Helper

Exotic detective
excerpt from the story
Book from the series "China through my eyes"

For reference: Helpers are a profession that gained popularity after perestroika. Russian citizens, who mostly live near the Chinese border, can, for a nominal fee of one hundred to two hundred rubles (depending on the season), relax in China and purchase the necessary things. As a payment on the way back, tourists are invited to drag a bag weighing thirty-five kilograms across the border. Helping is an illegal profession. Officially, this is called "economy tour". Mostly, women go as helpers. Where the bags are taken and what lies in them, the helpers are not interested. Their task is to drag the bags across the border, passing off the goods that are in the bags as their own, if the border guards arrange a check. The nightmare begins if tourists from four or five groups are going to cross the border at the same time: in each group there are at least fifteen to twenty people. Each person, in addition to helping cargo, has three or four more bags of his own. And the drive is very small and cramped. Crossing the border can last from five hours to two or three days. God forbid at this moment ordinary tourists, who do not belong to the “helper” tribe, are impatient to cross the border. And also helpers are people whom others around all the time “load” with their problems. People who, due to their timidity or innate delicacy, simply cannot say “No!”.

CHAPTER FIRST

Messed up bags

- Listen, Kalina! Everyone, relax and don't move! There ahead of the group with the goods arrested! All bags are wrapped back to China! Now the demolition starts!

- Well, everything! It's still two hours away! Listen, what time will we be home? Now in Chinese it's three, in ours it's five o'clock, and we haven't even started crossing the border yet!

- Don't drift, girlfriend, everything ends sometime! Why are you so red?

- Look at yourself! I have only three sweaters, two dresses and a jacket under my fur coat, but how many fur coats are you wearing? Too bad there's no mirror!

- Laugh, laugh! I’ll return home, I’ll sell fur coats, I’ll be with fat, and what will you sell? Three sweatshirts? Well, why are you silent? No, girlfriend, I don’t like you today, you are silent and all red!

- Yes, everything is fine!

No, it's not normal, I can see it! You…

“Tan, don’t shout like that, they’ve already begun to look around!” Well, it's hot, well, the temperature, but what to do? If they find out, they won't let you go home at all! Take it easy!

- Do you want some candy? While you were choosing tea, I was watching two aunts. While the Chinese were fussing around you, his aunts dug two pockets of sweets right from the counter! And also a walnut! They have patch pockets sewn inside their jackets!

"And you didn't do anything?"

— How nothing? Here, I bought candy! Specially for you! And if you are talking about these aunts ... I think everyone lives as they see fit! And it's not for you and me to judge them. Nothing, the Chinese will not get poorer from this! Look, what a settlement - Sunfenhe - on our helpers' torments in seventeen years they reclaimed it. After all, I remember when I was just starting to transport goods, it was a village with a railway station and two shops. The tents were still standing under the awnings, and there was mud, impassable mud! And now, look, in every small store there is an escalator and ... Kalina, what are you doing?

When Kalina came to her senses, it turned out that she was sitting in the shade, in the air. To avoid problems, the head of the group gave Kalina as a pregnant woman. Customs officers did not understand. And who needs it when the sea of helpers is noisy and indignant around, when, due to the abundance of bags, there is nowhere to put your foot, and the phone is broken, and the voices of authority threaten with all punishments if the arrested cargo does not go further to its destination. Compared to Tatyana, Kalina's experience as a helper was short, only six months. The trips were difficult, but a month passed, and Kalina was going on the road again, forgetting about the previous difficulties. Of course, she did not travel for pleasure, this business brought at least some additional income to the family of a single woman raising a schoolboy son.

A stir began in the camp of the helpers. Kalina woke up from her thoughts, Tatyana ran to her.

- Woke up!? Come on, hurry up! And then the Vladkoles group is rushing ahead of us!

- Where are my bags?

- There, in a heap! Yes, do not be afraid, I did not take my eyes off them! Let's go slowly!

- And what, how many groups have already passed?

— Two. Let's go quickly!

- Went. Wait, what is this aunt doing with young girls? Can intervene?

- Beats them! Don't you see what? She has some kind of business of her own, and she hired these girls, and they got drunk! It is necessary to drag bags, but they do not knit bast! Who would have dragged them across the border! Let's go! You won't be good at everything!

The human sea was agitated, pulled together by the tight frames of the reservoir. Entering the stuffy room, Kalina swayed, but, overcoming dizziness, moved through the human jungle to her group, constantly stepping on her feet and slipping on her bags. They let her in very reluctantly, if not for Tatyana, Kalina would have been stomping around the front doors.

Going up to the group, Kalina saw that the head of her group was arguing with the head of the Vladkoles group. Both are The women got so excited that steam was clearly coming from them. The argument was about which group would go first, the stage of intelligent conversations was already over and both women switched to direct text.

- Wait your turn! You carry people across the border with mine, then you will pass first! We were the first to get off the bus!

- It's still necessary to see who is the first! There, our bag lies! Lies evenly, but where are your bags? Behind! Natasha, your bag? So get up ahead, what are you squeezing!

