A story of disappointment

Once upon a time I got up at 8 o"clock in the morning. There was a blizzard outside and the last street-lamps were being switched off. From my wide window I saw fir, which was covered with new snow. That morning I was to hike to the nearest town from my countryside. Unfortunately, there wasn"t any bus-route in the settlement. In the town I needed to visit a jeweller, that could help me to repair a precious home-made bracelet of the eighteenth century. My bride had broken it somewhere.
I opened the window to air my room and then began doing my morning exercises. The room was being filled with frosty air. After that I went to the kitchen for breakfast. I searched for strawberry jam in the refrigerator for a long time, while the kettle was boiling on a stove. When I found the jam, the steam from the kettle was curling up to the ceiling.
I had some bread with the jam and tea for breakfast. As the tea was too hot and the jam was too sweet and sticky, I felt sick. Sitting at the kitchen with the tea, I thought about every homeless person and beggar, who had to survive in such weather conditions.
Soon I went outside. Several minutes later, the snow-fall converted into rain with a severe wind. There weren"t any carefree inhabitants in the streets. Their faces were serious and purposeful. Suddenly a huge raindrop fell on my nose. It was probably a hailstone, though there wasn"t any hail in that season. As I was walking through the field under the rain, I was the most homesick man in the world. The trip seemed to me absolutely endless and lifelong.
In the middle of my way I found myself in a little forest. I turned out to be a very light-headed person, though, perhaps, it was easily my lifestyle. Certainly I should have foreseen bandits in the forest, who would try to hold me up. So, I didn"t avoid robbery. Several thieves with a shotgun met me in the wood. I even hadn"t got time to be scared. I was struck in the face and lost consciousness.

I didn"t reach the jeweller. I was lying in a snow-drift with a broken nose and without the precious bracelet. I hadn"t any wish to get up and go to the hospital, although, I guessed I had no power to do it.

1999