He’d been a heavy drinker, like a watery-eyed toper with an empty look; his face was all grey. Shabbily dressed, always poorly shaven and stooping, he was. And nobody knew whether it had been just for today or had lasted for a couple of days; clearly, it had been going on for a bit already.

Early every morning, he was sticking around the liquor store next to the roadway, driven by a burning desire to get some booze. He tried begging passersby for coins, but just a few gave him money. Hence, it was a matter of hours, long and tiring, to get some.

Daytime was usually a time he had no memory of. By nightfall, having sobered up a little, he would be hanging around the liquor store door again. And the next day found him back here, in growing fear that he wouldn’t have enough time to beg for the money he needed before the store closed—knowing it would be very hard for him to fall asleep without alcohol.”

He didn’t remember that goddamn night at all until… until it started getting light—the morning had come, but there was no sunlight in his heart today.

Looking for something to drink, he felt relieved and happy—he’d managed to get it again. But he had more than enough alcohol to make it impossible to recall the daylight in just a short while.

Next came the evening.

Soon, a terrible night pressed heavily down on his mind.

. . .

A gloomy morning felt like a small lifeline after the last night’s horrible darkness.

Then the dusky evening finally covered everything around for the umpteenth time. It was nightfall again.

An endless, deep night slowly yet heavily began to engulf his life. The oppressive pitch blackness settled within his soul, depressing and destroying, crushing him entirely and hard.

Today.

In the morning, it was all gloomy around. And it was all going to repeat today, just as the previous ones had passed.

He woke up to the sound of a horrible ringing inside his head. It felt like a heavy hammer pounding and pressing out a ghastly echo—such a wild hangover!

He barely got to his feet. Running his hand over the stubble, he reached for the dirty shirt. The long-unwashed rag hit his nose with a foul smell, yet he put it on.

In a flash, the darkness came over his mind again as well as all across his life. There was no going back for him, so half an hour later, he was hanging around outside the liquor store by the road yet again.

The weather was lousy: windy, cold, and wet. He seemed to be waiting for hell to freeze over; he was growing more stooped with every slowly passing minute.

“Hey-yo, spare some change?”
“…!”

“Excuse me, Miss! Maybe you got some change?”
“…”

“What about you, Mister?”
“…”

“Hey, sis, got some spare change?”
“…”
“Oh, thank you, ma’am. God bless you!”

“Got any loose change, sir?”
“…”
‘’God bless your soul.’’

“Hey guys, you got any loose cash? Quite a bit.”
“…!”
“What? Oh, no need to be so rude, guys.”
“Well, man, we’re wrong. Fancy a drink?”
“Yeah.”
“Here you go, man. Take some.”
“Oh yeah, thank you, thank you all! Can’t even express how much this means to me now. God bless you, guys!”

“I beg your pardon, ma’am, could you please…?”
”…!”
“Oh… Why are you so mad at me? I didn’t say anything mean. Can’t I just ask you, yeah? Ok, ok, you want me to shut up? Fine, I did.”

After a while, his downcast gaze fell on a young lady walking by with a lovely child.

“Mom, why is this man addressing everyone around? What’s he asking for?”
“Come on, baby, let’s go.”
“No, Mom, he’s begging! He wants money. We should give him some. I feel sorry for him.”
“Let’s just go, sweetie, come away.”
“No, we can’t! He’s hungry!”
“Sweetie, he’s not that hungry.”
“Then what does he really want?”

There were only a few minutes left before the store closed. He was still a little short on money to buy alcohol.

The weather became much more miserable–filthy, cold, and wet. He looked very worried that there wouldn’t be enough time to collect the money he needed. He asked everyone, ignoring all the insults he received in return.

At that moment, he felt no self-pity, only deep contempt for himself. But for the time being, he wasn’t the least bit concerned by this. Only the nervous countdown of the evaporating minutes before the store closed was hitting him, hurting like a jackhammer. A terrible shiver surged severely through from head to toe, shaking him all over.

His poor clothes did not match the bad weather; it was more likely he’d get sick tomorrow. But he didn’t give a damn about it. There was still a little time, so he had a chance. And on top of that, on this chilly night, there wasn’t a single drunkard around he knew.

