The sky and the ocean in one Sydney

Tu eres como una diosa para mi. You are like a goddess for me.

Chapter 1

Sebastian's response sounded like a gunshot. Zoozero was so stunned that he didn't immediately continue the conversation.

‘A military pilot?’ he asked again. ‘Maybe she said it jokingly?’

‘No. She’s completely serious. She came here to study English and Japanese. Then she plans to return home to Colombia and get a pilot's diploma. She told me this herself.’

Zoozero got up and left the room. He went down the stairs and ran out into the street. His mind refused to accept reality. He looked at the twinkling stars, and it got even worse.

‘Wow, a girl!’

He immediately noticed her among the other students. A goddess's face, and all her movements were so sharp and precise.

He could tolerate everything – her English and Japanese and even jiu-jitsu. And the strict, piercing gaze of those black eyes. And a figure as if assembled from the finest details in the world for a female body.

How many times had he encountered heavenly beings, in whom he could always effortlessly find some redeeming flaw. And he never fell in love. But in this case, he was bewildered. ‘So, she really does exist,’ flashed through his mind, and he felt the ground beneath his feet start to play tricks on him. A little more, and consciousness would leave him.

His brain drummed in his skull, blood pulsed in his temples, ready to burst out at any moment. He had the urge to slam his head against a wall with all his might, to silence this pain once and for all… But instead, he rushed into the house and lunged at Sebastian.

‘Listen, my friend,’ he babbled with fervor. ‘Do you think she could be mine? After all, I have a chance, right? You're from South America too; Russia has always helped you. Help me as well, my friend. I will be forever grateful. Well, do something!’

‘What's wrong with you? What are you talking about?’

‘This girl… Stefania… I'm ready to do anything for her, understand? But I don't know what I need to do now,’ Zoozero choked on words, sometimes not even noticing that he was speaking Russian.

‘I don't understand you. English, please,’ the short Ecuadorian snapped out of his grasping hands. ‘What can I do for you? I can introduce you better, you will be closer.’

‘No, no, it's too simple. Not the case, you know,’ Zoozero was circling the room and talking to himself. ‘That way we can frighten her. A different approach is needed here. I need to come up with something... Urgently. Come on, think, think, now is the time.’

Other students watched with interest as this strange Russian rushed from corner to corner and knocked his hand on his forehead.

‘What’s wrong with him? If he is sick, or what? Maybe he lost something?’ asked a young Belgian with the Russian name Vladimir.

‘I think he found it on the contrary. And he got seriously ill,’ Sebastian grinned back.

‘So we need to show him to the doctor, let him prescribe pills...’

‘I’m afraid that in his case no doctor will help. He is terminally ill.’

+

Zoozero went to his room, flopped onto the bed, and dived under the pillow. He didn’t move for about an hour. Then he jumped up and turned off the light. He collapsed onto the bed again. In the darkness, you could hear his brain summoning memory for questioning, demanding ready-made answers. Naturally, the experienced caretaker of megabytes laid all the folders and files on the table.

‘So, what do we have in stock from personal experience?’ the brainstorming session was in full swing.

‘Nothing, boss. A sad love story with the fan of Tolkien’s fairy tales called Angela, before that an unrequited school romance, a fateful meeting, and a wedding. I repeat, nothing serious beyond that,’ memory just shrugged blamefully.

‘What are you… umm… playing at? Come on, lay it out as is! You know perfectly well that a person doesn’t live on personal experience alone. Especially ours with, uh, the Master.’

‘Oh, well, the closest would be Nabokov and ‘Lolita’ probably,’ memory replied and looked somewhere to the side, something like eyes moving aside.

‘Who do you take me for? You mislead him from time to time, hide the correct answer at the right moment, and try to play a trick on me? What ‘Lolita,’ he despises such hints. Especially since, according to my information, she is already 19. Anything else?’ 

‘Well, there are other films too. ‘American Beauty’, or here’s another one - ‘The Awakening of Feelings’...’ 

‘Why are you handing me all this nonsense,’ brain was beginning to lose control. ‘Everything is normal with him, let Freud and Fromm take a break. He has no pedophilic tendencies, I know, all the information passes through me.’ 

‘20 years age difference… Maybe ‘Don Quixote’ then? Again, a dreamer, windmills, Dulcinea… You know he adores Cervantes.’ 

‘That’s getting warmer… Keep going.’ 

‘I think the Middle Ages can’t be a good example,’ memory knew how to please the boss. ‘Education was different, people could dream with impunity because they knew very little. Later came the Age of Enlightenment, capitalism, man is a wolf to man. Excuse me, may I dig a little more in the archives? I will definitely find something.’

When memory left him for a few moments, the brain once again thought of the Master. About how interesting it was to work under his guidance, how he repeatedly sets tasks before you that you must solve. Isn’t this a kind of happiness for any brain? And how does he manage to keep track of everything and control it all? ‘Mine, the brain department, the feelings department, where all these senses of smell and touch are at odds with each other, and yet there are also the power agencies, subordinate to him, that mysterious heart department, to which everything is constantly forgiven. Just now, they messed things up there, and we have to clean up the mess.’ The brain feels that it was the Master’s favorite; they learned from mistakes together and explored new things. The Master never hesitated to ask questions, gladly adopted the best from other’s experiences, sometimes exploited endlessly, making work go on day and night, but always praised the brain department.

And the brain felt boundlessly indebted to Him for His attention and care. For filling its existence with meaning…

‘It seems I’ve found what we need,’ the memory returned with a triumphant look. ‘The Big Fish.’ There, the main character, a young and pleasant man played by Ewan McGregor, pursues his love in quite an unusual way. He works hard in a traveling circus just to gather any information about his beloved. And the moment with daffodils is full of true romanticism.’

‘Now that’s more like it! Well done, memory. But tell me, why do you need to be pushed to move?’

‘You know yourself, boss, what the specifics of our work are. There are tons of requests, and we can’t always handle them all. Our department is small, and sometimes only we can help. You see, there’s a lot of unnecessary information, or so we think… Yet sometimes, amidst all that everyday clutter, there’s something useful. We try to save everything we can, as much as possible.

Okay, enough about the same thing. Thanks for the find, it really could help the Master. Now we just need to figure out how exactly.

+

When Zoozero pressed the switch, and the light in the room flickered on again, his face was glowing. He pushed the door outward, which seemed already to sense this force and was just waiting to swing open. A glance left and right. Where is Sebastian? He went to bed. Not fate, South American friend, I have a proposal.

‘Listen, buddy,’ Zoozero burst into Sebastian’s room without knocking. ‘I have an idea. Let’s play a game. You, me, and Stefania.’

‘Interesting, what kind of game?’ he replied from under the blanket. ‘Go on, crazy Russian guy.’

‘It’s very simple,’ our hero squinted, as if gauging the abilities of the person entrusted with such an important mission. ‘I’ll give you some interesting information about myself, and you’ll pass it on to Stefania. How about it?’

This descendant of the Mayans, with a nose adapted to breathe thin air like a toucan’s, sat up on the cot, thought for a moment, and readily agreed. Every day it was school - home, no adventures for you. And here, this fellow from the other side of the planet offers an amazing option.

‘Okay. I’ll try,’ Sebastian was ready to grab any opportunity to liven up his gray days. ‘Just keep in mind that I’m in a distant relationship with her, I’ll need to think about how to tell her all this.’

‘Just let her know that someone has been seeing her in his dreams every night for a week now,’ Zoozero slightly exaggerated, but in his position, all means were fair. ‘Well, that’s just for effect. The important thing is something else. You are both Spanish-speaking, descendants of conquistadors. If it’s not difficult for you, try to convey my words vividly.’

‘Which words? You haven’t told me anything yet.’

‘Morning is wiser than evening. There will be breakfast, and I’ll tell you my first message.’

Zoozero wished him a good night and left the room, leaving Sebastian deep in thought. ‘This Russian guy is strange. But positive! In any case, I have nothing to lose. On the contrary, it will be an unconventional communication with an unpredictable ending,’ Sebastian, at 19, had already acquired quite a bit of knowledge and hoped to start his career in a respectable government institution, perhaps the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Simple language and primitive terminology struck his sensitive pride; he wanted something out of the ordinary. Therefore, he accepted the Russian eccentric’s proposal without hesitation.

‘It’s a deal,’ Zoozero’s face lit up with happiness. ‘By the way, breakfast is not an option, there are too many ears around. In the morning on the way to school, I’ll tell you what I want to hear, what Stefania should hear.’

‘You can trust me. I’m ready to play this role,’ Sebastian smiled in response.

Chapter 2

He chose the nickname Zoozero because zonezero was already taken, and he had no desire to invent something completely new. You know, his mind was thinking about something completely different.

After a family shipwreck, fate cast him into Australia for six months. Friends asked him, Why go so far?’ - ‘Just to look for a miracle,’ he replied with his usual smile. Probably no one really understood what he meant, but everyone nodded, because they knew: he surely knew all the paths and exits.