- What Natashka, what does your Natashka have to do with it, can't you see that this is the bag of our group?!!! The handle is tied with a red ribbon!

- It's our bags tied with red ribbon! And you…

Kalina swayed, unlike the comrades, with burning eyes, listening to every word of their leader, she was not up to the showdown at the moment. Her task was not to be disconnected during the long-awaited border crossing.

Helpers from both groups crowded around the leaders and cheered with shouts and exclamations of two women, ready to meet in hand-to-hand combat.

“It’s not for you to sit as a secretary with the boss!” There are rules here and there is nothing to climb forward!

- What, did you remember the Soviet times? And I also remember something! I remember how you were in the store behind the counter shouting “Do not borrow for sausage!” And in the back room...

— What a sausage, what a store! What are you talking about?

The business lady finally dragged her two deranged assistants along with their bags and it was the turn of another group. But the aunts, heated up by the dispute, would have yelled and raged for a long time, converging and dispersing in the middle of the living ring, if the customs officer had not stepped into the middle of the circle. The menacing shout of the representative of the border instantly cooled the heads of the arguing women, and after a few moments the tourists lined up one after another. The procedure of dragging bags and crossing the border began. Previously, Kalina easily coped with bags, but today, as if someone stuffed stones into an immense sack. In addition to the help bag, Kalina had five more of her own in her hands. Kalina began to feel sick and, if not for Tatyana, she would not have been able to overcome the path from the screening room to the bus. There was nowhere to sit on the bus, there was no room in the trunk, and therefore the remaining bags, and this was about ninety percent of all luggage, were piled directly on the passenger seats. The bags closed the white light, and the passengers made their way to the exit from the territory of the border in the dark and standing.

Clamped on all sides by tired and sweaty bodies, Kalina stood and repeated to herself that "never, never, never ..." again. She will never go as a helper again. But, as Tatyana said, everything ends, and after an hour Kalina was finally able to sit down and stretch her legs. The bus was going home. Bags loaded into the trailer were moving somewhere ahead. Everyone began to switch the clock to our time and call relatives and friends. After all, cell phones did not work at the border. The bus was buzzing. Kalina did not even turn on the phone. There was no one to call her. The only girlfriend was dozing in the next seat. The son was with his mother. And no one was waiting for Kalina at home.

CHAPTER TWO

The search for the mistress of the bag

Kalina was at home at two in the morning. The whole next day was spent dealing with the aftermath of the lunch she had eaten before leaving at Andryusha's Chinese Restaurant. The temperature dropped only in the evening. In the morning I had to go to my mother to pick up my son, and Kalina decided to take apart one of the bags in order to get a blouse that she had bought for her mother. Imagine the woman's surprise when she found other people's things in her bag. Yes, and the bag was someone else's. On reflection, Kalina came to the conclusion that this was probably the bag of one of the helpers from Vladkoles. The woman was upset, in the lost bag were things that her friends and acquaintances ordered. The money was spent, but there is nothing to give back. There were no things. I called Tatyana, who immediately developed a violent activity and said that she had to go to Vladkoles to find out the address of the bag thief. Kalina's mood dropped even more. She hated to go somewhere, to prove and find out something, but there was nothing to do. Tatyana, who rushed in, rummaged through things and, with a triumphant cry, pulled out a pack of photographs in a branded package from a pile of things. The photographs were fresh, probably freshly printed. Armed with photographs, the women went to the travel agency. There they were met unfriendly. Or rather, at first, when the manager mistook them for potential clients, Tatyana and Kalina received their share of smiles, but as soon as they explained the situation, the smiles faded, and they refused to talk to women at all. If Kalina had come here alone, she would have already reversed and left without salty slurping, but Tatyana, a recognized fighter for human rights, was with Kalina.

“No, it won’t work like that,” Tanya said calmly. Our bag has been changed and we want to find it!

“We have no right to give the addresses of clients,” the director of the travel agency arrogantly minted from her seat. Especially for everyone...

“I'm here, here,” the head of the group shouted as she ran into the office. Who is dissatisfied here? Who are you?

“Marya Ivanovna,” the director grimaced, “calm down. These are not our clients. - Not ours ... Why are they ... Lenka, the manager, called me, and I rushed over!

“Elena Petrovna disturbed you for nothing,” the director croaked, still grimacing as if from a toothache, “go and rest, we will resolve this issue without you!”

- Well, how could it be without me! Lenuska told me that it was about the last trip, someone stole something from someone and ...

“Marya Ivanovna,” the director soared, “go home!”

- Well, I do not! the group leader yelled back. - I am accused of theft, and I go home? What did I steal from you,” she turned to Tatyana without lowering her tone, “what? Here you work, work and no gratitude! Did you know that I always form all the bags myself! I had to get up at 2 am before leaving. And only by seven all twenty-five bags were ready. Each bag is thirty-five kilograms: no more, no less. Each contains ten T-shirts, ten pairs of trousers, five jackets, ten pairs of boots, fifteen pairs of sandals, five down jackets and more jeans. Each bag must be closed, sewn up, sealed, signed. And also tie ribbons, if they are amiss! Marya Ivanovna sobbed violently, spreading a good spirit of fumes around the room.

