate the most tangle crimes and to put inveterate rogues behind bars. But now he was on a pension and had enough time to amuse himself, so he decided to go around the world. The weather was foggy and nasty. Mr. Brown stood on the upper deck of the steamer, peering at the delineation of the continent, they were moving off, when a tall dark-haired man in a decent suit came to him and asked for a cigarette. He introduced himself: Mark Fuller, a doctor of medicine. They spoke about the layout of the steamer: it was divided into six sections, eight compartments in each one. Passengers of one section shared a dining room. It began to drizzle and they went down to their section, where they got an opportunity to get acquainted with the other their neighbors. Mr. Brown saw six persons sitting around the table: a Japanese, a red-haired man of about thirty five, a young pregnant woman with pretty face and a fan in her hands, who was smiling at a blond middle aged men, sitting next to her. An old lady was talking to a young man of about eighteen, who looked very much like week-minded with his shaggy hair and a strange expression on his face. Two buttons on his vest were undone. At five to nine a blond man, Mr. Brightly, got up from the table and said that he was used to drinking herbal decoction every evening night at ten o’clock, because he had a sore liver. On the next morning Mr. Brown, Mr. Brightly, the pregnant woman named Mary, the old lady, her grandson Danny, who really turned out to be week-minded, were heaving breakfast. Mr. Brightly raised his cup of coffee and everybody could see a huge fingering with a diamond on his hand. Catching the eyes of his neighbors, he smiled embarrassed and explained that the diamond was fake, but it was valuable to him because of some personal circumstances. “Watch out - said Mr. Brown – some idiot, our Danny for example, could kill you because of the fake ring.” “How dare you say such things about my grandson?! – cried the old lady bitterly – you, Americans, are so bad-mannered and arrogant!” “Oh my Got – thought he – another English old lady without any sense of humor” As he entered a dining-room in the evening, everyone was heaving dinner. Only the red-haired man, Mr. Knowles, was standing by the window, turning a book thoughtfully in his hands. He sat to the table and began to tell a story: “There lived an Indian sultan who had a chest with diamonds. The chest was hidden in a cave in rocks and it was impossible to open it without a special key. From generation to generation the key was given from a father to a son, but once it was stolen by a servant. He never managed to find a сhest, but the key was lost without a trace. I am very fond of Indian history and I spent practically all my savings to buy an Indian sultan’s diary and now I may be close to the solution of the sultan’s secret. I have an idea: the key may look not like an ordinary key, but…”
At this moment Mary fainted suddenly. Everyone surrounded her frightened, but soon she came to consciousness, looked up and said that it was because of heat. She was right, the heat was getting unbearable. It was quite late and Mr. Brown decided to go to his compartment. In an aisle he saw Mr. Brightly and Mr. Knowles, who reached into his pocket for the sultan’s diary. Mr. Brown said goodnight to them and went to sleep. At one a.m. he heard somebody knocking at his door. As he opened it, he saw the doctor, looking anxiously at him. “Mr. Brightly is dead” – said he in a shaking voice. As they entered the compartment of Mr. Brightly, they saw him a few feet away from them, sitting on his chair, with his head laying on the table. All the papers on the table, and among them the sultan’s diary, were poured with blood. On the floor they saw a heavy bronze statuette. The doctor said, “A murderer must have given him some somniafacient, valium for example, and then stroke him from behind with the statuette. After the search it turned out, that a wallet, jewelry and the huge fingering was stolen. At that moment Mary and Mr. Knowles entered the compartment. He wrinkled his nose and turned away and she fainted again. An hour later Mr. Brown was sitting in his compartment and reflected, who could have accomplished such a cruel murder. Valium was obviously подмешан в herbal отвар, that Mr. Brightly was used to drinking every night. Therefore, the murderer shared the section with him. This thought chilled him, but he pulled himself together and went on thinking. The old lady and Mary were out of suspect: the first one because of her rheumatism, the second one – because of her pregnancy. So, the suspects were: the Japanese, the crazy Danny, the doctor and Mr. Knowles. The Japanese was reserved, communicated with nobody and there was something so sinister in the expression of his eyes, that he could likely be a murderer. The second one was crazy Danny. Well, Mr. Brown could expect anything from that guy, who had a brain of a little child and strength of a lusty man. He remembered suddenly his morning joke about Danny and the fake ring. “Oh my God, I could have evoked evil by talking about it”- thought the old policeman. Mr. Knowles, this distinctive red-haired man… who knew, what was going on in his head! He had spent his whole savings to buy the unnecessary book and now was practically out of money. Mr. Brown knew, that he couldn’t eliminate the doctor of the list of suspects, though he didn’t want to believe, that this nice reasonable men should have accomplished such an act of brutality.
