Читать книгу Memories of the Future - Вадим Павленко - Страница 1

We were sitting at a table and enjoying the coolness.

It was a small and cozy bar. The polished counter was gleaming with a plastic cover and transparent, carefully washed glasses standing on it. Unobtrusive music was flowing down from speaker boxes fixed on the wall right under the ceiling. A ventilator was rustling on the floor, trying to do its best to disperse the sticky sweltering heat. There were just a few visitors and the beer was cold and tasty.

„Scorching heat,“ Sasha shook his collar, raising a gentle breeze and letting it creep under the shirt. „All week long the weather was OK, but now, gosh… The worst thing about it is that we’ve got only a couple of days left.“

„Yeah, it’s real hot,“ I agreed, looking at my brother. „Shall we leave – or have one more glass?“

„Can there be any doubts? Surely we’ll ask for more! Waldemar!“ Sasha raised[1] his hand, showing two fingers to the bartender, whom he had just awakened.

„I say, how about offering this to him?“ I asked Sasha, taking a small plastic bag with gold and jewels out of my pocket.

„I don’t really know… You may give it a try,“ he grinned skeptically.

Our conversation was interrupted by Waldemar, who had just come up to us.

„Here you are, panowie!“

After putting the beer on the table he was about to go, but the packet lying there caught his eye.

„Co to jest? Złoto?[2]“

„Yes, it’s złoto… and it’s for sale,“ I said, trying to sound as indifferent as I could.

„And it’s not too expensive,“ Sasha added.

The bartender sat down at the table, took the packet and looked at us questioningly.

„Yes, you may take a look at it,“ I nodded.

After unwrapping the packet and gently emptying its contents onto the table Waldemar got quiet. His eyes, now rounded, were sparkling with fever. Chains and rings, earrings and pendants were glittering merrily before his very nose in the rays of the sun sneaking into the hall from under the blinds. Each item was unique and evoked admiration that could easily be read on the bartender’s face. He started looking at the decorations one by one, turning them over in his hands and scrutinizing each one separately. He looked up only after putting down the last ring.

„Ile kosztuje?[3]“

„Which one?“ I asked in the calmest voice possible.

„All of them!“

Sasha almost choked with his beer; as to me I recovered myself after a momentary confusion and, putting on a smart expression, started moving my lips, pretending to be counting the total price. Completing the count and getting the same result as dozens of times before, I added a couple hundred grand and said lazily: