Red Star

Chapter 11

Well, here it is... "my first fight, it's the truest one"!

Having heard that I mumble a song under my nose, the f*****g Retluev fell silent in the middle of some instruction, which, after all, struck him at the last moment! Lech stood silently and looked at me with a kind of fun.

In the opposite, blue corner of the ring, two lean men in identical blue tracksuits were giving final instructions to their charge. A black-haired boy of medium height, listening to them, had already raised his gloves to his head, and looked at me warily from behind them.

I wasn't going to make any "spectacle". It was clear that the boy was no match for me, so let him decide his own fate. Will continue to engage after the first defeat - man, quit Boxing - smart, whole head will be. I already KNEW that I was going to win.

The referee quickly read out our names on a piece of paper, and which of the opponents was from which club. So I first learned that I represent the club "Young Dynamo" - "zubodrobitelny creative!" - and was invited to the center of the ring. Lech put a water-soaked mouth guard in my mouth, and I went to the referee. The latter, in the same rapid manner, uttered the instructions for the fight, and I, lowering my hands, calmly examined the opponent's gloves, which he held in front of my nose, without lowering his hands down for a second. Almost forcibly, having imitated a mutual handshake with the opponent's hand, the referee sent us to the corners and, after the Gong, gave the command: "Boxing!"

Well, Boxing, so Boxing... I slowly went to the opposite corner, because my opponent took a half step forward and stopped in a blind defense, still showing that this is the maximum. I went over and immediately slapped my left hand on the clenched elbows, the gloves went to the side, and my right immediately flew straight to the opponent's forehead. The boy dropped to his fifth spot and dropped the mouth guard... wept.

Without waiting for the referee's command, I turned my back and went to my corner. The fight was stopped and a minute later the referee raised my hand up...

A day later, the second battle also ended, almost without starting. A tall, ungainly-looking guy charged at me, head bowed, not seeing anything around him. I took a step to the right and punched the right hook into the lowered head. He buried it in the floor.

My opponent withdrew from my third fight "due to injury".

Ryleev was calm like a boa constrictor. Lech, on the contrary, is cheerful and excited. Both, apparently, conspired and about my duels speech, almost, did not come. Praised once and everything, like, so everything was planned.

But their response was followed by another, Leh, regularly replaced at work and have been to all my fights. And at the gym, both of us, in the morning, Retluev was now waiting for us in his showy maroon VAZ-2106.

After the second fight, "they sat me down" in an ice cream parlor, and after the failed third, a hurried but satisfied Retluev rushed to work. Well, Lech and I decided to take a little walk around the spring city, I had a certificate, and Lech had a day off. The weather was extremely wonderful, it was 10 degrees* warm, the city was festively decorated on the occasion Of the birthday of Lenin's party leader, and we walked slowly along Sredny Prospekt. We walked slowly, foot by foot, I did not take my briefcase from home today, but a package with a gift(!) I didn't weigh anything in my sports uniform.

- Well, what will happen next? I asked.

- So, in two weeks - the city championship, also three fights. You will be taken for sure. Two fights, two knockouts in the first minute, and the third one was just pitied by the coaches, they were removed due to an invented injury - my great friend answered loquaciously.

- Something quickly hurts, two weeks, - I was surprised - I thought in the summer only.

"What summer?" - Lech did not agree - now you have tests and exams will begin, and then the summer holidays.

I was forced to admit the obvious.

- Do you want to go to a sports camp for the summer? Releev promised to do. There you can train, and in the ring there will be someone to jump with, there are a lot of guys - Lech looked down at me questioningly.

"You're crazy," I said, laughing. We will go to the sea with my mother in the summer, it seemed to me to train!

- To achieve great results, you need to work hard, and training and discipline is the main thing in the life of any athlete! - Lech gave out.

"What are you talking about?" I'm not going to "achieve results" and become an "athlete" - I said calmly, - I'm going to win Retluev's city, since I promised to try and do everything with competitions.

- Nah, - Lech laughed, - after such a debut, if you take the city, you will not be left behind.

"They'll leave me alone," I laughed too, " I know the right words!"

