Татьяна Викентьева – "STOLEN IMMORTALITY" (страница 2)

Sasha burst into tears. But he didn't give up the toy, instead clutching it even tighter. Antonina Yegorovna ran to her son and began to calm him down and persuade him to give the toy to the saleswoman. This unpleasant scene lasted for several minutes. The boy's mother tried in vain to persuade him to move away from his beloved toy. Sasha became increasingly capricious, crying and screaming, clutching the car tightly in his hands. The saleswoman scolded Antonina Yegorovna and tried to take the toy Mercedes from the boy.

At this time, a young married couple approached with their son, who was the same age as Sasha.

An intelligent man of Jewish appearance in an expensive suit asked:

-What's going on here?

The saleswoman walked away from the boy and said, pointing at Sasha and his mother:

- Look! They came to buy a car. But they have nothing to pay with. Scammers!

"That's not true!" Antonina Yegorovna began to justify herself with tears in her eyes. "I have money. But my boy chose too expensive a car."

"Who's going to believe you?" the saleswoman screamed, looking angrily at the provincial girl. "Look at yourself! You're a beggar! A ragamuffin! You can't even buy yourself a decent dress, let alone a toy for your child!"

These words made Antonina Yegorovna even more upset and, barely holding back her sobs, she said:

-Oh, I...You see...I earn very little...

"She doesn't earn enough! She found an excuse!" the saleswoman, filled with hatred for the provincial girl, grew even more furious. "Stop lying! It's obvious you don't work at all! You make a living stealing! So you came here to steal a toy!"

"No! No! How could you even think that? I'm not a thief!" Antonina Yegorovna cried out in despair and burst into tears.

-And who are you? A thief, indeed! And your son is a thief too! That's why he won't even give up the toy! But I'll find a way to deal with you! I'll go and call the police right now!

-What are you talking about? Why call the police? We haven't done anything wrong!

-You're lying! You wanted to steal the toy! Your son still hasn't given it back!

"He'll give it back. Please, don't call the police! We have to go back to our village. Here! We have train tickets." Antonina Yegorovna, with a trembling hand, took the tickets out of her pocket and began to show them to the saleswoman. However, she didn't even look at them.

- I don't care about your tickets! You wanted to steal a toy and you'll pay for it! I'll call the police now and let them deal with you! - Having said this, the saleswoman approached the married couple and turned to the man. - Please, keep an eye on this woman! - She pointed at the provincial girl. - So that she doesn't run away while I call the police. She's a thief! And the police should deal with her.

The man didn't answer. The saleswoman turned abruptly and went to call the police. Antonina Yegorovna began to sob even harder and shouted after the saleswoman:

-Wait! Wait! Don't call the police! Please! I beg you!

Then, in shock and great confusion, the woman ran up to the couple and began to speak nervously:

-Listen! I'm not a thief! I'm an honest woman! Please, help me and my son! Let us go! We have to go to our village. Here, we have train tickets! - Antonina Yegorovna began to show them with shaking hands. - Don't hand us over to the police! I beg you! We haven't done anything wrong!

Without waiting for a response from the married couple, Antonina Yegorovna, in a fit of madness, ran up to her son and shouted:

- Sasha! Son! Let's get out of here quickly! Run before the police arrive!

A frightened Sasha, finally abandoning the toy, was about to flee with his mother. But Antonina Yegorovna suddenly swayed, clutched her heart, and, managing only to exclaim, "Oh, how sick I feel!", fell to the floor and lost consciousness.

The boy began to cry loudly, leaned over his mother and began to call her:

-Mom! Mommy! What's wrong with you, Mommy? Get up!.. I don't need their car! I only need you! Mommy, get up!

A young married couple ran up to Antonina Yegorovna. The man shouted at the top of his lungs, "What's wrong?"

- Hey, shop assistants! Don't call the police! Call an ambulance! The woman is sick!

Within a minute, a large crowd had gathered. Mostly, they were shoppers who happened to be nearby and heard the child's screams and cries. But there were also a few salespeople who had come from other departments out of curiosity.

Everyone gathered looked with interest at the unconscious Antonina Yegorovna and heatedly debated whether she would survive. Meanwhile, Sasha continued to cry, sitting on the floor next to his mother, looking at the strangers with a haunted expression.