The police officer interrogated everyone and found out, that the Japanese, Mr. Knowles and the doctor had stayed in the dining-room until midnight. Then they decided to play cards, but they lacked in one more player. So they wanted to ask Mr. Brightly to join them, came to his compartment and found him dead. Well, the case turned out to be much easier, that Mr. Brown could expect: weak-minded Danny was guilty of crime. Next morning everyone was discussing what had happened. Some passengers doubted that Danny could be a murderer. “It’s so striking that the idea to give the victim valium could have come to his mind” – said Mary and Mr. Knowles shared her opinion. But the doctor objected that sometimes crazy people can do reasonable things. Of course Danny wouldn’t admit that he was guilty of crime, but who would believe a crazy guy. The doctor came to Mr. Brown and said he wanted to speak to him about something, but the old policeman had to go to the captain of the ship to tell him about the details of the case. In the evening Danny was arrested and everyone was happy to know that the terrible story was over. But something else should happen on this journey. In the morning a sailor told that in the middle of the night he had heard someone screaming “Help!”. Dr. Fuller had fallen overboard. He must have stood on the upper deck when the storm had broken. The sailor didn’t manage to save him. He said such accidents could happen if passengers didn’t observe safety rules on board. So there were no reasons to doubt that it was an accident. In ten days the steamer reached the coast of India. Passengers were leaving the ship; Br. Brown was talking to the old lady about his insomnia. “Take some somniafacient, valium, for example” – advised she. Somniafacient. Valium. It downed upon Mr. Brown. He remembered Mary to mention it when they were speaking about Danny. “How could she know it? Only I, the doctor and…a murderer knew about valium.” “Catch her!” – screamed he, pointing on the young lady. Then happened something strange: she pulled up her skirt and ran away so fast, that nobody could expect it from a pregnant woman. But she didn’t manage to run away far: two sailors coughed her. Realizing that there was no use in resisting, she came to the policemen obediently, with her head down. She told him everything: she learned from her boyfriend about the ring, that was a key to the sultan’s treasure, They worked out a plan: she was supposed to act like pregnant and to kill Mr. Brightly with a heavy statuette without being suspected. Then she heard Mr. Knowles speaking about the sultan’s diary. She understood she had to destroy it. Fortunately Mr. Brightly helped her to do it: he asked Mr. Knowles for a permission to have a look at it. The perfidious plan seemed to be completed when the doctor understood somehow that she wasn’t pregnant. So she had to kill him, imitating an accident. She was a different person: nobody could recognize the defenseless Mary, whom they knew. There wasn’t anything nice about her any more, before them was standing a ruthless heartless girl with crafty expression in her eyes. “Life is such a difficult thing” – thought Mr. Brown and turned his face to the hot Indian sun, ready for new adventures.
