Sunlit oak tree

1928 Shady trees provided coolness on hot days. The view from the windows looked out onto their crowns, in the thorny branches of which birds sang melodiously, jumping from branch to branch. — Do you know where you will go now? — Alexander was packing his suitcase. “Hardly,” said Augustine, shaking his head. — I can’t even imagine. I’ll probably go home, at least check on my sisters and brother — they’re probably waiting for me. And then I don’t know. And you? Will you go home or stay in Frankfurt? — Don’t know. I’m unlikely to go home — maybe I’ll take a vacation and get settled later. No one is waiting for me at home anyway, but spending money… No way. You can come if you want, I’ll probably be in Munich. So I think that in any case I will be glad to see you. They shook hands and went their separate ways. Augustine sat a little longer and stood up — the room should have been vacated for the new owners. Walking through the city streets in a brand new uniform, Augustine was embarrassed by the excessive female attention from his peers. He quickly turned down the street where his house was located, and on the third floor he saw an open window, from which came the joyful cry of Agnes. Augustine approached the house and, quickly going inside, climbed the stairs to the floor. Calling the apartment, he waited for a long time — it seemed to him like an eternity — suddenly the doors opened and he saw his mother. Still the same one standing on the threshold. A little grey-haired, but still the same. “Hello,” Augustine said barely audibly. “Come in,” she said coldly. He immediately understood that she had not expected to see him and had probably already said goodbye to him. As soon as Augustine crossed the threshold of the apartment, his older sister rushed to him. — Brother! You’re back! — She said, hugging him. — Of course, how could I not return? You have grown up during this time. Agnes pulled away from her brother, spinning around in front of him and showing him her new dress. “Brother…” He will hear Yume’s voice from a thousand. Yum came running and also hugged his brother. “You’ve grown a lot too,” Augustine said, patting him on the head. — Soon I will become like you — as strong! The last person he greeted was Yunna, the youngest. She was just a baby before he left, but now she was able to talk to her brother. The father, still sitting in front of the window, did not react in any way to Augustine’s return, nor did the mother, in whose eyes one could read more compliance and politeness than joy. Only his brother and sisters were really happy, surrounded him on all sides and asked him to talk about his life at school. In the evening, Augustine went out for a walk around the city and went to a small bar where all the young men of his age gathered. He didn’t like places like this, but there was nowhere to go. He sat in the corner and looked at the stage on which a young girl sang with a wonderful voice. Augustine ordered whiskey with the last money he had and smoked. A sad picture was painted in his drunken thoughts. Hardly anyone is waiting for him at home, but where is he now? The mother clearly thought that he would stay there forever and counted on it, but she did not expect to see him on the threshold of her own house. There were no prospects, he had no practical education, and now the road would only be paved for him into politics. He was fiddling with a cigarette in his hands—Victor had taught him to smoke when he was fourteen. Victor, being an adult, as he considered himself, gave him a try. Augustine loved spending time with him. I wonder how he is? Although it is unlikely that Victor no longer misses Augustine. He returned home only in the morning, a little drunk and hungry. Agnes opened the door for him. “Good morning,” he said out of surprise. — Is mother still sleeping? — No, she is taking care of her father, and Yum and Yuna are on me. Come on in, will you eat? — No. I came to pack my things. — Agnes, walking along the corridor to the kitchen, put the kettle on. Augustine followed her. — Are you going? — Hume, who was sitting and eating porridge, said this with some degree of disappointment. The house was stuffy. The radio was playing in the corner, Yuna was sitting and eating porridge, just like Yum, but she did it reluctantly. Agnes constantly had to make sure that she was eating and not spitting the porridge back into the plate. “I’ll visit you, don’t worry,” he said. Agnes poured coffee for Augustine and sat down opposite him. — Did your mother kick you out? Yum and Yuna had already finished breakfast and went to school. Augustine shrugged. — Why did you suddenly decide that? “You were the same when you left for the academy.” — Agnes looked straight at her. She could not be deceived and could not be made to believe in something that was not there — that was all his sister was all about. — Agnes, I wouldn’t last long here anyway. I’ll find a job and rent an apartment. Well, understand, she will strangle me, she doesn’t need us, she needs the money that she lost when she went to prison, and her old life, which she also cannot get back. — Augustine tried to speak smoothly and softly, but he didn’t succeed. — Will you go to these people from the party? — Agnes was not a supporter of the party, and Augustine knew it. She was the first to oppose him going to school. — Where to go? Good money is only there. Moreover, I would not say that in the current situation there are many options or that my future is in my hands. It was partly predetermined when my mother sent me to this school. Maybe I’ll get a job somewhere else. “I’ll go there soon too.” — Agnes began to remove the plates and wash them in the sink. — When Yum and Yunna grow up. — Will you have time to buy groceries with the money you have now? — Augustine glanced sideways at the money lying on the table. — Yes, of course I can do it. Augustine got up and went to his room, where, taking out a suitcase, he began to collect the remains of his things, easels and books. All his things easily fit into just two suitcases. Augustine literally jumped out of the house as if scalded by fire and quickly walked to the first telephone booth. Yes, you still need to accept that now it is not needed there, at least in the form in which it appears on its own. Standing still and not knowing where to go, he wandered around the streets in the hope that he would find a free phone, and finally