Quarantine. A book of stories and poems

Cactus

A light breeze rushes into the open window, pulls at the light curtain. There was no one in the room, only the Black Cactus with sharp large needles was angry with the whole world. He was asleep, but this wind woke him up and made him get up from the pastels. The cactus grumbled, if only a little bit and he would have caught that butterfly in a dream and would have taken a piece of cake from her. What’s the cake! The whole world would be his!! A butterfly, light like the same breeze, soared from flower to flower, humming an uncomplicated song: “La-la-la la-la-la… the sun is me! How so good!.

Cactus looked at the alarm clock. it was already half past six. You could sleep for another half hour! Fool the wind! Well, what did he achieve!! It’s time! It’s time! Well, I got up and what!. What am I going to do now so early! The cactus grumbled. Grumbled as always. He always grumbles when he doesn’t get enough sleep. He went to the window, took his papers, which never run out, folded them in a pile and stuffed them in a suitcase, preparing to leave the house for work… Then he smelled the hot delicious buns that his mother was baking. He was very happy about this, even cheered up, but he remembered that his mother had died. It has long been gone. And he still could see her because of this work. Work.. work.. work all the time. Not to go to my mother, to visit the elderly, missing her only son, to whom she devoted her whole life. Mom understood everything. Of course, this is an important state work, responsible. She bragged to all the neighbors about her son, the boss, the Director of the meat processing plant. True, her neighbors never saw her vaunted son, they only met at the funeral. The cactus from unwanted memories completely turned sour and became like bitter pepper, the sun has rotted us. Buns.. these buns again… Where does this flavor come from? Only his mother could bake this way. … He leaned out the window, shaking his head left and right, trying to smell where the aroma of delicious, sugar buns came from. The city was still asleep, snoring quietly in its beds. There is no one on the street, only the janitor’s wife sweeps the yard again. Every morning from six to eight, she sweeps the courtyard, as invariably as this old two-story house for as long as he can remember. “Okay,” thought the cactus, it’s time already.!. Then, remembering something, Cactus again leaned out into the open window and yelled at the top of his voice:

_ Hey, down there!!! The street cleaner!! You’re just a fool!! You will never achieve nything and your children are fools, and all are fools!!! _ he screamed and his bitterness gradually passed, becoming like a summer sun. So annoying someone Alisher. Traktorbaevich, nicknamed “Cactus, assigned to him for thorniness by whom he himself does not remember, rejoiced like a little child.. Cactus.. Cactus and that’s all. He’s already used to it and calls out to this nickname, and his name is so melodious, which his mother gave him I almost forgot. Even at work, his name is simply “Cactus.” Briefly, like a shot, and to the point. He wanted to shout something more sharp and insulting to the janitor, but forgot, because he again remembered about buns… Cactus liked to offend people who could not answer him in kind, could not defend themselves, who were silent on all his attacks. They were silent, and he Cactus improved himself at their expense. Humiliating someone, he felt almost like God. So this janitor kept silent She is always silent in a rag, secretly wiping away a tear from resentment, Silent. “Well, shut up, and I’ll go further” – thought Cactus. The cactus was lonely, although rich by local standards: there is a car and an apartment, and a dacha, on which his subordinates are tirelessly busy with, but his wife is not. Do not… and of course they spin, but he himself quickly puts them in place. He doesn’t like it. when someone swings at his freedom and, most importantly, money. And also how he thinks about the expenses that will have to pay for his wife, After all, you need to feed, but probably eats a lot, and buy her dresses and how it is… buy earrings – rings! Otherwise, it will be inconvenient in front of neighbors and bosses to carry her to the sea.. No.. I’d rather be alone, I’ll spend my money myself, but I’d rather collect it for a rainy day. I love to collect them in a three-liter jar, Cactus thought and smiled with relish at his find, and then look at them, crumpled green dollars!! Watch and admire! This is happiness!! Not that your family is children, like there are other resorts. No happiness – these are the same green, crumpled banknotes that I keep under the only thing in the room – under the bed.