The police officer interrogated everyone and found out, that the Japanese, Mr. Knowles and the doctor had stayed in the dining-room until midnight. Then they decided to play cards, but they lacked in one more player. So they wanted to ask Mr. Brightly to join them, came to his compartment and found him dead. Well, the case turned out to be much easier, that Mr. Brown could expect: weak-minded Danny was guilty of crime. Next morning everyone was discussing what had happened. Some passengers doubted that Danny could be a murderer. “It’s so striking that the idea to give the victim valium could have come to his mind” – said Mary and Mr. Knowles shared her opinion. But the doctor objected that sometimes crazy people can do reasonable things. Of course Danny wouldn’t admit that he was guilty of crime, but who would believe a crazy guy. The doctor came to Mr. Brown and said he wanted to speak to him about something, but the old policeman had to go to the captain of the ship to tell him about the details of the case. In the evening Danny was arrested and everyone was happy to know that the terrible story was over. But something else should happen on this journey. In the morning a sailor told that in the middle of the night he had heard someone screaming “Help!”. Dr. Fuller had fallen overboard. He must have stood on the upper deck when the storm had broken. The sailor didn’t manage to save him. He said such accidents could happen if passengers didn’t observe safety rules on board. So there were no reasons to doubt that it was an accident. In ten days the steamer reached the coast of India. Passengers were leaving the ship; Br. Brown was talking to the old lady about his insomnia. “Take some somniafacient, valium, for example” – advised she. Somniafacient. Valium. It downed upon Mr. Brown. He remembered Mary to mention it when they were speaking about Danny. “How could she know it? Only I, the doctor and…a murderer knew about valium.” “Catch her!” – screamed he, pointing on the young lady. Then happened something strange: she pulled up her skirt and ran away so fast, that nobody could expect it from a pregnant woman. But she didn’t manage to run away far: two sailors coughed her. Realizing that there was no use in resisting, she came to the policemen obediently, with her head down. She told him everything: she learned from her boyfriend about the ring, that was a key to the sultan’s treasure, They worked out a plan: she was supposed to act like pregnant and to kill Mr. Brightly with a heavy statuette without being suspected. Then she heard Mr. Knowles speaking about the sultan’s diary. She understood she had to destroy it. Fortunately Mr. Brightly helped her to do it: he asked Mr. Knowles for a permission to have a look at it. The perfidious plan seemed to be completed when the doctor understood somehow that she wasn’t pregnant. So she had to kill him, imitating an accident. She was a different person: nobody could recognize the defenseless Mary, whom they knew. There wasn’t anything nice about her any more, before them was standing a ruthless heartless girl with crafty expression in her eyes. “Life is such a difficult thing” – thought Mr. Brown and turned his face to the hot Indian sun, ready for new adventures.
It was late autumn. A man was wandering alone in his faded felt hat and shabby clothes, with two buttons undone on his vest. Several years ago used to wear decent suits and he had worked in a very prosper firm. It was he who had been chosen among other students after the graduation because he distinguished himself at the university. And now he was on a pension and liked going shopping because it was the only way he could amuse himself. Today he was attracted by a shop nearby and he decided to buy a toy for his only great child. He was turning it over thoughtfully in his hands when suddenly he caught a glimpse of a woman, that stood only a feet away from him. He made an air that he hadn`t noticed it and reached into his pocket for the money but… Someone had stolen it. Not controlling himself he cried out bitterly that the woman came to him and wondered what had happened. He became red and was standing with his head down. The man looked up anxiously and was stupefied. She looked like an actress that ha liked in his youth, the woman smiled at him. He was ridiculous but felt so happy! Some seconds later they burst into laugh.
12 comments:
You know, I have a lot of bijouterie, I` m really into everything that shines and is iridescent. Hundreds of motley pendants, catchy hairpins and pearl earrings are thrown about my bedside table. But this coral bracelet is special, it`s a present from the most mysterious and beautiful stranger...I`ll tell you this story.
When I was 19, I was really crazy about Brazil. Primeval sounds of drums inspired me, bright colors of national clothes fascinated me and indescribable beauty of Brazilians took my breath away. I cut down my expense – I stored up. So when I finally felt a rugged surface of an airplane ticket, I could hardly keep my hands from shaking. It was my first time when I visited this fantastic country.