The bright taillights of passing cars grimaced in the darkness, twisting and deforming as though mocking the drunken man who still stood next to the small store.

The first driver wildly honked at the second car in front, while the third, furious, loudly cursed both of them, rolling down the window and sticking out half of his body.

The last driver was itching for a fight, but right at this second, a big black SUV suddenly pulled up from behind, demanding everyone get the hell out of the way.

Getting a clear roadbed, the SUV sped off in a second. But moments later, the big car stood rooted again, giving out a wild screech of tires. Right after, the bright brake lights switched to the white of reversing, and the heavy off-road vehicle backed up with decision.

Obviously, the owner of the cool wheels must have spotted the man near the liquor store and hit the brakes hard. So, the SUV quickly backed up and parked.

A young man climbed out and looked across the narrow street. He was good to look at, and undoubtedly had plenty of money. A strong jaw, muscles, he’s got a sharp eye—a very willful guy.

For now, though, he didn’t go to the store. Instead, he quickly walked over to the drunkard, stood opposite him, and stared hard.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

The man, who was clearly drunk, began to fumble, moving his hands, taking his eyes off, then quickly bringing them back.

“What does he want?” he thought. “Why is he staring at me this way? Maybe I should try asking him for cash? Just some money? But guys like him never have small change; they deal with real money, I know that.”

“Sorry… do I know you?”
“…”
“Have we ever met before?”
“Not very likely.”
“…?”
“Wanna get a drink?”
“That would be nice.”
“Short of money?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“And short of sense?”
“I’m afraid so.”

For some reason, the stranger seemed a little stressed and on edge. Luckily, the drunken man was not the cause of his nervousness.

The SUV’s owner slightly raised his left hand, glanced at his gold watch, then looked up at the shop sign above.

“It’s gonna close in a moment or two.”
“Uh-huh,” a look of great unhappiness crossed the pale face of the drunk.
“Well, that’s it, it’s over. No more booze.”
“Damn it!..”
“Nothing to drink tonight?”
“You’re happy, aren’t you?”
“Ready to stay here all night?”
“I am.”
“The weather’s really shit!”
“Don’t give a shit!”
“No drinking tonight—that’s really a nightmare, right?”
“Like hell. Nobody should have to endure this.”
“Do things differently. It can be otherwise.”
“It can’t be otherwise,” said the drunk. “Hey, man… sorry, but… I see you’re serious, but… please, don’t start lecturing me!”

The stranger looked around, shrugged his shoulders with indifference, and was ready to turn away and leave this damn spot. But at that moment, the front passenger door of the SUV opened.

A young lady stepped out of the car, watching them from across the road. She was nice, but not dressed for the bad weather.

She walked over to her man, wanting to know who this stranger was. Obviously, he knew this drunken man quite well. Or maybe he didn’t? Then why was he staring at him like that? Why didn’t even the cold, biting wind make him leave? Sure enough, they definitely looked familiar, she thought.

Her man wanted her to quickly get back into the car—she could catch a cold out here. His voice was caring yet insistent at the same time. The young lady agreed and, feeling that she was really starting to freeze, headed back to the car.

“Alena, make it warmer inside!” he yelled after her, shivering a little himself and pulling up his collar against the cold.

He stared again at the unhappy man, who now had a downcast look and was shaking violently from both the cold and the hangover.

“Really not good for you at all?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” the drunken man barely heard himself say.
“Well, stick around!”
“What?”
“Hang on a sec!”

He quickly moved next to the locked store door and started drumming on it. A few seconds later, the night watchman opened the door, looking displeased, though he wasn’t about to get mad.

“Hi! We need something to drink, man!”
“But, I…”
“Here you go. And a pack of cigs, please!”
“Gladly, guys, but I can’t!”
“No, you can, I do believe. Here, take more, man!”
“But…”
“Hold on, here’s some more cash. Take it, and give us something to drink. Please, don’t make two very nice gentlemen wait outside too long. Filthy weather, as you see. Come on, man, hurry!”
“Ok, I’ll try, but no promises,” the watchman answered in confusion.

