The Power of Time

Миллер Павел

– Go check, maybe he is not sleeping.

Sister entered the room and asked:

– Do you want to eat? You haven’t eaten for the whole day.

– I am not hungry, Irinka.

– I haven’t heard it, let me bring salad and dumplings, I want you to have them!

Ira left the room not wanting to hear any protests. «She is like mom», – thought Max. He only had time to put the book down, when the door was opened again and his friend Roma’s mother Margarita Leonidovna entered the room. Without saying a word, she sat near Maxim and waited for him to open eyes.

– Will Roma comes over today? It is getting late and he is still not here, – Maxim said.

– Oh, I thought you are asleep. Of course he will… As soon as he is free he will come over.

Margarita Leonidovna caressed Maxim’s head, and he caught himself thinking that he liked that:

«Probably I should open eyes otherwise it is awkward…» When he opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful chubby woman in front of him with an interesting sight, strict face expression, blond curly hair. A lot of make up made her look extravagant. Transparent white blouse revealed her pompous bust. Max looked at Margarita Leonidovna and could not take eyes off her, feeling that she enjoys his attention. He was very surprised of the outcome of the evening and didn’t know where else to look at when his sister came in, bringing a chair with the dinner.

– Ok, it is time to eat! I have started tea. Margarita Leonidovna, keep and eye on him please!

– Don’t you worry, – Margarita waited for Itinka to leave and for Max to sit down and get a spoon and then pronounced:

– Maxim, we need to have a serious talk!

«Interesting, what does she want to talk about»? – He thought, but decided to say nothing, just to eat and listen.

– Roma wants to drop out of high school, he says that he is sick and tired of it and wants to transfer to college.

– So what is the problem?

– What is the problem? He only has a year and a half before he finishes high-school, and then he can go to university. What does he need this college for?

– Margarita Leonidovna, I told you last year: Don’t make him start the tenth grade. What for? If he wants to study at college, he should do that. At college he can still take high-school classes, and pass tenth and eleventh grade in one year, and then begin to acquire a desired specialization of chemical technologist. Within two years he can have a diploma in his hands! And transfer to university for the third year! What else to dream about?

Max felt dizziness again, sighted and returned to the cooled off dumplings.

– I don’t understand why he doesn’t like high-school so much? Why doesn’t he want to get education?

– He does not want to waste time: right now he could be finishing a tenth grade, and by summer – eleventh grade, right? If he drops out of school now, he would waste a whole year. Next year you will be more then happy to see him study in college, and he will go there – but will drop out of it as well: for another year he would have to go through the same easy and annoying school program that he is sick of. Do you see the result of your actions now? – chewing the last dumpling, Maxim replied. – And now you ask me if I can help you. How? Yes, I can talk to him but it is not going to change the situation? We can’t turn back the time, you can’t make him go to school and exactly in a year he will drop out of college. And then you will remember the conversation we are having now. Am I right?

– So what should we do Maximochka? I have no idea how to talk to him and what to talk about. He does not want to listen to me at all, can you understand that?

– I know, but you should have thought about that before. What can we change now? We can’t change him. Whatever he decides, this is what he will do.

Margarita Leonidovna burst in tears, waited for the tear to run down the cheek, and only then wiped it off, trying not to smudge mascara off. She was quite (what else could she do?) and did not even noticed Max’s sister coming in, brining the cake and taking away salad and dumplings plates.

– Maxim, please, try to think of other ideas!

– There is no need to cry: since I promised you, I would try again. But you have to remember that Roma will take his own decision. I know him well and already informed you of how I see the situation develop. Our conversation won’t change things much.

Doors of the room opened and leaded by his mom a crowd of guests came in. Taking Margarita Leonidovna by hand, she said:

– Rita, let’s go dancing; we have been waiting for you for ages… What is wrong? – She saw Margarita’s tears. – Maxim! What did you do again?

– I didn’t have enough time – you interrupted me, – Max said bitterly and turned away from the leisured crowd (he could not find another word for them). He became infuriated by the dialog, closed his eyes and waited for everyone to leave.

– I’ll be back in a second! I need to finish a talk with Maxim! Can you please leave the room!

However, no one left. Then Margarita Leonidovna left the room herself and everyone, except Max’s mom, followed her.

– Hey, it is ok son! Did you get dinner?

– Yes, mom, everything is fine, don’t worry. I feel good.

– Get some sleep, you are very weak…

Falling asleep, Max felt that someone sat on the bed and hugged him. He figured that it was Margarita Leonidovna again and wanted to say something, but energies were gone…

Maxim saw another dream about his favorite teacher. However, this dream was strange: he could not see her face but was able to feel and understand that something is worrying her. He saw the teacher on the passenger sit of a car and at the steering wheel – a person who looked extremely familiar, but could not recognize him. Maxim felt how something very crucial was taking place. The car is speeding, situation is getting dangerous… Tossing and turning, he was exhausted from his debility. He made an effort to perceive the essence of the problem again, but failed.

«Probably, it is too early», – he thought and at the very next moment he could clearly see how cars crashed. All covered with sweat, forgetting about broken foot, Max sat on the bed abruptly causing himself severe pain. For a couple of minutes, he kept on sitting on the bed, relaxing a foot and waiting for the pain to calm down.

– Hey! Did you get rest? – Maxim heard Roman’s voice but instead of turning to him he just asked:

– Do you have an idea why I keep seeing an empty baby crib near the house porch?

– I have absolutely no idea how to explain that!

«More then likely those dreams are connected, the key is to understand them completely», – Maxim thought.

– Roma, have you been to school yesterday?

– Yes, Svetlana Victorovna took a sick leave.

– Recently? – Maxim felt tingling in his body.