I lived in a small house in the suburbs of St. Paul, right near the Atlantic Ocean. Once it was late in the evening, when I understood, that there was not a drop of mineral water all over the house. I hadn`t any desire to die of thirst - no choice, I put aside a book of Jorge Amado and walked to the nearest shop. Yes, it was there, where I met him for the first time. He stood only a few feet from me, near the man in a faded felt hat. He was wearing a really decent suit, two buttons on his white shirt were undone; he was tanned, brown-haired, not very tall, broad-shouldered, brawny. He was very much like a movie star, but stood till with his head down without even a fleeting glimpse of me. I wished I had done a make-up and I was wearing really shabby clothes. So to escape disgrace, I decided to retreat. Before I made a step, a big fat man stamped my foot. I couldn`t help crying out bitterly. My stranger was turning over a magazine thoughtfully, when he looked at me anxiously and an instant later smiled at me with a snow-white tender smile as if it was a sunny ray through low rainy clouds. It amazed me so, that I couldn`t move, I stood looking at him, smiling..yes, I was very ridiculous. But he reached into his pocket for money, bought something and came to me..right to me. “Hello, young creole! My name is Ariel, I`m from Haifa, Israel. I leave tomorrow, don`t you mind having a cup of cafezinho with me? Of course I didn`t mind. And if he had offered me his hand and heart, I wouldn`t also have minded. I just nodded my head.
We walked along the coast, Ariel told me about his work: he was an amateur painter and he had come here for the inspiration, because everything in Israel had got unbearable. He had no time to amuse himself, because he was in search of a new muse. According to him, my beauty distinguished itself by its aristocratic coldness and fathomless look. So he offered to paint my portrait, but before that he presented me a splendid coral bracelet. “It fits into your appearance perfectly” – he said and looked up at me with his amber brown eyes.
I sat for the portrait staring straight ahead. He was making sketches, when I remembered, that I had forgotten my handbag at shop. I apologized to him and asked him to wait for me. But when I came back, he disappeared. I felt so wretched, so cheated. I turned away and began walking home.
A lot of years had passed since those summer days. I was already on a pension, when my children presented me a trip to Israel. At one Art Gallery I suddenly saw a familiar picture. It was me in that coral bracelet; it was that night in Brazil.
My stranger remembers me and I`m still wearing this grain of youth and love affair - the coral bracelet.
***dedicated to my beloved Ocean
John Peters, a simple clerk, lived in London in Whitechapel, on of the worst and poorest districts of the city. he had to keep his family that was rather large. So, he lived from hand to mouth. One day he was going to his office place, as usual.
Every morning he thougt only about one and the same thing- how to survive in the conditions like these.
He did not even notce a man, that was going in his direction.
Mr Peters managed to cacach a glimpse the man. it was so co cold, so unpleasant and repellent.
it seemed to him, that his sockets were absolutely hollow.
The man approached to Peters. He introducedto Peters as his uncle.
But John knew that it was abominable lie. ' I know, that you have financial problems, my friend"- said the Death( it was exatly she), "but I can help you.
You should be a doctor.
- But ido not have medical education-answered Peters.
-You will not have to do anything.
If I stay in front of the bed of a sick man, you will be able to cure him, if I stay near his feet, he will die. We will cure onlly tose people, who can reach something out of their pockets, we do not do it for charity.And Peters agreed. Now he lived in clover. he has forgotten about his shabby clothes.
But once he was sorry for a woman, who had a sick baby, and agreed to cure him.
The death stood near babys feet. but john removed the bed. Next day he was found dead.
After mother’s death Chris felt so wretched. She was the only person in this world, who had been near his heart and now he felt, as if he had been left to the mercy of fate. Chris had no work, no money, no shelter, no friends. When he thought about future, he gave himself up to despair. The situation got unbearable and Chris understood, that he must undertake something. When he was looking through his notebook, he came across his father’s business card. He hadn’t seen him for ages. His father was a successful lawyer and a happy family man. After he had left Chris and his mother, he had settled down to a new married life. Now he lived with his wife and two smart daughters in a bid detached house on the outskirts of town. Chris stood on the street turning the business card over thoughtfully in his hands. He detested his father, considered him to be a vainglorious and mean person. He had repudiated his son and had never shown an interest for him. Chris was harried by doubts. Not having realized how, he found himself in front of a garden gate of his father’s house. He looked up and stared straight ahead. There was some kind of a party in the garden. Guests were talking to each other, drinking cocktails and children were rushing over the garden, singing songs and amusing themselves. Chris had a feeling, that he was the odd man out. He stood there, in the middle of the road, in shabby clothes, with his faded felt hat on and with his head down. Suddenly somebody’s voice broke off his thoughts. Chris turned around and saw his father, standing only a few feet away from him. He wore a decent suit and looked very much like a president. He looked anxiously at Chris, but Chris became dumb. Instead of saying anything, he turned away and went off. He regreted, that he had gone there. “What a ridiculous idea it was! I will never fit into his private life!’