A few minutes passed, and they got their drinks.

“Thanks for helping out! Well, so long, old man!”

“Hey, what you’re looking at me like that?” now he said to a drunken. “The cigs, take it and light up!”
“Wanna say thank you, but…”
“And maybe you’re gonna give me all your cash?” The young man smiled.
“What? Oh, yeah, sure, here you go, man!”
“Hey, pal, I’m just kidding. You’ll need it tomorrow for the next bottle.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
“Yeah, sad to say, I think I’m right. And about your life I’m right, too.”
“…?”
“OK, let’s go!”
“Where? Why the hell I got to drag myself anywhere else now?”
“Into my car. Go, go before the cold kills us!”
“No.”
“Come on, man! It’s pretty warm in there. Then I’ll drive you home.”
“No need, thanks.”
“Go! As I see, you’re not very stupid. Come on!”

Well, the cold isn’t a friend; a hangover is an enemy to men, after all; and there’s a wild chill to boot–so he had to agree.

Alena climbed into the back seat. She had no doubt left that these two men were well acquainted.

Dmitry got behind the wheel, while Viktor carefully took a seat on the right. No one knew if Dmitry was Alena’s husband or just her boyfriend. But it didn’t matter, because they were really a handsome couple, pretty nice to look at.

“Hey pal, you got a name?” asked the owner of the luxury vehicle, turning up the heat and still shivering a bit from the cold outside.

“Vik… Viktor,” he said, raising his knees slightly and leaning forward to get closer to the warm air blowing from below. His voice trembled as the chill inside his body didn’t go away.

“So you aren’t acquainted after all?” a woman’s surprised voice came from behind, but for a moment, no one answered her.

“Hm, I don’t even know who to thank,” Viktor said quietly. “I’m gonna be here with you for a while, OK? Just a couple of minutes, and I’ll leave.”
“No, don’t do that! Stay here and keep warm. My name’s Dmitry.”

Then he turned back and gently said to his woman:

“Alena, please, my angel, can you pass me the solo cups? They’re somewhere near the bar. Got a light.”
“Oh, having trouble finding ’em. Maybe… Well, I got ’em. Here you go.”
“Thank you, my dear. And that’s for you, Viktor. Please, help yourself.”

This young lady looked like a regular visitor to a beauty salon, but at the same time, she didn’t seem dull or like a bimbo. She had a lovely voice, was clearly well-educated, and had an intelligent and piercing gaze.

The top of the bottle flew off, and Dmitry poured some into a cup and handed it to Viktor, who was still shaking a little.

Viktor drank it in one go and kept eagerly watching the bottle.

“You wanna get more?” Dmitry asked.
“Can I?”
“Sure, feel free.”

“Go ahead, please, help yourself to eat,” a gentle voice came from behind, and her hand appeared between the backs of the front seats. The drunken man’s eyes fell on the handsome watch on her slender wrist. A small diamond ring glittered on her finger.

“Rich folks,” Viktor thought. “But who are they? Hm…”
“What?” Dmitry asked.

Viktor stayed quiet, eager for another drink. Then he allowed himself a grin.

“What?” Dmitry asked again. “What are you staring at? Oh, got it. You’re thinking that one day you had a nice woman too, right?”
“One day. It was a fine day. Hey, listen, come on… for God’s sake…”
“Yes, sure, have a bottle!” Dmitry seemed to have just woken up from his own terrible dream.

“And you really need something to eat, please.”

Both men in the front heard the pleasant voice coming from behind again.

“Hm, that’s too good to be true,” Viktor thought, though didn’t he say it aloud.

Alena was not a big fan of drinking men, but she clearly respected her own. And if he was doing this, it meant he had a good reason. So, the unknown man must be a good one, too.

“Thanks… Well, I’m outta here now, OK? Thank you both.”
“Hey, hold on a sec! Where’s your place? Around here? No? We’re gonna drive you home.”
“You don’t have to. I’ll make my own way back.”
“Give me the address,” Dmitry said in a firm voice, and Viktor gave it.