Kalina would have fled long ago if Tatyana had not held her with an iron hand. The director of the travel agency, seeing that it was impossible to get rid of Marya Ivanovna just like that today, decided to set the women against each other.

- Lena, give Marya Ivanovna a napkin. And you, Marya Ivanovna, sit down here and calm down! We appreciate your hard work and your time and would not disturb you, - Marya Ivanovna hiccupped loudly, - during your well-deserved rest, but these two citizens who traveled with the Vladmashina travel agency claim that one of your help ... tourist changed their bag!

The director's maneuver failed, Marya Ivanovna unexpectedly sided with Kalina.

- Anything can happen! she drawled philosophically, looking Tatyana and Kalina from head to toe. - I remember this tourist. Varka, the leader of their group, told the customs officers that the woman was pregnant. You know that my Natasha has been married for the third year already and still nothing ...

“In short,” the director interrupted her, “we have clients outside the door waiting.

- That's what I'm saying! I remember this woman! Baby,” she suddenly turned affectionately to Kalina, “but what happened?”

Briefly describing the situation, Kalina and Tatyana showed Marya Ivanovna the photographs.

Yes, they are our tourists! They traveled with the girl. I was still surprised: all the children are at school, and this one is traveling with us. It turns out that the girl had no one to leave with! Well, what's the matter, Darya Nikolaevna? she turned to the director, “give them the address and be done with it!”

“How kind you are today, Marya Ivanovna,” the director smiled caustically, “give me the address!” What if we lose clients?

- These are not our clients, they went as tourists, and not as helpers. From what I understand, they didn't like the trip! One of the sisters went through all my brains ... ate while we were steaming in the drive. You might think it's my fault that the head of the Vladvint travel agency did not instruct her tourists and they blabbed to the customs officers that they were not carrying their own goods!

“Everything, everything, Marya Ivanovna, you have convinced me!” Approach the manager and help her find the address of these tourists! Surname remember?

- De ... they are Demidov! Sisters, that is, but the girl ... The girl, in my opinion, has the same surname!

Leaving the premises of the travel agency, Kalina lowered her eyes to the clock: wow, only half an hour had passed, and it seemed to her that they had spent three hours. Tatyana had things to do, Kalina had to go for her son, and so the friends agreed to meet tomorrow, at seven o'clock, after work and go to the address that they got with such difficulty.

The apartment was on Tikhaya street. It turned out that this was a guest room, that is, a living-room apartment. Despite the evening time, there were no owners of the house, and, unfortunately, no neighbors either. Tatyana suggested ringing all the doors in a row, but this did not bring any result. The corridor seemed to be dead. Only at the very end of the corridor, outside the door of the apartment, did someone show signs of life. The signs were very loud. When the door opened, a wave of music nearly swept her friends to the beginning of the corridor. The stoned youngster for a long time could not understand what they wanted from her, and when she understood, she sighed with relief and started talking

- I'm ... I'll tell you everything! You are good aunts, I can see it in your eyes! And I'm sitting, quietly, quietly, suddenly - a knock. I thought everything! Police! I turned the music down and I'm sitting, waiting! All of a sudden, I think it's ... They will stand and leave! And they knock! And this... It was you!

- Girl, - Tatyana could not stand it, - where are the tenants from the four hundred and seventy-third apartment? We knocked and knocked, but they didn't open it!

“Maybe it’s them… They’re also afraid of something, just like me!” The police, for example, or my Vaska!

- What? - Kalina was surprised, - Are they at home and hiding?

- Well no. I joked. ... Well, I can’t when the music plays so quietly! I don't feel like myself! Now…

“Girl,” Tatyana pleaded, “no need for music!” We don't hear anything anyway! Ears stuffed up from the roar! Tell us where the residents of 473 are.

- Don't you hear? the girl was surprised. “But it seems to me that it’s so quiet around here!” So so quiet that even the heart stops and it becomes scary! And faces from behind the doors wink! I need to drive them away with music!

“Poor girl,” Kalina said, looking around in fear, “we are distracting you!”

“Tell me quickly,” Tatyana supported her friend, “and run, turn on the music at full volume!”

- Yes, they left, they left yesterday! - the girl's voice broke, - they loaded the car and tear it up!

The girl rushed into the apartment, slammed the door, and then ... Then the women had to escape from the musical tsunami that threatened to flood them with their heads and carry them down the stairs.

Jumping out of the house, Kalina asked in bewilderment

- What were they afraid of? Why did they give up?

- Who are you listening to? Give free rein to this malacholny, she herself would give a tear from her own body! Can't you see, she's smoky! The glitches are already gone!

- Wow! And how did you see it? Kalina said respectfully. - And I took her words at face value ...

- Yes, I worked here, in one place ... I've seen enough!

The return journey passed in mournful silence.

- You, Kalina, do not worry so much! Tanya asked softly, looking into her friend's eyes. - I'll help you in any way I can! Everything is formed! And in a month we'll go, put on four fur coats, take it across the border, and then sell it! That's how you pay!

- Yes, I'm not worried! It's just a blouse that I bought for my mother, it's a pity!