However, he himself knew nothing except that his life had never truly belonged to him from the start. His spirit had rented this body – one must say, quite decent-looking, barely crossing the thresholds of age. If it weren’t for the gray at his temples, most likely a result of inner turmoil, he could have passed for a young man in the prime of his life.

Miracles began immediately upon arrival in Sydney. The place for a reset and transformation was just what he needed. To the left – the Harbor Bridge, to the right – the Opera House. Circular Quay, those in the know will understand.

The soul sang at the sight of these outstanding man-made creations, intertwined with skyscrapers, the Botanical Garden, and Hard Rock. An iconic place, one of the most beautiful on the planet. ‘Wow!’ ran through his mind as he looked around, frozen with delight. And of course, that familiar scent of freshness, the vital essence, its limitless reserves. Without the sea, he was suffocating, dizzy and delirious, swinging on a frayed rope, sometimes clutching it so tightly that he screamed hoarsely, losing his voice.

The sea air is a subtle happiness. And why has no one thought of selling it in canisters or balloons? Millions could probably be made easily. Just take it and pump it, so that somewhere in Orenburg, in a privatized two-room ‘khrushchyovka’, you could close all the windows tightly, fill your living space with it, and enjoy the divine aromas dissolved in this stifling air of traditional Russian despair. And there’s no need to go on vacation. Sit down, imagine palm trees and sand.

In Sydney, you don’t need to invent anything. For those who eagerly want to breathe with all their gills – there are beaches and cliffs. Although something here feels off. And it seems the sea is close, and seagulls can annoy anyone with their senseless fuss over ‘mine-mine.’ This time, a different sound came from the zoo. More precisely, an echo of a completely different nature, which revealed itself within walking distance.

Zoozero felt it immediately. He ran here, and when you run, there is only one direction – forward. He didn’t know the details of those married couples preparing their honeymoon as if it were a wedding cake, what exactly could await him here in Sydney. He was only sure of one thing – this would help.

It would help to forget some idiocy that surrounded him from all sides. It would help to cope with the depression that had taken hold. Just find a painkiller, distract yourself from the little beast that tries to gnaw you from the inside, mercilessly ready to assault your pride, feeding on your helplessness and fear.

But what is this? Like a soldier on the front line barely holding back the enemy, he heard some distant rumble of cannon fire as a quiet precursor to such significant changes. His efforts would not be in vain; now he was somewhere on the border between the past and the future. Perhaps it was passing right through him. Yes, well, that was a joke. He was not the wandering socialist Jimmy Higgins; there was far more realism in him, backed by truths from search engines.

And yet, walking to school, our hero involuntarily glanced at the ferries, frozen in a smile, rocking on the waves as if out of impatience. Like taxi drivers who know not only their own route but also the history of everything nearby, they could fill every journey from point A to point B with vivid colors. Ah, if only they could speak the human language… They would paint everything around, filling it with amazing colors, giving each place a truly unique shade.

The ferries pressed against the docks, winking at each other: ‘How are you, mate? What are your plans for today?’ They clearly knew something that made them dart from shore to shore in the same order, delivering impression-struck tourists in Sydney to places of tourist fame. And yet, among them was one, yellow-green, purely Australian in color, larger and older than the rest. This hardworking sea creature waited with stoic calm as hundreds of people first left his deck, and then others filled the empty spaces in the passenger cabin. Pausing for a moment, zero gazed at the sea dinosaur, bent over from years of hard work, and thought, ‘Hold on, friend, we’ll have time to get to know each other better.’


+

Zoozero never missed details. Moreover, he considered it strictly his own observation that the truth reveals itself to a person precisely in seemingly insignificant details that are sometimes imperceptible to most people. He secretly took pride in this, his, as they say nowadays, exclusive quality – noticing amazing little things. They help reveal the essence of what is happening, to hear some clues for oneself.

The further it went, the more intense it became. Until quite recently, these screaming little things had kept him restless when interacting with strangers. Our hero involuntarily understood the role assigned in his life to everyone who appeared on the stage before his eyes. Barely noticeable strokes condemned relationships with new people to a slow and painful death. There were fewer and fewer who could withstand the test of the cursed inner polygraph. A gesture, a word accidentally let slip, any manifestation of inner essence – all of this repelled him, made him painfully doubt, reflect on himself, his sanity, and adequacy. All lies. In reality, the internal check was limited to the first impression, just one glance.

Yes-yes-yes, he would lift his eyes and understand who was in front of him and what to expect from them. Then it was only necessary to confirm the correctness of the initial emotion. No determination and processing of visual-sensory information, no analysis, just without surprises. The person acted exactly as Zoozero expected of him, regardless of how unpredictable the situation they found themselves in was. Sometimes this helped him protect himself from those who could cause him serious harm. But sometimes, against all instincts, he tried to turn the person toward himself, to open up to them, to become closer. Experiments of this kind always ended sadly.

It’s also worth mentioning the unexpected situation. The inner eye had increasingly become oppressive over the years. He expected exactly what would be confirmed by time, not only from people but also from the very course of events, with no surprises. This is not to say that he could predict a result at a specific time and place. No, of course not, for in that case, he would have become a millionaire. Moreover, he was unlucky in gambling, rarely winning money. The first time he decided to step into a casino – and immediately be disappointed at his decision, when he sensed the inevitable loss – was almost at the age of forty. ‘The situation is interesting, the people deserve close examination, the very slice of society is rich with surprising layers. But I need to get out of here before I make a fool of myself,’ ran through his mind as lunatics with chips in their hands scurried around looking for easy prey.

The reader might say, well, any prudent and observant person can shield their life from extraordinary events, anticipate the course of events that may affect their life. Any skeptic, seasoned by experience, no longer expects anything extraordinary in the world around them. They will find an explanation for everything and seek a justification. However, Zoo hated all-knowing pessimism with all his heart, ran from it as from a straight path to intellectual inferiority, because he was a curious person and knew how to marvel at unusual things. And to believe in miracles.

It’s difficult to explain this contradiction with a simple example. A thunderstorm on a clear day could not be a surprise for him in itself. But combined with a certain inner experience and the surrounding environment, it could become truly wonderful. The external took on some kind of mystical meaning within him. But only sometimes, for reasons unknown to him. External phenomena became almost one hundred percent predictable. Like in the case of the rigid philosopher who had seen it all. Only their impact – first on the outer, so to speak, shell of the soul, and then on its inner core – sometimes exceeded all expectations. It wasn’t about natural sensitivity, for sure. Although it must be said that he could easily change his mood abruptly or evoke a real storm of emotions in himself, using only his imagination.

It was something else. Any external situation occurs in the world, in a specific place with its attributes. And over many years of life, Zoozero began to notice – and again at first glance – the external circumstances that would play a very specific role in his life – positive or negative.

Not long ago he could truly enjoy carefree solitude, staring through the crowd of passersby with an empty, unfocused gaze. ‘Hooray! I’ve found salvation!’ he would exult. But that was not to be! Looking away from people – since they reached for him, clinging like leeches – he began to linger on external objects. Purely sensory impressions started to fill with internal content. A shiver ran down his spine at this thought. The graffiti on the fence seemed like a call, a dead cat resembling Vaska, and the high-speed train rushing past the windows with a fantastic, almost otherworldly whistle, like a living testament to the coming future… I repeat, all these elements of the external world in this specific situation PLAYED A COMPLETELY DEFINITE ROLE IN HIS LIFE. The little things that had prevented him from calmly looking into people’s eyes and into their souls came alive even when seeing the most ordinary objects – the door of a house, a car number plate, the color scheme of a website – blasting through their shells with a crash.

It took just a turn of the head for the place to begin an amazing play. Especially the places he had visited repeatedly. The reader might ask, what’s all this philopsychology or psychophilosophy about? There is an answer. Here it is. Zoozero stepped out of the subway car, took about a hundred steps toward the school, looked back, and felt as if a tsunami of happiness was about to crash down on him…

+

‘What a beauty! Wow, damn, how lucky I am,’ he blurted out involuntarily when a magnificent view of the bridge and the Opera House opened up before him. It even seemed that he could hear the music of otherworldly pipes. Everything around was singing and dancing. After several years of confusing drift, he clearly felt that it seemed life had decided to at least make up for the moral damage.

It was hard to tear his eyes away from all this mesmerizing spectacle. The Opera House shimmered in the sunlight like the white body of a giant lizard ready to dive underwater. Its scales, made up of light beige tiles, seemed so realistic that you could even notice the trembling of the muscles that were about to set this monster in motion.

‘Maybe we should go and meet it while it’s above ground,’ Zoozero suggested to his first acquaintance at the door of the international language school, a balding boy from Barcelona named Pere.

‘Great idea,’ he responded enthusiastically, and within a minute they were already approaching the majestic creation of human genius.