It was a nice summer evening. I was walking along the Moscow-river and admired all the charm of the city. I saw a gentleman who was standing only a few feet away from me. He was trying to cross the road. But the street traffic was so dense that it seemed as if he was thinking that he would never cross the road. Moscow. Friday. You know what it is =)
He was likely to give the book, which he was turning over thoughtfully in his hands, to the gentleman on the other side of the road. He looked so wretched that I decided to help him. I knew that there was a pedestrian crossing in 300 meters. So, I came up to that man and offered my help. He looked anxiously at me. I smiled at him and repeated my question. But he still stood keeping silence.
The pause got unbearable, I felt so ridiculous but I decided to speak up in case if he hadn't heard what I had said. He seemed to be on a pension. I guess, You know that sometimes it's rather fraught with consequences to help old people: they hear practically nothing but when you begin to speak up they turn out to be so irritable. But I came to the conclusion that it was rather difficult to catch what I had said because of the noise of the cars.
The man stood still with his head down, when he looked up, I saw some kind of fear in his eyes. He reached into his pocket for the money and told me something, but I couldn't make it out. And I could hardly understand why he was looking so frightened and... was trying to palm dollars off on me.
Finally I got the idea. I had noticed at once that the man was dressed too strange: he wore a faded felt hat, 2 buttons on his vest were undone, but this clothes was not shabby, in fact he was dressed in a decent suit.
Of course, he was a foreigner, but why he had taken me for a petty thief is still a secret for me...)
A red-haired girl stood in the street playing guitar. Near her was lying a faded felt hat, it was almost empty. The weather was too hot, there was not a breath of fresh air, that’s why rare passer-byes paid no attention to her, trying to find a place in the shadow as soon as possible.
The heat was getting unbearable. Porcelain skin of the girl became red, she had a headache. But the girl continued to play. She felt wretched. But never the less she did continue to sing her song about homeless cats, nodding her head in time. «Poor little cat…poor little cat…who will show you the way to your home…»
The girl was singing slower and slower till the song turned into murmur…
«Amuse yourself? »-asked somebody’s voice rudely. She gave a start and looked up. A tall middle-aged man with unpleasant eyes was looking at her. He wore a decent English suit, even in that heat. Two buttons on his vest were undone. «Snob»- thought the girl. Her own shabby clothes, bracelets, rings and tangled hair were opposite to his glossed appearance. She didn’t answer, just started to play faster. He was standing a few feet away from her, but she felt sick. «What is about your profit? Not much, not much…Would you like to earn some money in another way?» -an awful complacent smile appeared on his face. «Bastard! Buzz off!» - He murmured something like «you, dirt, how dare you speak to me like that.» Then the man reached into his pocket and threw some bank notes into the felt hat. He went away.
Suddenly it started to rain. It was raining heavily, the drops fell onto girl’s face, drummed upon the guitar. She stood singing: «Poor little cat…poor little cat…who will show you the way to your home…» The banknotes turned into a mess in the rain.
There was not a cloud in the sky... Only stars were brightly shining..
It was very late at night, when a strange man dressed in shabby clothes stood only two feet away from the telephone box. Two buttons on his vest were undone and his faded felt hat looked battered and dirty. His hair was turning grey.
It was obvious, that he was nervous. Every time when someone walked nearby the man looked anxiously at him, trying to catch his breath in order to be unnoticed.