Although the cactus was rich, he dressed extremely poorly, wore torn, already completely decayed jeans. he was even proud, he said. that they are always in fashion, showing everyone on their knees. that stick out of huge gaping holes. Without taking off he wore the same ancient shirt, everyone suspected that he definitely did not wash it. So he wore the same thing every day. I didn’t drive my own car either. Shore from the eyes Especially the guys who run around in the yard, Still scratch. Allah forbid. As soon as he thinks about it, Cactus, it immediately becomes bad, Oh, how bad! Every day he walks into his garage, polishes the car with a rag to shine, admires her like a girl, even kisses her, then sighs bitterly as if something is impossible. Brushes away the tear that treacherously came out in his eyes from emotion and pride in himself, and will go on to work on foot. Yes, yes, on foot and not otherwise.. And then suddenly the car breaks down or stops shining like a Christmas tree toy. Allah forbid this to happen! Of course he will go on foot, come out early and walk for an hour in the fresh air to the Akimat. And there a compassionate friend and comrade Vovka is already waiting for him at the akimat on his stunted Zhigelka. Vovka will not leave him in trouble, he will even take off his last shirt if necessary. So Cactus gets to work. And to all and sundry, he always complains, weeps, lamenting: they have offended his dear, there is nothing to eat and nothing to wear, and everything hurts and they got everything. Compassionate people will pity him and give some money, their salary, some food, some worn things, but in good condition. The cactus puts everything in a bag until it cracks at the seams and the disgusting smell of rot from spoiled food and moth-eaten rags goes. And as this smell goes, the Cactus plays the role of a sponsor and in front of the journalists (and this is a prerequisite for his action, so that all newspapers talk about his generosity and kindness) will distribute to orphans from orphanages and elderly lonely people all the junk from his a well-worn bag. Of course, you can’t wear it anymore, let alone eat it, but everyone is silent, because it’s uncomfortable. The man tried, he even cried with zeal, and there were journalists, and they didn’t print in the newspapers. Here is a photograph of orphans and old people standing, and he, Alisher Taktorbaevich, is distributing alms from his “expensive” bag. And everything is so beautiful and correct. “You can’t upset a person,” the old people thought, “you can’t!” And this bag of junk is lying by the garbage can. Only scourges and drunks dig deeper and then, after spitting on this rot, they will be thrown away, deep into the garbage container, so that others are not dragged out by chance and poisoned. And Cactus, that is, Alisher Traktorbaevich, was sitting on his director’s chair, by the way also old and with a huge hole in the back, once a leather chair, sitting like God and rejoicing in the deal, and most importantly PR. This PR will give him a new position, which means money and opportunities to steal. The cactus always liked to say, twisting his black mustache: “Live and let others live” What did it mean to steal and let others steal while there is something”…

One day the Butterfly flew into his lonely house. Butterfly is a graduate student. She was doing her thesis and on economic issues went to him. Cactus offered to help her, but for money. At first she went out all in anger and rage, but then she came back and agreed. Here is another side where you can earn extra money. Therefore, he was so fond of all responsible work. And how not to love her? The girl brought money, and then he invited her to his place, saying: “You won’t come _ not see you work!” Said it suddenly and bluntly! The girl hesitated and came. But not alone but with the police.! And she arranged everything so cleverly that for the first time Cactus felt ashamed of his act. Of course, she did not prove anything, but the red tape was still the same! Cactus had to carry in his car the chiefs of the police and the chiefs of the district department of the plant, and all kinds of inspectors, apparently-invisibly. Another big smile, offering “gifts” – crumpled dollar bills from his three-liter can. He even kept watch at the entrance of a superior boss to offer his services to give him a ride or go to the market or work in the country, or drag sheep carcasses from the meat-packing plant just to hush up this rotten business. Praise be to Allah! It has carried it so far! Not only did he stay in office and did not go to prison, he also got the position. Now he will work in Almaty not as someone, but as a chief engineer. While an engineer, but with such agility as that of Cactus, you can become a president… ugh, that is, become the director of the local meat-packing plant, but for now it’s not bad in engineers!