"Which ones?" - Lech didn't understand.

- And you are, go to hell! I said emotionally.

Lech neighed like a horse, then, for no apparent reason, became sad, thinking about something of his own, then said:

- You know, in life it happens that you don't have much to do if you hit the wheel - food, but run - he sighed.

- Is this about your criminal record? I asked, not bothering to be polite.

Lech looked at me sideways from above and muttered:

"Did Stepanida c***k it?"

"If it's not her, it's someone else, because the world is not without good people," I made a face.

- Well, and about the criminal record, too, and then it doesn't matter what and how, once carried by the current, it really hits all the stones, however, let's not talk about it, everything is fine - and Lech smiled broadly and went forward.

I paused, making up my mind... however, what am I missing, and I have been preparing for this conversation for several days. There is nothing to lose, but I can win a lot.

"That's what I wanted to say," I say to his back.

He turns to me in surprise:

"Oh, what can I say about it?

"Well, you said it yourself, 'they won't leave you alone' and 'there's not much that depends on you in life.'

"Well, that's just me... If you really don't want to, then don't go to the city, Retluev will yell, and fall behind, in fact,-Lech waved his hand - he won't push for a long time, although he will be offended. It would suit him very well if his pupil took the city. Indicators and all that, you know.

"Yes, I understand, and I'm not going to let him down. I said I'll try to win, so I'll try, - on the way I noticed an empty bench, without old women with children and pigeon poop - I'm not talking about that...

I wave my hand at Lech, inviting her to sit on the bench. He nods and turns away. We scrutinize the seat and back, then sit down. The snow has gone, and after it, the bench is still, miraculously, clean.

- I'm talking about something else, that I don't want to do what others want me to do, but I want to do what I like. Well, at least for the most part.

Lech shrugs his broad shoulders:

And what is it that you want?

- Well, I want to become a famous writer, I write poems, write music, compose songs.

- Yes, well! - Lech, turning his whole body, grins incredulously.

"Well, during breaks from Boxing," I grin back.

- And what, as it turns out? - asked Lech, missing my last phrase, past ears.

- The judge himself, recently wrote a March, the military - I cleared my throat and sang softly, beating his hand to the rhythm:

We stand on guard, platoons and by companies,

Immortal as the fire, calm as a granite.

We are the army of the country, we are the army of the people,

History preserves our great feat!

Not for nothing in the fate of the red banner!

No wonder the country hopes for us,

The sacred words "Moscow is behind us!"

We remember from the time of Borodin.

- There are still a couple of verses and the main motive is already clear, in principle, you can put on the notes! I reasoned wisely.

The risk was minimal, I carefully scoured the Internet, and the song based on Rozhdestvensky's poems was first broadcast in 1982. The probability that the poems were written in more than three years is negligible, because the song is a typical "zakazuha".

To say that Lech liked it, not to say anything. He was very impressed. He immediately demanded that I perform the remaining two verses, and the chorus was already trying to sing along:

Not for nothing in the fate of the red banner!

No wonder the country hopes for us,

The sacred words "Moscow is behind us!"

We remember from the time of Borodin.

- This is a ready-made March, there is nothing to redo! Can you imagine how the Alexandrov choir will sing it?! - in excitement, Lech often used words - and the motive is such, purely marching, just right for the army, you know?!

- Yes, I understand everything, Lyosha, - I nodded - I already have a dozen songs ready. And at least as good as this one.

Resolutely rejecting Alexey's desire to "see the whole product" right away, I said that I didn't remember so much material by heart, especially since I was also writing a book, space fiction. Lech was conquered!

At home, I also began to portray the torment of creativity, with torn scribbled paper, reading my mother a couple of lyrical quatrains and got her full approval of these 'attempts'. She even started a folder where I had to put my "works". Although, in fact, apparently, decided that I fell in love!

"Why don't you send the words and music to some singer or composer?" - puffed, overflowing with enthusiasm, Lech.

- You see, my great friend, - I smiled - if I send a finished work to some famous poet or composer, then most likely it will not be my last name. Lech thought for a couple of seconds and reluctantly nodded his head.

