Black reaper of the sanzu river

As I wrote in the last chapter, exactly at noon and one minute the door creaked, and the manager came into the waiting room. The customs officer got up from his seat to greet the manager, but immediately hesitated and tried to hide behind the back of the chair that was in front of him. The fact is that someone followed the manager. That someone was the black reaper. The customs officer remembered this black reaper very well. It was this messenger of death, this guide who accompanied the customs officer on his last journey. Actually, according to the rules, he was not supposed to remember the guide, but what happened the day before yesterday opened the memories not only of the moment of his death, but also of what happened after. The customs officer knew that the black reaper should never understand that he was recognized. So after catching his breath, the customs officer straightened up, took a deep breath and got up from his seat to say hello. The manager smiled at the customs officer and turned inquiringly to the lady secretary. While the lady secretary was explaining to the chief why the customs officer was here, the ghost man tried his best to pretend that he did not recognize the herald of death, but apparently he did it poorly. At some point, looking up, he stumbled upon the attentive gaze of the black reaper. The customs officer bowed once more, that was all he could do now to hide his confusion. Finally, the manager ended the conversation with the grand lady. At that moment, a signal sounded and the conductor informed the manager that he had received a message. The matter was urgent and therefore it was decided to continue the conversation a little later. Finally, the door behind the black reaper slammed shut. The customs officer suddenly felt that his heart was beating like crazy in his chest, and his forehead was covered with perspiration. Although, as you and I know, all these signs of excitement for a man could only seem to a ghost. Finally, the manager invited the customs officer to his office. However, the conversation did not take place. Upon entering the office, the manager discovered that this time, not only the computer with the table burned down from a lightning strike, but also a bookcase with books and a chair were charred. Seeing all this, the manager staggered and helplessly looked around the office. At that moment, the customs officer realized that the conversation would not take place today. The manager apologized and told the ghost man that, since the conversation did not take place through his fault, and the customs officer was delayed and did not come to the workplace on time, he might not go to work today. Leaving the office with the ghost man, the manager ordered the secretary to appoint the customs officer another day for the meeting, and also asked the grand lady to invite the supply manager so that again, for the third time this week, they would replace the furniture in the office. The case took a strange turn, but the ghost man had no choice but to bow to the manager and secretary and go out. Leaving the administrative building, the customs officer took a few steps towards the place where his house was located, but did not have time to go far. The black reaper stood right in the middle of the road and blocked the way. The ghost man looked up, this time the eyes of the customs officer confirmed all the worst suspicions of the herald of death.
-Do you remember? - the black reaper came close to the customs officer and touched the ghost's chin.
The male ghost didn't answer. everything was clear without words.
However, the conductor needed confirmation of his guess, and the customs officer did not want to help him in this.
So they stood, invisible to people, but very visible to ghosts. Luckily, it was the middle of the day, and the encounter between the black reaper and the male ghost did not become the subject of gossip between the Sanzu River attendants. The conversation between those who were never to meet again in this life was seen from the window only by the secretary, but this lady was not one of the talkative ones. For a while she thought about whether to tell the boss, that is, the manager, about what she saw, but, on reflection, she decided that what she saw was none of her business. Therefore, when the manager returned, she did not say anything. But in vain. If she had shared what she saw and her guesses with her boss, then our story would have turned in a completely different direction.
- Do you remember? the black reaper asked again, and this time the male ghost had to confess that he really did remember. Raising his eyes to the herald of death, he smiled uncertainly and nodded his head in the affirmative. However, the black reaper was again not satisfied with the outcome of the conversation.
- I need you to confirm with your voice whether you remember or not. Now I will turn on the voice recorder on the phone. My superiors, you know, are very distrustful. So please confirm that you remember me.
The black reaper brought the phone with the voice recorder turned on directly to the ghost's mouth.
- Yes, - the customs officer coughed, but then he still managed to finish the sentence, - I remember our meeting.
-Good, - the conductor turned off the phone and looked up at the customs officer again. - in this case, if you do not mind, I will now perform a ritual, after which your memory of earthly life will disappear, and this will happen now forever. You do not mind?
The customs officer nodded head, but then remembered that the black reaper needed voice confirmation.
Yes sir, I don't mind. What happened is very embarrassing to me. The events of the last three days, the memories of the past, have made me very unhappy and prevent me from working.
“Very well,” the death messenger finally smiled, “I am very glad that you realize this. Somehow I thought you'd fight back and cling to the memories. Once again, I am very glad that you are ready to cooperate.
- No, - the customs officer smiled pitifully, - the memories brought me only pain.
- Good good! The black reaper raised his hand. "If you agree, let's perform the oblivion ritual now." My office is on the other side of this administration building. Follow me.
In less than ten minutes, the ghost man and the guide were in place. The office of the black reaper was a mirror image of the manager's office, but it was clear that this office had long been inhabited. There were real, not ghostly, flowers on the windows that were looked after. In general, there were many signs that the owner of the cabinet loves this place and looks after it. While the preparations were going on, the customs officer drank the tea of oblivion, which the black reaper poured for him.
When everything was ready, the messenger of death opened the red box and took out the seal. The black reaper was not sure of the correctness of what he was doing. Last time, he had already stamped the crook of the elbow of this ghost man. The case was unique, but still the black reaper understood that he needed to act. Having warmed up the seal, the conductor ordered the customs officer to come and sit on the chair of oblivion. After that, all that remained was to apply the seal. However, the black reaper hesitated. It was not clear what he was waiting for. Minutes passed after minutes, and the herald of death still stood. Finally he woke up. The seal was almost cold, and so it was necessary to act quickly. Sighing heavily, the black reaper raised his hand and applied the seal to the ghost man's forehead. It seemed like it could have ended there, however, meeting the attentive gaze of the customs officer, the conductor turned cold. Nothing succeeded! The seal did not leave an imprint and the customs officer did not forget anything. The reaper's head spun. Approximately the same thing happened that happened half an hour earlier with the customs officer. The black reaper suddenly felt his heart pounding, and sweat covered his forehead. On reflection, he decided that his failure was due to the fact that he hesitated for a long time before applying the seal to the forehead of the customs officer. After warming up the seal a second time, he no longer hesitated. The seal has been attached. However, the imprint did not appear this time either. The messenger of death was agitated in earnest. Emotions overwhelmed him. It was so unusual for him and quite unpleasant. The black reaper asked permission from the ghost man and applied the seal a third time. But this time it didn't work either. The Reaper was forced to admit defeat.
The oblivion tea that the ghost man drank was bubbling unpleasantly in his stomach, but oblivion did not come. The tea was supposed to serve as an additive to the imprint of the seal, but it turned out to be the only ingredient that now stirred up the customs officer's stomach. The herald of death wanted to say something, but suddenly there was a sound in the room. A message has arrived. The conductor was forced to say goodbye to the customs officer. The black reaper's lunch break was over and it was time to get back to work.
Soon the customs officer was again standing in the street. He did not understand what to do now and how to live!
In parting, the messenger of death promised that he would figure out how to help the customs officer, but it was not clear when this would happen and whether it would happen at all.