He looked around the walls .They again looked into his eyes with a barely noticeable grin. "Well, - they said, did you dream about it again?" Yes, again. So what? He closed his eyes again, remembering the dream that had just passed away. Graceful figure, light look. They were talking while sitting . it seems, in a cafe ... Memory, obligingly bending over, slipped in what was missing - tables, dummies of visitors - the scenery of sleep. Let be. All the same, this is not the main thing. The main thing is that he held her hand in his hand and he heard her voice. What were they talking about? Do not remember already . It's time to get up .
The day passed unnoticed, like a frame of a movie frameribbons. He hurried the subway, mentally cursed the passengers pushing into the car at the last minute, delaying the departure. He was already running down the escalator. The November wind threw snow in his face - cool off ... He smiled back. Almost came - a house across the street. He did not understand why for five years they had not put a traffic light for the crossing - the cars rush, as if they were fleeing from some Godzilla.
Snow covered his glasses for a moment, the old Ford hummed angrily ."Never mind, you will go around , he thought." Barely taking off his shoes, he went into the room, turned on the computer. A good thing is a cable . You don't borrow a phone, speed . True, it's not cheap, but how many conveniences. While the system unit was chattering with a floppy drive and clouds were flying across the monitor, he managed to take off his outerwear and wash his hands. When he sat down, the antivirus had just finished its job without finding anything suspicious. He started the pager. She was already waiting for him. - Hi, he wrote, adding a couple of parentheses for joy.
Hello You're late as always, he immediately stopped seeing the text. He Heard her voice. And I saw her face. - Peak hour. You know our metro. - I know I know. I am joking. No need to make excuses. - I dreamed about you today. We chatted in the cafe. - Only today? - She smiled ... And just chatted? He was a little embarrassed. Of course, not only today. - Not. It’s good that she didn’t specify what his “no” was referring to. - I'll be with you the day after tomorrow. In surprise, he almost fell down along with the chair, on which he had a stupid habit of swaying. - You??? Will you be here ??? He was afraid that he had misunderstood, he was afraid to let in the joy ahead of time ...
She smiled again. - Yes. The day after tomorrow ... I will leave early tomorrow morning. - What time are you coming? Can we meet right away, or do you have business? A small blizzard immediately spun in his head. "She will come the day after tomorrow ... The day after tomorrow ... The day after tomorrow I will see her ..." - See you in the evening at six o'clock. I will stay with friends - here is their phone number. You choose a place. He thought about it. Where ... - Meet me on the subway. He quickly explained which station. There is only one way out, not to be confused. And there are not so many people, you will not pass by. And there is also a park. It's already dark at six, but it's beautiful in the park even in the evening. And if the weather is bad, there is a cafe nearby. He smiled, remembering a dream - a cafe ... That evening they talked less than usual - she still needed to pack up and get some sleep .
At night he could not sleep for a long time. How will he approach her? How does he say hello? She loves white lilies - she will have to buy tomorrow. He fell asleep just before the alarm clock. As luck would have it, this day dragged on and on. In the gray sky, not only the sun's rays were stuck, but also time. Arriving home and putting the flowers in a vase, he turned on the computer out of habit. I sat for a second, staring in surprise at the list of online contacts. Finally, having come to his senses, he cursed himself ... The computer was mercilessly turned off. Today is a general cleaning evening. Sorting out the bachelor's trash, he thought about how she was now riding on the train .. She was coming here, with every minute becoming more real, more tangible, like Galatea coming to life in front of Pygmalion. He smiled at such a magnificent comparison ... Will come to mind .
Having put, as it seemed to him, the perfect order, he carefully chose his clothes for tomorrow. He knew perfectly well that even if he came in greasy jeans, it would not change anything between them, but he wanted to look decent. Having chosen, straightened, cleaned everything that had been subjected to such procedures, he went to bed. He fell asleep surprisingly quickly and without dreams. The first thought when he opened his eyes - I slept! It's six o'clock. He slept! When the night finally pushed him out of its cave, he realized that it was still morning. He took time off, but woke up early out of habit. Okay, then we have to get up. For a minute he was seized by the feeling of the unreality of what was happening - today he will see Her, he will be able to touch her ... Or maybe all this is just another dream? "No, it cannot," he said to himself, This cannot be a dream "... And he repeated aloud, to be sure: it CANNOT. He glanced at the flowers in the vase, waiting for the touch of her hands with the same impatience. “Very soon,” he said. “Wait a bit. He lied . It is not yet very soon.
