the street, did the family get a car. Brother Jorge bought a broken sedan cheaply and began repairing it, replacing damaged parts with those found in old cars that were brought to the service as scrap metal. Jorge helped his older brother, which significantly speeded up the process. When the swallow was completed, the father of the family was moved by the gift he received for his birthday. Old painted body on the move. It was an incredible event for Sergio Gomez’s family. Although Jorge helped his brother assemble the car and watched his work, he still could not understand all this mechanics. He wanted to find something simpler. That something turned out to be a yellow farmer’s pickup truck, which he stole and took for dismantling to the first auto repair shop he saw in Little Rome. The pickup truck turned out to be old and they didn’t pay that much for it, but this was more than enough for a sharp increase in self-esteem and for Jorge to feel that he could take care of himself.
Pablo grew up in an orphanage, from which he escaped when he was barely sixteen. It was then that he committed his first robbery. Shortly before this, he tried alcohol for the first time. This happened when he got a job in one of the bars. He delivered orders, wiped dust, washed floors and dishes. He worked hard, which is why he completely gave up on school, running away from the orphanage early in the morning and returning closer to midnight. Being surrounded by drug dealers, hucksters, pimps, smugglers and other elite of Little Rome, of which there were many among visitors, he heard enough stories about how easy it is sometimes to get big money. One day he firmly decided to do something loud and risky. In the morning he boarded the subway car. It was peak hour. His thin and short body easily squeezed between the standing passengers. The eyes ran around and soon found the victim, who was a man of average height, about forty-five years old in appearance. He wore a business suit, tie, perfectly polished shoes and a solid-looking watch on his wrist. All this spoke of his high material security. And this was also indicated by the leather bag that the man held under his arm. Pablo waited until the man reached his station and began to exit the train, disappearing into the noisy stream of passengers on the platform. When the victim began to approach the escalator, Pablo quickened his pace and, before reaching the man, snatched the bag from behind his back and rushed off in the opposite direction. The robbed stranger ran after him with indignant screams, shouting: «Hold him! Thief!» Someone from the crowd grabbed Pablo’s T-shirt. Pablo fired a kick to the groin and continued to run away. It was announced: «Caution. Doors are closing». There were only a few meters left to the carriage. Pablo jumped, covering the rest of the path and dived into the carriage. The former owner of the bag loudly hit the glass in the doors with his palms, and that was the end of it. The train started moving. Pablo got off after several stations. He found enough money in the bag to rent a room and live for a while on the salary that was paid at the bar. He saw no reason to return to the orphanage. This is how his adult life began. After some time, he, Massimo and Jorge did several worthwhile things, after which Pablo left work and finally felt free.
– MASSIMO!!! – Jorge and Pablo shouted loudly and at the same time in full voice. They took turns greeting Massimo and hugging him tightly. Massimo himself instantly woke up from such a meeting. He invited his friends inside.
Pablo took a few steps, after which he turned around, spread his arms and said in bewilderment:
– What kind of clothes are these? Are you pretending to be a governor?
Having not yet recovered from the joy of such an unexpected meeting, Massimo ignored this phrase. Instead of Massimo, Jorge answered Pablo’s sarcastic question from the far end of the corridor:
– He didn’t go to prison, so he can wear anything: even a toga, even stilettos. He’s allowed.
– And that’s true – Pablo agreed pliantly. – But only without stilettos. We’re not fags.
Massimo called his friends into the kitchen, froze for a while in thought and still asked:
– You won’t throw up from coffee in this mess? I haven’t had time to clean up yet.
– No. Pour it,» Pablo continued enthusiastically. «But I’m in such a mess in my head right now that I don’t know what to ask.»
– Yes, what did those assholes tell you? – Jorge asked.
Massimo poured ground coffee into the cezve, while simultaneously saying:
– Two years condition. The judge made allowance for the fact that this was my first offense. More precisely, this is the first time the cops caught me.
– Holy shit – Jorge muttered. – And this would be my third drive.
Pablo continued, laughing slightly:
– And I would have a fourth. Suckers.
– You won – Jorge answered sarcastically.
Massimo suddenly froze in the middle of the kitchen. Several seconds of silence gave way to a sluggish remark:
– Crap. I’ll be right back.
He examined himself, remembering that he was wearing a suit and went to change into his home clothes.
Massimo returned at the time when Pablo picked up the cezve from the stove, and Jorge took out cups and laid them out on the table.
They sat on different sides of a small square table, one side of which was adjacent to the wall.
After walking around the apartment for a while, Massimo looked a little more awake. This was noticeable even in his voice:
– Well, tell me. What new happened here while I was away?
Pablo and Jorge exchanged glances. Pablo began:
– What’s new? A new gas station has opened near the overpass. A Rolls-Royce was dismantled in the workshop behind our house. The Bolivian baker’s daughter, they say, got pregnant.
– Come on? – Massimo said. – Is this the one with big tits?
– Yes. The eldest.
– So, who knocked her up?
– Who knows? She lay under so many men that she probably herself doesn’t know whose wealth she is carrying.
Jorge added:
– Marcello is addicted to weed.
– Milkman?
Jorge nodded a couple of times, taking a sip of his coffee.
– Yesterday I was going to the pharmacy, and he was standing near the service entrance. I see some smoke coming out from behind him. I approached, and in his hand he had a rolled-up cigarette, like my phallus.
Laughter was heard throughout the apartment.
The laughter subsided a little.
– Shhh… – Pablo said, putting a finger to his lips.
He listened for a while, then picked up an empty glass from the tabletop, put it against the wall and put his ear to the bottom.
– What’s up there? – Jorge asked impatiently.
A satisfied smile slowly began to appear on Pablo’s face. He began to speak in intermittent phrases, continuing to listen to the sounds coming from the other side of the wall:
– Someone is fucking from the bottom of the heart. Those are the moans… Hot woman.
Jorge wanted to take the second glass and join in, but stopped after Pablo said:
– Looks like the finish line.
– Who is first? – curiosity did not let go of Jorge.
– The guy groaned. Yes, he came first.
Pablo returned to the table, asking Massimo:
– Is it always this hot there?
– Every day.
– Your neighbors are funny.
After