Guardian Angel. 1. 11. Surprise-surprise!

"A GUARDIAN ANGEL"
a mistical novel
by Alexandra Kryuchkova

PART I. A GUARDIAN

1.11. SURPRISE-SURPRISE!

June 3, Monday morning,
Moscow, RUSNANO building


Humming a cheerful song and unaware of the surprise prepared from Above, Alice went to work. At the entrance, a woman’s voice called out to her. Alice turned around and saw Bella, who had arranged for Alice a photo shoot at Tsvetaeva’s Museum in Moscow a year before.

«Hi!» Alice exclaimed happily. «Glad to meet you! I didn’t have your phone number.»

«Lost and found, that’s great! I want to make a video with you. I even found the right music. You’ll recite poetry. How do you like the idea? By the way, I have negotiations here now. Do you work here?» Bella wondered and dictated her phone number.

Alice suddenly realized that something had already changed in the Space of Options, so answering «yes» was not quite correct, as well as answering «no».

«Well, a company rents an office here.»

«Alice, so how do you like my idea? We’ll realize it at the end of summer, or beginning of autumn. I have to arrange the equipment…»

Alice entered in the office, and five minutes later the owner called the employees to the meeting room. Everyone sat down at the table with a Man in Black at the head of it. The owner introduced him, «Our new CEO. We recently got acquainted at a great training seminar. He is a successful businessman. Now he’ll tell you about it himself.»

White turned to his fellow guardians of the other employees, «Wow, bros! I thought to be the only one who needed to get the ward out of here urgently! But it turns out, each of you asked for a permission to transfer your wards to another Space of Options! The company is not as good as well-chosen its employees!»

The guardians nodded confirming that they had received the permission from Above and shared with each other the reasons for transferring their wards out of the company as soon as possible.

The Man in Black stood up and, putting his hands in his pockets, with his head held high, began his throne speech in a loud, rough voice, «So you are all here obviously a piece of shit! Is my position clear for you? As a result of your doing nothing but picking your nose, the owner’s property is mortgaged, and her debts amount to 23 million. I’ve come here to make you dig up that money within a month. I’ll tell each of you the amount that you urgently need to bring me here personally. Or tell me where the money is, and I’ll go and get it myself. You can forget about the Labor Code. I have a lot of VIP contacts! You’ll work from 8:00 a.m. to 24:00, 7 days a week. For being late for one minute you’ll pay us half salary! By the way, your salary is now the minimum wage. The break is from 13:00 to 14:00. My task is to leave everyone without salary for June. And I’m sure to succeed. The company fed you, so now you have to feed the company! Those who leave now are rats. I’ll personally give everyone a kick in the ass, because you are not just shit, you’re obviously rat’s shit. Any questions?»

There was a meaningful pause. An employee dared to break it, «Excuse me, who are you?»

«A locksmith! I was also a military man. As a guardian of bandits, we protected them from other bandits. When my family was threatened, we moved to Moscow. I set up my own business, but it didn’t go. Then I was invited to a large company to set it in order. Now everything is great there. Two managers are plowing there from morning to night. I kick them out at midnight, real hard workers!»

«What does this company deal with?»

«It sells air. Other questions? So the rats who want to get a kick in the ass, put your docs on the table! I’ll teach the rest of you to work!»

In a meaningful silence, the employees left the meeting room. Two girls returned with docs to quit. The newly minted CEO started insulting them in every possible way. The girls packed their things and left. The CEO called everyone again.

«From now on, in the mornings and evenings, I’ll show you super videos! They are shown to cool people at cool trainings. They paid the hell money for them! I’ll show you these videos for free! From the bottom of my heart! Moreover, I’ll give you smart books to read. The courier is the first to read! Here’s the book «Become a cool dude!» Do you want to be cool? Report it back tomorrow! Any questions? Great! Now let’s watch the first video. It often repeats the phrase, «from the bottom of my heart’. All of you are shit, clearly, but you owe us crazy money. Therefore, you must perform a miracle for us. If you do everything I say from the bottom of your heart, you’ll find us money! Let’s start!»