As they got closer, the contours of the Opera changed, the shades of its color shifted, yet the feeling remained that this masterpiece was a living being. Countless admiring eyes fixate on it every day; it finds no rest from either secret and overt admirers, day or night. It is they who give life-giving strength to this mysterious creature, which has determined the completely unique appearance of Sydney. Like a fairytale dragon, it guards the gates of the city, bestowing a majestic blessing on everyone in silence.

The Opera changes a person’s consciousness in a fraction of a second if they come too close and watch, with bated breath, how it unfolds, just like Zoozero and Pere, wondering when this machine will finally start moving. 

The sight inspires a sense of wonder that awaits everyone in this amazing city. The Opera House feeds the feeling of the supernatural, a kind of mystery in what is happening around. It removes all conventions and breaks down the boundaries between people. Only about ten minutes had passed since their meeting, and our hero was already hugging Pere in a burst of unrestrained joy. 

Indeed, beauty will save the world! They didn’t understand each other even twenty percent, yet this sacred place boldly ignored the language barrier; the Russian understood the Spaniard as if they were brothers who had grown up together their whole lives. 

It even seemed as if time had stopped. The spring sunshine, the splashes of the waves, the harbor waters filled with constant movement of ships and boats mesmerized Zoozero and Pere.

They ran from place to place in search of the best view of all this beauty, forgetting everything else in the world. They rejoiced like children at the happiness that had befallen them. Then suddenly they both froze, closed their eyes, only to open them again and behold this symbol of the triumph of the human spirit, capable of transcending the boundaries of the material world, creating and filling with inner substance, breathing life into fantastic structures. Near the Opera House, even the thickest-skinned person felt the incomparable aura of this place, where the human soul sings and the heart fills with joy.

The Russian and the Spaniard slowly came to their senses, regained composure, and remembered school. And most surprisingly, as they moved away from the Opera House, they had to strain their minds more and more, searching for words to maintain the contact that had been established so effortlessly. For Zoozero, this was the first experience of such prolonged international communication, for which he had traveled almost 15,000 kilometers.

But he was not the only one. Students arrived at the international English school in Sydney in a steady stream. From all continents. They ranged from beardless boys to family men, like that Arab who had 4 wives, 8 children, and an unknown number of grandchildren in Riyadh. Each had their own reason for coming from far away. But they were all united by determination, thanks to which they managed to break free from everyday life and fully immerse themselves in the life of such a distant and mysterious Australia.

Chapter 3

In the morning, you can see all kinds of people in a Sydney subway car. Large Indian families, ubiquitous Chinese people, huge islanders – you name it! And everyone finds their own space in a modern Australian metropolis. Against this backdrop, a Russian and an Ecuadorian seemed perfectly ordinary.

‘It’s important to have a real purpose in life,’ Zoozero blurted out passionately. ‘Something that fills your existence with meaning. I have one. Just tell Stefania that. And besides, it’s important what that dream is. One can strive for wealth, fame. But for me, that’s not the main thing.’

‘Everyone says that, there’s nothing unusual about it,’ Sebastian’s demeanor suggested the topic was very relevant to him. ‘You say, ‘I’m exclusive, unlike other people.’ But I don’t believe it! To me, you’re as ordinary as they come. Show me proof, your life experience.’

‘I’m not one of those whose best is in the past. And I hope for the future more than the present. That’s why I’m here. My dream is to be useful to my country, to society. It’s so cool, just imagine. I’ve been waiting a long time in this life for a real chance, and I am immensely grateful to fate for finally giving it to me.

- What do you mean?

- The Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. For me, it became the whole meaning of life. The most amazing thing is how it happened. Almost in one day, I lost my family and gained a great dream. I’ve realized from my own experience that God never takes away without offering something in return. We don’t need to talk about the family, the divorce.

- As you say. But sooner or later, you’ll still have to talk about it if you really have serious intentions toward Stefania…

- Let’s close this topic. I don’t even want to remember. Tell her that this person loves sports and is preparing to participate in a project of global and national scale. For this, he changed his life and started working intensely on himself. He strives to be more honest, better, kinder. Her reaction is important to me; I need to be sure of her uniqueness. I have no doubt in myself at all. Tell her that.

- I understand you, Mr. Exclusive, - Sebastian laughed. – I’ll do everything I can to help you. So, you’re amazing, you see her in your dreams and at the same time you dream of the Olympics, in the preparation of which you plan to participate.

- Exactly, - snapped his fingers Zoozero. – That’s enough for a first message. If she’s interested in this kind of long-distance communication, or game, then we’ll continue. I hope you’ll also find it very amusing.

They didn’t even notice how half an hour passed on the way, and how the scenery in the carriage changed. Instead of the motley crowd, they were surrounded by men and women in civilian clothes, hurrying to their offices located in the very heart of business Sydney.

Then Zoozero and Sebastian got off the train, casually glanced at the magical sight of the Opera and Harbor Bridge, and in two steps found themselves at the school.

- I’ll only expect good news from you, - Zoozero said cheerfully, patting his new friend on the shoulder. – I envy you a little. You can write a book later on how it was. See you at home!

+

The sun left the horizon, and Sebastian was still gone. He had already missed dinner, which had never happened before, and he was clearly in no hurry to go home. Zoozero was losing patience. ‘How did it go? What did she answer? Where is this damned Sebastian?’ - he listened to every sound in the house, hoping not to miss the cherished slam of the front door.

He was successful with the opposite sex, but only in the rarest cases did he take the initiative and get to know each other himself. More often than not, Zoozero became the object of someone’s scrutiny. In companies, he was cheerful and charming in the typical Odessa manner. You know, if a man manages to really cheer up a woman, then he has a very high chance of ending communication in bed. However, our hero never strove for this. Moreover, he had his own ideology in this regard. Its essence was to break off women.

He could be scared off by any little thing. A cigarette in her mouth, a sour smell, a strong word, dyed hair – something always stopped him each time. He was a fierce opponent of flirting, considering it a waste of time, a pointless expenditure of life energy that could be used for other purposes. The natural tenderness of zoo was waiting to emerge, but with his wife, everything quickly turned into marital duty, and with other women, the interactions were only superficial. He resembled a sleeping volcano, with lava boiling inside, ready to burst out.

Finally, the front door signaled. Languid steps were heard on the stairs. Zoozero shot out of the room like a bullet and didn’t give Sebastian a chance to react. 

- Well, what? – Zero kept looking into his eyes. – Did you talk to her? Pass on the message? What did she say? 

- You’re a craaazy duuude, – Sebastian said slowly. 

- Did she say that? 

- No, I did. Have you prepared the next message? 

- No way! – Zoozero got excited and almost jumped for joy. – She accepted the challenge! That means it worked!

- You know, we have been in the same class for more than a month. We communicate normally, McDonald’s is there, Hangry Jack’s. It wasn’t difficult for me to tell her about you...

- Wait, I hope you didn’t open who gave her the message?

- Of course not. In short, it had an effect on her, – Sebastian summed up and headed to his room. However, the Russian suspected that there could be much more comments on this matter.

- Hey, friend, don’t rush to sleep. You’d better tell me, what is the reason that made you miss a wonderful dinner in this house?

- All this time I was with Stefania, - a resident of the city of Quito did not deny it. - She herself suggested a little walk after classes. We went to the Botanical Garden, then I walked her home.

- Have you been alone all this time? -Yes. But don’t worry so much. We agreed that we would be good friends. I think it’s surprising, but you have a chance. So put yourself in order, remove excess weight, go to the gym. You have to be better, because she’s worth it. But for now, let me grab a snack, take a shower, and go to bed. I’m completely worn out with you two, love-struck birds.

- Let me kiss you, my dear, - Zoozero, judging by his own feelings, no longer felt the ground beneath his feet. – In any case, I’m due. Tomorrow you’ll get a new message.

- Alright, alright, come up with more, you sly serpent.

- Remember, Seba. I’m going to share with you and her only real stories from my life. Only the truth. Sleep well!

All night long, his mind kept shifting settings. Zoozero was in a sort of semi-faint, wandering across the wide fields of a transcendental world. There were no dreams because reality felt magical. He woke up, went out into the yard, looked at the sky, and there was a parade of stars and planets, a perfectly clear heavens, not a single cloud. The moon was so bright that it seemed it might speak any moment… ‘God, this is the first time something like this has happened to me,’ he muttered. Then he returned to his room, lay down on the bed, and still couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. Damn, that’s what love does to people!

+

He began to recall vivid moments from his life. Not just some officially documented or photographed nonsense like ‘first day of first grade,’ ‘gaudeamus igitur,’ or the truly prophetic ‘gor’ko, gor’ko,’ but real, intense emotions.

And the first thing that came to mind was a similarly clear and beautiful night on the seaside. Odessa, a deserted beach, and an open caf; 50 meters from the tide line. He remembered every detail of that nighttime event. How he ordered 100 grams of some dark-colored vodka, how the weather suddenly started to change, how a squall of wind and rain swept in from the Black Sea. It was incredible to witness the amazing transformation of the sea’s elements in just one hour. The sea foamed, throwing huge waves onto the shore, which took on an even more mystical character after the heavenly forces joined the sea ruler with their thunders and lightning.

