Аннотация: MMMDCLXVIII. Literary card. A story. - June 11, 2025.
Literary card. A story.
It was warm and sunny in winter Sochi.
Claudius Aleksandrovich went to the city market to buy dried persimmons.
Having taken several bundles of that tasty and healthy product, he headed for the exit.
- Klava! Is that you?!
Klavdiy Aleksandrovich turned his head. A bald, wrinkled old man was looking at him with a smile.
- Don't you recognize me, Klava?
Claudius Aleksandrovich turned on his internal archive of visual images. Pictures flashed - one after another.
The smile slid off the face of the bald, wrinkled old man.
Finally, the archive of memory gave Klavdiy Aleksandrovich a hint - the image of a young energetic teacher - out of his, Klavdiy, early youth.
Seems, it was Sergei, Sergei Nikolaevich, a novice school mathematics teacher, who, due to circumstances, was appointed a deputy director of the school.
Claudius Aleksandrovich, in this school, - Klava at that time, - worked as a plumber. He and Sergei Nikolaevich (due to their roughly equal age) had developed something like a friendship. They sometimes spent weekends together, courting girls.
- Seryozha, I am no longer Klava, but Claudius Aleksandrovich! But, for you, for my old friend, - I am Klava. What are you doing here?
- I'm just passing through. I have a ticket to Anapa. The bus leaves from the bus station in an hour and a half.
- I see, - Klavdiy Aleksandrovich sighed slightly, - to Anapa... it's good that it's not to the Yenisei River- it's cold there in winter.
A smile appeared again on the face of Sergei Nikolaevich, now Sergei.
Half an hour later, Claudius Aleksandrovich's 'Lexus' stopped near the winter dacha of the Union of Great Russian Writers.
Klavdiy Aleksandrovich was wearing a signature jacket with a little pocket on the sleeve. Klavdiy took out this pocket a card (similar to a bank card) and brought it up to the electronic lock. The door of the mansion swung open hospitably.
- A handy thing! - Sergei Nikolaevich responded to the card.
- A literary card! - Claudius Aleksandrovich said proudly. Together with his old friend, he headed straight to the kitchen.
- Sit down, Seryozha!
Sergei Nikolaevich (Seryozha) looked around and sat down on a comfortable chair.
The kitchen was spacious, clean, flooded with sunlight. On the large table in front of Sergei Nikolaevich there were vases and dishes with fruit, cakes and candies.
- And why out of your tap is dripping, Klava? You are a plumber, aren't you?
Claudius Aleksandrovich did not answer, he simply waved his hand.
The friends drank a some orange juice.
- Klava, you transferred from our school to DOSAAF. And you became a writer?
- What DOSAAF, Seryozha? This was only called such a way: "DOSAAF". In fact, I was sent for special training, and then I began to make a diplomatic career. I worked in different countries... I recently retired from the post of ambassador in Aurentine.
- I thought that it's your namesake worked in Aurentine! So it was you, Klava!?
- Yes! But a fatigue accumulated, and circumstances changed. So I retired.
- And you became a writer, Klava?
- It's not that difficult, Seryozha. You are introduced to the right person...
Claudius Aleksandrovich remembered his visit to the arrogant literary clerk. Although retired, he was an ambassador, and he had to humiliate himself in front of this self-important boor. "We can issue you a honorable certificate of a Great Russian Writer (to frame it under glass) as well as a identifying (validating) membership Union document (for everyday usage). But..." - a meaningful (multivalent) pause. It was necessary to reduce the foreign currency reserves a little. The literary clerk's face acquired a tinge of courtesy.
- ... So, Seryozha. You are introduced to the right person. You receive a honorable certificate of the Great Russian Writer (to frame it under glass) and a Union membership document. This is important for your wife, for your family, for your environment. But the main thing is to be included in the list (that is, in the federal electronic register) of authors recommended for reading.
- It's good to be included in the list, - Sergei Nikolaevich said, a little confused. - And will they read those authors who are included in this list?
- It's not about whether they will read. The important thing is whether they will buy and pay. I don't need readers, I need money. I need a honorarium!
- And who will buy?
- Now all schoolchildren will be given a multifunctional literary card. It can be used as a passport, a driver's license, a means of payment, and for other purposes - the state will credit at this card ten thousand rubles - to buy books written those writers who are included in the list of recommended authors. Think about it, Seryozha: several million schoolchildren, each schoolstudent has a literary card. From millions of published books and from millions of sales - millions of honorariums!
The amazed Sergei Nikolaevich leaned back in his comfortable chair:
- Huge honorariums? Is you capable to buy a mansion in Sochi?
- Yes! But there is no point. It is better to use the mansions that are the property of the Union of Great Russian Writers. And there is less hassle and less expense.
- And was you included in this list?
- Yes!
- Now the youth "thinks in pictures." They will buy comics, but not serious books about the history of their large and small Motherland.
- Now is the digital economy, Seryozha. Those who buy the wrong books will soon understand that they shouldn't do that.
- It's good, Klava! My congratulations to you. It's good that you was included in the list!
- They didn't include me immediately. First, I had to get a literary prize. After the prize, only then they included me...
Klavdiy Aleksandrovich remembered with annoyance the arrogant literary clerk who had haughtily escorted him up to a glass hall-aquarium, wherein people in warm clothes and gloves were sitting at tables, wearing glasses, with pensive faces. ("A literary factory," the arrogant clerk explained. "Why are they wearing gloves?" "The literary economy has overheated," the literary clerk deigned to joke.)
Then - a visit to a hall filled with people, where an event was taking place with a presidium on stage.
Claudius Aleksandrovich was awarded a literary prize. By this time, the foreign currency resources had almost run out...
- ... They, Seryozha, included me in the list after the literary prize. First they handed out the award, and then they included me in the list.
("Seryozha, you eat, drink ... - whatever you like. Don't worry and don't be shy - the Union pays for everything.")
- Congratulations on your award, Klava! You probably wrote the ambassador's memoirs?
Klavdiy Aleksandrovich waved his hand silently. He took two oranges and placed them on the table in front of himself. Then he kept one orange in front of himself, and rolled off away the other one up to Sergei Nikolaevich.
- Thank you, Klava!
- It was nice to see you, Seryozha. I'll put some cakes in one bag for you and some fruit in the other. Eat them on the way to Anapa. Remember how we courted pretty girls? Those were good times. It's nice to remember! Now the official car will take you to the bus station.
Klavdiy Aleksandrovich walked his old friend to the gate where the official car was parked and returned to the mansion. He took a shower and put on sports clothes.
On the sleeve of his sports jacket, there was a convenient little pocket for the literary card.
Now there will be a short jog, with a brief immersion in the winter sea water, then back: to rest and to reflect on the themes of literary creativity.
In the kitchen, Klavdiy Aleksandrovich glanced at the faucet from which water was dripping.
"It's nice to remember! Those were good times!"
June 11, 2025 04:32
Translation from Russian into English: June 11, 2025 20:50
Владимир Владимирович Залесский ' Литературная карта. Рассказ. '.
{3697. Литературная карта. Рассказ. - 11 июня 2025 г.
MMMDCLXVIII. Literary card. A story. - June 11, 2025.
Vladimir Zalessky Internet-bibliotheca. Интернет-библиотека Владимира Залесского}