When the Boys Grow, They Usually Prefer to Play with the Boys: in Cars, in War? in Football

Перевод на английский язык рассказа ”Совенок”

Owlet

When the boys grow, they usually prefer to play with the boys: in cars, in war? in football ... Girls in their company, it does not hurt to make love. My Sergei is the same. Exception made for the son of one girl.

He called her owlet.

Looks like ...

Wide open, expressive eyes. Enormously long eyelashes. It seemed he could hear them clapping. She is a little, three years old. The serious-serious. My mother braided pigtails she once a week, very tight, so as not disheveled. The little girl freezes, and my head is spinning: right-left, right and left. Exactly owlet. Pigtails trace - back and forth.

They settled with her mother in our house right behind the wall in a studio apartment. Raisa worked as a clerk in the corner. Red hair to his shoulders, bright lipstick. A promising look oily eyes. Invitingly-short dress in a slinky, seductive emphasizing the slender figure. Always open to communication. For it often goes men remained for the night. This "God forgive me" ... was in the yard Raisa called Cat.

My contact with neighbors was limited to duty: "Hello!" I tried not to pay attention to them, until he saw the little boy on the street with the pretty darling girl.

They built a sandbox bizarre city. The little girl, squatting, molded young palms tower of the palace. The son was older than three years, and played with her enthusiasm, not noticing the difference in age.

I'm important came up, leaned over to Owlet, stretched out his hand:

- Well, let's get acquainted. What is your name?

The little girl bowed her head, hiding behind hat and became demonstratively pick scoop ground.

- So what's your name?

- I have something - okay, and you?

I introduced myself.

- I have mom and uncle are not told foreign peoples.

Puzzled removed his hand:

- Am I a stranger? We are now neighbors.

She suddenly jumped up and stared into the distance:

-Tractor! - and galloped on.

I am painfully searching gaze heavy equipment, but the street was empty.

- Yes, she farted; - Sergey has interpreted the mysterious actions of his girlfriend.

So we got to know Natasha.

Our house stood in the center of a provincial town.

A two-storey, brick, well - a luxury in those days. In the yard - a charming corner of the forest-garden. In the center of the broad-shouldered pine crowns maintain their sky. Series - black currant bushes and lilac. Next door, behind a high mesh fence, a tremendous school farmland. In spring and summer birds chirp and sing in different voices leaping. Go out into the street - bliss! Clattering trams but trolley to our booming town status was not supposed to. Little else! You walk down the main street, take a step to the side, under the broad canopy move poplar leaves, wade through the dense thickets of wild cherry - and immediately find yourself in a quiet reserve clearing house to yellowish, as if in a distant oasis.

Outside our house, a cheerful dandelions seemed fabulously sunny. But in life as if the sun shines on the one hand, on the other - always dark.

Residents are well aware what was behind the elegant facade.

A cozy abode was built on a former garbage dump. In a hurry lower construction bricks were placed directly on the ground in front of the house, and grow into the ground. The walls, ceiling while moving down late, the floor sank quickly. Between the floor and walls of the slit appeared. First, small. They carefully closed up with cement mortar, but they expanded more and more, and have no putty could not patch the recalcitrant gaps.

This situation suited the majority of the aboriginal inhabitants of the house - huge gray rat. They were not spelled out here, although living with full rights. It makes us addicted to them. Landfill, where they had held sway unchallenged, through the efforts of the townspeople found the roof in the form of our house. They became warmer, better fed, more interesting at night, in search of food, they penetrated into the cupboards in the kitchen, busily swarming in the garbage can, through the holes in the walls of a tramp rushed from the apartment into the apartment, running over the bodies of sleeping people. Gray hordes under the floor squeaked, move, organized orgies. In the early years we tried to fight them. Poured into the corners of the food with poison bait. Rats in the catacombs of dead, and the stench in the house was such - at least on the street run!

Brought Maruska. However, the manifestation of her hunting instincts have not waited. In the mind of cat was one. Every month she - March. About her kittens she will soon forget, and - according to the new, listen to the oratorio lustful males.

From confrontation with the rats had to move to a peaceful coexistence.

