shit. I did not care about her feelings. Did I have any sense of conscience? I was flirting with such women as Nyusya, Lyusya in her sight. I forgot my mother’s lesson: «One apple is enough!». I was not thinking about its meaning. Not even close! I would have to step on toes. And here I ran myself to this point. I lost my dear Polina. Now, it seems, I lost her forever».
…Many years ago, when he was young, after the service in the Navy, brave and handsome Ignat Dyomin worked as a sailor at the fish factory in Vladivostok. He saved a lot of money and became a big fish in a little pond when he returned to Minino. He could not stop looking at himself. Of course! The man any girl would marry. And all hell broke loose. He spoiled so many girls, he besmirched their good name. He could not understand: the path of a bachelor would lead nowhither. And so it happened. The villagers incessantly began to gossip about his «exploits» and indecent behaviour.
– What happened to the guy? He was quiet and hardworking. He dreamed of being a pilot and to make us famous. And what did he do? Oh, if only his father saw this shame! He would beat this shit out of him in public.
But Ignat continued to flit from one bed to another until it was too late. It is pretty easy to lose honour. And it is hard to bring it back. A year later, he turned from eligible bachelor to fast liver and philanderer. He wasted two savings-bank books on entertainment. As the proverb says, a fool and his money are soon parted. He wasted not only his own money but also the father’s inheritance. Suddenly, his friends and girlfriends were gone: he could barely make ends meet. He could not even hope to work on the railway. Only disciplined people were needed there.
Former neighbours were sedate people and sheltered Ignat out of respect for the memory of his parents. Soon, they got tired to open the door for him in the morning.
Once at the breakfast, the hostess began to talk to him about marriage.
– No offense, Ignat. I think you had a long walk. It is time for you to settle down. You need to get your own house and your own family. You are not a boy anymore. If you want to know my opinion, you should take a close look at the grandniece of my husband, Polina Neverova. She is prominent, educated, and unspoiled. She works as a medical assistant in the first-aid post and lives alone. She inherited the house from her grandmother Stepanida, who had recently died of old age. Polina wants to be a doctor.
– What kind of people are… the Neverov family? – Ignat asked with a slight sadness in his voice. The host Mikhail Ivanovich, the cousin of Egor Neverov, replied.
– That is the family of carpenters. They build houses, which are a real pleasure to look at, both on the inside and on the outside. It is a beauty! If you do not want to work on the railway, you can join the brigade of Egor. If you want, you can learn a lot. Skilful hands and diligence will help you make good money. You will get the farm, you will buy the car. You know, good carpenters have always been in high demand. As far as I can see, for the past year you spent the savings for the father’s house in the pub. It is wrong, Ignat.
Mikhail Ivanovich cleared his throat, blushed to sweat and, having soaked the sweaty forehead with the sleeve of his flannel shirt, without finishing his tea went out into the yard.
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