There was a man on the screen being forced to perform a miracle. Everyone around was shouting, «Come on! From the bottom of your heart! Dude, you can! We believe in you!» Half an hour later, he made a miracle. Employees went out to their workplaces. Alice, in a state of shock, got a phone call. She was invited to recite her poetry as the winner of the Kings competition on a radio station broadcasting to 50 countries of the globe. Alice agreed.

In the afternoon, employees were called for another training video. A boss in America called his managers gathered for training with all sorts of dirty words, psychologically smearing them on the wall.

«You are all crap,» squealed the boss, spitting, «because I came here in the coolest car of the world, which none of you have! So, either you go to people now and force them to give you all the money they’ve saved for a rainy day, or someone else takes their money! Who of you wants to be the first to get a kick in the ass from me?»

After watching the video, each of the employees was told by the CEO the amount to urgently bring to the company. Alice had to get 3 million. Lena, head of the marine tours, — 5 million, the courier — 2 million and so on. Lena and Alice exchanged glances and gestures showing to each other that they both were leaving.


***
evening, radio station
of the Russian World Foundation


On the way to the radio station, Alice recalled a fragment of her meditation with her performance on a radio station, but the Man in White had never shown up. The host of the program touched upon the theme of Death in Alice’s texts, and she took it as a sign that made her feel uneasy. White hugged the girl whispering, «Come on, remember and repeat it, DON’T WAIT FOR ME DEAD!»

Alice said, «I… really… want to… live…»


***
night, Moscow


Returning home, Alice went into the cozy coffeehouse out of habit, ordered coffee, called the Woman from the House of Serving to Creativity and stated, «Get the computer ready. I’ll get my salary on Friday, and from Monday I’m yours.»

The guardian of the Woman appeared in the coffeehouse and shook hands with White, «Well done, bro! There is no bad without good!»

Alice used to sleep with the window ajar. The phantom of the Man in White was swaying on the curtain from the movement of the wind. White, realizing that it was possible to dispel the phantom indefinitely, since it would reappear again, scanned the Space of Options and moved to the roof of an elite house, where the guardians of the inhabitants, who were already peacefully sleeping inside, had gathered.

«Hello, bro!» White greeted the Surgeon’s guardian.

«Hello, White! For so many winters, so many summers we haven’t seen.»

«Is your Surgeon going on vacation on July 25, or are the dates not fixed yet?»

«Already fixed, bro! On July 25, we’ll fly to the islands until September 15.»


***
night, a seashore far from Moscow


White appeared in front of the Doctor’s guardian meditating on the seashore.

«Ah, White, hello! How is Alice?»

«Hello, Wise. So-so. Help needed.»

«My ward will return to Moscow only on June 10.»

«I know. Alice has an appointment on the 28th, but it’s too late. Your Doctor will send Alice for urgent surgery. The Surgeon, instead of one surgery, will schedule two, at a certain interval. The Surgeon leaves on vacation on July 25 and returns on September 15. Alice needs to pass all through before the Surgeon’s vacation.»

«I see», Wise said, thoughtfully looking at the sky, «the Sun is evil, and Pluto is in opposition to the Sun. They are leaving, wagons of them.»

«Wise, I want to keep Alice on Earth!»

«How many times have you detained her already? Okay, let’s do this way. We’ll return on the 10th. Make Alice call the receptionist and ask to reschedule her visit earlier if some client refuses the appointment. I’ll check who’s on the list. If I find someone uncritical, I’ll postpone them. But, you know, no one makes an appointment with my ward just for a heart-to-heart talk.»

«Thanks, bro!»

The guardians sat by the sea in silence, looking at the starry sky for a long time. White showed Wise the already realized events from the Alice’s life on a virtual screen. Wise thought about something and said, «Would you like my advice, White?»

«Always glad to get it from you, since you are Wise!»

«Don’t disperse the Man in White phantom. On the contrary, strengthen it energetically. Let Alice think about him as often as possible.»

«How can you say such a thing?! Why?» White exclaimed.

Wise didn’t answer anything. He patted White on the shoulder with his wing, got up and slowly walked away.