- Besides,- I continued, - if you send it to singers, you need to understand that they want to hear the entire work in full, and I don't have any recorded music.

"What should I do?" - Lech was, frankly, upset.

-Yes, what to do is also clear, you just can't do it yourself, you don't have enough years - I laughed.

"What's missing?" Lech snapped.

- Well, look - I began - we need to properly print the lyrics, register in VAAP as mine, find at least someone who can sing decently and someone who, somehow, will put my motive on the notes, then find equipment for recording,-I took a breath-then we will need to connect the musicians and singers and record the songs themselves, well, and as the last stage, we need to find outlets for popular singers and let them listen to the result, - as I listed, Lehi's face became sadder.

- How do I do all this? - Lech sighed sadly - we need to look for friends through friends, otherwise no one else will write and sing notes for free. I have very little money, I save up for spare parts for the car. Definitely not enough...

The unexpected turn of the conversation made me shudder. This, in fact, a completely young boy, has already been beaten by life, lives in a communal apartment, works as a driver, but first of all, he figures out how HE can help an outsider, in fact, a person with his few kopecks. My God, where did it all go?! Where did these people disappear from the USSR so instantly and irrevocably?

To stall for time and calm my emotions, I asked hoarsely:

- Do you have an ambulance that drivers repair cars at their own expense?

"Oh, no! - Lech waved it off - it was me who got the Moskvich-408 from my uncle, he died, and my aunt didn't drive herself, I drove her, mostly to doctors, and since she died, now it's mine. There are no other relatives. Only you need to fix it, the old one is already, not on the move now.

- I understand,- I drawled - no, Lesh, thank you, I have money. You just need to meet people, talk to them, and hire someone. Many people just won't talk to me. Place, again, under all this is necessary - I threw the bait.

"Oh, your parents, what do they say?"

- My mother doesn't even know that I do Boxing! I don't want to get ahead of time. I'll win something, someone will sing, then we'll see. I shrug vaguely.

- And where will the money come from if the parents don't know? Lech asks a logical question.

Tram - pam-pam-boom-Bang... here it is - the "moment of truth"!

"Well, you weren't the only one with an aunt. My mother was in Kontra with all her relatives, so she only left me the money. She loved me very much. Yes, and left not in the will, and so passed. I said where it is - I make an honest face.

Lech nodded. We sat in silence for a while. Then he raises his head and looks me in the eye.

"Are you lying?"

Now it's my turn to nod.

- I go under the "condition". I was even in an Ambulance only call Relieve took...

- You don't understand me, Lyosha, - I try to speak calmly and evenly, squint my eyes at the sun and, with all my strength, make a serene appearance - the money is not stolen, it does not belong to anyone but me. And I want to use them to do something good. Good, Lesh, not bad. What's wrong with a song, a good song? What's wrong with a good book? - I try not to get lost on persuasions, just, like, reasoning:

- The song is about our army, about its feat. Read the book first, no problem. If you don't like it, don't do it. I'm just bored, I don't want to go to UNIVERSITY after school, so that in 5 years I can become like my mother MNS-om and draw drawings all my life. And in 40 years to retire, surrounded by children and grandchildren. I'll be bored living an ordinary life like everyone else. Boring and not interesting. I want a holiday in my life! I forced a laugh.

- I want fame, I want to travel the world. And I don't want to live a boring life or put my face in the ring. And I suggest you join...

Lech paused, digesting:

- So you won't tell me where the money came from?

"I can't, Lesh, and why should I?

- So... I would like to know in advance what and who will come to kill, - Lech darkened in his eyes.

"No one will come, Lesh, believe me. No one to come, the owner of the money is dead. For a long time. Himself.

"It's gone wrong," I realized. Disagree. I had a very bad conversation, wrong. Yes, and be afraid, even without the "condition" would be afraid."

Lech was silent.

- Well, let's go what? I rose to my feet in resignation.

But Lech continued to sit, staring at the toes of his shoes. Also, without raising his head, he asked in a low voice::

"What should I do?"

I almost jumped in surprise. Incredulous, he asked cautiously:

"So you agree?"

- Yes.

"Why not?"

