with some annoying information that would become irrelevant by the next day. But what was most disturbing was how the principal, finding free ears, shared her impressions after the faculty meeting. “I’m dragging work not only to my house, but also to the café where I’m currently enjoying pizza with my daughter. Why? Why can’t I refuse to talk and, referring to family circumstances, say goodbye to her? Why do I, as a slave, have to listen to her bullshit and waste my private time on it?” – These questions were keeping Robert in suspense.
After 15 minutes, the dialogue stopped, the pizza was already cold. My daughter was indifferently was on the phone and playing. Robert was confused and, looking at Alice and the pizza, gathered his thoughts: “What was that? And most importantly, why?” The already disgusting mood got even worse. Like an arrow, the thought pierced him that they had sat too long. It was getting late, and he had to go home. And there is waiting, apparently, a scandal, and Robert, although he didn’t want such a development, but was mentally prepared for it. He was used to it.
In the cafe, as bad luck, there was not a single waiter, although it was time to get ready and pay for the half-eaten and cold dinner. The bar desk, behind which was looming the head of either a barman or a waiter, was far away, and there was neither the strength nor the desire to shout and call him to the table.
– Я сейчас оплачу пиццу, и поедем домой, солнышко, – сказал Андрей, вставая из-за стола
– Hmm, – Alice mumbled and yawned.
He quickly made his way to the cash register, where there was a woman reading something.
– Can I pay for dinner? We were sitting over there, at the table, where the girl is.
– Okay, one minute, – said the waitress, pushing a button on her tablet. – By card or cash?
– Robert, hey! – A loud and resounding satisfied voice sounded from the back of my head. Robert turned around and saw George. It was a friend, or more exactly, a drinking companion of Robert, who supported him at the most difficult moments of his life. It’s a small world! Robert clearly didn’t expect to see his friend in such a nice place.
– Hello, – Robert smiled, trying to imitate at least a little cheerfulness on his face. But he knew that he could never hide anything from George. – What brings you here?
– Same question, – the guy smiled, as he always did, nervously going through something in his hands. This time it was a small notebook with a matte cover. – I just stopped by to grab some pizza, I’m going to work the night shift, and this is the closest cafe. Mmm… By the way, why are you and your daughter here so late on a weekday? Are you on vacation?
George glimpsed the girl sitting at the table, and looked intently at Robert. He, as always, incredibly quickly put all the facts together and immediately gave out:
– It wiped you out? – George’s eyes light up with pleasure, mixed with barely perceptible bitterness. – What is it this time?
– Yes, as always… At work overload after the fall break, things to do, as usual, the wife with her complaints … Come on, I don’t want to… I don’t want to whine.
– Well… – George missed a strong word, – Come on. I’ve known you for years. You can talk about whatever’s on your mind. Besides, we don’t see each other that often lately. Although I can see… I can’t talk now, Alice is almost asleep there.
Both turned to the table. And really, the girl was sitting with her arms around her backpack, smacking her lips, blinking her eyes sleepily.
– Yes, – Robert stretched out, – it’s time, the beginning of ten on the clock.
– Well, good luck to you guys, – said George, but suddenly he stopped himself and took out a blue card. – Here, take it.
– Hmm?
– It’s rare to meet people like that in our town. And I was lucky enough to get a couple of seats for a group session. They’ll be going on until the end of the month, – my friend twinkled and smiled again. Quite encouraging this time.
Robert held up a business card. Hard blue paper, various contacts, and large letters were written: “JESSICA HIGHLANDER – psychotherapist, motivational psychologist”.
There was an impatient exclamation:
– Have you ever heard about Jessica Highlander? A fat cat. In our city for only a month. She was born here, studied here, and now, as they say, we were lucky to see her.
George lifted his eyes up dreamily, and then looked intently into Robert’s eyes.
– Well… I don’t think I’m one of those.
– Which one? Don’t make it up, and don’t even dare disagree, – George smiled. – It’s all prejudice. Therapy, and innovative ones at that, are needed not by those who have mental problems, but by those who want to change their lives, to look at problems from a different angle.
– Already you talked as a psychologist, – Robert also smiled, but didn’t return the business card, and clutched it tighter in his hand and together with the credit card and the check slipped it into his wallet. – Well, maybe I’ll have a look at her.
He patted George on the shoulder and got up from his chair.
– Well, good luck on your work shift, and say hello to Sam. I’ll call you later.
– And don’t disappear, because I know you’ll get caught up in all these meetings, gatherings, appointments. It was like a business center, not a school…
Soon Robert and Alice were back in the warm interior of the car. Alice was silent and, to all appearances, very sleepy. They were driving home. It was fifteen to ten on the clock. Robert turned off the engine and stopped the car near the entrance of a five-story apartment building. The cozy courtyard, once green, now looked as gray and unsightly as everything else in this, though located in the resort foothills, but still a small and backwater town.
Apsheronsk… He didn’t choose this town by chance immediately after graduating from university in Moscow. Once upon a time long ago, as a schoolboy, he visited this town, rested in a comfortable sanatorium with mineral springs in the summer. The memories have remained very warm. And so, as soon as they began to actively promote programs for the development of education in small settlements, it was Apsheronsk that came to his mind as one of the enthusiasts. Then everything somehow worked out by itself. Looked through the vacancies, they were, of course. I signed all the documents, in spite of my mother’s protests, packed his bags and left to meet his professional dream. Everything started out so well. And he met Mary eight years ago. Now a family, a daughter, a cozy two-room apartment…
But my thoughts were not cheerful, but increasingly sad, and even angry. Because from the work Robert ceased to expect what he once strived for. The bureaucratic machine of education, luring him with the ideal of saving children under the slogan “Who else but me?”, in many ways had disappointed him and gradually began to break and change his mindset. Now he didn’t understand as clearly as before why he was here and what he was wasting his precious time for. Eight years had been devoted to education, but it was useless. The annoying thoughts he had had over the years remained thoughts without any action to change his life for the better. Robert, however, still had a path he had once elected, which was no longer a source of enthusiasm. And now the road was leading him to home, to his wife, and to a logical scandal. “I wish my mother-in-law wasn’t here,” – he thought.
More and more clearly the algorithm of excuses formed in his mind. First of all, he was late at work, and secondly, he was late picking Alice up from her vocal lesson. However, such excuses would irritate even more, not so much his wife, but her mother, a cranky