I will have to work in factories, carry iron, and have lunch in the back rooms. Horrible. I can’t even find an office job because I don’t have the necessary education. I’m doomed. It was as if I was part of a lower caste, the loader caste. If I were in India, I would not be able to oppose anything to this, and all my dreams would forever remain just dreams. After all, what do I have in my life is real? Nothing. What awaits me in the future? Nothing. I am doomed to hard and low-paid work, to live among poverty and drunkards. And nothing will change my life. Writing a brilliant book is the only chance for me to get out of all this.
A familiar melody began to play on the smartphone. Mother called.
– Yes? – Peter raised the phone to his ear.
– Go for a walk with Motya. – said the mother.
– Now? – moaned Peter, who was in the mood to write a book.
– Yes, now, is it difficult for you?
– No, it’s not difficult.
– Here you go.
– Fine.
Turning off his smartphone, Peter put it on the table and, turning around, looked at Motya, who was lying on the sofa.
– Well, are you going for a walk? – he asked the dog.
She stood on her paws and wagged her tail. Most likely, this meant agreement.
Peter turned on the music, got out of his chair, and began to get dressed. He always dressed to the music so that it would not be boring. Motya jumped around him, arching her back and resting her front paws on his leg.
Having finished putting on his street clothes, which usually hung on a hanger in the room, Peter went out into the corridor, put on his sneakers, took the leash, and fastened the harness on the dog. Returning to the room, he turned off the computer, took his smartphone and keys, and went to the exit.
Going out into the street, Peter walked towards the park, leading Motya on a leash. Motya happily ran along the curb, sniffing every bush that she met along the way.
They crossed the road, walked along the lawn to the next road, crossed it, and found themselves in the park where they usually walked. Peter did not go to the main road that circles the park, but decided to take a walk around the edge. Although the weather was good, it was already autumn and it was cool, which made it not very pleasant to hang around outside.
He walked slowly along the sandy sidewalk, watching Motya climb in the grass and relieve himself. Raising his head, Peter saw a girl jogging in the park. The girl had long blonde hair and a slender figure, and the tight clothes gave her a sexier look. Then Peter remembered Sveta, and realized that he had not really looked at her photographs yet, did not know what kind of figure she had, slim, or athletic, or maybe she was even fat. After all, he only saw her main photograph, in which he couldn’t really make out anything.
– Okay, then I’ll take a look sometime. – Peter decided, continuing to walk slowly forward along the sandy sidewalk.
Motya stopped in the grass and began to sniff something. Peter tried to pull her back, but she did not give in. Then Peter came closer to see what the dog was sniffing. It was a black wallet. Peter was overcome with a feeling of curiosity. What if there is money in it? Now he could use some personal money, because he has been sitting at home without it for so many years.
He walked over to the wallet and picked it up, looking around in case its owner was nearby. But there was no one around.
Peter took the wallet with both hands and opened it. At the same moment, goosebumps ran across his skin. He saw greenish bills lying inside. He quickly closed his wallet and put it in his pocket, deciding to count the money at home.
– Motya, go home! Let’s go home! – he began to pull the dog, but it resisted. – Let’s go, let’s go!
He quickly walked back towards the house. The dog obediently ran after him. Without stopping anywhere, he walked to the house, took the dog’s leash off, threw off his sneakers in the hallway, and walked into the room where he took out his wallet and took out all the money from it. There were five and a half thousand rubles inside.
– You can’t imagine anything better! – Peter blurted out joyfully. – We need to go buy something.
Having decided to buy a bottle of caramel soda, Peter took five hundred rubles, put on his sneakers, and went to the store. He was in a great mood. He reached the store, went inside, took a two-liter bottle of caramel soda from the counter, and went to the checkout. There he gave the cashier five hundred rubles and received four hundred rubles in change. Satisfied, he returned home along with the soda.
Putting the bottle of soda in the kitchen, he took off his sneakers, then all his street clothes, put on his home T-shirt, and went to the kitchen. There he took a large glass and poured soda into it. He closed the bottle and took a few sips. Bubbles of gas hit my nose and tears flowed from my eyes. But the feeling was pleasant.
Pouring more soda into the glass, he closed the bottle and put it in the refrigerator. Taking the glass, he went into the room and sat down at the computer. Relaxing in his chair, he turned on the music and began to slowly sip his caramel soda, wondering what he could do with the money he found.
The keys jingled in the lock. It was Christina, she returned from school.
When Peter remembered his sister, the idea immediately came to his mind to go to the cinema with her. He had long wanted to take his younger sister somewhere, but he never had money, but now he had it, and this was a great opportunity to go with her to the movies and to some fast food restaurant.
He went out into the corridor and turned to his sister:
– Do you want to go to the cinema?
– For what money?
– I have.
– At your place? Where? – the sister grinned.
– It’s a secret, but I have it. So, are you going to the cinema?
– Well, I don’t know, but what kind of films are there?
– I don’t know, let’s go and see. Then you can still go to the restaurant.
– In a restaurant?
– Well, yes, fast food. Eat a hamburger.
– Let’s. Shall we go right now?
– Yes, let’s go right now, what are we waiting for?
– Do you have a lot of money?
– We’ve had enough.
– Well, how much?
– It’s a secret.
– So, say.
– Five thousand.
– Where did you get?
– I found it when I was walking with Motya.
– Will you buy me a notebook?
– I can give you money for it.
– Let’s.
Peter took four hundred rubles in change from his pocket and handed them to his sister.
– It’s all for me?
– Well, yes.
– Cool. – I put the money from my sister into the child’s wallet. – Let’s get dressed.
Peter went into the room, where he quickly put on his street clothes, then turned off the computer and went out into the corridor, where he put on his sneakers. Christina stood in the corridor and waited for him.
– Did you take the money? she asked.
– Yes, I took it.
Leaving