"♎🗶Thatwas😬thedaybeforeyesterday．Aren’tyouhungry?"
"What！I”vesleptforsolong？💞Nowthatyoumentionit，I’mstarved!”saidDimitriandheheardhiss🝐tomachgrowlinprotest．Mariannahandedhimacupof☟🀦hotchocote．
"Thereisfrieddhamsandwithebag💝💱🕨．Heatitupa．Why’⛥🜞🃑tyoustayawakeandfindsomeworktodoinsteadoflivinginyourdre⛁ams?"shescolded．"Whydon’tyoueandliveinmygarage?Youwon’tbeinanybody’swayandyou’llhaveadetroofoveryourhead.”
"No，thankyou，ma’am．Thanksfortheoffer，butI’musedtoithere．Tomethemostimportantthingistokeepupmyvitality．Thankstoyou，Ihaveenoughfoodtosustainmyphysicalhealthandkeepupmybrainactivities．Therestissuperfluousandmeannothingtome．"
"OK，"saidMariannaresignedly，"Youdon’thavetoth🃵🜌🀳ankme．Youwashmydwearequits．Getupyourdsandwidgoo🗢🝗utthereandgathermaterialforyou🛒🛵♈rdreams．"
Afterthesplendidbreakfast，heputonhisnewshirtandshoeswhichhehadretrievedfromthegarbagethedaybefore，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，takingtheireveningstroll.Theingtired.theysatontheparkbench．
"Honey”saidtheoldmanto🈰hiswife，”Sonnyboywrotetousyesterday，askingusto📔🚦🕩gototheirpceforChristmas．He’sagoodboy．"
"Youknow，darling，"hiswi🃨🚑💯fereplied，"notonlyoursooo，hasinvitedusforChristmas．Theyarebothgoodchildren，butwhichpceshouldwegoto?”Simpleastheseword🙌🉀🄏swere，Dimitricouldseelove，happiranquillityandasenseofprideofhavingmadesomethingoutoftheirlives．Theirlife，theirlovewaslikeabarrelofwine，whichhavingbeenbrewedawholelifetime，wasnowperfedfittodrioodrockstill，deeplyi🚈mpressedbytheoldcouplebeforehim．
“Th🙲🎘erewassomethingworthwhileinthislifeafterall,”hethought．
DimitriwasavagabondwithmorethaiwasteandtoofarawayfromMarianna’srestauranttogetsomethi，sohedecidedtofindoneofhisnumerousrestingpdturnin．Helookedaround．Thepcewouldbetheabandonedsewer，hedecided．Itwasthehuntinggroundofprostitutes，theirpimps，drugdealersandtheirers．ButthesewerenothingtoDimitri．Whenhecametothesewer，hegathereduphisstybelongingsfromthecartwhichheleftagainstthewall，thenpullingupthelidoftheman-hole，hesteppedgingerlydownthenarrowdder．Hehadn’tusedthispceforafewmonthsnowandwasn’tasfamiliarwithitasheusedtobe．I⚇nthedark，hisfoottouchedsomethingsoftand🛨🞼warm．Itwasamoaninghumanbody．
Dimitrilithiskeroseoveandsawayounggirl，noolderthanfifteen，curledupinaheapontheground，withtearsandnasalmucusalloverherface．Shewasmoaningandshiv🖶🗇🙟eringuntrolbly🖣．
"AreyouOK?"heaskedbendi🃨🚑💯ngoverher．📰🞤
"Twenty...twenty...twentydolrs..."shebeggedinahoarseandalmostindistinguishablevoice．Dimitrikhatshemustbeanaddientedbyherneedfs．Hesearchedthroughhispockets,foundadolrhereadolrthere,anotherfromhissocks，untilhegotsomethinglikefifteendolrsandgavethemtoher．Thegirl’slusterlesseyeslitupasshegrabbedthemledupthestepsandsaid，"I’llberightback.”ItwasthenthatD🛦🞤🖈imitrisawshewascrippledandwalked．
Aftershehadleft，Dimitrispreadouthissleepingbagandpreparedtosl⚃eep．Thegirlwasbalessthantenminutes．Shewasnormalnowandwasnolongershivering．
"Doyouhaveanymoremoney?Givethemtomea🔷🅒ndyouhaveyourwaywithme..．Ihemoney.🛀🙐”🌬🂎
"What’syourname?"
"Shei．"
"Howoldareyou?"
"Idon’tknow．Fifteentosixteen，Isuppose．Igrewupinfost💖👶🍗er🀾🏍homes．"Dimitriwaoaskmore，butSheiinterrupted，"D’youhaveany⚫🔗moremoney？I’llsellyoumybody．Doyouwantme?"
