Sunlit oak tree

From the mouth of a miniature girl standing on a small stage, a beautiful and melodious song sounded. For this performance, she chose a cute black evening dress with a simple cut and styled her hair in beautiful waves. She floated across the stage, singing a light Austrian song and tried very hard to smile naturally. The orchestra played to the beat, and the officers could not take their eyes off her. Augustine noticed this: many came here accompanied by other ladies, but all their attention was focused only on her. Under the ton of makeup, he recognized Irene, the same girl from the academy. Augustine looked at the girl with enchanted eyes; all the attention of the audience was focused on her. She sang a simple song, but people liked to listen to her. Augustine, almost without taking his eyes off her, looked at the performance in fascination, sipping wine from a glass. Alexander looked at his friend with a grin, eating snacks and smoking a cigarette; he knew he would like her. He and his friend admired Irene. She, being gifted since childhood, dreamed, of course, about something else, and this was understandable. Irene was always eager to go on stage, and they, as children, performed comic performances many times. But later, something didn’t work out: they wanted to go to the capital together, to conquer the capital’s restaurants, but her parents did not let her go, but instead sent her to a camp, as she said for the last time before leaving. Irene, humming on stage, noticed Augustine sitting with Alex. She barely recognized him without his uniform and cap: during the time they had not seen each other, he had changed, and, looking at them, she almost forgot the words. She kept remembering the days spent in the camp and the moments when she met Augustine. She glanced at him again and immediately turned her attention to the faces of the other spectators. Alexander shook off the ashes, remembering various pictures from his childhood. Irene looked gorgeous today: her black dress suited her very well, her blonde hair shone gold, and a special atmosphere of calm reigned around her. The rest of the evening was very warm. Alexander joked a lot, and Augustine talked about Berlin and his trips. The friends looked at Irene every now and then and interrupted their conversations, but not for long, and returned either to comic arguments or to serious conversations. After she finished singing, she was called onto the stage four more times and presented with bouquets. She fascinated Augustine with the ease and ease with which she accepted compliments. She cut her hair and became completely different — brighter and more open. Having sung the last song and gone backstage, she only then realized how hard she was breathing and how fast her heart was beating. Irene stopped one of the waitresses and asked her to bring her some water. — Tell me, these two sitting at table number 5, have they been here for a long time? The waitress thought about it. “They’ve been sitting since the beginning of the evening,” the girl quickly said and left. Irene smiled and sat down in her chair. So Alex knew where she performed and brought Augustin here, but does he know that they already know each other? Hardly… Or Alex behaved differently. *** “You fell for her,” Alexander said as they approached the house. The dark streets saw them off with barely shining lanterns; it was long past midnight; they were in no hurry. — I? Why did you suddenly decide? — Augustine pretended to be at ease. His drunken eyes looked at the moon. “The fact that I looked at her is not proof that I have a crush on her.” And in general, Alex, you don’t know me too well and how I fall for women. — Have you even fallen for one? — Augustine rolled his eyes. — Okay, you’re right. — Is it true? — the interlocutor glanced sideways when they entered the elevator car together and went up to their floor. — Otherwise, I already thought that I needed to introduce you. “Alex, believe me, I’m cold towards girls, and besides, I have an interview tomorrow.” And then — look at her, she’s unlikely to look at someone like me. Irene… — He broke off, realizing that he had let it slip. — How do you know that her name is Irene? — Alex looked intently at his friend. Augustine was silent. — Augustine, I’ll find out anyway. I’m her childhood friend, just tell me. — We met at the academy. Do you remember that evening when we went to a party, after which we were told off? — Alex couldn’t believe his ears. — Yes, we met there. And that’s why I then went to accompany her to her building. And yes, I just saw her off. — How boring you are! But why didn’t you tell me about this before? — Alex pouted offendedly. — Because there was no reason, besides, how did I know that everything would turn out like this? — Okay, this time I forgive you. “Alex knew how to quickly switch from topic to topic, and Augustine liked that about him. — I’m glad, thank you. — And where will you go? Found one of the advertisements in the newspaper? Augustine shook his head positively. — I’ll try to get a job as a seller of paintings in one gallery, maybe they’ll take me. At least it’s better than sitting on your neck, and have you already thought about work? — Yes, I’ll get a job at an automobile center, but, my friend, know that it’s unprofitable to work in art now, they say everything is a failure and bad. Make sure you don’t