Time passed unbearably. He was there fifteen minutes before the appointed time - he simply could not stay at home any longer. A stream of gray people with colorless faces rolled past. He thought he was the same when he left work. Half an hour passed ... Forty minutes ... An hour ... The girls in the stalls, looking at him, were talking about something and giggling. She did not come. It's hard to get lost - it's a straight line. I had to call - you never know what could have delayed her. And then he realized that he had forgotten her phone at home. He was so sure that she would come that he did not even remember about him. Remembering all the possible curses, he put them on his head. He waited another hour and a half, already knowing perfectly well that it was useless to wait. Then he gave the bouquet to the funniest girl in the stall opposite, smiled at her confused look, and drove home. Even the wind at the exit from the metro suddenly died down ... Entering home, he immediately went to the phone, dialed the number. Long beep - already good ... Another .
Automatically, without realizing it, he turned on the computer ... Third ... Is there really no one? There was a click in the receiver and he heard a tired female voice: - Hello ... - Hello. Can I talk to ... - He called the name, which he touched a thousand times, like a rosary ... The most tender name ... - What? - the voice looked obviously frightened. - Who is it? - This is ... - he thought for a moment ... And who is he? - This is her acquaintance, an old acquaintance ... We agreed to meet today, but were not found ... - She is not ... - said at the other end. Something in his intonation alerted him. Strange intonation ... - Has she come yet? Excuse me, can you tell me when she left? “She’s not there,” the voice repeated, “Not at all ... She’s no more ... He heard tears rushing out in his voice. - She died ... the day before yesterday. An accident ... Excuse me ... Short beeps ... He stood listening to short beeps ... Died? Nonsense ... The day before yesterday he spoke to her. He just got the wrong number ... The names coincided ... It happens ... He dialed the number again, this time carefully checking every digit. - Hello, - again the same voice ... He hung up the receiver ... Blindly looked around the room. No ... It can't be. This is mistake. She didn’t leave ... You never know why. And the number - she was wrong. She's probably waiting online .
The monitor flashed readily as soon as He touched the mouse. Pager… List of contacts. My heart beat fast. Here she is. - Hello! Didn't you leave? I'm a fool, I should have checked my mail! What happened? The pause lasted a long time ... Much longer than usual. - Who is it? He looked at her in surprise. Who! What do you mean - who? Who else could it be? - I was going crazy - I called your friends. Are they saying hello ??? You have to say that! I won't even repeat, what nonsense ... - Is that YOU ??? - Are you laughing at me? Who else could it be? - It's not funny. He stopped understanding what was happening ... It was too ... - Not funny at all. Give me your phone, I'll call you now and we'll figure it out. Again a long pause ... Too long ... - Call, - she gave the number. - Already dialing, he realized that this is the phone on which he had just called. She's still online ... - It's the wrong phone. Some crazy woman lives there. Or a fool. Forgive me for being so about your acquaintances, but she just told me that you died the day before yesterday! This is something to blurt out! They never had such pauses before ... - And I was told that you were not ... Is everyone around you crazy? He didn't understand anything. Absolutely nothing. - Who said? - Do you watch TV? Turn on ... Faster ... He obediently turned on the TV. “… The President took personal control of the investigation into the explosion of an apartment building last night. Let us remind you that as a result of the explosion of a house at the address ... " Strange ... The address is very familiar ... Where did it come from?
Eighty people died, five were missing. The house was completely destroyed, not a single intact wall remained. In the first place, the investigators have a version of a terrorist act, however ... " - He turned on ... - WHAT ADDRESS? - It seems ... - he suddenly realized how he knew this address ... It just sounded strange without the apartment number. So many times I had to call him, write, type ... It was HIS house ... What nonsense? Have the journalists gone completely mad? A nightmare ... A dream ... He's still sleeping ... And by the way - she cannot enter the network from friends. Exactly - a dream. He decided to break this nightmare piece by piece. so that there is no unpleasant aftertaste left in the morning ... - Tell me, where did you get into the network from now? A pause ... He began to dial himself, breaking the nightmare .
And suddenly the answer came ... - I don't know. The room trembled and began to melt "I don't know ... I don't know ..." They walked through a park covered with fluffy snow. The black trees looked at them approvingly, fearing to break the silence with which he spoke to her ... The lilies tenderly touched her cheeks with the petals as she lowered her face into them. Here she is here ... So you can take her hand ... The rescuer tossed the keyboard with his heavy boot. - Wow, - he thought, - the house is in pieces - no one is alive, and the keyboard is intact ... Stupidity ..