They arrived at an old five-story building with a black hole of an entrance and a rattling, sagging door. Viktor sincerely thanked them once more and was about to leave, but Dmitry called out to him again. Then he turned back to Alena.

“Honey, please, get behind the wheel.”
“Dima, are you sure you’re doing the right thing?”
“Wait for about twenty minutes. If I don’t come back, you gotta head home. Hey, honey, don’t get down about it! I’ll call a taxi.”

While Alena was not sure what to do, Dmitry turned to Viktor again.

“How about inviting me up? Just for a minute. For tea, ok?”
“So, hm… I’d like to, but my dump is roach-filled.”
“I think it’s just your head that’s packed with roaches.
Let’s go!”
“‘fraid so. Well, suit yourself.”

“Dima!..”
“Lina, I’ll give you a call a bit later. Stay locked inside, please, keep the engine running. And don’t leave the car, ok? I’m just gonna catchi up for a while with my old buddy, and get back soon. Don’t worry, cutie.”
“So you’ve met, haven’t you?”
“We’ve all… met… somewhere in the past, my dear.”

After a while, the two men disappeared into the black hole that supposedly served as the emergency exit of the building’s entryway.

“Good God, Dima! What the heck just happened?” Alena’s voice came out loud as she sat like a child behind the wheel of the monster vehicle.

They stepped inside. Dmitry looked around, stunned, then said:

“Oh, it’s kind of like a doghouse, if you don’t mind my saying. Sorry for the bluntness.”
“Sorry about the mess. Watch your step.” Viktor said.

The faded, dingy old floor was badly scratched and splintered, so Dmitry stumbled and was about to fall. Then he looked up and saw a flap of wallpaper hanging down in an arc from the top of the wall.

Shaking his head sadly and stepping carefully, Dmitry ducked to make his way further inside.

“Hey, I think your life, shrink, hasn’t always been royal either, right?” Viktor asked.
“Yes, also seen my share. I had a bit of that.”

A few quiet minutes passed, and Viktor said:

“I can make you a cup of tea. Or something a bit stronger?”
“What? Oh, no, thanks. Come on, let’s warm up with some tea, and I wanna get a little air, ok?”

Viktor stood thinking, then said:

“I wanna ask you something.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Do you really know me? Have we met one day? Or maybe my mind’s already sunk in bottles?”
“We’ve all met one day, pal. Once or twice. It’s been too long to remember.”
“Whoa, looks like I’ve been drinking too much if I can’t recall.”
“Too, too much—you’re right.”
“Hah, then cheerio, guy!” Viktor raised his glass.
“What?”
“God bless you! And… sorry for my… my memory lapse. I don’t remember seeing you before.”
“That’s all right. Way to go! Cheerio!” said Dmitry, and Viktor took two swigs straight from the bottle. “Oh, great! Ah!.. Very good!”

Viktor wiped his mouth on his sleeve. With a grin, he downed the glass he had just poured. Then he said:
“Light up if you want to.”
“No, thanks.”
“Smoking isn’t strictly prohibited here,” Viktor joked.
“Better let’s go outside to smoke. I promised Alena not to do it indoors—neither at home nor in the car. Just in the kitchen sometimes.”
“But it’s my home.”
“What difference does it make?”
“OK, then God bless you! Cheerio!”
“Wow, you’re pretty cool! Half a bottle’s gone in no time!”

Dmitry looked around once again. Sure, there were no cockroaches in sight, but it had been a while since it was clean up here. However, if someone took a closer look, it wouldn’t be hard to spot that everything in this apartment was once well-equipped and expensively furnished. But today it all appeared shabby, poor, and a bit hideous.

The silence lasted for a bit. Dmitry was about to leave. He didn’t understand what all these things he was doing were for. Where the hell was this all going? But suddenly, Viktor started to get dressed quickly. His clothes were very worn.

Soon they were downstairs on the first floor, but didn’t go outside. Dmitry found the emergency exit and looked at the door of the fire escape.

“Come here, if this one’s open.”
“Always open,” Viktor chuckled.

Dmitry knew that Alena was most likely still waiting for him in the car, and he didn’t want her to see them going outside. It would be much better if she drove back home.

