Аннотация: The Short Story how Vanya Zhukov wrote the essay about the bountiful Latin American señor
The Short Story how Vanya Zhukov wrote the essay about the bountiful Latin American señor
Alex drank a cup of coffee. It was time to leave for the electricity facility - in accordance with the approved plan.
The phone rang. Alex recognized the voice of comrade Friend.
- 'Hello, Alex! How are things going in the new field?'
- 'Thanks, comrade Friend! Now I go to the electricity facility in accordance with the plan. I will create an information occasion.'
- 'The comrade Vice-Friend will come into your office-room in this moment.'
Alex looked at a door. The door opened. The vigorous, cheerful, well dressed person reminding the comrade Friend came into an office-room. Alex got up from a chair.
Comrade Vice-Friend smiled kindly at Alex, took the phone from him and said into the phone:
- 'I'm here!'
- 'Good!' - the comrade Friend's voice was heard from a tube.
Comrade Vice-Friend returned a tube to Alex.
Alex heard:
- 'I'm busy. And by phone you will not explain everything. You have an important emergency. Comrade Vice-Friend will explain. Listen him carefully and act.'
The Vice-Friend and Alex continued the conversation in the posh car of the Vice-Friend.
- "I will explain to you clear," - said the Vice-Friend. - "You was delivering pizza".
Alex nodded his head in confirmation.
- 'You have to bring pizza to the client, for example, to 12 o'clock in the afternoon. But you brought several minutes later. Not before, but later. How do you behave?'
- 'I try to behave so that the customer acted magnanimously, and did not attach importance to being late for a few minutes.'
- 'You delivered pizza. The customer of pizza paid. Right?'
- 'Yeah.'
- 'Now listen carefully as much as possible. Let's say you come to the customer, but without pizza. You are increasing your skills and efforts tenfold. You do not give the customer any pizza, but the customer acts magnanimously and pays the money. Understood!?'
- "I see," - Alex said, a little bewildered.
- "Excellent," - said the Vice-Friend. He looked at Alex. Alex looked well - in a new suit, recently visited a hairdresser, had a rest in the office-room, drank a cup of coffee (even two - if you count first cup "for acquaintance").
The car pulled up to the plane. The crew of the aircraft lined up near the door to the cabin.
The Vice-Friend and Alex greeted the crew, and the Vice-Friend led Alex to the salon.
- 'You, Alex, are flying to a big Euro-Asian country. Use all your skills. We need money and equipment. The revolution is going through a difficult time. But the revolution is counting on you. Use all your skills and abilities. Begin to act.'
- 'Long live the revolution!' - Alex said with a honor.
- 'What's your financial situation?' - the Vice-Friend asked.
- "I haven't spent anything yet," - Alex admitted honestly.
- 'I see you're an honest guy! But during the visit, you may need money, albeit relatively small.'
Comrade Vice-Friend handed Alex another thick package of currency.
The Vice-Friend and Alex said goodbye. The turbines started to work.
The flight began.
In salon there was all necessary for life. Stewardesses were carrying enough drinks and food.
Alex arrived at his destination the rested and in a good mood.
Just in case, he checked all the pockets - in trousers and jacket. All pockets were ready to use.
Alex, remembering an experience of delivery of pizza on streets of the uneasy city, spread out the received currency on different pockets.
Some time later, after an official meeting at the airport, he was sitting in the office of a famous diplomat.
Both Alex and the diplomat knew English to some extent, so they understood each other well.
The diplomat after greetings and exchange of courtesies put on the eye-glasses and read telegrams which the parties exchanged prior to a visit.
In telegrams there was a speech about receiving by the country, which was represented by Alex, considerable sums of money and some equipment.
The diplomat attentively looked at Alex through the eye-glasses.
There was a pause.
Alex was silent too.
"Probably, the moment came to show skills of courtesy and to ask money and the equipment", - Alex thought.
When Alex was already ready to start talking, the diplomat asked an unexpected question:
- 'The money are?'