Our kids liked the house too full of holes, thus enriching their life adventures. Do not be gaps, they would have to communicate with the usual old-fashioned way, overcoming the barriers of the door. For this effort, how many need it? First, ask the parents permission to go to the guests. Hear the answer: "The lessons did?" Will you do the lessons, wear shoes, wear jacket, jump on the ground froze, call long into the next apartment, stamp from the cold on his feet, will wait when the owlet will open the door ...

And her mother would not let!

Through the gap was much easier to communicate.

No customs frontiers - directly. In this rapidly developing as a cultural and trade ties. The nature of commodity varied in content depending on the age of the population. At first the guys handed scoop, mirror, bright candy wrappers, Pupsik. Then, at school age - books, pencils, an album of family photos, a collection of stamps. When the owlet learned to write little notes went into circulation.

Children are growing up.

Owlet went to first grade. Went important, with a huge knapsack, with lush bows in a light-brown braids. Mother took her to school one time, and on the parting over.

My Sergei Owlet waiting every morning in the courtyard, carefully took the hand, and they solemnly marched into the temple of science. And then there was a notebook with the homework check. The son took care of it without compulsion, willingly. She was silent gratitude in return.

I was confident that with age Earrings whim coddle lost. But time passed and nothing has changed. For me, it would be better for science, he firmly clung to, once again picked up the book in his hands. First need to arrange their own destiny, to learn, hard to stand up. So that was all as humans.

Autumn with cold weather has brought early dusk. Low clouds, when empty, when the rain, covered the city. Children are now seen less frequently. Rice gave his daughter in "a long lessons" took away the last one. And Sergei busy late into the night: while coming home from school until the bread runs, prepare lessons - in the yard is dark. Walking is not allowed. Before going to bed need quiet activities. All went well, one by one.

It has been seen: he missed it ...

And Raisa - on the night, at midnight, "Carousel"! Behind the wall just yet boomed a male voice, it starts to chime cut glasses, I do know for sure - now a neighbor purr:

- Natusya, bunny, go for a walk! Play!

And Natasha, a homeless kitten, - for the door.

Yes, even give up after him:

- Riding Hood tie to ears not cheated!

Go out into the street to smoke, get up at the door, shivering from the evening icy slush. In poplar, hard tumbling, overfly the last tired leaves. They lie on the ground and gain peace. Dim light blue box represents nearly ready for the snow bench. And in the yard - a monotone discontinuous metal shrieking: owlet swinging on a swing.

This dismal creaking in the black silence of the soul aches.

Fatherless ... The fate of the girls was evident. In the wild apple tree can not grow anything except wildings.

As a rule, "the congregation" at the Raisa longer than one night should not be delayed, but here ... it was in February. Comes owlet. Stood forlornly at the door, kind of lost. Silent. In involuntarily lowered his hands - a portfolio. What is first-grader? Button at all.

My Sergei anxiously:

- What are you doing?

Owlet, without raising his head, muttered:

- Mother said, tomorrow we will move Uncle Jora. For good ...

Said and left. Sergei grabbed a coat, hat, and on the go dressed, jumped after him.

Zhorka Zahlystina know. Frail such splintery ... Several convictions behind him. Recently released.

The next day I had stayed in the kitchen with the papers. My already asleep. From time to time included the kettle. Trying not to rattle, pour in the Kettle boiling water, stirring with a spoon in a glass melting sugar, without being distracted from reading, drinking. Hot tart drink drive away sleep.

And behind the wall at the Raisa - revelry ... After hearing the slot such that the whisper of difference, and then drunk to vote yes in a raised voice.

- ... Zhorka, ah! .. do not bother!

There was laughter, was heard contented race. With the shrill sound of something fall. Sucking smack alternated with aspiration Raisa:

- Yes ... simple ... you ... my daughter does not sleep. Hey, let me go!

For a moment all was quiet. Then uncorked a bottle. Faceted glasses clinked dully, depicting underwater Karelian stones. Not make toast and drank. Smell of cucumber pickle. A man's voice, weaving, drawled:

- Cucumbers, no nothing. Let's go to bed.