Rain poured down, the wind tore off the caf;’s canvas roof. The visitors fled, leaving their orders on the tables. Zoozero seemed to be waiting for this moment. He jumped off the steep slope onto the soft sand and rushed into this madness. He threw off his clothes and shoes. ‘Where are you going, you fool?’ he heard someone shout in the background, but nothing could stop him now.

‘My dear ones, I’m coming!’ he ran toward the waves and stopped for a moment when his feet touched the water. Flashes in the sky, adding quite a bit of drama to the whole scene, occasionally illuminated his silhouette. Then he fell to his knees, bowed his head, and froze in prayer. ‘Thank You, Lord, for this chance; I will never stray from the path, and for You, I am ready for any trials.’

Zoozero loved the sea and had long since stopped fearing the waters. The first time he was supposed to drown was at the age of four, when he jumped after a frog and fell into the river. That was his oldest memory in life. He did not feel fear; it was even amusing to see how the current carried you according to a will known only to itself. Then the water began to darken, and at that moment something big and strong grabbed him by the head and pulled him out.

Then the water began to darken, and at that moment something big and strong grabbed him by the head and pulled him up to the air. Later, his grandfather often told this story: ‘Well, damn, you scared me, you fool. I was just standing nearby, I turn around - nobody’s there. I look into the water, and already a stream is pulling him under a big rock. I rushed to him, and he’s smiling underwater, his eyes wide open, just soaking it all in. Barely managed to grab him and pull him out of the whirlpool. A second more and it would have been too late. You could say he was born again. I think after this story, he has no reason to fear water.’

Even as a child, Zoozero would swim kilometers from the shore, leaving his poor mother on the bank, worrying for hours about her only son. He swam across lakes and rivers. He enjoyed the divine freedom when his body glided through the water. And he always seized the tiniest chance to dive into any body of water…

That night he struck like an arrow into the Black Sea wave. A counterblow followed, throwing the daring young man tens of meters back. Amid all this nighttime spectacle of light, one could see a man repeatedly trying to break through a massive wall of water. Zoozero seemed to have long prepared for this battle. He feared nothing. He crept toward the waves like a snake, trying to outwit the sinister breakers. Inch by inch, half a step at a time, gaining ground with each new attempt. He didn’t like to yield to anyone, and it was clear he wouldn’t emerge from this struggle until he achieved his goal.

Meanwhile, he managed to catch the amazing rhythm of the waves, his mind cleared when his feet no longer felt the bottom… He dove and surfaced, riding one wave after another. He didn’t have a second to look around. He was tossed from side to side. Darkness and the downpour pressed down on him like a weight; he was desperately short of air, and the abyss, black as night, seemed intent on swallowing him whole.

And then, when he was already exhausting himself and felt invisible threads binding his arms and legs, someone shut down this devilish centrifuge. The sea took him in and seemed to seat him on a swing. There was no need to row frantically anymore, and Zoo couldn’t believe his eyes when such a hostile element turned its anger into mercy. The downpour had ended, and only in the distance could the rumble of thunder be heard. The fresh sea breeze drove away uninvited guests, and the last remnants of nature’s foul mood – the clouds – were carried away from the skyscraper.

‘Isn’t this a miracle!’ exclaimed our hero. He laughed like a madman, enjoying the ease of movements that allowed him to play with the waves. They lifted him effortlessly above the water’s surface, giving a view of beautiful Odessa, then gently lowered him down, taking him further from the shore. Now he felt like the complete master of the situation. His mind sang in unison with his feelings. Stars appeared in the sky again, their distant light flickering like millions of tiny sparks on the sea waves. Zoozero was humming Vysotsky, some songs from his pioneer past. And there wasn’t a person in the world happier than him.

+

- I’m not saying I’m too bold, - Zoozero explained. - It’s just that sometimes I lose my head, I become desperate. At such moments, I am ready for any action. And you know, at the subconscious level, I feel that nothing terrible will happen, everything will end well.

- Swimming in a storm is unwise and very risky. A person who puts his life in mortal danger looks suspicious. If you don’t take care of your own life, then the life of another person is not important to you, - Sebastian shrugged.

- Your logic is strange, Seba. But what about the heroes, those who gave their lives in the war to save their comrades? Or who, risking his life, entered a burning house to rescue a child from the fire?

- Don’t compare different things. Your courage is in hops – we suck of a different kind. However, this is your story. If you insist, I’ll give it to Stefania.

- Wait, I don’t like your attitude, – the Russian continued. – Some people prefer to stay at home and explore the Internet, and I respect the choice of this kind of people. But I don’t accept it, because reality, in my opinion, is always more interesting than the unreal, virtual world. Rafters, surfers, skydivers are closer to me. Everyone who does not just imagine, but does something, overcomes fear, pain, and the limits of human capabilities. This is why I adore sports and athletes. Without will and hard work, it is impossible to become a champion.

- Well, anyone who sincerely believes in their strength and works on themselves can become a champion. Open the Guinness Book of Records. People go to great lengths to be called the best. And sometimes this desire goes beyond the bounds of decency.

- You’re still so young, and you’re already so skeptical, - Zoozero burst out. – Any argument can be brought to the point of absurdity. Actions reveal the inner state of a person, his psychophysical type. Someone likes balanced, calm natures that restrain emotions. People like me prefer to give them an outlet from time to time, to look for adventures, thrills.

- I never understood it. It’s foolish to waste your energy and emotions for nothing, to risk your health for momentary pleasure.

- Momentary? Take a look at your life, and you’ll understand that what remains in memory are primarily unusual, intense experiences. I have many of them, so my life is bright.

- Not every girl wants to be with a showman, - Sebastian wouldn’t stop. – Many value home comfort and security for the future. What kind of future can you discuss with someone ready to jump off a bridge at any moment?

- I agree, but in that case, my chosen one should be extraordinary. So much so that she would always be with me. Even when I’m flying off the bridge…

- I think you don’t stand a chance.

- I want real love, Zoozero insisted. – I’ve been burned once before and I don’t want to make the same mistake. I would like to find someone whose will I wouldn’t be ashamed to occasionally… submit to. I even have a joke about that. So, there’s a Bull and a Lion sitting in a bar. They have a beer each and start chatting. Of course, about women. Suddenly, in the middle of the conversation, the Lion got up and headed for the exit. ‘Where are you going so early?’ the Bull exclaimed. ‘I suggest we have another mug.’ – ‘No, I’ll go home,’ the Lion replied. ‘My wife is waiting for me.’ – ‘Ah, forget about her, she can wait, it’s no big deal. Or are you not the master in your house? Or is your word not law? What do you say, king of beasts?’ the Bull persisted. The Lion paused in the doorway and asked, ‘Who’s your wife, Bull?’ – ‘Don’t you know… well, a Cow.’ – ‘And my wife is a Lioness. Feel the difference?’

- Why did you tell me that silly story?

– You’ll understand when you grow up. When you told me she was going to become a military pilot, I was stunned. Admit it, such ambition is priceless.

– I think you both are crazy. But I like it. Let’s see what comes of all this.

Chapter 4

Unexpectedly, fate gave Zoozero a chance to get to know Stefania better. It turned out that they both ended up in the same extracurricular class, where books and films were discussed. It was led by a somewhat eccentric intellectual approaching retirement. He turned out to be an amazing teacher, as if playing with the language and with students overwhelmed by the unusual interaction. Among them were even those who got upset with the teacher when he mimicked their way of speaking. His teasing and jokes, very kind and timely, sometimes had the opposite effect because of the language barrier.

- I’m not humiliating you because your Italian is bad, - Laura flared up and jumped sharply from her chair. - I paid a lot of money and came here to be taken seriously.

- And what is it that bothers you? - the teacher raised his eyebrows.

- Michael, you don’t love me and you are biased against me. I’m already an adult and can understand the limits of propriety. I feel like your class is nonsense. We chat without any apparent goal and waste our time.

- Laura, if you don’t like this kind of interaction, you can easily change groups and teachers…

- Ah, I see! Now you’re kicking me out too. Well, I won’t let you get away with this, - the Italian girl burst into a hysterical fit, kicked her chair, and ran out of the classroom with a furious howl.

A deathly silence fell over the classroom. Michael first shrugged, then tried to draw the class’s attention back to the subject under discussion.

- So, we were talking about how you saw Australia and Australians before coming here, - he finally forced out. – I’m interested to know your associations, your perceptions.

However, the students paid no attention to the teacher. Laura’s behavior had crossed all boundaries, and the international audience began discussing the impulsive lady from the Apennines. ‘Are all Italian women really this nervous?’ – the question hung in the air. It was especially amusing to watch the eyes of the overly polite and disciplined Japanese widen in surprise. Two French girls were just giggling in the corner, twirling their index fingers by their temples.

Zoozero glanced at Stefania. No reaction. She looked at everything around her with glassy eyes, showing no interest in the ongoing discussion. Michael continued to call for attention, but the situation had completely slipped out of his control.

