四十三章 、Maker(2/77)

    "No，thankyou，ma’am．Thanksfortheoffer，butI’musedtoithere．Tomethemostimportantthingisto👎🇰🜑keepupmyvitality．Thankstoyou，Ihaveenoughfoodtosustainmyphysicalhealthandkeepupmybrainactivities．Therestissuperfluousandme🖟📶🟘annothingtome．"

    "OK，"saidMariannaresignedly，"Youdon’thavetothankme．Youwashmydwearequits．Getupyourdsa⚴🕣🋚ndwidgooutthereandgathermaterialforyourdreams．"

    Afterthesplendidbreakfast，heputonhisnewshirtandshoeswhichhehadretrievedfromthega♏rbagethedaybefore，ahatlifeingeneralwasfineindeed．Sopushinghiscartinfrontofhim，hewentoutintotheworld．"IwonderwhatI’llfindtodaytoweaveintomydreams”hethought．Everydaywasfreshaohim．Hehadafeelingofexpecy，likeachildgoingtoDisneyrolledaimlesslyaround，assers-byhurryingtowardstheirdestinations．"Whyaretheyinsuchahurry?"hewondered．"Lifeshouldbepcid,tobeenjoyed，notsohurried...”Thedaypassedwithouthisseeinganythingoutoftheordinary．Dimitriwasdisappointed．"Uh-uh，nomaterialformydreamstonight．It’sgettingte．"Justthen，hesawanoldcouplewalkinghand-in-hand，taking🗏🚩🖇theireveningstroll.Theingtired.theysatontheparkbench．

    "Honey”saidtheoldmantohiswife，”Sonnyboywrotetousyesterday，asking🍟ustogototheirpceforChristmas．He’sagoo🉹dboy．"

    "Youknow，darling，"hiswifereplied，"notonlyoursooo，hasinvitedusforChristmas．Theyarebothgoodchildren，butwhichpce🕒🉆🅇shouldwegoto?”Simpleasthesewordswere，Dimitricouldseelove，happira🗤🝨nquillityandasenseofprideofhavingmadesomethingoutoftheirlives．Theirlife，theirlovewaslikeabarrelofwine，whichhavingbeenbrewedawholelifetime，wasnowperfedfittodrioodrockstill，deeplyimpressedbytheoldcouplebeforehim．

    “Therewassomethingworthwhileinthislifeafte🜁⚴rall,”het🖤hought．

    Dimitriwasavagabondwithmoreth🋄🖴aiwasteandtoofarawayfr🖤omMarianna’srestauranttogetsomethi，sohedecidedtofindoneofhisnumerousrestingpdturnin．Helookedaround．Thepcewouldbetheabandonedsewer，hedecided．Itwasthehuntinggroundofprostitutes，theirpimps🏑🙙，drugdealersandtheirers．ButthesewerenothingtoDimitri．Whenhecametothesewer，hegathereduphisstybelongingsfromthecartwhichheleftagainstthewall，thenpullingupthelidoftheman-hole，hesteppedgingerlydownthenarrowdder．Hehadn’tusedthispceforafewmonthsnowandwasn’tasfamiliarwithitasheusedtobe．Inthedark，hisfoottouchedsomethingsoftandwarm．Itwasamoaninghumanbody．

    Dimitrilithiskeroseoveandsawayounggirl，noolderthanfifteen🙃🇫，curledupinaheapontheground，withtearsandnasalmucusalloverherface．Shewasmoanin🝐🊓🏽gandshiveringu😙🁳ntrolbly．

    "AreyouOK?"heaskedbendingov📘🛈🚞er🋄🖴her．

    "Twenty...twenty...twentydolrs..."shebeggedinahoarseandalmostindistinguishable😲🅑voice．Dimitrikhatshemustbeanaddientedbyherneedfs．Hesearchedthroughhispockets,foundadolrhereadolrthere,anotherfromhissocks，untilhegotsomethinglikefifteendolrsandgavethemtoher．Thegirl’slusterlesseyeslitupasshegrabbedthemledupthestepsandsaid，"I’llberightback🅎🅟🇶.”ItwasthenthatDimitrisawshewascrippledandwal🜺🇊🖺ked．

    Aftershehadleft，Dimitrispreadouthisslee🙳🎟💗pingbagandpreparedtosle🄪🀚☺ep．Thegirlwasbalessthantenminutes．Shewasnormalnowandwasnolongershivering．

    "Doyouhaveanymoremoney?🃢🙛Givethemtomeandyouhaveyourw♂🅩🉑aywithme..．Ihemoney.”

    "What’syourname?"

    "Shei．"

    "Howoldareyou?"

    "Idon’tknow．Fifteentosixteen，Isuppose．Ig🔶rewupinfosterhomes．"Dimitriwaoaskmore，butSheiinterrup🛕🜑🁜ted，"D’youhaveanymoremoney？I’llsellyoumybod🞶😧y．Doyouwantme?"

    "Of🇉courseIdo．I’maman🊳．ButIdon’thaveanymoremoney”．

    Shebowedherhea📲🞲dinsilence．Dimitrilookedather．Shewasiful，butnotpiher，justanaveragegirlindirtybluejeans，T-shirtandajacket．Wash🌏♱🌋edanddressedupshecouldevee．

    "Howlonghaveyoub🚙eenatthis🚚📽business?"

    "Whyd🋫oyouask?Youhave🊳n📌omoney”．

    "WhatIjustgaveyouwasallIhad．Iwasn’twilling🜁⚴tospenditonfoo⛯🝽dformyself，butIgaveitalltoyoutogetdrugs🊘🐨．"

    "I’lldowhateveryo🇵uwishto🔡🂍🍞payyouback．"

    "Ineedyoubut🇅🖌Iwon’t🙳takeyou🚚📽."

    "Whynot?Aren’tyouaman?Isn’tth🋄🖴atwhatallmenwant?"