Only craft. Sergej Strelyaev

tenth year in a row, but did not know either his name, or a post ….

      All this oppressive reality – gloomy, petty reality – ruined colourful hopes, did the guy to one of all. Dreams flew away far aside, seemed someone’s mean joke. There was any more no way to achieve the desirable, as well as those who managed to make its plans – they turned into the imagination too. “Is, the filling life, opposite work, need – all what flounder all in. People cannot live in a different way, live happily, neither do, nor feel all weight allocated for me. … There are neither the subjects which are getting up early so, nor hurrying on always hated affairs, nor engaged, than there is no wish, and staying at home in connection with bad weather, laziness, unwillingness…”.

      In any city, in an every spot on the globe the half-hour trip in surely was coming the person anywhere during which there is no need to look out of the windows – all the same not to understand where you are and there is no need, without that everything is clear: the body tends a little to the right, then two turns to the left, again to the right and, at last, minute on a straight line – will bring you to the places in vain burning, stealing precious, to nobody the necessary life. Everywhere in other cities, in other countries the bodies knowing the road by heart doze. Of course, is living to a stop a little closer, than he, but this only advantage of lucky… though not it and small, worthy Alexander’s envy. In all the rest anybody’s destinies did not differ from the life presented to him.

      Having creaked brakes, the crowded bus broke from a roadside, hard drove forward. And, if in so early hour Alexander had eloquence, then by all means would name this creaking piece of metal “a horror symbol”. To all other, it was necessary to wait for this horror: hopping on the place, resisting the frost seizing a body. Seconds of expectation did not last, and at all stopped. To pass away time and to cease to freeze neither the cigarettes smoked one by one, nor the studied announcements nailed to close trees pasted to stop plates helped.

      “I will dig up a kitchen garden” – paper since summer blackened. “I will make repair”, “I will give the credit”. Both the first, and the second and, especially, the last announcement did not make success – all made an incision strips with phones remained are untouched.

      – I and itself dug up! – exclamations of the passengers missing, and therefore reading announcements including Aleksandra were quite often heard.

      Chapter 2

      Having plaintively begun to squeak, the immense tree flew to the earth. Last time from fleshy branches snow was stirred up and for a long time soared in white kissel, settling on the fallen giant.

      Alexander skillfully jumped aside – evaded from danger, killed the engine. The echo carried the last shout of a poplar. Somewhere in the distance hundreds and hundreds of times his pain warning fellows about the future trouble responded.

      – I like you, the guy! How many I look, everything at you all right turns out …. And as kick you root out in the spring! Probably, and the zemlitsa is available?

      – Is available, дядь Wan, is available ….

      – The good fellow, but painfully tired you come.

      – There is enough house of work. Yes, here to reach, – being over-modest, Alexander loosened with a boot snow, – at five in the morning it is necessary to get up. Where here not to be tired? During week-end I earn additionally, – having thought, added with badly hidden pride and was accepted to the following tree.

      Ivan estimated diligence of the workmate, having significantly hemmed. The next wild-growing found the end.

      – And a large bottle ten-liter why home you drag? There is no water supply system?

      – There is it, is. Yes nothing sensible follows from the crane, water technical ….

      – It is rather heavy, of course. You about all this keep mum, – Ivan on the parties looked round, it was convinced of their loneliness, – learns the administration that in the house you live yes you spend for the road of force, and on economy there …, will dismiss without any arguments.

      – Did not understand.

      – It nothing, later you will understand. You know. … Do not worry, snow will a little descend soon and from distant stops buses will go. It also is clear: piled, manage to clear away at least in the city.

      – Well, че there, Ivan, fish goes? – the person hurrying by who is completely wrapped up in clothes croaked, recognizable it is exclusive on a voice.

      – Goes, goes. Where the won will get to!

      – Where?!

      – Yes on the Blue lake the perch went.

      – It is clear. … Well, buvayta. Look, stir to nobody. Bought an elektroudok …, – the person at parting threw and disappeared in a forest thicket.

      – Well so that there about fatigue?

      – Itself think. I speak, later you will understand. … Since youth you will overstrain also that…

      – You are not able to lie …, well, want speak. Later, so later.

      – It would be necessary, – Ivan vaguely finished, having rustled with the package taken on the site. – Hold, the old woman baked.

      – With what pies? – having dumped mittens, Alexander, without waiting for the answer, stuck into the dough which is already processed by a frost.

      – With music.

      On teeth in a disgusting way crackled half-cooked peas.

      Drowsiness dissipated together with morning fog, the mood crept to a vgor beyond the sun, greedy on warmth. To live it became not so disgusting, and people around and their talk did not enrage more.

      – And you demand conscientious execution from others, – Ivan continued the praises, – it is clear that not for a salary what here a salary …. And it is necessary: undertook – do on conscience.

      Being going to work, Ivan extinguished a stub, groaning, rose from the gone to pieces stub and spat calloused hands already three times as at Alexander phone rang out. The guy had to undo a sheepskin coat and, screwing up the face from cold, to take out a tube from an inside pocket. To look at the screen of sense was not: Alexander already knew who on other end of a wire.

      – I do not know why to you it is not heard …. We work, – waved to the workmate a hand, allowing to saw.

      – Well! Now I this business fast, in exactly will fix, – looking at Alexander, Ivan caught diligence and with an okhotka took the tool in hand.

      Pulled a starter. Cut silence howl the petrol engine, on the wood the roar of exhaust gases rushed. A jog trot having run up to a tree, rezanut on a trunk. Steel teeth furiously вгрызлись in pliable wood, began to smell fresh sawdust. In a second the gleam in the sky increased – one more tree fell.

      – In as, and I for which-che am good, – rubbing off sweat from a forehead, Ivan waited until the guy hides phone. – More deeply, to a belly thrust. Weather, itself you see …, at once the battery will end.

      – Where is deeper! I here want to ask everything, how old are you? And? – having dealt with fasteners, Alexander accepted the tool – at Ivan phone rang out too.

      The melody on the device of the workmate was not less sickening and became boring to Alexander as own. And, in general, he remembered by heart at whom and how exactly in its environment phone calls. Knew that any will answer, brought a tube to whom will order to buy bread to an ear whom will ask whether it will come in the evening …, and always same, resembling infinitely repeating dream: become loathsome, primitive, and therefore never forgotten.

      – How many you will give? – Ivan