found it closer to the center. Standing at the telephone booth, Augustine hesitated, wondering who he could turn to for help. Wilhelm and Anna? No, they already did too much for him. He is already a grown man. To stand on the threshold again in front of Wilhelm, who was his main life authority, would be shameful. Sighing heavily, Augustine dialed the number of Alexander, his former classmate. The telephone operator redirected him to Munich. The beeps continued along the telephone wire for a long time, Augustine had already lost hope of an answer, but at the last moment Alexander picked up the phone. — Hello? Augustine gathered his courage: Alexander was not more than a friend to him, but he was at least someone compared to his parents. It is better to try to find shelter with him than to return there. Agnes could have stayed there for some more time in her parents' house, but not him. — Hello, this is Augustine. — Augustine? I didn’t know you would call so soon, what happened? — The voice on the other end of the line was surprised and interested. — I wanted to come to you. You do not mind? — Alexander was somewhat confused, he sighed. “No, of course not…” he answered, hardly with joy. — Come. — Thank you. Then wait, I’ll come tomorrow morning. Augustine thanked him again and, hanging up, took his suitcases and bought the last train ticket. We had to travel at night, but this could hardly be called something bad. He will have time to think — to think about everything that has happened and will happen in his life. He walked away from the center and, looking around, tried to make out the roof of the house where Agnes, Yum and Yunna remained to live, wanting to take them away from their cold parents. *** The early train arriving in the city gathered many people on the platform in front of it. Opening his eyes and stretching his shoulders, Augustine, still sitting in the carriage, looked out for Alex and saw him — he was standing at the end of the crowd among the old men. His red hair was hard to miss. Augustine came out, barely squeezing through the crowd. He exhaled and immediately saw his comrade. He was already waving at him, approaching him and helping him leave the station. Alex, judging by the jumping sparkles in his eyes, was glad to see him, and that’s true. — Good morning. — Alexander was in a playful mood. Shaking his hand, Augustine placed one of the suitcases on the floor. — Kind. Are you glad I came? Sorry again for such a sudden visit. — Alexander waved it off and took one of the two suitcases. They walked around the city and soon boarded a tram. Walking past the young girls, Alex talked about all sorts of nonsense and everything else. — Never mind. I think you and I will get along, besides, I rented an apartment that once belonged to my parents — it will be easier and more fun to live together. Have you already got a job somewhere? — Augustine shook his head. “Okay, you’ll tell me everything at breakfast.” Driving through the streets and looking at people, Augustine felt better than at home and calmer, although concern for Agnes and the younger ones remained. — It’s beautiful here. — Augustine noticed the architecture and the inhabitants of the city themselves. “We are no more beautiful than yours in the capital.” They went out and, crossing the road, found themselves in one of the small establishments, where people were already sitting on the terrace, drinking their morning coffee. Alex looked at the waitresses, and Augustine kept pushing him on the shoulder so that he would delve into the essence of the matter, joking that he could concentrate at least out of respect. Alex said that he could join too. Laughing, the friend still asked a question: — Well, tell me, why did you come? Isn’t it just like that? — Alexander stopped the smiling waitress and, flirting with her, ordered coffee; the girl melted under his gaze. — And you, it turns out, are still that seducer. — Augustine made fun of his friend. “The waitresses here are too pretty, I can’t resist.” But there is one girl here, a singer. Performing in an expensive restaurant — I think you’ll like her. How long are you here for? — Alexander looked with intrigue. Augustine rolled his eyes. How can he talk about how long he arrived? But Alexander was right — he clearly did not stay here for a week. — Yes, I came because I didn’t want to live in the capital. You know, I don’t have any friends there. So I think yes, I’m here for a long time. Besides, away from my parents. — Is there really not one? — the interlocutor said indignantly, pushing a mug of coffee towards him. Augustine, taking a sip, confirmed his words. — Well, in any case, we have something to do here. Maybe you’ll return to your office as an officer. “Alex obviously applied for military service, but Augustine immediately dismissed this idea. Anywhere, but he won’t go to war. “Yes, there is such a situation that I think I need to quickly get money, come to my sisters and brother and pick them up from home,” Augustine tried to smooth out the corners, without going into details. Alex didn’t need to know everything. — Is everything that bad? — Augustine hesitated; Alex, looking straight into his soul, felt Augustine’s hesitation, and for a minute or two silence hung between them. — Better not ask. — So everything is very bad. “Okay, yes,” Augustine gave in. — You’re right, everything is very bad. I had to leave home because no one was waiting for me there, and now I need to drag my younger sisters and brother away from my parents. — Alex whistled, thinking about something. — Augustine, first of all you need to think about yourself. Don’t try to save everyone at the cost of yourself, everyone will eventually go down. I’m sure your sister is really smart and can think for herself. Besides, how old is she and your youngest? — Agnes is fourteen, Yuma is ten, Yunna is seven. “Not bad, then will you introduce me to her?” — Alex turned their conversation into a joke, Augustine began to protest and repeat that she was still too young for people like his friend. At this point the conversation was over, and after drinking coffee, Alexander led him into the apartment. It was located in a good area and cost a good amount, Alexander himself was poor, but after his father’s death he got the apartment, which was great. After much obsessive persuasion from his friend, Augustine went with him to a restaurant where that girl singer was performing.