But now Cactus is afraid of these graduate students like fire and nightmares at night. As if this butterfly brought its butterfly horde and this horde began to gut it, letting the affairs be taken apart on the shelves and in court!! My heart was already bad! Now the heart is naughty from fright! We ought to go to Turkey! Waste again!! Not,. I would have to lie down at home… From this washing Cactus completely wilted and in order to cheer himself up he took from the very bag with which he fed the old people and orphans, dried and fossilized, all covered with green mold, and began to chew it and choke with zeal…

Here’s another graduate student on my head! – thought Cactus and was ready to hide under the table from these graduate students. They all prowl and prowl, they turn everything upside down, and in fact, that’s an infection, stubborn, they don’t take bribes. What a time it has gone!

Woe from Wit

Aigul, a young girl of 28 years old, in a thin silk dress came from the province to Almaty, from Koktobe. Almaty surprised her with its beauty. A provincial, modestly dressed girl in a floor-length dress walked through an unknown city and smiled, looking at the bizarre ornate paintings on the stands, inviting her to visit this or that boutique. She got on the bus that carried her to Sayakhat. The bus was not much unusual in that there was no conductor. People themselves paid for the fare by dropping a coin into an iron box. The drawer was spitting out a small piece of paper with finely minted letters. If you want to pay, you want not to pay. Good! Freedom! The bus started. Aigul sat by the window and looked at the city landscape. High-rise buildings, bright advertising signs, trees, people flew by. The sun was shining brightly, hot in summer, so that in some flower beds the flowers withered, turned yellow, frayed. She rode, thinking about her own. Mom’s legs hurt and needed to find a cure. Phlebeurysm. Her legs were blue with swollen veins and ached. She could not walk. I got tired quickly. Aigul was worried about her, so she went to the polyclinic, and at the same time stopped by her uncle. Uncle was not at home. At work. And in order not to stand until the evening, she decided to wait with a friend. A friend named Janelle has lived in the city for two years and during this time has become terribly urban: a short mini skirt that barely covers, pink wavy hair that falls slightly to the shoulders, purple long nails and she spoke in a lisp, with a strong accent, so it’s not possible listen to the Kazakh speech spoiled beyond recognition. She thought Janelle’s dialect was funny, especially the word “Don’t boldyyyy! Real Kazakhs speak a little differently, but a resident of a megalopolis who has forgotten his native language cannot be explained. Aigul sat by the minibus window and remembered her friend, then worried about her mother again. veins are an unpredictable and terrible disease, At any moment the veins can burst even then.. It’s even scary to think what will happen then. Aigul drove away obsessive fears and forced herself to think about the good. When you think about the good, it will definitely come true. And everything will be fine.! Aigul was sure of this. At that moment she heard a voice from somewhere from above. The voice shouted with all its might and was indignant:

– Why are you sitting?! Can’t you see I’m standing!! Make way! 1 Bastard!

Aigul came to her senses and raised her head. A dandelion granny was standing right above her. “It didn’t work out well, the girl thought. How could I think so?” -And she immediately jumped up, giving way. Granny sat down contentedly and was no longer angry. And Aigul swam further in her thoughts. … In their aul, they are not treated by doctors, but by doctors of various stripes. And no matter how she persuaded her mother to go to the doctor, she did not succeed. There is no doctor in the village. Only in the regional center, and it’s a long way to go there. As many as three hours by bus, which travels once a day to the regional center and back. Here people are treated by doctors. It’s good if the healer is from God, and there are charlatans. Aigul was afraid of them and did not trust them. Treat differently. Better, of course, surami from the Koran, but it happens to be urine, applying it to all the places where it pleases, And assures that he will definitely help, scolding if it still does not help. took, people themselves put “sadaqa” on the table, thanks to God. Everyone went to her and my mother went. K. immediately diagnosed “Damage”, “A terrible damage that you can die” and added that only urine should be treated. Aigul did not understand: how is it with urine, if spoilage is gins, and they should be driven out of the Koran by suras. She already knew something in the Koran and even learned to read from the local mulda. Aigul was about to give a hint about this, but immediately from all sides they began to hiss menacingly at her so that she would immediately be silent. And Aigul became quiet. In the aul, the elders are not opposed, and it is not good to disobey the elders. Oh, how not good! Mom diligently applied bandages soaked in urine. First it was necessary to boil this very urine, and then apply it.