There was a wasteland behind the building where everything looked completely lifeless tonight. Viktor took a few more gulps from the bottle to keep himself warm.

“Oh, what can’t be denied is that you’re really cool in this way!”

Dmitry allowed himself a little grin. He lit a cigarette and blew out a long wisp of bitter smoke into the cold air.

“Hey, man, you always have a drink just for yourself? Share some with me.”
“Always better to have it. Here, take it.”
“Oh yeah, it can’t be any other way.”

Dmitry took a sip, swished it around in his mouth, and spat it out.

“Damn it, man! Always hated vodka! But I drank it, too.”
“Long ago?”
“Once upon a… And in no small amounts. Hey, Viktor, one question, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, go ahead.”

“There, in the car, you mentioned a woman in passing. From your past, right? Sorry, if I said anything inappropriate.”
“And…?”
“In my past… I’ve got a lot of things in the past too—right and wrong, good and bad, nice women and damn vodka! You’re getting to know me now? Don’t recognize me?”
“Nope,” said Viktor faintly.
“Really?”
“Oh, heck no!” came his choked voice.

Viktor drinks a lot, but he still has strength of character. And he would have been more than happy to send this tough guy to hell right now, as long as he was not in the way of drinking, smoking, and inhaling the night’s inhospitable but refreshing dampness. Because he wanted to keep drinking, thinking, remembering something long gone, and drinking more.

He even wanted to feel so beat, dead tired, and then return to his stifling, musty lair, just to collapse and fall asleep, watching nothing real—only torn pieces of a bad play, twisted drunken shreds of hell.

“Hm, I kinda gotta be familiar with this guy,” he thought.

Viktor realized one important thing—nobody had given him any money throughout this goddamn night, but this man could and did. But who is he? And who does he think he is? If they’re total strangers, he’s a fool! But what if they’ve met before? No way—he wasn’t anyone Viktor knew.. But… probably, yes, this guy looks familiar.

No, despite the running thoughts, he was absolutely certain they’d never met before. So this guy is nuts! Because a smart man knows that nobody can help a drunk if the drunk himself wants to keep drinking. And he, Viktor, does.

Yes, he’s been drinking a lot lately. He even noticed that his mind is like a sieve now. It can’t be true that he doesn’t remember this guy at all. But he doesn’t. But right now, this man is walking beside him and keeps drilling him about something supposedly important.

“Can’t you see how much better off you’d be if you…?”

Viktor seemed to be listening, but in reality, he heard nothing. He tried to remember everything he could from his past, while Dmitry kept saying the right things.

“Not to say there haven’t been missteps in my life…!” Finally, Dmitry, getting worked up, was speaking in snatches of phrases. “A hell of a lot more…! And I’m not gonna say you’re some kinda… wrong guy or anything, loser or whatever.”

“Oh, my friend, I suppose you’re the kind of man who could make this world a better place,” Viktor thought, straining his drunk brain.

So, Viktor seems to remember his school days well, and there was no one like Dmitry among his classmates. Then he went on to further his education—still, no one like him, either.

In the army? Oh yes, they must have served together. Unless he was in a different regiment. But what regiment did he serve in? Who could answer that now?
One day, when Viktor was in the army, he got into some bloody mess. He was lucky to stay alive, but not everyone was as lucky—only a few.

What kind of Holy Grail or grand purpose was there to go and fight? And what kind of bastards gave the order to go? Even the devil himself wouldn’t have the faintest idea about such a simple question today. But the best part is, he’s alive. Viktor is still alive, hasn’t gotten bitter or gone insane—he stayed human. Yes, he drinks a lot now, but he’s a sane man.

Viktor continued to dig through his memories—he was being tossed from side to side a little at this moment—while Dmitry kept forcefully stating something important, as they both walked down the dark path. Viktor was not in the mood to listen to anyone that night. But curiosity got the better of him—who was it?

So, while one of them was drinking and thinking of his own, the other kept loudly repeating some life truisms.

