By lunchtime, my father had returned. He was very surprised to learn that Andri is still not at home. And he immediately gathered himself back. Anthony did something about the cooling borscht, and several times crossed the back of the professor, who had already rapidly descended back down the black stairs.
- Oh, trouble... - She mumbled, you hem of an apron.
Lisa looked at the nanny angrily - not enough to caw, and so on the soul nauseous!
But, Antonia, alas, was right...
My father came back very soon, and it didn't even take fifteen minutes before the back doorbell rang.
Mom cried out and held her mouth with her palm, seeing that the professor gently pressed her only son to the chest, the one and only one, the unconscious one, in blood flows and torn clothes. Behind the professor's back, there was a frowning janitor, and he rang the doorbell...
- Oh, my God! - Antony cried out. - What happened, Father?
Without answering, his father went into the living room and carefully put Andri on a wide sofa. Lisa noticed with a shudder that only one shoe was left on her brother's feet.
Mom cried and grabbed Andri by the hand.
- My dear, my dear... Sunshine... - and turned to my father: - What have you done, you bastard?! I asked you, didn't I? I asked you not to let the children out! - She sobbed bitterly, holding Andri's white fingers to her face.
The doctor arrived in half an hour. By then, my father had told me that he had found Andri not far from his house, lying right on the pavement. He even saw the backs of those scoundrels, who had enough meanness to beat the child, having painted an indecent inscription on his back with red paint...
Lisa was never given a look at her ruined shirt - they said it was none of her business.
Andri was lying in his bed so small and pale. While the doctor was studying his bruises and abrasions, his mother did not move away from her brother. My father smoked in his office in silence. Martha wiped her eyes with the edge of her apron, Vlad prayed quietly, and Antonia decided that now it was time to make an impression on the younger daughter of the professor.
- Now you see?! - She asked Lisa in a voice full of tragedy. - Do you see how dangerous it is on the street? Now, do you understand why you can't open windows? There are too many people in this city who want to hurt us.
- But why? - Lisa asked her bewildered question. - What have we done wrong?!
- Lived too well! - The babysitter answered in her heart. - It was too rich. And now the poor people have taken power, this jealous neck! And there will be no rest for them until they take away all the riches from such as your family!
Lisa was confused.
- But for this they can put you in jail... - She hesitantly said.
- It used to be! - Antonia answered bitterly. - And now such a mess around, God forbid, to get caught in the eyes of these fighters for fair play...
- What kind of sharing? - Lisa was surprised.
- And this one! Take everything that your father earned by honest work, and share between the beggars' drunkards, who in life have not struck a finger on his finger!
Lisa wanted to say something else, but only opened and closed her mouth again. The words were stuck in her throat.
Andri woke up later in the evening. Lisa and her mother sat next to him as he slept in his bed and opened his eyes.
- Mom... - He probably didn't know where he was right away.
- Your home, everything's fine.
- Mom, I took the letter! - Andri tried to get up, but Mom shook her head and immediately put it back down. - I did everything as I was told. I was just unlucky... These people, came out of the alley and started hitting on me... They were talking so badly about Alexander, Mom! I couldn't stand it...
My father entered the room. He had just heard Andri's last words.
My father came to the bed and sat down next to it.
- In fact, you're very lucky, son," the professor said. - These people... they could have done worse to you. The doctor said a few scratches and bruises were not scary at all. And I already know what you said in the letter. And I'm very proud of you. How do you know that maybe today you saved a few people from the same fate?
- And what was in that letter? - Lisa asked.
- Instructions, baby. Detailed instructions on how to get out of this heap... I couldn't show up at Goebbs' myself, I could have been arrested by Volginna's men. They were watching the office.
- And you sent our son there! - Mom exclaimed angrily.
- Yes, I did! - Father answered with the same anger. - Would you like Olga and Denise to stay here? Andri wasn't threatened by anything! These people need evidence against me, and they just didn't notice the boy! He suffered at the hands of an ordinary street gang!
- Yes, he did... - he just got into a little argument with Andri's parents. - It was my own fault, Mom. I had to go home right away, and I stayed in the canal... It was so beautiful there, I wanted to remember to draw later...
Continued in the next part of 33.