"No，thankyou，ma’am．Th🂈anksfortheoffer，butI’musedtoithere．Tomethemostimp🂸ortantthingistokeepupmyvitality．Thankstoyou，Ihaveenoughfoodtosustainmyphysicalhealthandkeepupmybrainactivities．Therestissuperfluousandmeannothingtome．"
"OK，"saidMariannaresignedly，"Youdon’thavetothankme．Youwashmydwearequits．Getupyourdsandwidgoou🆋tthereandgathermaterialforyourdreams🙔．"
Afterthesplendidbreakfast，heputonhisnewshirtandshoeswhichhehadretrievedfromthegarbagethedaybefore，ahatlifeingeneralwasfineindeed．Sopushinghiscartinfrontofhim，hewentoutintotheworld．"IwonderwhatI’llfindtodaytoweaveintomydreams”hethought．Everydaywasfreshaohim．Hehadafeelingofexpecy，likeachildgoingtoDisneyrolledaimlesslyaround，assers-🛺♶byhurryingtowardstheirdestinations．"Whyaretheyinsuchahurry?"hewondered．"Lifeshouldbepcid,tobeenjoyed，notsohurried...”Thedaypassedwithouthisseeinganythingoutoftheordinary．Dimitriwasdisappointed．"Uh-uh，nomaterialformydreamstonight．It’sgettingte．"Justthen，hesawanoldcouplewalkinghand-in-hand，takingtheireveningstroll.Theingtired.theysatontheparkbench．
"Honey”saidtheoldmantohiswife，”Sonnyboywro🞻tetousyesterday，askingustogototheirpceforChristmas．🆋He’sagoodboy．"
"Youknow，darling，"hiswifereplied，"notonlyoursooo，hasinvitedusforChristmas．Theyareb🝐🐍othgoodchildren，butwhichpceshouldwegoto?”Simpleasthesewordswere，Dimitricouldseelove，happiranquillityandasenseofprideofhavingmadesomethingoutoftheirlives．Theirlife，theirlovewaslikeabarrelofwine，whichhavingbeenbrewedawholelifetime，wasnowperfedfittodrioodrockstill，deeplyimpressedbytheoldcouplebeforehim．
“Therewa⛸🟌ssomethingworthwh🔯🄇🞫ileinthislifeafterall,”hethought．
DimitriwasavagabondwithmorethaiwasteandtoofarawayfromMarianna’srestauranttogetsomethi，sohedecidedtofindoneofhisnumerousrestingpdturnin．Helookedaround．Thepcewouldbetheabandonedsewer，hedecided．Itwasthehuntinggroundofprostitutes，theirpimps，drugdealersandtheirers．ButthesewerenothingtoDimitri．Whenhecametothesewer，hegathereduphisstybelongingsfromthecartwhichheleftagainstthewall，thenpullingupthelidoftheman-hole，hesteppedgingerlydownthenarrowdder．Hehadn’tusedthispcefora🙕fewmonthsnowandwasn’tasfamiliarwithitasheusedtobe．Inthedark，hisfoottouchedsomethingsoftandwarm．Itwasamoaninghumanbody．
Dimitrilithiskeroseoveandsawayounggirl，noolderthanfifteen，curledupinaheapontheground，withtearsandnasalmucusalloverherface．🔬🃬🚹Shewasmoaningandshiveringuntrolbly．
"A🍖🟠reyouOK?"hea☸🄇🞨skedbendingoverher．
"💓Twenty...twenty...twentydolrs..."shebeggedinahoarseandalmostindistinguishablevoice．Dimitrikhatshemustbeanaddientedbyherneedfs．Hesearchedthroughhispockets,foundadolrhereadolrthere,anotherfromhissocks，untilhegotsomethinglikefifteendolrsandgavethemtoher．Thegirl’slusterlesseyeslitupasshegrabbedthemledupthestepsandsaid，"I’llberightback.”ItwasthenthatDimitrisawshewascrippledandwalked．
Aftersheh🅧adleft，Dimitrispreadouthissleepingbagandpreparedtosleep．The🄥girlwasbalessthantenminutes．Shewasnormalnowandwasnolongershivering．
"Doyouhaveanymorem🛋🚶🗺oney?Givethemtomeandyouh🞻aveyourwaywithme..．Ih🕞📠emoney.”
"What’syourname?"
"Shei．"
"Howoldareyou?"
"Idon’tknow．Fifteentosixteen，Isuppose．Igrewupinfosterhomes．"Dimitriwaoaskmore🍏🖡，butSheiinterrupted，"D’youhaveanymoremoney？I’llsellyoumybody．Doyouwantme?"
"OfcourseIdo．I’maman．ButIdon’th🄳🁥🇹aveanymoremoney”．
Shebowedherheadinsil👰🌞ence．Dimit🗅🙑rilookedather．Shewasiful，butnotpiher，justanaveragegirlindirtybluejeans，T-shirtand🗙⚥ajacket．Washedanddressedupshecouldevee．
"Howlo☢🁆nghaveyoubeena👰🌞tthisbusiness?"
"Whydoyouask?Youhavenomoney⛗”．
"WhatIjustgaveyouwasallIh🔯🄇🞫ad．Iw🗅🙑asn’twillingtospenditonfoodformyself，butIgaveitalltoyoutogetdrugs．"
"I’lldowhateveryo🜏🁈uwishtopayyou🗅🙑ba🗍🚒💸ck．"
"💓IneedyoubutIw☸🄇🞨on’t🛋🚶🗺takeyou."
"Whynot🐏⚠?Aren’tyouaman?Isn’tthatwhatallmenwant?"