Alex got into a pocket, got a pack of currency from there and put money for a table a little sideways from the famous diplomat.
The diplomat reached for a glass with water. The table box spontaneously opened. An elbow the diplomat accidentally brushed away money in a desk drawer.
Nutritionists advise to drink water slowly. The diplomat was drinking water and was looking at Alex.
Alex took the money out of another pocket and also put money in front of the diplomat.
The diplomat put the glass back. The previous situation was repeated again. The desk drawer opened, the money passed into the drawer.
The diplomat adjusted his eye-glasses, looking thoughtfully at Alex. Alex took the money out of his third pocket. The third portion was also in the drawer.
A kind of positive emotion appeared on the diplomat's face.
He enthusiastically told Alex:
- 'Of course, we are ready to cooperate. But we don't like to waste time on trifles. Large-scale cooperation will begin when your party will become a participant in major infrastructure and energy projects. We are not used to trifles...'
It was an unexpected turn of the conversation, and Alex was silent.
- 'Do not worry, you will go about the own business.' 'There it is too cold... '- foggy the diplomat explained ...
- 'It is clear, that you have no money. These questions are thought over. There are credit schemes and algorithms of support." "The situation in terms of the sums, their distributions, terms looks as follows,' - the diplomat gave Alex a sheet of paper and explained further:
- 'Years and, - opposite to every year, - the sums are printed. These are that clean (after all costs and expenses) money which will come to you annually. At the very bottom - for clarity - that sum which to you, for you into the local bank will arrive today, in an hour.'
The figures looked more than good.
"This money is necessary to revolution!" - Alex thought. He kindly nodded the head, but took a pencil and on the contrary the figures drew the big curly brace. And opposite to a bend of the curly brace he put the sign of multiplication and the digit of "3".
The diplomat kindly looked at the Alex's drawing and crossed out the figure "3", and instead put "1.33".
- 'We are forced to agree though these conditions and are not really favorable to us,' - Alex said. - 'The situation forces to agree.'
The diplomat spoke several instructions into the microphone, and in a couple of minutes on a table in front of the diplomat a copies of contract were. Alex and the diplomat appended signatures, exchanged the copies and shook hands each other.
- 'You will reach "your team", and money by this time will come,' - the diplomat kindly explained a situation.
- 'Fine!' - Alex responded.
- 'It would be good to give our common plans a good coverage in the media. Public relations is important!' - the diplomat spoke. He took a few steps around the room.
He was at the window. On the street he saw Vanya Zhukov walking on some errand.
- 'This young man has experience! He will write an article about our common concerns, present our relationship for the the public, and at the same time he will be useful during the visit for small assignments.'
After a few minutes Vanya was standing in one of the rooms opposite of a diplomat.
- 'I found, the young man, the application for your literary talents and, at the same time, an opportunity to gain to you a new life experience. You, seem, are restoring your identity card of a member of the writers' Union? A guest from a Latin American country came on. An important visit! He needs someone for small assignments. Also an article about usefulness of his visit will be a good event.'
The diplomat paused.
- 'Ill luck!" "It is necessary to buy for our guest, in the sign of courtesy, a box of the Cuban cigars, but I left money at home... '
The diplomat looked at Vanya:
- 'The money are?'
Vanya in embarrassment shook the head, showing that he has no money.
- 'Nothing, you will have a debt. Later you will pay ...'
In a few minutes Alex and Vanya in the excellent car moved on city streets. They spoke English. The Vanya's recent visit abroad gave the results. Alex seized English a little owing to need. Earlier a many customers of pizza spoke English.
Through the window, Alex saw a local restaurant and an advertisement for a local dish. People came out of the restaurant with cardboard bags.
- 'What is it?' - Alex asked.
- 'A blini (pancakes).'
Alex gave the command to stop. From one of the pockets he pulled out some banknotes and asked Vanya to buy blini:
- 'Buy more. To me and to you.'