“He must’ve been very tough and headstrong,” Viktor thought. “Nothing seemed to be off-limits for him. More than likely, he behaves the same way with his very attractive young woman. He’s drilling her into thinking… that he’s the greatest guy ever! Oh, how nice of him to call her so sweetly and… But I can hardly remember exactly what he called her.”

Viktor stopped and tossed the empty bottle away.

“Wow, you’re really a hardcore drinker, pal!” Dmitry smiled. “I’d be dead in a heartbeat from such an overdose!” He shook his head slightly and continued loudly talking about the right things in life.

No, Viktor still doesn’t remember this guy from the army. They were not in the service together.

It took him a long time to recover after getting out of the army. This might seem strange, but Viktor didn’t start drinking heavily as soon as he got home. Quite the opposite happened—he pulled himself together, got into business, and began taking up sports daily.

“Oh, Holy Cow, sports used to be a part of my life,” Viktor thought with a deep, sharp sadness as he finished his cigarette.” “Was it really like that?” he wondered, then said quietly: “Let’s just drop it, man.”

. . .

For today, they finally went their separate ways, as if they had been long-lost friends.

Viktor was about to lie down, eager to have one more drink before calling it a night.

Meanwhile, Dmitry…

Alena opened her eyes, turned her head sharply to the left, and flinched slightly. She unlocked the doors of the SUV, which had been keeping the warmth inside all the while.

“Oh, sorry, did I scare you, sweetheart?”
“No… Yeah, a little.”
“Alena, I’m gonna scold you just a bit.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Why not?”
“Because you look more exhausted than ever. Get in the car.”
“But I’m gonna take the wheel.”
“Not right now, babe.”
“Okay, then I want you to take me home very safe and sound. No rough driving, please.”

She smiled as he walked around the front of the car.

“All the problems’ve been taken care of?” Her voice came out sleepy and sweet.

Having received a positive answer, Alena gently shifted out of “Park” and released the brake pedal. The heavy vehicle glided forward effortlessly.

. . .

A day later, they were invited to visit friends. They reached home late that evening.

The wine had gone straight to their heads and made them spin, creating a feeling of some pleasant zero-gravity. They nestled together. The faint rustle of clothes and the soft sound of kisses was the only thing to be heard when, out of nowhere, Alena looked at him and, in a firm tone, asked:

“Dima, is he really a friend of yours?”
“I’m out of ideas, you know, sweetie.”
“Guess you must’ve known him from the army, right?”

He gently released her tender shoulders, stepped to the window, and lit a cigarette.

“Sorry, dear. Mind if I smoke a bit?”

Dmitry was not a fan of smoking indoors, but at this very moment, he had a strong craving to light up right here in the kitchen. Besides, the range hood worked well.

“Wanna have a drink. Just a little. Please, dear, don’t look at me like that.”
“I thought you didn’t drink at all.”
“I stopped at one point.”
“Is there something I should be aware of?”
“Uh-huh.”

She took a closer look, keeping her eyes fixed on him. She had deep, expressive, and intelligent dark brown eyes.

“True happiness for a man is seeing such a smart and beautiful gaze from the woman he loves. Without such eyes, all feminine beauty means nothing.

“Please, tell me what this is all about. Who was that man? Does it have anything to do with your time in the army?”
“No, honey, it’s unlikely that we served together. And… I’ve no desire to recall my time in service. But there was another real-life incident. I wasn’t having a good day… nor the next one, or midnight. And I found myself stuck in that nightmare, day and night, with no way out.”

He paused for a while, taking a sip of wine.

“Keep going, please. You need to finish.” Her gentle voice nudged him softly.

Dmitry turned to her, his face growing serious. He poured another splash of wine, took a drag from his cigarette, and exhaled the smoke through the small window.

“Honey, you got it right—it was me… the one who hit rock bottom. I’d gone so far down, I was sure I’d never come back. All this happened just a few years before I met you. It was a night like this one closing in. A downpour outside—I was soaked to the bone, freezing rain mixed with sleet all around, and a terrible chill running through my whole body. But I didn’t care about my life anymore. No money for a decent drink, no cigarettes, no food. But… but none of it mattered, because there was no way out. Finally, I didn’t stand a chance of surviving. I was about to fall all the way down. And… and for the first time, I asked a passing man for some spare change. Naturally, he snapped at me to get the hell away.”