- My daughter close, I will not!

- Let in the kitchen.

They have moved to a whisper in the room, out a rough shout

- March of the kitchen! Give a talk with his mother!

Rice, playing in the giveaway, according to burst out laughing. The girl whimpered sleepily, dutifully trudged. I quietly rushed to the wall switch. It became dark. Only where the cracked wall did not reach the floor, made the way the band of light. Black shadows Natasha`s legs stretched out to me through the gap to the plinth, oddly curved, steel shake. Natasha inconsolable, wept bitterly. Shadows gone, the steps were removed ...

Minute silence of the night broke a drunken roar:

- Oh, you bastard! ..

A loud clatter, frequent spanking of children's feet.

Hysterical crying Natasha broke through a hole roughly. I tried not to breathe, so that no issue of his presence. Behind the wall slammed doors kitchen cabinets, paper rustling, and something spilled on the floor like a broken necklace.

- On your knees!

- ... Uncle Jora, I will not! - Pleaded with Natasha.

- The peas get up ... run away - kill you!

Was heard scuffling. Girl muffled lowing. I, like enchanted, stared at the yellow band of light, and suddenly saw the crack jumped ... a large, dry pea. Rolled on the floor, pushed her into my sneakers.

Trying to get rid of the uncomfortable conditions, rose on tiptoe, so as not to creak the floorboards, out of the kitchen.

The next morning Sergei, as always, wait Owlet in the yard, picked up her briefcase, and they reached out to the school. The son returned from school upset. The reason, I guess, so do not ask.

Forgotten over time ...

In the evening he got a favorite book, pillow, pillows, put on a floor lamp, turned off the big light and lay down on a woven mat. From nice to sip a warm stove. I sat at the door, lit a cigarette, looking with interest at the little boy. Maruska, our red-haired joy fawn to it, flowed across his chest. On the other side of the border wall groaned Natasha, too, settling himself comfortably. (See pre-arranged!)

- Come on, I admire your ears - suggested a son.

Owlet coyly replied:

- No, no, Serezhechkin ... You better tell me something ... some fairy tale.

- About what?

- About your Marusya.

From the crack appeared thin birch twig began drum up shake in the face of a cat. She reluctantly waved her paw and froze, keeping his eyes with a twig.

Dreamily, resting his chin with his hand, leaned against the son of a cushion:

- Tales I can only read.

- And you do not know why my mom in the yard is called "Cat"?

- No, no.

- Because it is the most-affectionate. Here! Do you want me to tell you my story? I wrote it last night.

- You came up with a story? Itself?

- Yeah. Tell?

- Tell me, is interesting.

The son pressed his cheek against the soft humming cat body and prepared to listen.

Behind the wall, like the wings of the theater, a children's mystery voice said:

- Once upon a time there was in the world ... a little girl ...

Narrator sigh ... and continued:

- She lived with her mother far away in the fabulous valley, in a small white house. There was a little girl very, very beautiful. Her long curly hair - the color of the sun. She always went in the red shoes and white stockings. And in a country ruled by a huge evil rat. No one, no one could cope with them. She is terrified of rats ... because she had no father. Do not worry, I'm not telling you about myself.

The son said nothing.

- This girl named  Aygu - in Karelian means "time". Aygu helped her mother on the farm: sheep grazed, and she went with a small bucket of water to the brook. Mom spun yarn, and thread it stow into a ball and set off on Sunday in a nearby village to sell nice knitted mittens and socks. Home brought frosted caramels. Evening came, my mother was putting my daughter to bed, stroking her long curls and a singsong voice saying sweet words ...

- Lullaby sung ...

- ... A very sad like that. When Aygu went to the fair, she noticed that all the-all children is not only a mom, but dad. And once Aygu asked:

- Mom, where's my daddy?

We moms have appeared in front of her tears, she embraced her daughter, and she opened a terrible secret: Aygu have also had my dad, but the evil rats have taken him for his high black mountain, when she was a very, very small. Then the mother left the girl in the neighborhood, and boldly went to the trail rat. Long gone. Day was. Night. Trail led to the foot of the highest mountain ... you interested?