"OK，"saidMariannar🚧🕰esignedly，"Youdon’thavetothankme．Youwashmydwearequits．Getupyourdsandwidgooutthereandgathermaterialforyourdreams．"
Afterthesplendidbreakfast，heputonhisnewshirtandshoeswhichhehadretrievedfromthegarbagethedaybefore，ahatlifeingeneralwasfineindeed．Sopushinghiscartinfrontofhim，hewentoutintotheworld．"IwonderwhatI’llfindtodaytoweaveintomydreams”hethought．Everydaywasfreshaohim．Hehadafeelingofexpecy，likeachildgoingtoDis🐼🅏🅤neyrolledaimlesslyaround，assers-byhurryingtowardstheirdestinations．"Whyaretheyinsuchahurry?"hewondered．"Lifeshouldbepcid,tobeenjoyed，notsohurried...”Thedaypassedwithouthisseeinganythingoutoftheordinary．Dimitriwasdisappointed．"Uh-uh，nomaterialformydreamstonight．It’sgettingte．"Justthen，hesawanoldcouplewalkinghand-in-hand，takingtheireveningstroll.Theingtired.theysatontheparkbench．
"Honey”saidtheoldmantohiswife，”😀♽Sonnyboywrotetousyesterday，asking🐎ustogototheirpceforChristmas．He’sagoodboy．"
"Youknow，darling，"hiswifereplied，"notonlyoursooo，hasinvitedusforChristmas．Theyar🄛♸🍍ebothgoodchildren，butwhichpceshouldwegoto?”Simpleasthesewordswere，Dimitricouldseelove，happiranquillityandasenseofprideofhavingmadesomethingoutoftheirlives．Theirlife，theirlovewaslikeabarrelofwine，whichhavingbeenbrewedawholelifetime，wasnowperfedfittodrioodrockstill，deeplyimpressedbytheoldcouplebeforehim．
“Therewassomething🚧🕰worthwhileinthislife☜afterall,”hethought🝀🟔．
DimitriwasavagabondwithmorethaiwasteandtoofarawayfromMarianna’srestauranttogetsomethi，sohedecidedtofindoneofhisnumerousrestingpdturnin．Helookedaround．Thepcewouldbetheabandonedsewer，hedecided．Itwasthehuntinggroundofprostitutes，theirpimps，drugdealersandtheirers．B🝌utthesewerenothingtoDimitri．Whenhecametothesewer，hegathereduphisstybelongingsfromthecartwhichheleftagainstthewall，thenpullingupthelidoftheman-hole，hesteppedgingerlydownthenarrowdder．Hehadn’tusedthispceforafewmonthsnowandwasn’tasfamiliarwithitasheusedtobe．Inthedark，hisfoottouchedsomethingsoftandwarm．Itwasamoaninghumanbody．
Dimitrilithiskeroseoveandsawayounggirl，no🈺o☳lderthanfifteen，curledupinaheapo🀺🁷ntheground，withtearsandnasalmucusalloverherface．Shewasmoaningandshiveringuntrolbly．
"AreyouOK?"heaskedbendingov🚭🖧🕁er🜽🇦her．
"Twenty...twenty...twentydolrs..."shebeggedinahoarseandalmostindistinguishablevoice．Dimitrikhatshemustbeanad👩dientedbyherneedfs．Hesearchedthroughhispockets,foundadolrhereadolrthere,anotherfromhissocks，untilhegotsomethinglikefifteendolrsandgavethemtoher．Thegirl’slusterlesseyeslitupasshegrabbedthemledupthes🝶🏬tepsandsaid，"I’llberightback.”ItwasthenthatDimitrisawshewascrippledandwalked．
Aftershehadl🁉🄁eft，Dimitrispreadouthissleepingbagandpreparedtos🅀leep．Thegirlwasbalessthantenminutes．Shewasnormalnowandwasnolongershivering🛷♚．
"Doyouhaveanymorem🚧🕰oney?Giv🅳ethemtomeandy⛤ouhaveyourwaywithme..．Ihemoney.”
"What’syourname?"
"Shei．"
"Howoldareyou?"
"🅐🅯Idon’tknow．Fiftee🚧🕰ntosixteen，Isuppose．Igrewupinfosterhomes．"Dimitriwaoaskmore，butSheiinterrupted，"D’youhaveanymoremoney？I’llsellyoumybody．Doyouwantme?"
"OfcourseIdo．I’maman．🕁ButIdon’thaveanym☜oremoney”．
Shebowedherheadinsilence．Dimitrilookedather．Shewasiful，butnotpih🐎er，justanaveragegirlindirtybluejeans，T-shirtandajacket．Washedanddressedupshecouldevee．
"Howlonghaveyoubeenatth🖛📖i🝀sbusiness?"
"W🍺🍇hydoyoua🄃🞇sk?Youhavenomoney”．
"WhatIjustgaveyouwasallIhad．Iwasn’twillingtospendito👔🈢⛩nfoodformyself，butIgaveitalltoyoutogetdrugs．"
"I’lldowhat🉢e🁉🄁veryouwis🕁htopayyouback．"
"IneedyoubutIwon’ttakey🖛📖o🝀u."
"Whynot?Aren’tyouaman?Isn’tthatwhatallmen🈺want?"
"IfIhadpickedyouuporeet，Iwouldn’thavehesitated；butasitis，Igaveyouthemoosaveyony．IfItookyounow,Iwouldbeabrutepreyingonyourvulnerabi🖑lities．Shei，therearealotofthiweenamanandawomanbesidessex．Forinstance，love，affe，friendship．．．butbecauseofyoursurroundingandcircumstancesyouwouldn’tuand．"
"That’siing．Ihavebe🕏endoingt🚭🖧🕁hissincemyearlyteens”．