At that very moment, Zoozero decided to take the initiative. ‘A perfect chance to grab everyone’s attention and at the same time see Stefania’s reaction,’ he thought. He raised his hand and asked the teacher for permission to go to the board.

He enjoyed giving speeches, capturing the audience’s attention. However, he had never had to speak like this before, in front of people, unprepared and in English. Nevertheless, She was in the room, so the Russian didn’t hesitate for a second.

- I would like to talk about how I see the Australian soul, - Zoozero blurted out, immediately silencing the chatter in the classroom.

- That will be very interesting to hear, - Michael enthusiastically supported a turn of events that was completely unexpected for him.

- It’s hard to imagine what serves as a dwelling for the human soul, - Zoozero struggled to find the right words. - The heart? The brain? Or maybe there is no soul at all? We are going to discuss literature and cinema in this class. So, shortly before flying to Australia, I quite by chance watched a rather boring film called ‘The Tree.’ Do you know it?

Everyone, including Michael, shook their heads in the negative.

- It’s a sad story of an Australian family that lost their provider, who died of a heart attack while driving, and was left with virtually no means to survive. A mother, three sons, and a daughter. None of them could imagine life without the person who embodied a fresh breeze in the family. He was equally affectionate with everyone, cheerful. When he came home from work, life in the house seemed to awaken. Finally, father was a stronghold of strength and a protector of the family. Can you imagine, and suddenly all of this was gone.

Zoozero stopped and looked around the audience. It was hard to say with certainty whether the other students understood him or not, but for some reason, there was a silence in the class, similar to what had settled immediately after Laura’s outburst. Then he caught Stefania’s gaze, which he would never forget. In her black eyes, there was a bottomless sadness. Boundless, permanent sadness…

The Russian student lost control of himself for a moment. As if he had forgotten what he was talking about. Michael came to the rescue, who, with his usual delicacy, asked him to continue.

- The family was on the brink of despair and did not believe what had happened. Everyone was listening for every rustle around, hoping that their loved one would give at least some signal. As in, my dear ones, I am near. I still protect you, – at these words Zoozero’s voice trembled. - And one night, my 8-year-old daughter thought she heard her father’s voice in the rustling branches of a huge fig tree that grew in the yard next to our house. She went outside, where her father’s words seemed even clearer. Then it became a sort of madness for our unfortunate family. The children asked their mother to lay them on the wide branches of the wooden giant, where they would fall asleep as if in their father’s arms.

- It seems to me that the tree is a symbol of the Australian soul, - Zoozero continued his story. - In general, of the human soul. We hold onto our native land with our roots and try to reach upwards, strive upwards, strengthen the trunk of our character, and also extend our branches to others – love, friendship, respect. Am I not right, teacher?

- It was wonderful to listen to you, Zoozero, - Michael’s face spread into a blissful smile. - Thank you for finding the right words. I haven’t heard anything like this within the walls of our school for a long time. This is simply an incredible surprise for me.

Zoozero thanked him for the kind words and sat down, then stared at the floor, afraid to look up. He felt eyes drilling into him from all sides and could not wait for the saving signal that the lesson was over.


+


For several days, Sebastian could not manage to deliver the second message from Zoozero to Stefania. It all began with a mysterious incident witnessed by half the students at the language center.

Right after Friday classes ended, when the international horde was happily rushing out of the school into the sunny spring day, a small group of students was comforting a beautiful brunette on the stairs, who was hiding her tear-streaked face behind a lock of her thick hair. Nearby lay an unattended bag, while its owner defenselessly pushed away anyone trying to understand the reason for the tears. And as often happens, to every question about what had happened, the unfortunate girl responded with a new burst of crying.

- Stefania, darling, what’s wrong? – her friend and roommate Colin from France peered into her face. – Tell me, I’ll understand.

But Stefania was literally choking on her tears, unable to utter a word. Then Colin turned her strong body toward the onlookers and tried to chase everyone away.

- What are you staring at, huh? This isn’t a circus. Leave the person alone, - she drove away those lingering on the stairs. However, even more people gathered at the sound, and someone even thought to pull out a camera to capture the heartbreaking scene. A second later, Colin lunged at him and nearly bashed the paparazzo over the head with his own camera.

The French girl struggled to persuade Stefania to leave the school building and get a breath of fresh air. She tried to joke with her, reminiscing about their silly antics, how during an impromptu boxing match Stefania almost knocked out her front tooth.

- Can you imagine, Tifa, I’d be going around whistling now, using the gap in my teeth. Do you know how much dentist services cost in Australia?

- I don’t even want to know, - a sort of smile flickered across the beautiful face of the Colombian girl. – I want to be alone, Colin. Help me hide in a secluded spot.

And they wandered toward Hyde Park, where one could find a bench hidden from prying eyes and indulge in their emotions. Barely settling on the rescue of the even boards, Stefania folded her hands and laid her head on her knees, once again losing herself in the half-light of her sobs. It’s hard to say how long this went on, but Colin, as a true friend, remained silent and empathized with the unknown grief that had fallen upon this vulnerable Latin American soul.

Colin had previously noticed the mysterious zigzags in Stefania’s mood. She could laugh like a lunatic, shine with happiness, and a minute later be ready to throw herself out of a window in distress. Yet the French girl appreciated her strength of character, independence, and persistence with which the South American pursued her goals. It seemed that Stefania’s life was scheduled down to the minute. It was as if she was trying to prove to someone that she could be better, stronger. And while most girls spent their time in cheerful companies, in constant conversation with young men, attending endless parties in enchanting Sydney, Stefania willingly stayed alone, preferring silence and tranquility to the usual pleasures of her age.

- Colin, why did you stay with me? - finally, the Colombian showed signs of life. - You wanted to go to the barbecue with everyone else…

- But you’re my friend, how could I leave you alone in such a state? I’m sure you would have done the same.

- It’s even amazing to hear such simple and right words, - Stefania smiled. - You can’t say it any other way. Thank you for your support. For pulling me out here. I feel much better now.

And the very young representatives of different cultures and continents, whose fate had thrown them many kilometers away from home for almost a whole year, hugged each other, so that now the two of them could give vent to their tears.

- Colin, do you miss home?

- Of course.

- Who’s there for you?

- Mom, Dad, my brother, and my beloved Labrador named Koku. I wish I could be ruffling his ears right now! It feels like just a month has passed since I left, but to me, it’s like an eternity. But I try not to think about it. It’s fun here, there are lots of opportunities for socializing and new experiences.

- Yes, it’s simply amazing here. I expected something like this, but reality has exceeded all my expectations. Sydney is just superb.

- So why the long face? – Colin teased. – It’s Friday today, you can really let loose. Look at yourself, you’re gorgeous. With a look like that, you must have lots of guys, right?

- Not really, - Stefania shrugged. – You see, it’s me. I try not to notice them, it’s like some kind of spell is on me.

- What do you mean? Get that nonsense out of your head. While you’re young, you should enjoy life, love and be loved. Our age is so delicate.

- Can I share a secret with you, Colin? – Stefania’s face suddenly turned serious. 

- If you think it’s necessary, please.

- When I was 15, boys were after me. In short, they were driving me crazy. My father said to me back then: ‘Love can come and go, but you are always alone with yourself. And the more interesting you are to yourself, the more interesting your life and your loved one will be. Don’t waste your feelings, try to work on yourself, because inner charm is much stronger than outward beauty.’

- Oh, just forget it! Who cares what ancestors say. So boring!

- Don’t say that. Because the thing is, my dad passed away two years ago. All that’s left are my mom, my two brothers, and me… People say that someone finds it hard to cope with the death of a loved one. But I couldn’t cope with it at all… I don’t believe what happened. To hell with all the graves and coffins... Since then, many people have noticed that I’m not like everyone else. They even told me outright. Luckily, there’s my uncle, my father’s brother, who does everything he can to help us. When he hugs me, I sometimes close my eyes, and it feels like it’s dad. He loved all of us so much, and daddy adored me like a princess from a fairy tale. He wouldn’t let anyone come close when we were picking out a new outfit for me. And he always smiled. As a child, I would sit on his neck for hours; he held my little hands tightly with his warm hands, and I could feel how strongly his heart beat.

Tears welled up in Stefania’s eyes again. But this time, through them, determination herself looked at the fainting French girl with her two black barrels.

- F-forgive me, dear, - Colin barely managed to say.

- Just don’t tell anyone about this, - Stefania put her index finger to her lips. - As for me, I promise I’ll try never to fall apart like that again.


Chapter 5

While things were quiet on the love front, Zoozero decided to pursue a long-cherished childhood dream. One sunny day he rushed to Bondi Beach to check the water and see if it was time to start swimming. At the same time, he planned to walk along the beachfront shops and see if there was a chance to buy a surfboard.

