Аннотация: A disappearance of Fyodor Riplich, resident of Babruysk. A story.
A disappearance of Fyodor Riplich, resident of Babruysk. A story.
Fyodor Riplich worked as a press secretary for one of the chief officials in the city of Babruysk (Belarus).
When the VI All-Belarusian People's Assembly came closer, one of the candidates fell ill with coronavirus, the next senior officials nominated for the substitution complained of a headache, explained that they needed to take their wife to the clinic, etc.
As a result, unexpectedly, the Fyodor's lucky moment came, and he, as part of the local delegation, went to the VI All-Belarusian People's Assembly.
In principle, he was not against this trip. Of course, they able to includ him after the meeting in different lists, but he will publish a number of journalistic works from which his real beliefs will be visible.
The hall where the meeting was held amazed Fyodor with its splendor and with a specially selected colors for lighting.
Fyodor took out his smartphone and prepared to do written notes and to record audio.
He looked at the news.
Ann Delby, the fake heiress of a millionaire from Europe, but in fact the daughter of an immigrant from the former USSR, has been released on parole from an American prison.
She allegedly deceived many respected people in the United States. She pretended to be a wealthy heiress. She fished out more than two hundred thousand dollars from those around her! She intended to take a large loan from the bank! She encouraged others to pay her expenses!
Fyodor enthusiastically read materials about Ann Delby. It's not bad! You pretend to be someone and you get good money!
An expressive face with dilated pupils looked at Fyodor from the photographs.
Riplich's attention was caught by the publication of refutation. Someone issued the news that Ann Delby had changed her marital status while in prison. However, Ann's lawyer denied the information about the wedding.
This was incomprehensible to Fyodor.
Why didn't Ann Delby change her marital status? Maybe she is not a such person, as whom she announces herself?
Fyodor looked up from his smartphone and looked at the stage. A man was speaking on the podium. He said: "I am grateful that they understand who is the boss in the house."
Fyodor immediately found clarifying information in the news. 'On February 11, 2021, at the VNS, Alexander Lukashenko said that he had recently received a letter from the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, where he was named 'the President of the Republic of Belarus, His Excellency'. 'They write one thing, but the West welcomes others. They could write to the ex-president, the former president or the Belarusian people. Nevertheless, I am grateful that they understand who is the boss in the house. "
Fyodor turned his gaze to the stage.
He peered into the speaker's face and matched what he saw with Ann Delby's photographs.
An unexpected guess struck him. Riplich even dropped his smartphone to the floor. He had to raise his smartphone under the detrimental gaze of the head of the local delegation and under the indignant hiss of others delegates.
He looked at the stage again. It can't be! So that's why she (that is, he) didn't get married!
Fyodor sat numbly in an armchair. The terrible truth temporarily deprived Riplich of the ability to move - a truth that he did not dare to share with anyone!
There is not enough air!
Not paying attention to the gaze of the head of the local delegation, and to the indignant, cautious sounds of those around him, Riplich headed outside, into the fresh air.
Let there be frost, snowdrifts and a blizzard at a street! He, Fyodor, will refresh himself. He will breathe fresh air and he will come back ...
Some of the members of the delegation later recalled that after Fyodor, several transparent shadows slipped out of the hall ...
Nobody ever saw Fyodor again.
His warm jacket hung in the cloakroom for a long time, and then disappeared somewhere.
It was officially announced to the members of the local delegation that Riplich had suddenly gone abroad for unknown reasons. However, the border departments did not confirm the fact of Riplich crossing the border.
Instead of Riplich, a new person was hired for the post of press secretary, and few people now remember Riplich.
Sometimes the next reader of the Babruysk city library takes Edgar Allan Poe's stories for reading. While reading a book, such a reader suddenly stops, lifts his head from the text and looks somewhere up. At this moment, the library employee realizes that next reader remembered, once more, the mysteriously disappeared Babruysk resident Fyodor Riplich ...
February 13, 2021 21:25
Translation from Russian into English: February 13, 2021 22:17.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Исчезновение бобруйчанина Фёдора Риплича. Рассказ'.