Speaking In Tongues
Scribbling In Voices
Boys (Nefedov and Ermolaev)
Translated by Jennifer Tanner
«Yowww!» Serega howled, when his mother started painting the scratches
on his legs.
«Ouch!» Kostya burst out in unison. He couldn't stand iodine either.
* * *
Kostya's dad stood the brand-new bicycle up on end and spun the front
wheel, smiling. The spokes started to sparkle and spun into one glittering
disc.
Kostya Nefedov was smiling, too -- the proud new owner. The whole yard
seemed to share his joy. But no, not the whole yard. It was pretty hard
to make Serega Ermolaev happy. He stands there in the same corner in the
shadows for the time being, hands in his pockets, throwing contemptuous
glances at Kostya, and his dad, and the bike, and the whole world as well.
At least that's what the expression on his face says.
Dad leaves -- errands to run. Kostya hops onto the bike -- ready for
take-off! Then again, maybe not... this is the moment Serega's been waiting
for.
«Hey, Cat, let me try it out,» he commands.
«I haven't even been around the yard yet,» Kostya tries to protest.
But his eyes and voice betray the hopelessness.
«C'mon, give it here,» Ermolaev's bearing down on him already. He snatches
the handlebars with strong hands. «C'mon, get off.»
Good, Mom's just getting home. She grasps the situation immediately,
drops her bags and bears down on the boys. Even a hardened criminal wouldn't
stand a chance now. She means business.
«And just how long is this going to go on? You've bled our poor boy
dry! You, Ermolaev! You're enough to make murderers weep,» an infuriated
Morn yells in the general direction of a Serega now retreating across the
playground in leaps and bounds.
Kostya is both relieved that it's over, and ashamed. He stands staring
at the ground.
«Well, maybe not murderers, but robbers, at least,» Mom softens a bit
and collects her bags again.
The shiny, brand-new bicycle lies in the dust. Kostya stands beside
it and pokes at one of the tires with the toe of his sneaker. What a mess.
* * *
That night there was a tremendous spanking at Serezhka Ermolaev's.
In the opposite building, at the Nefedov's, it could be clearly heard.
«Serves him right, the bully, he's too old to be in the same grade
with these kids,» Mom comments. «That'll teach him to bully our poor Kostya.»
For some reason these words don't make Kostya feel any better. And
even Dad is silent.
* * *
The playground where the children live is right by the ocean itself.
It's right there -- splashing at your feet. A small cove. The remains of
an old boat are lying on the sand. Kostya quickly strips off his sticky
clothing and carefully (the rocks are sharp) slips into the water. He doesn't
swim a lot, but how can you resist on a day like this?
A familiar voice called out to him from behind. It was Pavlik, another
kid from his class.
«Hey, why don't you come to the beach with the rest of us? There's
stones here, and the bottom drops off in a lot of places.»
«It's more fun that way,» Kostya answers lamely. What else could he
say?
«Suit yourself, then, but I'm going to the beach. See ya,» says Pavlik.
Swinging his shirt through the air, he goes on his way, to the beach.
The whole gang's already there, sunbathing. Oleg, Misha, and of course
Serega.
«Hey,» Pavlik calls to them. And he immediately adds, «Kos'ka, the
idiot, he says he's going to swim by the black boat. What an idiot.»
«By the black...?» Serega questions, slowly grasping the situation.
They all hurl themselves into the water. But Ermolaev doesn't hurry.
He puts on his sandals. In ten minutes he's at the black boat.
Kostya's about five meters from the shore. He paddles like a dog, sputtering
and laughing out loud. Then he turns over on his back -- and sees Serega,
standing stock-still on the shore. He has a bored, even sort of absentminded
look on his face. And all around them there's only the cove, not another
living soul.
Kostya winces spasmodically and takes a couple of clumsy strokes. One-two...
he heads out, away from the shore, towards where the cove opens into the
ocean. Serega smirks. He knows perfectly well Kostya can't swim worth a
damn.
«Swim back here,» he laughs. «Cry for your mommy.»
No, forward, Kostya tells himself. Only forward. In spite
of himself, of the ocean; in spite of Ermolaev.
By now he's already thirty meters from the shore. In all his life he's
never come out this far before. He's scared. But he's more scared of the
shore.
«Hey, where are you going?» Ermolaev starts to get scared. «Swim back.»
But Kostya's already tired out. It's pretty deep. He can't touch the
bottom. But to swim back -- never. I won't cry for help.
The water's already up to his clenched mouth.
In the meantime, Serega's lost his sense of humor. He can see that
someone's about to drown, right before his eyes.
«Hey, why don't you scream, Nefedov?» Serega breaks into a scream himself.
But the other boy doesn't answer, he just keeps beating the water with
his arms. Myself. Alone. Myself...
Ermolaev tears into the water, sandals and all. One minute, two minutes.
He catches up to Nefedov. Only the top of his head is still sticking out
of the water...
Somehow or another they make it back to the shore. They're both exhausted.
They collapse on the stones.
«Why didn't you scream?» Serega asks him again, once he gets his breath
back.
Kostya doesn't answer. He can't -- or won't -- talk right now.
After a little while they stand up and go. Each his own way. Both look
somewhat rumpled, with wet hair. With cuts on their legs, from the sharp
sea rocks.