What an amazing place – Bondi Beach! Everyone heading here can feel the waves approaching several kilometers before reaching the coveted sand. It was clear that the swimming season had not yet started. But what was that? There were some dark figures floating on the surface of the sea, looking like seals. They rocked on the waves, without visible movement. As he got closer, it became clear that they were people in wetsuits lying on surfboards.

Zoozero got off the bus, eyes fixed on the surfers. One of them was sprawled out on a board barely larger than an ironing board. A more skilled rider sat proudly on it like a horse, legs dangling in the water. It was visible how these sea lions were chatting with each other, laughing.

But what’s this? Suddenly, as if on command, the whole lazy bunch sprang into action. Aha, a wave approached, and each surfer, like a hunter, assumed a combat stance to launch onto its crest. Everything happened very quickly, and already people on colorful boards were gliding down the sloped surface, propelled by the force of the water.

Zoozero watched this flight of daredevils with bated breath, as if they were playing with the sea itself. You could notice that some of them stuck out their tongues, mocking the ocean and slicing through the water with their surfboards like a knife.

After such an impression, Zoozero knew exactly what needed to be done. When he opened the door of the first surf equipment shop he came across, he felt a sense of d;j; vu. It seemed as if he had been there long ago, that he knew the people who, each in their own area of work, were preparing all these incredible things for the summer season. No one even paid attention to the visitor.

Our hero felt much the same way when he first stepped across the threshold of the temple. The same incredible emotional surge from the mysterious decor. Icons hung everywhere on the walls – images of famous surfing masters, simply beautiful shots of mankind triumphing over a formidable element. And of course, surfboards, which you could finally touch and try out for yourself. Like in a church, an incomparable aroma. Only instead of incense – the dizzying scent of wax.

As if spellbound, Zoozero wandered among the alien wetsuits and brightly colored t-shirts, among boards of various sizes and colorful shorts. And it wasn’t just an exhibition where you could look and be free to go. No, every model had a price; take out your money and get whatever you like. ‘Can’t waste a minute, ‘ flashed through our hero’s mind.

- Could you help me? - he asked the sales consultant. - I’ve never surfed before, but I’d like to start right now. Which board would you recommend to me?

- Ok, come with me, - the young man replied cheerfully and led Zoozero straight to the group of surfboards, which at first seemed to be talking among themselves, and then fell silent at the sight of approaching people.

– Choose whichever you like!

Zoozero’s eyes widened. He liked all the models, with sharp and blunt noses, plastic and slightly softer ones made of foam. Each board had its own name, its own unique charm, its own character. Our hero could only silently admire all this beauty.

- Hey, man, - the seller brought zoo back to reality. – Let me help you make a choice. Do you have any surfing experience?

- None at all.

- Then it would be better to look at these models for beginners and intermediate levels. El Ni;o is a great option for your build. Not too big, but not too small either, light and easy to transport on public transport. Where are you from?

- From Russia.

- Wow! For long?

- For six months.

- Excellent! We hit the season just right. If you want, you can sell this board back to us. For a different price, of course. However, I think you can take it with you to Russia; there shouldn’t be any problems with the luggage.

While the store manager babbled on, Zoozero was running his hands over these amazing creations of human craftsmanship. His thoughts were already somewhere far away, he was already gliding over the surface of a wave, enjoying the feeling of complete freedom…

- Okay, I’ll take it, - he said, pointing to the vivid blue specimen, topped with the inscription ‘heart of El Ni;o.’

- What does this phrase mean?

- El Ni;o is a series of surfboards, just the name of the model line.

The answer was mediocre, not very captivating. ‘Never mind, I’ll check the Internet and find out everything,’ Zoozero thought to himself. He barely registered what was happening, silently watching as the handsome surfboard was lifted from the mass of its friends and then taken to the register. After the simple payment procedure, the store clerk handed him the El Ni;o.

- No, such an event in life must be captured for a long memory, - Zoozero’s face lit up with happiness. - Come on, let’s take some pictures!

And they went out of the store with the seller into the street to forever record the moment when our hero found a new friend. He squeezed the coveted piece of plastic and foam and said in his language:

- Well, dear, now I will not give you to anyone.

Naturally, it was decided to try the board in action immediately. The water is still cool, but can this stop a real Russian macho? He hastily changed his clothes, fortunately, he had shorts for bathing with him, and ran down to meet the waves, hugging El Ni;o tightly. Without a moment’s hesitation, he plopped down in the water and perched on the board. And with all his strength he began to row in the direction of the dark figures of the ‘seals’ to become a new member of the pack.

To this day, he has watched several times how the instructor on the beach explained and showed beginner surfers the procedure for actions in the water. Zoozero remembered when and how he needed to paddle and get up on the board. It seemed simple, just one, two, three!

However, reality turned out differently. At first, it was hard to stay on the board. It tossed him off like a spirited horse. Any wave would overturn Zoozero, and again and again he climbed back onto the surfboard to plunge into the cold depths. A pointless struggle, no romance at all!

Even harder was getting into the ocean. The waves mercilessly pushed Zoozero back to the shore with every attempt to cross the churning barrier. It seemed that the other surfers were within arm’s reach. Just about 30 meters away. But try, lying on the board, barely a speck in the hands of the ocean, to overcome the magical force of constantly rolling waves.

Zoo spent about two hours in countless attempts to reach the group. He was almost freezing from the cold while fighting a futile battle with the ocean’s element. His muscles even started cramping, and even his jaw ached, so he decided to stop resisting. ‘For a first time, that’s more than enough,’ he thought, as he barely moved his legs over the soft white sand of Bondi Beach. ‘I have plenty of time, I’ll come back and talk to you later, Pacific Ocean,’ Zoozero muttered to himself, glancing back at the fierce surf.

+

Staying in cold water didn’t go unnoticed. That evening, Zoozero felt that his body temperature had risen significantly. Life experience in such cases suggested only one remedy – vodka with pepper. Other students were shocked, watching a Russian prepare a fiery cocktail right before their eyes.

- Just vodka and red ground pepper? – the Italian, Marco, settled comfortably on the sofa to witness this extreme.

- You can use black pepper, it doesn’t matter, but it has to be hot, - replied Zoozero. – You drink 100 grams, then sweat all night, and in the morning you wake up feeling fresh as a cucumber.

- A cucumber? – asked Vladimir again. – What does that mean?

- It means you get out of bed without any sign of illness. Ready for new achievements.

- A great message for Stephanie, - Sebastian whispered in his ear and proclaimed at the top of his voice. - Folk medicine from distant Russia. A recipe that has been tested for centuries.

- Why are you laughing, Seba? - The Russian smiled. - Do you see me now? Chills, red eyes. Tomorrow you will see the difference. I don’t take pharmacological drugs, I don’t want to let all sorts of crap into my body. Better tried-and-tested, grandfather’s method. To our health!

After that, he waved one sip of the red flammable mixture from the glass. His face twisted, and he almost spewed it all back. He had to keep the mark not only of his own, but also of his country, therefore, albeit with great difficulty, zoo ended his performance on a high note in front of the stunned international audience.

- Oh! Now I see that you are a real Russian, - Marko could not resist applause, who was not fed bread, just let him grin.

The next morning, Zoozero got up at 6 am and, as if nothing had happened, started the day with his usual exercises. He went out for breakfast, breathing health and looking ironically at the rest of the students, who looked like sleepy flies.

- Come on! A new day has begun, you sleepwalkers and defectives!


Chapter 6


A few days passed, and it was an ordinary Thursday of an unremarkable week. After classes, Zoozero and Sebastian decided to go home together.

‘How’s our game going?’ asked the Russian. ‘What about Stefania’s second message?’

‘I gave her your night story. She was impressed.’

‘Tell me, is she interested in this kind of communication? Maybe we should stop?’

‘I think we should continue the same way. She’s really interested. We’ve become good friends. Oh, by the way, come with us to the Latin American club. It’ll be fun, I’m sure. You’ve never been to a place like that. Music and fun in abundance. Let’s go!’

‘Come with us – who’s ‘us’?’

‘Me, Santi, and Stefania. And a lot of people from our school too. But there is one problem… Oh, never mind, that’s not for you, that’s just me talking to myself,’ Sebastian looked down.

‘What problem? You’re holding something back, buddy.’

‘Or maybe there isn’t any problem… Anyway, zero, it’s none of your concern. Santi and I invite you to a super-duper party with South American dances and lively girls! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!’

Santi arrived in Sydney from the resort island of Menorca in Spain, where he works as a DJ. He moved into a room together with Zoozero. It was funny to watch how many things this short, balding guy had brought with him, always wearing a smile. He planned to stay in Sydney for only a month, yet he had his entire wardrobe with him. There were about ten pairs of jeans alone. Two huge suitcases didn’t fit in the wardrobe and found their place in the corner, taking up almost a third of the room. And when Santiago opened one of them, there was hardly any space left to step.

With Santi, the house filled with music and fun. He hardly understood or spoke any English, so Sebastian became a real savior for him. They communicated only in Spanish, confusing the other students who came here to improve their English.