He looked very much like a man, who had just escaped from a prison and who was trying to grope for someone important. He stood still with his head down.. He looked very pale in the newmoon light, his hands were trembling. He stood turning a small piece of paper with a telephone number in his hands...
He wanted to go home, come back to his family. All his thoughts were only about his old father, who was on pension now. He remembered the time, when he was happy, he had lots of time to amuse himself. He always shared all the important every-day-events with his father...
It got unbearable. He wanted to cry out bitterly, but he couldn't.. He thought it was stupid to look back now, when everything was over.
So, he turned away like a man, who had no past and no future...
A Detective Story
On the 19. of April 1876 Mr. Brown, quite an old man in shabby clothes, with a faded felt hat and an old suitcase in his wrinkled hands got on a board of a steamer going to India. His whole life he used to investigate the most tangle crimes and to put inveterate rogues behind bars. But now he was on a pension and had enough time to amuse himself, so he decided to go around the world.
The weather was foggy and nasty. Mr. Brown stood on the upper deck of the steamer, peering at the delineation of the continent, they were moving off, when a tall dark-haired man in a decent suit came to him and asked for a cigarette. He introduced himself: Mark Fuller, a doctor of medicine. They spoke about the layout of the steamer: it was divided into six sections, eight compartments in each one. Passengers of one section shared a dining room.
It began to drizzle and they went down to their section, where they got an opportunity to get acquainted with the other their neighbors. Mr. Brown saw six persons sitting around the table: a Japanese, a red-haired man of about thirty five, a young pregnant woman with pretty face and a fan in her hands, who was smiling at a blond middle aged men, sitting next to her. An old lady was talking to a young man of about eighteen, who looked very much like week-minded with his shaggy hair and a strange expression on his face. Two buttons on his vest were undone.
At five to nine a blond man, Mr. Brightly, got up from the table and said that he was used to drinking herbal decoction every evening night at ten o’clock, because he had a sore liver.
On the next morning Mr. Brown, Mr. Brightly, the pregnant woman named Mary, the old lady, her grandson Danny, who really turned out to be week-minded, were heaving breakfast. Mr. Brightly raised his cup of coffee and everybody could see a huge fingering with a diamond on his hand. Catching the eyes of his neighbors, he smiled embarrassed and explained that the diamond was fake, but it was valuable to him because of some personal circumstances. “Watch out - said Mr. Brown – some idiot, our Danny for example, could kill you because of the fake ring.” “How dare you say such things about my grandson?! – cried the old lady bitterly – you, Americans, are so bad-mannered and arrogant!” “Oh my Got – thought he – another English old lady without any sense of humor”
As he entered a dining-room in the evening, everyone was heaving dinner. Only the red-haired man, Mr. Knowles, was standing by the window, turning a book thoughtfully in his hands. He sat to the table and began to tell a story: “There lived an Indian sultan who had a chest with diamonds. The chest was hidden in a cave in rocks and it was impossible to open it without a special key. From generation to generation the key was given from a father to a son, but once it was stolen by a servant. He never managed to find a сhest, but the key was lost without a trace. I am very fond of Indian history and I spent practically all my savings to buy an Indian sultan’s diary and now I may be close to the solution of the sultan’s secret. I have an idea: the key may look not like an ordinary key, but…”
At this moment Mary fainted suddenly. Everyone surrounded her frightened, but soon she came to consciousness, looked up and said that it was because of heat. She was right, the heat was getting unbearable.
It was quite late and Mr. Brown decided to go to his compartment. In an aisle he saw Mr. Brightly and Mr. Knowles, who reached into his pocket for the sultan’s diary. Mr. Brown said goodnight to them and went to sleep.
At one a.m. he heard somebody knocking at his door. As he opened it, he saw the doctor, looking anxiously at him. “Mr. Brightly is dead” – said he in a shaking voice.