When you cook it, there is a persistent disgusting thick green smog. It smelled very hard. Even dad began to swear, unable to endure these torments. The younger sisters – the 10-year-olds laughed. They found it funny to the point of colic. And unable to bear, so as not to laugh and thereby offend their mother, they went to their room or to the street and laughed. And Aigul cooked it all on the orders of her mother and put it on her sore spot.. If it helped, but alas. The sores on my legs became even more, blisters appeared and the terrible itching only intensified. Therefore, Aigul did not forgive herself for not being able to convince her mother to go to the clinic, and she was also making this brew. Horror!! After suffering for a week, my mother stopped these procedures herself under the unabated anger of the treating woman: “Why did you remove the bandages?! I had to continue applying!” “Probably, I should have completely lost my legs, then it would have been right in her opinion,” she was perplexed and angry at the treating girl. So she came to the city for medicine for her mother. A beautiful city with many opportunities for young people attracted and called to stay Aigul. And no matter how he beckoned to him, Aigul could not. She could not leave her sick mother, and there is nowhere to live here. Uncle is cramped. Seven huddled in odnushka, Where else is she! So for a day you can, and then home. And it’s not convenient somehow, it’s not good to embarrass people. Aigul did not like to visit guests. Homebody.

Then the bus stopped and a dark gypsy woman entered, in a shabby, well-worn dress of an incomprehensible gray-brown-crimson color. In a pitiful voice, she began begging for alms:

– Help, please!! – she lamented, looking straight into the eyes of passers-by – mom is dying, dad is dead, there are seven of us. there is nothing. Give who can. – holding out her palm, she belittles.

Aigul submitted 150 tenge. She could not look calmly at people asking for help. She herself came out of poverty. Traded in bread from a bakery. One tenge from the sold-her. I managed to earn 300 tenge per day. There is no work in the village. Everyone can get out. Therefore, she cannot look at poor people without pity and sympathy. Nevertheless, the gypsy, having collected a “pitch”, left, got off at the next stop and headed to the next bus with the same request. “The city is expensive. It is difficult to live here,” thought Aigul understandingly. She tried to understand the person before judging. At the next stop she got off. Janelle lived in a five-story luxury building with an intercom. You should have said into the intercom and only then they will open it to you. Aigul tried again, but again there was no answer. “Probably gone,” thought Aigul and was about to leave when a cool black foreign car drove into the yard and Janelle fluttered out of it like a butterfly with pink hair and bright makeup.

Well, hello! – stretching out her hand says Janelle – How long have you been standing? Get in the car. I’ll buy you some tea. There is a pretty cafe here not far.

Aigul sat down. In the city, people do not cook for themselves, go to cafes of national cuisine and eat there. Saving on food, they buy expensive things from the cu turier and go on vacation to the sea in Europe and Turkey. Janelle did that too. She ate in tiny portions in a dessert plate and was always hungry, For Aigul it seemed wild. Why go hungry and are afraid of fainting when you can eat normally, even if not in new clothes? Why expensive diamonds when you are about to faint, because your head is very dizzy with hunger? Aigul did not understand this, but was silent so as not to offend her friend. They went to the Cafe. On the way, as usual, they chatted about nothing, laughed and joked. The roadside cafe was on the corner, at the intersection of two streets. The cafe was surrounded by greenery, there was a fountain in the courtyard, and the children of neighboring houses were bathing in it. Janelle They sat down at the table. Everyone here knew her well and every now and then she answered greetings or was the first to say hello herself. Waiter, boy 20 years old. came up extremely quickly. After ordering food and almost not touching it, when it was already brought and it was possible to start the meal, Janelle gave out:

– I just want to tell you about the new fashion. No, this is not an advertisement. I’ve been doing this myself for almost a year and a half. Business is very convenient in that you do not need any expenses. All work on the internet. -And right there, not allowing to figure out what’s what, she thrust some pieces of paper into Aigula. They needed to be printed in several samples and sent out over the Internet. Income from how much you distribute. And the more mailings, the higher the income. Can. of course to hand out, but on the Internet it is faster and there will be more clients.