Thus Vanya could eat, this day. "A good guest!" Vanya delivered the blini. The guest showed the gesture that Vanya can left the rested money to himself. It was enormous good luck. Probably, there was a real prospect to eat before going to bed.
Facing one of traffic lights Vanya saw illuminated signs on an enormous billboard. "Problems of the Latin American country: oil, freedom, subway..." - Vanya read the title of the book.
The guest became interested: "What for a book?"
- 'They sell...' - Vanya explain, showing towards a little shop of Soyuzpechat.
Alex gave money again. Vanya bought one copy of the book for the guest, another - for himself. The rested money again with the permission of the guest remained with Vanya.
- 'Interestingly ...' - the guest said, looking at the book.
- 'About the country in Latin America,' - Vanya explained. - 'I wrote such books too. The manuscript has to come to the airport. Accidentally the manuscript was delayed in the place of a departure.'
Alex with mistrust looked at Vanya.
Vanya felt mistrust and took an offense. He got into a pocket and pulled out an envelope with photos.
- 'Look!'
Alex was speechless. He was going through the photos and couldn't say a word.
Except photos in which Vanya in a beautiful suit (as at a ceremony of delivery of the Nobel Prize) was photographed with the important persons, there was one photo taken somewhere on the city street.
On a background Alex saw the young man - the delivery guy of pizza... There was nothing to say. Photos really were genuine.
The car just approached the official building.
Alex was met by several officials from his country. All of them knew that he is recently appointed Minister of Energy and that he successfully completed an hour ago important official negotiations. The money which arrived (at their disposal) to one of local banks was confirmation of success of negotiations. According to instructions, Alex was handed a small suitcase.
Official actions were coming. Vanya in the clothes and slippers from a camouflage fabric was not suitable for these actions.
Alex once again looked at the photos stored at Vanya after the foreign trip.
- 'You really wrote the book about our revolution?'
- 'About your country...' - Vanya answered a little vaguely. - 'More precisely, two books. Now I have a task - to write a text about the usefulness of your visit.'
Existence of a full small suitcase allowed Alex easier to expend a money. Alex remembered the words, that the revolution waits from him for the actions.
He took a currency pack out of the another pocket:
- 'We have official events ahead of us. You for writing the article needs to understand the situation. Buy a suit and suitable shoes. Go to the beauty salon. I'll see you in two hours.'
For two hours, Vanya managed to do everything - even to fulfill the assignment on which he went before meeting with the great diplomat.
Next day the well lunched Vanya brought to the diplomat the text about the Alex's visit.
The diplomat initially did not recognize Vanya. He discontentedly sat down in a chair, quickly glanced the text prepared by Vanya, and informed Vanya:
- 'This work repeats almost word for word those three articles which more vigorous journalists managed to write earlier than you.'
The diplomat pointed to some folders lying on the edge of his desk.
- 'Nevertheless, I remember about your problem concerning restoration of the identity card of the member of writer's Association. I will support... Yeah, I forgot at home again the money to buy a box of Havana cigars ...'.
Vanya took out the two in advance prepared bills from one of pockets. The other banknotes in other pocket wasn't necessary.
The diplomat looked in the text prepared by Vanya:
- 'A couple of words, maybe, will be useful for the concluding variant.'
The Vanya's two banknotes imperceptibly passed into the desk drawer of the diplomat.
Vanya went from the diplomat in good mood: "A provident person!" "He charged a writing of articles to several journalists at once!" "My text is useful, too. Though I was not the most vigorous". "And what business contacts he has! They have a lot of money!" "Only that money which I received from the bountiful Latin American señor will be enough for me to pay out all those credits and debts which at me arose on the way to a title of the modern Russian writer!" "The excellent man!"
Vanya, without wasting time, went to credit institutions for repayment of debts.
"After all not in vain the article about Pushkin got to me!" "Literature is a favorable business!".
April 4, 2019 21:26
Translation from Russian into English: April 5, 2019 09:54.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Рассказ о том, как Ваня Жуков написал эссе о щедром латиноамериканском сеньоре'.