It seemed that this overly positive Spaniard had no intention of learning the language at all. He had just come to Australia to have fun. One day, Zoozero asked him what the point was of coming to Sydney just to speak Spanish all the time.

‘Well, I’m already 28, it’s too late to learn,’ Santi replied with a smile. ‘Look at the world simply, enjoy it, and give others pleasant moments! In general, take a deep breath and live fully.’

That very Thursday, Santi was preparing for the party with particular care. He spent a long time choosing an outfit from his vast collection.

‘This is going to be a super party, Zero,’ he said, walking around and dancing lightly with his headphones on. ‘You’ll see, you’ll never forget this evening.’

‘Well, let’s see, Santi,’ Zero replied enthusiastically, sipping a cool Black Sambuca liqueur - so tasty and original that over time it became one of his flavors of Sydney. ‘Here, better take a sip of this divine drink.’

‘Simply marvelous!’ exclaimed the Spaniard. ‘The taste reminds me of something from my childhood. Maybe some kind of candy, I can’t quite understand.’

‘Indeed, a miracle, because I feel the same way. Something amazingly familiar, but I can’t figure out exactly what.’

+

A line had formed outside the La Cita club that evening. There were plenty of people eager to immerse themselves in the Latin American atmosphere. When Zoozero and his friends got closer, a girl’s voice called out to them. Our hero turned around and could hardly believe his eyes: Stefania was heading straight toward him. It was twilight, with a light breeze blowing through her hair. She was smiling and looked like the most beautiful person in the world. For a moment, everything around Zoozero stopped; he lost his sense of reality because he saw only her emerging from the dark side of the street under the gentle light of the lamps.

‘Hi, guys,’ she greeted everyone cheerfully and then winked at Sebastian, ‘someone promised to take me inside…’

‘Our advantage is numbers,’ Santiago said quickly. ‘While we’re standing in line, our people will arrive, and under the cover of the crowd, we’ll all sneak into the club. Trust me, for the past ten years I haven’t just been working, I’ve been living in clubs.’

Stefania clapped her hands joyfully. And the conversation between her, Sebastian, and Santi continued in Spanish. Zoozero stood a little apart, watching every movement of his beloved. He had never seen her outside the walls of the language school before, so he tried to memorize every detail of her clothing and behavior. He had never seen her smile, her charming gestures. For example, how she played with her luxurious hair, sometimes lifting it up, other times letting a strand fall over one eye, coquettishly glancing with the other, tilting her head to the side. She was wearing a light black dress that accentuated her girlish figure – long and slender legs, a beautiful chest. Her entire figure radiated the tenderest delicacy, the unique softness of a girl’s body.

‘Salut, everyone,’ several French students burst into the scene from somewhere outside. ‘Also decided to let loose to the fullest? Good choice!’

A minute later, three more students approached Santi, Sebastian, and Stefania, including a petite charmer from Colombia named Lorena. She immediately recognized Zoozero standing nearby and ran up to him, saying:

‘Zoo, we’re going to have our first slow dance.’

‘If you teach me how to dance to Latin music, no problem,’ he said, accepting the customary cheek kiss in such situations.

‘You’re such a serious man, I never expected to meet you here,’ Lorena babbled in broken English, clutching zoozero tightly with her tiny hands. ‘You don’t mind if I don’t let anyone take you away today, do you?’

‘Keep in mind, I’m very passionate,’ the Russian warned. ‘I love to dance, so it won’t be easy for you.’

‘That’s fine, I’ll manage,’ Lorena pressed her whole body against him.

Meanwhile, the cheerful group reached the club entrance, and at that moment Zoozero experienced an inexplicable pause. The thing is, the security flat out refused to let Stefania in. During the negotiations, words like ‘ID,’ ‘18 years old,’ and ‘alcohol’ were mentioned. Finally, Santi, using an astonishing mix of Spanish and English, managed to pry fragile Stefania out of the firm hands of the security guards, who were huge kids hailing from the Polynesian islands. Struggling to get past the entrance barrier, the group finally burst into the venue, where fun and laughter were in full swing.

‘Lorena, tell me, did that girl with black hair forget her ID?’ zoozero asked his companion.

‘That’s Stefania, she’s also from Colombia. Though she’s only seventeen for now. You know how things are in Australia. Under 18, you’re still a kid, no parties or alcohol for you.’

After these words, zoo started searching for Sebastian. ‘Where is that damn Ecuadorian? He told me she was nineteen.’

‘Ah, there you are, you empty talker,’ Zoozero grabbed the stunned South American by the chest. ‘How old is she?’

‘Who?’

‘You know who.’

‘A-a-a, Stefania? Seventeen. I only found out about it today when I invited her to the club. She told me she couldn’t come because she’s still underage.’

‘She shouldn’t see us together so that she doesn’t get any suspicions,’ Zoozero muttered through his teeth. ‘Maybe you’ve already told her everything about me?’

‘No, of course not. And why are you so flustered? So what if she’s two years younger. Considering your age difference, it’s nothing. Relax, better let me show you how to dance the samba.’

The Russian thought: ‘Really, what’s the difference, seventeen or nineteen. But it would be better if she were nineteen.’

‘Lorena, what do you think is the best age for a girl – seventeen or nineteen?’ he turned to Lorena, who was following him like his shadow.

‘Both are bad. The best is twenty-one, like me. Haven’t you forgotten? You promised me a dance…’

That evening at the La Cita club, it was really hot. People danced until they dropped. And among those who were in the front rows was Zoozero. He even drank to love, clinking a glass of wine with Stefania, who, along with the other girls, gladly supported the toast to the beautiful feeling. Lorena clung to Zoo like a tail, not letting him out of her sight for a single step. The only place to find relief from her was the restroom.

‘Why are you so attached to this Russian friend?’ Stefania asked her fellow countrywoman.


‘I think he’s smart and kind,’ Lorena shrugged. ‘Strong and hot. In the literal sense of the word ‘hot’. You touch him, and you risk getting burned. We have one class together at school, and he always helps me with the lessons. Anyway, we’ll talk later, because he’s coming back. Zoozero, I’m here!

However, all good things must come to an end. And the sweet moments on the soft couch outdoors with a view of Darling Harbor ended too. The whole company, including Stefania and Zoozero, spent the last half hour in the club, watching the stars in the sky and the many lights in this picturesque part of Sydney. They sat closely together, talking about their countries, favorite animals, hobbies. They didn’t want to leave, despite the approaching morning and the need to go to school. They savored the magnificent night, the gentle sea breeze, and the music of Latin America, which toward the end of the party began to carry more distinct romantic and sad notes.

When Sebastian, Santi, and Zoozero were taking the first train home, the Russian student asked:

‘Guys, what does La Cita mean?’
 
‘It’s a Spanish word,’ Sebastian replied. ‘It can be translated as ‘meeting’ or ‘date.’’

‘How romantic… I’ll definitely remember that.’

‘Hey, Zero, why do you like Stefania?’ Santiago suddenly asked. ‘To me, Lorena is much more pleasant. She’s fun, lively. And more beautiful too.’

‘And who told you that I am interested in Stefania?’ Zoozero asked cautiously and cast a fierce glance at Sebastian.

‘Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. I like Lorena much more. Stefania is way too proper, you need a very special approach with her. It seems she’s one of those fools who can wait her whole life for a prince on a white horse. You need to be simpler.

‘You think I don’t stand a chance, Santi?’

‘Who knows… I see your workout every morning. I know that you’re very persistent. The main thing is to doubt yourself less. Your appearance is pleasant, smile more, because it suits you very well. Your success depends only on you.’


+

The start of a new day suggested the third message for Stefania. It so happened that for the past 20 years Zoozero had woken up to the song ‘Good Times, Bad Times’ from Led Zeppelin’s first studio album. He liked the band’s work even though he didn’t understand English or the meaning of the songs.

Even in his first year at the Far Eastern University in Vladivostok, he met a musician named Kirill. They were studying at the Faculty of History, played on the university’s football and table tennis teams together. Sometimes Zoozero noticed how Kirill’s attention seemed to drift during lectures. He would stare into the distance and write something on paper. And in English, no less.

‘What are you writing?’ Zoozero asked one day.

‘Oh, just some songs,’ his friend replied.

‘More precisely, lyrics from Led Zeppelin songs. It’s a rock band. Have you ever heard of them?’

‘No, never.’

‘That’s too bad. They’re an amazing band, I love their incredible sound.’

Kirill, together with his friends, formed his own rock band called The Butter Smile Blues and even performed concerts in Vladivostok. Knowing all this, neither classmates nor teachers were surprised when this local rock star would sometimes get lost in thought during class and start humming songs aloud. It looked very funny from the outside, especially when Kirill, as if having returned to the mortal world, had no idea what was happening around him, why everyone was looking at him and smiling.