have to look for work again soon. — Alexander threw the keys into Augustine’s hands, and he went to check the mailboxes. Augustine opened the apartment and fell on the sofa. He was in a melancholic mood, he wanted to play, sing or draw, he wanted to create, and, getting up, he went to the violin, his favorite instrument, and, picking it up, began to play a melody from his childhood. Alexander stood in the doorway of his room and did not distract him from the game, seeing how enchanted he was playing, drawing images in his mind. Augustine played melodiously, pouring one sound into another, composing a beautiful melody. Alexander turned over the letter addressed to him in his hands. As soon as Augustine finished playing, his friend interrupted him. “It’s a pity to interrupt you, but there’s a letter for you.” — Augustine put down the violin and snatched the letter from his friend’s hands and, quickly opening the envelope, began to read greedily. —Who is the letter for you from? — Alex looked playfully. “From my elder sister,” said the interlocutor, looking up. “I left them in Berlin, I left under pressure and because I was no longer needed by my parents. Apparently something happened, since she wrote to me so soon. — From this sister? — Alexander pointed to the photograph standing on the nightstand, where they were all captured together before Augustine’s departure. — Yes, that’s her. — Augustine looked at his friend carefully — especially at the sparks that ran in his eyes. — It’s clear. Alexander went out to smoke, and Augustine continued to absorb every word his sister wrote. Things were not taking a very good turn, and, looking at his watch and making sure that it was not too late, he went to the telephone and dialed his home phone. Long beeps and telephone operators were useless now. And finally, after several minutes of agonizing waiting, they answered him. — Agnes! — Augustine waited for an answer in a confused voice. — Augustine, why did you call? — Agnes was sleepy. She didn’t expect such a late call. — I just received your letter. What’s wrong with the mother? You wrote some horror things to me. — Well, horrors are not horrors, but mother is playing cards with her neighbor again. — Agnes made her voice quieter so that the younger ones would not hear. — Oh my God, wasn’t it enough for her when she lost? — Augustine rubbed his eyes. Their mother was seriously interested in cards. Last time, around Christmas, she lost several family jewels. — So what this time? “She’s already lost all the money we had, and she’s unlikely to stop.” — Agnes began to sound excited. For all her greed for money, her mother was an avid poker player, and the children knew it. The roots of this misfortune occurred in those ancient times when Hume was born, and even then the mother began to lose. But that time her father harshly besieged her, stopping giving her money altogether. But who knew that after so many years and under such circumstances it would manifest itself again? — I see, what do you have left? Agnes took the money out of the hiding place and began to count. — About thirty marks. Augustine figured that if everything went well tomorrow, they could give him an advance, about fifty marks. — Agnes, listen, maybe you have enough money for a ticket to Munich. I’m getting a job tomorrow, if everything goes well, I can rent an apartment and pick you up. The silence on the other end alarmed him. — Augustine, you haven’t been taken anywhere yet. Why should we go? — the sister insisted, there was logic in her words. And if it had been Agnes’s will, she would have taken off right now. But everything had to be thought through. — Agnes, if her mother loses all the money, she will have nothing to pay the rent with. Today is the fifteenth, isn’t it? — Augustine insisted on his own, and his sister had to give up her position. — Yes, you are right. “The voice stopped shaking, but sounded more like something between a whisper and a nervous hum. “Besides, my father is very ill.” — Agnes, let’s do this: I’ll call you tomorrow, as soon as I get settled. — Okay, then I’ll wait, call around noon. — Agnes said this and hung up, Yum and Yunna sat next to their older sister and looked at her with curious eyes. — Why are you looking at me like that? — Agnes smiled, seeing the children’s sincere interest. — Have you talked to your older brother? — Yes, I talked to him. Yum clapped his hands. — Do you know when he will arrive? “Yunna has been bombarding me with questions all day today. “I think we’ll go see him soon,” she said with intrigue in her voice. — Is it true? And where to? “There was no end to the curiosity of these two.” “I’ll tell you everything tomorrow, go to bed.” — Agnes, taking both of them by the hand, led them to bed. “You always say that and don’t tell me anything,” said Hume offended. “Tomorrow I’ll tell you everything, I promise, but now let’s go to sleep, it’s already late.” “Having laid them down with grief, the girl herself sat down to fall asleep, returning to her place. The girl’s soul was heavy. What Augustine proposed took place, and besides, he was right in some ways, but leaving her parents alone was not unusual for her. Although, looking at her mother playing in the kitchen and her barely alive father, she cast doubt on these thoughts. She was very tired, and besides, it would be better if they were not alone, but with Augustine.