- Because I don't want it to be boring or interesting either... Already so...

...We sat on this bench for more than two hours. Slowly, slowly, I pulled out of Leshka, the story of his simple life. Yes, he didn't hide anything himself.

Born in Kuibyshev, since childhood he was engaged in Boxing, they predicted a great future in tyazhy, after school he worked a little at a factory and joined the army.

From the sports company refused and went to the Marines. In the airborne forces did not take - too big! He remained in the army for a long term, then became a candidate member of the CPSU. Actually, the biography, like most peers, is even more successful.

The white streak in life ended unexpectedly. When he was discharged, he went first to his home in Sochi with an Armenian colleague. There, in the family of a friend, they accepted him as their own.

On the third day of continuous hospitable Armenian feasts and intoxicating air of freedom in civilian life, their company got into a fight, with urkagan-looking, drunk men.

Five on five, everything was fair, until the two remaining opponents on their feet drew their knives. Fearing that "prison" will cut some of his new friends Leh do everything himself. In the end, two of grievous bodily the police, witnesses and "excess of necessary self-defense" in a state of alcoholic intoxication.

At the investigation and trial, Lech did not name anyone, like, some unknown people joined the fight, and then ran away. The father of a colleague hired a good lawyer and he found ways to the judge. As a result, the sentence was simply striking in its leniency: three years of probation. And it was a very good result!

After celebrating his release and filling the trouble with magic Caucasian wine, Lech went home to Kuibyshev. At home, I did not repeat mistakes with multi-day "notes" and returned to the factory three days later.

Two days later, at a party meeting, Lech was excluded from the CPSU candidate list. No one listened to any explanations. The next day, offended Lech quit the factory. And he began to think about how to live his life.

His mother's older sister had long called him to Leningrad. She and her husband had no children of their own, and her younger sister in Kuibyshev had as many as five. Lekhin's mother did not dissuade him, and at home it became difficult for him, there were all sorts of idiotic rumors that he killed someone in the army, drunk.

So Lech moved to Leningrad. But even here, the trouble did not leave him. First, suddenly, three months after Lech's arrival, my mother's sister's husband died. Aunt from the sudden death of her beloved husband never recovered, no matter how Lech and the doctors tried, after a while, she also died.

As if anticipating her own demise, the aunt hastened to register her nephew in her room and made a will for him.

But then nothing improved. The only place where Lech was taken was a sports club, in his own house.

For work, with the column filled in in the questionnaire about the outstanding criminal record, they were not accepted anywhere. In the eyes of not refused, but came up with various pretexts. When the guy finally lost hope, he helped Releev.

So Lech began to work as a driver on the 'Ambulance'.

The work was easy, Lech liked to drive and learned "his" part of the city quickly. A day in three, a lot of free time, the salary is also quite decent - 135 rubles, for a start, as an Intern.

Lech transferred Part of his salary home. His mother did not work and raised four children. My father was a shop foreman at a factory and earned very well, more than four hundred rubles a month, but still, for a family of six people - you can not posh. However, they lived well, my father did not drink, and this was the main thing, plus the state helped a large family.

But Lesha's translations were also very useful, he knew that. Although my mother wrote in letters that he spent everything on himself and they, in Kuibyshev, "have enough for everything."

The newly-made Leningrad resident spent his free time in the gym and in the garage, resuscitating the Moskvich he had inherited as much as he could.

Lehi didn't seem to have a permanent girlfriend yet, although the groom, by local standards, was at least somewhere. In these years, few of Lech's peers could boast of their living space and car.

He hasn't made any friends yet, in fact, he's just starting to settle in. Participation in any sports competitions Lech, with his criminal record, did not Shine. He would not have been taken to Boxing anywhere if the section was not led by a police captain, and in sparring with Lech, most often, his own precinct officer would not have stood! He was the only one who somehow fit Lech's weight and dimensions. At the same time, he looked after the "unreliable contingent" of his section!

It was all these circumstances, as I understand it, and lekhin's restless nature that prompted him to say Yes. Although he hardly knew what he was agreeing to.

I'll be damned if I know what I'm offering Him! ..