"Yeah, " I agreed, pretending to be understood him. — Go to bed.
Late in the morning, when after a hard night I managed to продрать eyes, father was already at its full parade, in the black cassock and кивере with a Golden cross, from which fell on the shoulders of a black veil. The priest was busy reading a book, Tolstoy, but not very large format, such that you could put in your pocket sized.
"Good morning, " I greeted him.
-Good afternoon, young man. A little late getting up. Always so?
-No, yesterday difficult day was.
-Your buddy, it seems, also does not Wake up.
I looked down, on a shelf beneath, where pointing pop. Anton was asleep, his head thrown back and widely having opened his mouth. At night, apparently, he was snoring.
When I washed, and came back, Anton was already sitting on a shelf and rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his fists.
"Hey, " he smiled wearily. The smile on the face crumpled was very acidic and pale. — How you doin'?
-Okay.
We sat opposite the priest, as the two sample boy, his hands in his lap. I felt ill at ease in such tacitly tense seat. Robe кивер with a veil, a great Golden cross on a thick chain just below the breast, white long beard, — all this had us fascinating rears actions and even thoughts of fear suddenly make something wrong and вызовущее indignation and outrage from the Holy father, although it would seem, religion and the Church are not used to, and respect our state and this country in General is not known how many decades, and from she stayed only a pitiful scraps, полуразоренные Church, where people came to the service only an old woman, have lived up to their Sedin and unknown way which restored their faith in this безверной earth.
The Holy father remarked, apparently, our clumsiness and looked up from the book, covering her and shifting the page with your finger.
-That don't eat, young people?
-I don't want something. yesterday I so налопался, in one voice uttered we even looked at each other in surprise.
-Sleeping don't Wake. Awakened feed, — declared the priest, having raised up his index finger. — Let me you will. I then something in the road collected.
He bent down and reached under the shelf black leather briefcase. On the table appeared simple food: eggs, onions, boiled potatoes in their skins, a small piece of butter.
-Eat, join us for a meal, " said the priest.
It was not comfortable, and suddenly feeling of famine came, reminded about itself. For Breakfast we got chatting. Knowing that we are officers, the priest became more talkative and kindly disposed postponed the Bible, which was the book in his hands, the mite.
-I before the war, too, the gunner was. Platoon howitzers large caliber commanded, " he said, and, seeing our astonishment is explained. — Yes, do not be surprised! God works in mysterious ways. The war ended, left the army, was baptized, " I since the childhood was baptized, so it happened, then the theological Seminary he entered, finished it successfully. And how it all happened — and I don't know still. The heart I had called to the faith and worship of God, — that's the thing. And strange it, because then persecutions on those who truly believed. Many saw it has suffered a great deal and I over the years, but I'm not sorry in the slightest, because glad I have these sufferings.
Anton evil, wrong somehow grinned, but the Holy father said nothing, though I noticed this just looked at him steadily and silently, as if peering, and then continued.
-Now calling me father Seraphim, in the world my name Ignat Andreevich. And that has called me to serve? Maybe the war, that it had had, he saw, but he remained alive, and can be, and family memories from childhood in sunken soul.
My grandfather said Nikolai, when the red army came to Rob us with the so-called продразверсткой, — his voice is such a сиплый was, always chilled, "who will die, sons: for God al for anything else? In God you are, tea, do not believe". And they to him: "Lenin's grandfather, Kohl happen, and for the proletarian revolution". And in the evening, grandfather took bleed in the barn, Yes with the same peasants, as he himself across transport, through the woods, the short way, and there in ambush beat these "sons".
Bandit was my grandfather, ain't a thug — how to judge it? He took, and he used to take. He killed and his shot. It's win-win, if so look. An no, there is over all, God. He sees everything and knows everything. People of all, each person he loves the same, but also judges strictly those who step back, who will not obey his commandments. Here knows by now that with the soul of my grandfather, where she is now, in heaven there, and maybe in hell. Good he was a man, family, loved, children, grandchildren, but because of this love and the murderer was, the sort of hunger, devastation and death defended.