– We have no Internet in the village – said Aigul

– Nothing, so give it out – Janelle did not give up

– To whom? – asked Aigul- No one has money. And they don’t eat these pieces of paper. Inedible.

– Oh, come on, forget … – said and immediately began again, but in a different way- That’s why I quickly got rich and my personal life began to improve, tell me, eh? Are you silent? You do not know? And I’ll tell you, you need to lose your mind!

Aigul choked on a piece of bread:

“This is a joke, isn’t it?” She asked naively, hoping it was a joke after all.

– Village!! – a little angry girlfriend – No. This is not a joke, but reality! So I studied well, graduated from college with honors, I have a job, but no personal life, that’s all! And I am beautiful and tender, and the suitors do not look. But life goes on, I’m not getting younger. Before you have time to look back, life will fly by. I want to live beautifully, richly! And there is no money, there is no rich groom either, but there are a lot of problems. I will soon turn 30, and not married and no life. As if someone had stolen her life. I’m standing at a bus stop, waiting for a minibus, and then a boy so handsome with blue eyes, tall that your uncle Akhmet, runs up and shoves me a brochure. At first I thought I wanted to steal something, raised a cry, and he shoves it at me and smiles such a carefree smile that I felt jealous. I came home and began to read. It turns out one scientist said to the whole world. that the mind brings only sorrow. They say that for the happiness of the mind is not necessary at all. Here, says the children are happy why? Because they don’t think about anything, they rejoice at this day, this sun, wind, even flies and mosquitoes. Memory is the mind, and from it all the troubles. So I decided to become happy as a child. Professor M has a clinic here. He came here from America. I looked: all the people here are evil. I got upset and decided to make the people of Kazakhstan happy, that means to help, and opened the clinic. Yes, she’s right there. in a neighboring house on the ground floor. The procedure for erasing memory is not expensive – 29 thousand tenge. Don’t worry, I will pay for you for the first three sessions, and then you yourself. You will see, all sorts of thoughts will disappear, life will become easier, boyfriends will appear. I’ve probably not, I’ve even lost count of them. “Janelle taught her stupid friend to reason.

then the phone rang, did she pick it up?

– Hello! -Said Janel_ Who are you?

– But how who? – shouted in the tube – your neighbor! You have completely flooded me! It flows strongly from the ceiling, the ariston burned out, the wiring is jammed..

_ What Neighbor? – asked Janelle_ I have no acquaintance named Neighbor. very sorry, but I don’t know you. Excuse me. -Nothing understanding says Janelle

The pipe swore and died out.

– Some strange, says Janelle and rushed to carry on to carry some kind of nonsense. Aigul did not listen to her. She was shocked and did not believe what was happening. It seemed to her that she was being played. That this is such a joke. And she smiled. But

then Janelle grabbed her hand and rushed to the exit:

– I will now show you everything, she chirped hastily, holding her friend tighter and fearing that she would slip away inadvertently. She grabbed so hard that her hand was numb and her fingerprints were blue. Five minutes later they entered the private office of a professor named M. Here he was consulting and doing hypnosis. Under the influence of hypnosis, a person partially lost his memory, and with it his mind. The queue was not long, only ten people. In the aul, the queue for bread is much longer at times, since there is one store for the entire aul. In the office of Professor M. you had to register and make an appointment. Then they will appoint a time and by this time you will enter. Not earlier, not later. If you are late, you will not come at all. Therefore, people were worried, often asked the time again and were in a hurry, they were not even angry a lot. Who came here for the third time. someone for a week. Those who have been in nirvana for a week, in paradise. Sometimes with stupid faces, as if falling from the moon onto a sinful earth, they did not understand what was happening and cried like little children. But moms weren’t around. And the “children” were crying louder. calling your mom. It was funny and disgusting to watch.. Janelle was busy in the reception, asking something, answering the secretary’s question, and calling somewhere. Aigul, left to herself, was left unattended. They forgot about her. She whispered in Janelle’s ear that she wanted to go to the toilet and, having received an approving nod, immediately rushed to the exit.