Dmitry was silent for a bit longer, holding a glass of wine in his hand.

“?..” she waited, expecting him to continue.

He gave her a look and went on.

“I was completely wrecked. I’d barely slept the night before and had no idea how to get through the terrifying night ahead. And, all of a sudden, the big SUV pulled up and catching me off guard. It was stunning, expensive—a fancy ride with bright headlights. The door swung open, and out came a man. He stood across the road, watching me. He was a tough, muscular guy of average height and middle age, with a respectable demeanor. He crossed the street and came right up to where I was standing. Well, what happened next—I’m sure you’ve already figured that out for yourself, honey.”

“Never seen this man before?”
“Never.”
“And what did he say to you?”
“Something. Doesn’t really matter what exactly, but some of his words hit me hard. If I could speak the way he did, I wouldn’t need a whole night of talking—probably all wasted.”

“And… what next, Dima?”

“Kind of… saved my life. Not all at once, of course, but step by step, I managed to crawl out of the mud into the light. Just by showing up, he pointed out the direction I needed to look, where I needed to climb. You know, it’s really awful when one day you suddenly realize that sobriety is neither a good idea nor a great thing—it’s just boring and not interesting at all.”

“Wait, what did you just say?”

‘Yes, that’s true, Alena. You even stop worrying about your own life. And all that happened to me. But how did it happen?—I didn’t even see it coming. And this man showed me that it was really worth starting all over again, to live from scratch. He was able to do it without speaking. I saw a man who was strong, self-determined, highly successful, just like I was at one time, in my own thriving past. And that was something striking and surreal…

…Out of the corner of my eye, I couldn’t help noticing his sweetheart. This young lady was pretty and clever. Clever—I could see that in her eyes. A bright woman! Unthinkable to buy such a… This woman appreciates her man for the fact that he’s not like others around. She looks up to him with all due respect, because… If he went down, he kept holding on, fighting against all the hardships he faced. He stood his ground, he wanted to win, and he did. And now nobody’s able to break him again. …

…He eventually gave me some money for a drink, for a nice drink, and, looking straight into my eyes, he told me what he thought of me–not good words, really bad and tough, but true. Then he got into his car and set off for his happy land. That’s it. I was left shivering like a beaten dog in the rain. Crunched money in my hand, great drops hitting me, I was all wet…

…But just from that moment, I started to fight to live! I began doing my best, as hard as I could.”

A dead silence fell again in the kitchen.

“So… then what, Dima?” she asked faintly. “What happened after?”
“After?.. You walked into my life before long.”
“Since then, you never got in touch with that man? Did you get his number, maybe?”
“No, I didn’t. No clue who he was or what he really wanted. He turned up completely unannounced and disappeared all of a sudden.”
“?..”
“Me?.. I moved forward, just forward, fighting for my life. And soon I managed a little. I also knew that when I succeeded again, I’d have exactly the same big vehicle he had. You know, I don’t take to SUVs that much, but… but there’s just far too much off-road, too many bumps and traps on the road of life. I got this car as soon as I could. Now it’s kind of my lucky charm.”

Dmitry stubbed out his cigarette, deep in thought.

No more talking. Neither of them spoke for some time.

. . .

They say something weird happened one late autumn night. The weather got cold, wet, and dreadful again.

A well-dressed man loudly banged on the doors of the store—the same store we already know about. He was asking, then demanding… He snapped at the guard to bring a drink for another stranger, someone painful to look at. This poor guy seemed to have drunk more than ever before and, looking ruffled, was now soaking wet. Only moments earlier, this miserable guy had been begging passersby for some change to get another drink.

And reportedly, it kind of had to be a middle-aged man, supposedly even named Viktor.

But that’s just what people say—it’s all gossip. And ultimately—could anyone ever really uncover the truth or at least find it out… come close to it?

Even so… For now though, whatever happens off-road—off-road in life—we all must remember: we are not alone—nothing empty around.