And not only for the soul of his grandfather's hurt me? How many such people, even intelligent, lost, indulging in anything, whether Sciences, career Lee, exhibitionism whether and deserted him, but turning it away from God, which prevented them go through life, widely, without thinking, destroying everything in its path, climbed with his love of people. And that in the end of the road? None of them have not discerned даруемого God of light and salvation, and therefore no no not saved from eternal torment.
No in the world of science and philosophy, which could replace the religion that would bring food to the spirit and something itself is not compromised. Even idealistic, close to the religious philosophy — and those fail. Communism, so he generally rests only on force and violence. And religion, whether ours or иноверная, lives, gaining a victory over the darkness and evil. And without it a person in the world пропащ, because only it specifies the path and guide the true way. Science because all come from the mind, whether large, small Lee, the mystical or atheistic, but faith comes from the heart, but because the lives of more than others, and one is eternal and indestructible.
Religion has its own history and its own path, and although it seems that a lot of religions, — it is only one, only in different stages of its development caught the gaze of the mind. Growing and baby, turning to the boy, the boy and then a man, and religion. Возмужавшая is Christianity, the last period of its development. A little bit younger than she is in Judaism, Islam, Buddhism. But only Christ invites people to confide in him and be saved. The rest do not promise of deliverance from hell...
-So, thanks for a free lecture! Anton stood up and abruptly walked out of the compartment. He probably got bored, and he went to the Marina and the Light, where it probably already tired of waiting.
Father Seraphim was silent. Again I felt embarrassed and said:
-I now things go go. They have me in the other compartment.
Nikolay Mikhailovich tinkered with their suitcases. Nikolai Dmitrievich with a swollen from lack of sleep and soundly drunkenness face was staring at him from the top shelf, by leaning on his elbow. Seeing me, he's supposed to be happy:
-Oh, countryman, where did you get lost?
I wanted to explain something, but, realizing that it is difficult, just waved his hand.
-Are you in dreams don't understand? And then I dream a weird dream. The war seemed to be going. City frontline. The factory. Dwarf machine tool operators. He substituted boxes, but he circus, and does not know how to sharpen details, and beat him for it. 't know what it?
I shook my head and turned to Nikolai Mikhailovich:
-You have going?
"Yes, " agreed. — Soon Irkutsk. It is necessary things in order to bring.
On the shelf opposite lay someone under the sheets with his head. Here he pulled her and I saw a stranger, although began to assume that there is located Кудлов, my friend mayor of Large Василихи.
-Здоровэньки булы — I heard the Ukrainian speech. The man held out his hand towards me and said. — My name is Bogdan.
I shook his hand, healthy, strong, with broad palm.
-Brew with Ukrainian bacon want? Asked Bogdan. "I said you're on Ukraine studied.
I nodded Yes, but the guy understood me wrong and became, groaning, rise from the shelf. Drink I didn't want. The head was clear, and fresh thoughts, dig around in it. 't want to pour again his mind a green snake. However offend Ukrainian refusal I did not dare.
Chapter 32.
Waking up I see the low bending Alena and the next minute I realized that I was lying on a couch by the window in the house "Пантелеихи". Pelageya stood behind the girls.
"You all night had a high fever! "Alena, touching pleasantly cool palm to my forehead.
-What?! — I wondered, trying to understand, what actually happened at night, and was then that I remembered the dream, or the same has happened in reality.
-Yes you all night struggled frantically, " the girl went on, without taking his hand from my head, heavy, which seemed to me a cast-iron pot, filled with lead чурками.
Pelageya Panteleevna nodded her head in confirmation of her words.
And all night I lay here?
-Yes.
"And you?
-We took turns watching over you. We had to attend the funeral service for my тятеньки, here we are with Pelageya and went there in turn.
-You're lying to me, " I wanted to shout, but only weakly uttered it, slowly, heaving with застеленного mattress chest and feeling the painful weakness throughout the broken body disease. — You're lying to me. I well remember what happened last night.
-And what happened? Curiosity in his voice, close to издевке asked about Alena, though condescending at the same time, shaking his head.
I was beginning to tell, but after a minute and then stopped, seeing that they look at me as an idiot.
-I say that you dreamed about! Concluded Alena.
I took his head in his hands, trying to pacify раздававшийся it hum.