The ambulance arrived only twenty minutes later. After examining Antonina Yegorovna, the doctors gave her an injection, then placed her on a stretcher and told her they were taking her to the hospital.

Sasha wanted to go with his mother. But the doctors wouldn't allow it, explaining it wasn't allowed. So the boy was left alone. He stood in the middle of the store and cried. Only after Antonina Yegorovna was taken away did someone remember the boy and say:

-What will happen to the boy now? Where should we place him?

Other voices were immediately heard:

-We can place him in an orphanage.

-Yes. He will live there until his mother recovers.

-Is it possible to place the boy in an orphanage?

-Well, why go to an orphanage? A boarding school would be better!

While the strangers were arguing over where to place the boy, a young married couple who had been present during the unpleasant incident with the saleswoman approached Sasha. The man said to Sasha:

- Boy! We can take you in. You can stay with us while your mother is in the hospital. Well, how about it? You don't mind?

Sasha didn't answer. He just looked at the man with fear. Then the man's wife, a fragile and very beautiful woman, turned to Sasha:

- Boy! Don't be afraid! We only wish you the best! We have a son just like you. There he is! Look! - She pointed to a boy standing a little further away. - His name is Yasha. You will meet him and become friends. You will play together. We have lots of toys at home. Well, how about it? Would you like to stay with us until your mother gets better?

Sasha looked at the beautiful woman, then at her son Yasha and quietly answered:

-Yes.

Alexander's reminiscences were interrupted by a sharp ringing sound, like a dog's drawn-out bark. It was his cell phone.

The man took his phone out of his briefcase and looked at the number that had appeared. He realized it was his agent, Arthur, calling. He said firmly into the receiver:

- Hello, Arthur!.. No. I'm not in the office yet. I'll be there in ten minutes. I'm walking down the street now. I decided to take a walk, get some fresh air... No, I don't think this walk is dangerous. You know that I'm in a new body. No one will recognize me in Moscow... Yes, I'll make it. What time is the Arab sheikh supposed to arrive?.. I see. Everything is fine. I'll make it. Better tell me, did you warn him that everything must be kept in strict confidence?.. Well, great! Will he be with an interpreter?.. Good. Is he also aware of the confidentiality of the deal?.. Well, look! I'm counting on you! If anything happens, you know yourself, I'll find you anywhere!.. Of course, it's not in your interests to betray me. I pay you well, after all. And besides, with me, you are guaranteed immortality!.. Well, okay. Enough about that. I believe you. For now I believe you. Your part of the job is done. I'll do the rest myself... What? How about the money? Today I'll transfer the amount we agreed on to your account... Yes, rest assured. And wait for the next contact. I'll contact you myself. Bye!

Alexander hung up and sighed heavily. It was difficult to return to reality from the world of memories. It felt like his heart was aching. But he knew it was only his imagination. His heart couldn't hurt. After all, it was someone else's. Like the entire body Alexander now occupied. It was his soul that was aching. His soul! Aching and aching from the tormenting memory he had immersed himself in.

Alexander knew that by reliving the past, he became vulnerable, despite his immortality. That's why he was so afraid of these memories and desperately wanted to forget the past forever. But it didn't work. Not yet.

Ten minutes later, Alexander was already in his office. He was met by his secretary, a slender and beautiful woman he had hired a month ago.

"Hello, Alexander Ivanovich! I've already made you some coffee!" the secretary chirped, looking tenderly into her boss's eyes.

“Hello, Lenochka!” Alexander answered and went into his office.

Before closing the door behind him, the man turned and stared at the girl. Beautiful! Very beautiful! A seductive figure and long dark hair. His favorite type of woman. He had chosen his secretary based on this type. He wanted her to remind him of Victoria, the girl he had madly loved his entire life. And so it turned out. Outwardly, Lenochka was similar to Victoria. But inside... That's where there was a huge difference between them! Lenochka was limited and primitive, like most women. The limit of her dreams was a rich husband and a happy family life. And Victoria... Oh, Victoria! She was so smart and so intellectual! She thought so deeply and so broadly! Great things could be accomplished with her! Ah, if only Victoria were by his side now!