"OfcourseIdo．I’maman．ButIdon’thaveanymoremo🐩ney”．
Shebowedherheadinsilence．Dimitrilookedather．Shewasifu🀾🏍l，butnotpiher，justanaveragegirlindirtybluejea🙼🏰🝬ns，T-shirtandajacket．Washedanddressedupshecouldevee．
"What！I”vesleptforsolong？💞Nowthatyoumentionit，I’mstarved!”saidDimitriandheheardhiss🝐tomachgrowlinprotest．Mariannahandedhimacupof☟🀦hotchocote．
"Thereisfrieddhamsandwithebag💝💱🕨．Heatitupa．Why’⛥🜞🃑tyoustayawakeandfindsomeworktodoinsteadoflivinginyourdre⛁ams?"shescolded．"Whydon’tyoueandliveinmygarage?Youwon’tbeinanybody’swayandyou’llhaveadetroofoveryourhead.”
"No，thankyou，ma’am．Thanksfortheoffer，butI’musedtoithere．Tomethemostimportantthingistokeepupmyvitality．Thankstoyou，Ihaveenoughfoodtosustainmyphysicalhealthandkeepupmybrainactivities．Therestissuperfluousandmeannothingtome．"
"OK，"saidMariannaresignedly，"Youdon’thavetoth🃵🜌🀳ankme．Youwashmydwearequits．Getupyourdsandwidgoo🗢🝗utthereandgathermaterialforyou🛒🛵♈rdreams．"
Afterthesplendidbreakfast，heputonhisnewshirtandshoeswhichhehadretrievedfromthegarbagethedaybefore，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，takingtheireveningstroll.Theingtired.theysatontheparkbench．
"Honey”saidtheoldmanto🈰hiswife，”Sonnyboywrotetousyesterday，askingusto📔🚦🕩gototheirpceforChristmas．He’sagoodboy．"
"Youknow，darling，"hiswi🃨🚑💯fereplied，"notonlyoursooo，hasinvitedusforChristmas．Theyarebothgoodchildren，butwhichpceshouldwegoto?”Simpleastheseword🙌🉀🄏swere，Dimitricouldseelove，happiranquillityandasenseofprideofhavingmadesomethingoutoftheirlives．Theirlife，theirlovewaslikeabarrelofwine，whichhavingbeenbrewedawholelifetime，wasnowperfedfittodrioodrockstill，deeplyi🚈mpressedbytheoldcouplebeforehim．
“Th🙲🎘erewassomethingworthwhileinthislifeafterall,”hethought．
DimitriwasavagabondwithmorethaiwasteandtoofarawayfromMarianna’srestauranttogetsomethi，sohedecidedtofindoneofhisnumerousrestingpdturnin．Helookedaround．Thepcewouldbetheabandonedsewer，hedecided．Itwasthehuntinggroundofprostitutes，theirpimps，drugdealersandtheirers．ButthesewerenothingtoDimitri．Whenhecametothesewer，hegathereduphisstybelongingsfromthecartwhichheleftagainstthewall，thenpullingupthelidoftheman-hole，hesteppedgingerlydownthenarrowdder．Hehadn’tusedthispceforafewmonthsnowandwasn’tasfamiliarwithitasheusedtobe．I⚇nthedark，hisfoottouchedsomethingsoftand🛨🞼warm．Itwasamoaninghumanbody．
Dimitrilithiskeroseoveandsawayounggirl，noolderthanfifteen，curledupinaheapontheground，withtearsandnasalmucusalloverherface．Shewasmoaningandshiv🖶🗇🙟eringuntrolbly🖣．
"AreyouOK?"heaskedbendi🃨🚑💯ngoverher．📰🞤
"Twenty...twenty...twentydolrs..."shebeggedinahoarseandalmostindistinguishablevoice．Dimitrikhatshemustbeanaddientedbyherneedfs．Hesearchedthroughhispockets,foundadolrhereadolrthere,anotherfromhissocks，untilhegotsomethinglikefifteendolrsandgavethemtoher．Thegirl’slusterlesseyeslitupasshegrabbedthemledupthestepsandsaid，"I’llberightback.”ItwasthenthatD🛦🞤🖈imitrisawshewascrippledandwalked．
Aftershehadleft，Dimitrispreadouthissleepingbagandpreparedtosl⚃eep．Thegirlwasbalessthantenminutes．Shewasnormalnowandwasnolongershivering．
"Doyouhaveanymoremoney?Givethemtomea🔷🅒ndyouhaveyourwaywithme..．Ihemoney.🛀🙐”🌬🂎
"What’syourname?"
"Shei．"
"Howoldareyou?"
"Idon’tknow．Fifteentosixteen，Isuppose．Igrewupinfost💖👶🍗er🀾🏍homes．"Dimitriwaoaskmore，butSheiinterrupted，"D’youhaveany⚫🔗moremoney？I’llsellyoumybody．Doyouwantme?"
"OfcourseIdo．I’maman．ButIdon’thaveanymoremo🐩ney”．
Shebowedherheadinsilence．Dimitrilookedather．Shewasifu🀾🏍l，butnotpiher，justanaveragegirlindirtybluejea🙼🏰🝬ns，T-shirtandajacket．Washedanddressedupshecouldevee．