As they entered the compartment of Mr. Brightly, they saw him a few feet away from them, sitting on his chair, with his head laying on the table. All the papers on the table, and among them the sultan’s diary, were poured with blood. On the floor they saw a heavy bronze statuette. The doctor said, “A murderer must have given him some somniafacient, valium for example, and then stroke him from behind with the statuette. After the search it turned out, that a wallet, jewelry and the huge fingering was stolen. At that moment Mary and Mr. Knowles entered the compartment. He wrinkled his nose and turned away and she fainted again.
An hour later Mr. Brown was sitting in his compartment and reflected, who could have accomplished such a cruel murder. Valium was obviously подмешан в herbal отвар, that Mr. Brightly was used to drinking every night. Therefore, the murderer shared the section with him. This thought chilled him, but he pulled himself together and went on thinking. The old lady and Mary were out of suspect: the first one because of her rheumatism, the second one – because of her pregnancy. So, the suspects were: the Japanese, the crazy Danny, the doctor and Mr. Knowles.
The Japanese was reserved, communicated with nobody and there was something so sinister in the expression of his eyes, that he could likely be a murderer.
The second one was crazy Danny. Well, Mr. Brown could expect anything from that guy, who had a brain of a little child and strength of a lusty man. He remembered suddenly his morning joke about Danny and the fake ring. “Oh my God, I could have evoked evil by talking about it”- thought the old policeman.
Mr. Knowles, this distinctive red-haired man… who knew, what was going on in his head! He had spent his whole savings to buy the unnecessary book and now was practically out of money.
Mr. Brown knew, that he couldn’t eliminate the doctor of the list of suspects, though he didn’t want to believe, that this nice reasonable men should have accomplished such an act of brutality.
The police officer interrogated everyone and found out, that the Japanese, Mr. Knowles and the doctor had stayed in the dining-room until midnight. Then they decided to play cards, but they lacked in one more player. So they wanted to ask Mr. Brightly to join them, came to his compartment and found him dead. Well, the case turned out to be much easier, that Mr. Brown could expect: weak-minded Danny was guilty of crime.
Next morning everyone was discussing what had happened. Some passengers doubted that Danny could be a murderer. “It’s so striking that the idea to give the victim valium could have come to his mind” – said Mary and Mr. Knowles shared her opinion. But the doctor objected that sometimes crazy people can do reasonable things. Of course Danny wouldn’t admit that he was guilty of crime, but who would believe a crazy guy.
The doctor came to Mr. Brown and said he wanted to speak to him about something, but the old policeman had to go to the captain of the ship to tell him about the details of the case.
In the evening Danny was arrested and everyone was happy to know that the terrible story was over. But something else should happen on this journey. In the morning a sailor told that in the middle of the night he had heard someone screaming “Help!”. Dr. Fuller had fallen overboard. He must have stood on the upper deck when the storm had broken. The sailor didn’t manage to save him. He said such accidents could happen if passengers didn’t observe safety rules on board. So there were no reasons to doubt that it was an accident.
In ten days the steamer reached the coast of India. Passengers were leaving the ship; Br. Brown was talking to the old lady about his insomnia. “Take some somniafacient, valium, for example” – advised she. Somniafacient. Valium. It downed upon Mr. Brown. He remembered Mary to mention it when they were speaking about Danny. “How could she know it? Only I, the doctor and…a murderer knew about valium.”
“Catch her!” – screamed he, pointing on the young lady. Then happened something strange: she pulled up her skirt and ran away so fast, that nobody could expect it from a pregnant woman. But she didn’t manage to run away far: two sailors coughed her. Realizing that there was no use in resisting, she came to the policemen obediently, with her head down.
She told him everything: she learned from her boyfriend about the ring, that was a key to the sultan’s treasure, They worked out a plan: she was supposed to act like pregnant and to kill Mr. Brightly with a heavy statuette without being suspected. Then she heard Mr. Knowles speaking about the sultan’s diary. She understood she had to destroy it. Fortunately Mr. Brightly helped her to do it: he asked Mr. Knowles for a permission to have a look at it. The perfidious plan seemed to be completed when the doctor understood somehow that she wasn’t pregnant. So she had to kill him, imitating an accident.
