Helper2

In the front seat, the leader of one of the groups jumped up and squealed to the whole bus:

— Gentlemen tourists, prepare your passports!

Tourists stirred, rustled their passports, and Kalina decided not to give up

- Yes, understand me, - the last words sounded too loud, as Kalina tried to shout over the noise that had risen in the bus. I just want my bag back!

Kalina did not keep anything bad in her head, but the last words sounded so loud and expressive that the woman was frightened.

“Listen,” she said frightened, clutching her handbag, “get away from me, otherwise I will complain to the border guard.”

The leader of the group shouted another warning about passports, and a border guard entered the bus. Casting a last glance at the frightened woman, Kalina sighed sadly and trudged to her seat. The border guard checked the passports. Tatyana, showing her passport, closed her eyes again, leaving all conversations with Kalina for later. The border guard left, and the bus moved to the Russian border. Kalina made another attempt to approach the woman, but they began to shush her from all sides. During the entrance and passage of the bus across the border, everyone in the cabin must sit. The leader of one of the groups immediately gave a lecture on the topic “Why you can’t do this.” Fortunately there was a specific example — Kalina. So, really, you can’t do it, Kalina found out about this during her first trip to China, but the case was unusual. However, she didn't tell anyone about it. And it was too late to say anything: the bus drove up to the border. The Russian border was passed quickly. During the passage, the beauty in a fur coat looked sideways in fear towards Kalina and excitedly said something to her fellow traveler, whose face Kalina could not see because of the low brim of the fur hat. Back on the bus. This time, Kalina did not even make an attempt to approach the kidnapper. The bus was driving in no man's land. There was a Chinese border ahead, and the Chinese don't like it when rules are broken. Tatyana woke up, Kalina briefly described the situation to her. A friend slept, and her blood, the blood of a fighter for justice, began to seethe! Ideas poured out of her like gifts from Santa's sack. Finally, with difficulty breaking through Tatyana's verbal flow, Kalina whispered one word: "Photos!" and Tatyana immediately, without hesitation, agreed with Kalina's idea. Meanwhile, the bus stopped at the entrance to the Chinese border premises. Kalina could not find the package with photographs in her bulky bag. While she was digging, the tourist group with which the woman was traveling briskly moved through the checkpoint. The group with which the girlfriends passed the border approached another checkpoint. Kalina finally found the photos. Finding the woman with her eyes, she made a sound to attract attention, and then showed the photographs. At first, the woman wanted to turn away from the insolence, but then, seeing the photos in Kalina’s hands and seeing who was captured on them, she tried to get out of line and approach Kalina, but was put back by the iron hand of the group leader. Those who followed the woman on the list pressed forward, and the beauty had no choice but to nod to Kalina and smile. Kalina had one more chance to talk to the woman after crossing the border. But hope quickly faded. The group the woman was traveling with got into another bus and left. All the way to Suifenhe, Tatyana scolded Kalina for not waking her up earlier. If Kalina had felt the moral support of her friend, then the idea with photographs would have come to her head much earlier. Kalina was silent. And what can I say: a friend, as always, was right. The bus took the direction to Sunfenhe, and Tatyana decided to turn Kalina's thoughts in a different direction.

- Well, what are you sour? Do you think you are the most miserable person in the world?

- Leave me alone, Tanya, - swallowing a lump in her throat, Kalina waved it off - Shut up a little.

- No, it won't work like that! Come on, turn to me, are you going to cry? Listen, while you were looking for photos, I saw a woman at the border crying with such tears! I'm not lying, tears dripped onto her husband's jacket.

- What happened to her? - Sniffing her nose, Kalina became interested, - they also changed something!

- No, it's cleaner, it will be! Have you calmed down? Well then listen! A woman and a man were on the bus with us. Yes, yes, those who sat down with us in front of the Pogranichny village. As I understand it, from Vladivostok to Pogranichny, they drove in their car, and then transferred to the bus. Our tour group travels on a common visa, the travel agency has a headache for this, and these two decided to get their own visa and, separately, without any group, relax in China. And I would have made a visa in advance, at the embassy, ;;but no, my husband decided that it was better to arrange everything right at the border. They were even expected. Two Chinese people were waiting.

- So what? - unable to withstand the digression in the story, Kalina hurried. — What happened next?

- And then a full paragraph! They approach the office where they make visas, but the office is closed. And the Chinese, on the other side of the checkpoint, are waving and calling! Probably acquaintances! And the office isdig! They rushed about, they see an official sitting at the table, all lined with papers. These papers are handed over to him by the leaders of the groups. Well, these two approach this person, but he is neither be nor me. Doesn't understand anything. Or maybe he's faking it! The husband pokes his face in the face with an invitation, and the latter shoves him away from him and chatters something. One of the greeters suddenly materialized near the table and, well, to prove something. The official suddenly jumped up, left the table and, without explaining anything, politely, let's take the couple out of the room. They resist, clearly, in their place, anyone would resist, and the one who meets them shouts after them that the photocopier in the visa department is broken. The woman wriggled out of the hands of the border guard and said that then they would sit here and wait until the copier was repaired. The border guard again grabbed the woman by the elbow and leads her down to the exit, and the person who meets her shouts after her that, supposedly, it is impossible to wait: the photocopier was taken to Harbin. And according to the rules, it’s just not supposed to sit near the visa department. And strictly prohibited! - Tatyana, took a breath. - Well, the border guard brought them out and brings them to the bus that goes back to Russia. The driver tried to blurt out something: they say, all the seats are occupied, but no such luck. You can't argue with authority. The woman at first reproached her husband for not listening to her and not getting a visa at home, and then how she would sob. A Chinese man, who checked passports when boarding, upon seeing such a thing, quickly invited the woman to go into the bus.

- Gee, - Kalina drawled, - it happens!

- Well! And you cry for nothing! Tanya scolded her friend affectionately. Can you imagine how bad they are right now? Especially a woman! She probably already dreamed about what she would buy, but ...

“Listen, Tanya,” Kalina interrupted her, “when did you manage to see all this?” I never see anything like this, everything goes to your share!