-I today I leave! — Unexpectedly for myself, I said to my women. -Enough rest.
The last words of the I was called involuntary smile: "Rest. Wow rest!"
Suddenly I realized that vacation, whether it was good or bad, came to an end, and I stayed a few days to get home from the middle of nowhere, in which the devil knows why brought me up to his head, put our things and leave for the place of service. I felt like any service, any trials will be easier for those days that I spent in that anyone unknown Васелихе.
-I went to gather. Pelageya, help me to add things, Yes give something to eat on the track.
Grandma bustled, but Alena took me with her cool fingers wrist.
-You cannot leave now, " she said quietly.
-But why?! Right about now go and leave! "I said, feeling along with the decision taken me strength return, and my body recuperate before her eyes.
-You cannot leave now, — insisted the girl. — Father wanted you to be present at his funeral. And still...
The father?! How do you know? — Now, it seems it was my turn to laugh. "Have you been in the afterlife, to ask for his posthumous will?
"I know, " Alena came to me, дыхнув in the face and looking into my eyes.
Just now I opened the bottomless, black void, прятавшаяся for its pupils. She definitely vacuum pulled from my soul, and I barely got away, making an effort, from her mesmerizing eyes.
"Here's to you and witches ' daughter!" I thought to myself, a new feeling a surge of terror, from which it would seem now had to get rid finally, and certainly, deciding to escape the burden of alien imposed unclear to me what the circumstances.
The father wanted you to be present at his funeral, " a voice Alena seemed заговорщическим and terrible.
Involuntarily I glanced over his shoulder girls on Пелагею, but she continued hastily walk around the room, something transferring, rearranging, pretending to be fully immersed attention in my preparations for the road and not to hear the dread words my underage Minister.
"Yes, they all conspire!" — Indignation and guess merged in this exclamation, пронесшемся lightning in my mind. "Where can we find protection against this universal evil?!"
-Well, " I said, trying to ask himself at what I sent such a hopeless attack, from which, as from the quagmire not escape, though hard earth close by hand before it can reach, Yes swamp still not let go.
"There is another thing that you have to do, but I will tell about it later.
Only let's agree, " I said Alena, wondering to himself, to the highest degree, as it so happened, that the girl, almost a girl, now dictates me the terms and imposes his will, and I can't обороть it and get out, get out, finally, to freedom. — As soon as the funeral of thy father's over, and I will do that, what else did you want from me, I will no longer be repaired obstacles.
-You leave tomorrow, by the same firm, without a trace of sympathy to me with a voice said, as the cut Alena.
-But why?! — escaped me involuntary cry of astonishment. — What happened? What happened to you, Alena?
The girl was silent, impartially looking at me with unblinking eyes, and I realized that enquire that either make no sense. This is stronger than me.
Funeral Ivan Noodles began at noon. Brought on a tractor with a trailer оббитый кумачом with black mourning ribbons coffin. Come on UAZ pop yesterday, which performed the funeral of the deceased, and with him yesterday deacon.
From the village procession went out in silence, accompanied by only всхлипами old ladies, ready seem to cry for any reason. Norm on this occasion, the city orchestra, copper pipes which heavy resounding dryer, spewing funeral March, always brought me death anguish. Was not and wreaths: "Dear husband...", "Beloved father...", "we Will remember forever..."
Only into the woods, pop with a deacon came forward with a brass censer and follows the heavy silver frame and sang the prayer.
For the first time I attended the funeral, where they were met Orthodox customs, where there was a filthy, полупьяного tearing its sounds into pieces orchestra, where the coffin to the cemetery carried on shoulder, and drove the car.
The cemetery was an amazing sight. If plowed deep plough вывернутое inside out, разворошенное, раскуроченное, it stood now. Graves could be distinguished among all this mess. At the far its edge now distinctly inconspicuous certainly blackened outline of a building with шпилеобразными roofs.
What happened last night floated before his eyes, as soon as that happened, but it did not want to believe now. However cemetery served as conclusive evidence that not all that seemed to me, was a figment of my imagination, hallucinations and fantasy.
From the shock of what happened with me, I involuntarily stopped, but the other did not seem to notice these terrible changes, and went on.