She was a different person: nobody could recognize the defenseless Mary, whom they knew. There wasn’t anything nice about her any more, before them was standing a ruthless heartless girl with crafty expression in her eyes. “Life is such a difficult thing” – thought Mr. Brown and turned his face to the hot Indian sun, ready for new adventures.
The police officer interrogated everyone and found out, that the Japanese, Mr. Knowles and the doctor had stayed in the dining-room until midnight. Then they decided to play cards, but they lacked in one more player. So they wanted to ask Mr. Brightly to join them, came to his compartment and found him dead. Well, the case turned out to be much easier, that Mr. Brown could expect: weak-minded Danny was guilty of crime.
Next morning everyone was discussing what had happened. Some passengers doubted that Danny could be a murderer. “It’s so striking that the idea to give the victim valium could have come to his mind” – said Mary and Mr. Knowles shared her opinion. But the doctor objected that sometimes crazy people can do reasonable things. Of course Danny wouldn’t admit that he was guilty of crime, but who would believe a crazy guy.
The doctor came to Mr. Brown and said he wanted to speak to him about something, but the old policeman had to go to the captain of the ship to tell him about the details of the case.
In the evening Danny was arrested and everyone was happy to know that the terrible story was over. But something else should happen on this journey. In the morning a sailor told that in the middle of the night he had heard someone screaming “Help!”. Dr. Fuller had fallen overboard. He must have stood on the upper deck when the storm had broken. The sailor didn’t manage to save him. He said such accidents could happen if passengers didn’t observe safety rules on board. So there were no reasons to doubt that it was an accident.
In ten days the steamer reached the coast of India. Passengers were leaving the ship; Br. Brown was talking to the old lady about his insomnia. “Take some somniafacient, valium, for example” – advised she. Somniafacient. Valium. It downed upon Mr. Brown. He remembered Mary to mention it when they were speaking about Danny. “How could she know it? Only I, the doctor and…a murderer knew about valium.”
“Catch her!” – screamed he, pointing on the young lady. Then happened something strange: she pulled up her skirt and ran away so fast, that nobody could expect it from a pregnant woman. But she didn’t manage to run away far: two sailors coughed her. Realizing that there was no use in resisting, she came to the policemen obediently, with her head down.
She told him everything: she learned from her boyfriend about the ring, that was a key to the sultan’s treasure, They worked out a plan: she was supposed to act like pregnant and to kill Mr. Brightly with a heavy statuette without being suspected. Then she heard Mr. Knowles speaking about the sultan’s diary. She understood she had to destroy it. Fortunately Mr. Brightly helped her to do it: he asked Mr. Knowles for a permission to have a look at it. The perfidious plan seemed to be completed when the doctor understood somehow that she wasn’t pregnant. So she had to kill him, imitating an accident.
She was a different person: nobody could recognize the defenseless Mary, whom they knew. There wasn’t anything nice about her any more, before them was standing a ruthless heartless girl with crafty expression in her eyes. “Life is such a difficult thing” – thought Mr. Brown and turned his face to the hot Indian sun, ready for new adventures.
It was late autumn. A man was wandering alone in his faded felt hat and shabby clothes, with two buttons undone on his vest. Several years ago used to wear decent suits and he had worked in a very prosper firm. It was he who had been chosen among other students after the graduation because he distinguished himself at the university. And now he was on a pension and liked going shopping because it was the only way he could amuse himself. Today he was attracted by a shop nearby and he decided to buy a toy for his only great child. He was turning it over thoughtfully in his hands when suddenly he caught a glimpse of a woman, that stood only a feet away from him. He made an air that he hadn`t noticed it and reached into his pocket for the money but… Someone had stolen it. Not controlling himself he cried out bitterly that the woman came to him and wondered what had happened. He became red and was standing with his head down. The man looked up anxiously and was stupefied. She looked like an actress that ha liked in his youth, the woman smiled at him. He was ridiculous but felt so happy! Some seconds later they burst into laugh.
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