Читать книгу Chernobyl - Ilinda Markova - Страница 15

ON THE OTHER SIDE of the lake Rob caught up with a group of schoolboys. These boys were his arch enemies. They all had mothers, looked good in nice clean clothes, had a nice place to live and play music like Victor.

. Soon their schoolbags were dancing in the air, notebooks floating around, torn to pieces; the boys hoping they were not going to share the same fate.

Victor wearing heavy glasses dared to speak up.

“How could you do that? Be ashamed of yourself!”

“You, little blind shit, what did you say?” Rob didn’t hide his anger at hearing there was somebody to challenge him.

“Look what you’ve done!” Squatting, Victor was trying to collect his notes.

Rob eyed the shrimpy boy, so unaware of the punishment he was about to receive.

“I haven’t read a fucking book but I’m stronger than all your shit together!” Rob hissed through clenched teeth, looking menacingly. Collecting their bags, the boys cautiously tried to send secret signals to Victor to keep his mouth shut.

Victor either didn’t see them or didn’t care because he went on “And look at your legs all smeared in dirt. Perhaps you don’t brush your teeth either!”

“Shut up, you twit!” Rob hated to hear this.

The children who knew the savage taste of his fists froze as they watched Rob approach Victor in two strides ready to hit him only to find the latter staring mesmerised at something over Rob’s shoulder. Unwillingly Rob followed his glance to see that the adoration in Victor’s eyes was caused by a girl with long plaits decorated with red ribbons. She was sitting on a bench, stretching herself in the sun like a kitten. The girl became aware that they were looking at her and blushed. Her big blue eyes met Rob’s and he felt strangely unnerved.

Angered and ashamed of this moment of distraction he teased Victor: “Haven’t you seen a girl before? The world is full of them; all nuisances, weeping, sobbing, all tears and fucking shit!”

Unexpectedly, Victor threw himself against Rob, pounding him with his small fists. Rob laughed. Poor Victor acting a knight with his body on which fragile should be written. With a bulging fist itchy for a fight, Rob punched him away.

Victor had to be taught a lesson. Leaving him whirling in the dust Rob pretended he was going away as he noiselessly approached the bench behind the girl’s back.

By the time Marianne was aware of his presence it was too late. Her scream stabbed the sunny morning as Rob in one swift move cut off one of her plaits with his sharp folding knife. He waved the plait, the ribbon hanging like the flag of the defeated and bowed mockingly to Victor. “That’s for you, blindy. The scalp of your sweetheart!”

Rob threw the plait at Victor’s feet in disgust, as though it was a dead mouse.

Marianne went on screaming and sobbing.

“Didn’t I tell you? Girls! Nuisances, weeping, whooping, all fucking snots and tears.”

With these words he turned and headed for the lake.