At the first opportunity, Zoozero bought himself a collection of the best songs by Led Zeppelin. It was a Japanese audio cassette, completely transparent, and you could see the thin tape spinning. The recording on it turned out to be surprisingly clear. The voice of the band’s lead singer, Robert Plant, sounded bright, even piercing. And how wonderfully the guys worked with the instruments, creating a picture made up of patches different in intonation and sound, which stirred the mind. And Zoo was so amazed that he could no longer imagine his life without this music.

He was afraid of losing the cassette and at first even carried it with him everywhere like the most precious treasure. When falling asleep, he would put it under his pillow, and through the night silence, the familiar motifs of the great English quartet seemed to reach his ears. And one day, he had the idea to use Led Zeppelin’s music as the ringtone for the alarm clock built into his tape recorder. The choice immediately fell on the song ‘Good Times, Bad Times,’ which was destined to greet our hero at the start of every new day.

Now let the esteemed reader imagine how many times over all these years Zoozero had listened to this song. More than seven thousand! Could four young rockers in London back in October 1968 have imagined that a song they recorded would become so popular for one particular Russian guy? The university years ended, family life began, and every morning Zoozero would slowly open his eyes to various degrees, accompanying Plant’s trembling voice as he sang along in English:

‘You will hear how my heart is beating;
Understand, darling, you and I will never part.’

+

The new day entirely passed to the accompaniment of Led Zeppelin. First, Zoozero asked Sebastian to convey to Stefania his sincere confession of love for this rock band. Then in class, teacher Kevin Dickson announced the new lesson topic – ‘Music.’ Naturally, the first thing discussed was favorite performers. We had to write a short essay, then go to the board and share something interesting about our idols. Kevin wasn’t very fond of our protagonist and sharply criticized Led Zeppelin: ‘I don’t understand their lyrics.’ ‘Strange,’ thought Zoo. ‘And I am crazy about their lyricism.’

After school, Zoozero headed to Sydney’s Chinatown to look for something for himself and his daughter. Among all this low-quality, cheap mass merchandise, he discovered a real gem – a black T-shirt with an embroidered image of Led Zeppelin’s bassist Jimmy Page made with multicolored threads.

And it got better. Zoozero decided to take a ferry ride. There are only seven routes of this type of transport in Sydney’s waters. And each has its own unique atmosphere. Our hero put on a brand-new T-shirt and decided to head to Watsons Bay on a high-speed ferry. Oh, if only he had known what awaited him in just about thirty minutes of travel.

There are many places like this in the world. It’s like sections of a battlefield, where different elements clash in relentless combat. On one side, a quiet cove, an excellent area for family leisure, a harbor for hundreds of private yachts. Peace and tranquility. On the other, steep cliffs, meeting the fierce onslaught of the ocean head-on. They repel the attacks of giant waves, breaking them into tiny particles, into miserable spray, which, in essence, are nothing.

The battle between the solid earth and the warring ocean captured all of Zoozero’s attention. Waves crashed with a deafening roar, their numbers countless. But each time, they scattered, shimmering with a multitude of hues in the sunlight, dying one by one, unable to shake the fortress that had risen in their path.

In Zoozero’s mind, this spectacle went beyond the bounds of the sensory world. This was seen as a confrontation between good and evil, which were locked in an eternal battle. Our hero put on headphones and turned on Led Zeppelin. It was ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ and at the end of that song there are these words:

‘When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll…’

And Zoozero once again made a vow to himself never to bend under the circumstances of life. Bend your line. It must be said that Zoo was a man of principles. Not two or three, but a whole system of commandments given to himself, which became the foundation of his personality.

The inner positions of his nature never seemed to him oppressive. He had a kind of switch in his hands that allowed him to change modes of existence. For others it could be difficult, for some it is not at all possible, but for the hero of our story it is simple and natural. He was never particularly brave, but he was always the first among his comrades who dared to cross the line. Jump off the slope into the sea? Stop the train? Go to hell far away? He accepted any challenge of fate, big or small. He was glad of the mere opportunity to test himself.

He knew how to endure endlessly and then explode at the slightest deviation from order as he understood it, from the truth as it was for him. The reader might say that this sounds paradoxical to the point of implausibility. Let them say so, for every book has its strengths and weaknesses. Some flaunt their style, others their plot, and still others rely on passion. In this case, it is primarily about Zoozero, the raging ocean of his personality.

This man was gifted with a rare talent – the ability to balance between the conscious and the superconscious world. He could easily put himself into a trance, foresee events, and establish irrational connections. At 19, as a student, he once amused his dormitory roommates quite a bit by commenting in real-time on a dream he was having. Of course, no one believed him then, as they thought it was just a fiction, a flight of his unrestrained imagination. For Zero, that spiritual experience became possible only thanks to an incredible effort of will, when he, as master, burst into the mysterious realm of the unconscious.

Dreams served him as a kind of indicator. The more emotions boiled within him, the richer and more varied his nocturnal watches became. Reality merged with what was happening in the dream. He could wake up, have a sip of water, or look at the night vase, only to continue viewing the dream as if he were using the pause mode on a DVD player. At the same time, Zoozero never attached any importance to the content of his night visions. They were for him merely a kind of waves of varying strength and intensity, through which he could judge how stormy or measured the psychophysical environment surrounding him was…

‘Bad times, good times’ awakened him each time, inviting him to a new morning and giving their solid fifty percent for optimism. However, our hero always aimed higher and would literally jump out of bed to stop Led Zeppelin mid-verse with a simple flick of a finger, and then go on to live a new day, interacting with other people, many of whom for some reason did not understand the mysterious lyrics of the English rock band.


Chapter 7


On one sunny November day, when everything in Sydney signals the arrival of summer, zoozero went to the Botanic Garden with his Italian friend and housemate Marco. But before passing through the gates leading into the blooming paradise, they walked around the Opera House and came across an announcement about an upcoming concert.

‘Oh my God, Marco,’ exclaimed zoozero. ‘Look, on the first of December there will be a symphony concert at the Opera. I can’t believe my eyes!’

‘Yes, that’s right,’ the Italian agreed calmly. ‘It would be surprising if they were playing punk rock here.’

‘This won’t be ordinary music, but Schubert’s symphony the Great. I adore this composer and I will definitely go to this event,’ zoo’s eyes lit up. ‘Marco, come with me, it will be an unforgettable experience.’

‘Ok,’ he nodded in response. ‘I’ve long dreamed of visiting the Opera. By the way, the same goes for Sebastian. I suggest we buy the tickets right now and go as a group of three.’

Just in case, they called Sebastian, who immediately agreed to join this cultural expedition. And within about ten minutes, the Russian and the Italian were already holding the coveted tickets.

‘Tell me, Zoozero, why do you like Schubert so much?’ Marco asked as they strolled through the Botanical Garden.

‘It’s hard for me to explain things like that,’ our hero began to ponder. ‘Probably because his music touches the soul. I love it when the rhythm changes suddenly, drastically. There it is – calm, beauty, tenderness… And then suddenly an explosion, a storm, a catastrophe! Then calm returns, a flowing stream. However, such a state of affairs only seems that way, it’s pretending… In reality, the world itself doesn’t believe in itself, ready to flare up, burst with thunder and lightning. Something similar probably happened when the Universe was created. And it seems to me that our world is still going through a stage of its formation, and we are only witnessing the painful process of its becoming.’

‘Wait a minute, does music really lead you to such thoughts? I never expected to hear something like that from a man of your distinguished age, ‘ - the Italian said, animatedly.

‘Not only music, but also books, films… You go outside to feel the powerful heartbeat of existence. Look around, what beauty surrounds you! Birds are singing, trees seem to gather in companies of like-minded souls to discuss eternal questions for centuries. And behind the garden fence – a completely different life, skyscrapers in the city’s business center. Everything is like in Schubert’s music, with its amazing resonance and inner contradiction.

‘Wow, I didn’t suspect that Russians could be so sensitive, ‘ - Marco smiled. – ‘It seemed that your country had tougher manners. I, for one, have never experienced such emotions. I’ve probably never even thought about it.’

‘You live in a different society, I think. It’s harder for you to stop and try to look within yourself, to open your inner sight.’

‘What do you mean, Zoozero? ‘

‘Come on, let’s sit on the grass, I’ll try to explain my thought to you, and you can correct me if I’m wrong. ‘



‘Ah, I envy these birds, ‘ – Marco sighed. – ‘Look how good they have it here. ‘

‘You think so? ‘ – Zoozero smirked. – ‘I highly doubt it. ‘

‘Why?’
 
‘Look, almost every one of them is numbered, ringed.’

‘What’s so special about that? People monitor bird populations, protect them.’

‘I don’t think parrots like it very much,’ - said Zoozero, pulling some kind of card out of his bag. – ‘We also have our own number. Take a look at my student ID. RUM328199. Now, a driver’s license. 50 KT N040494. And then there’s a passport, an insurance certificate, a medical insurance policy. And everywhere there are these numbers, which are better for you to know by heart.’

‘So, what are you getting at? ‘

‘That without a piece of paper, an ID, you wouldn’t even be able to buy a ticket to the Opera House. We all, when we are born, fall into a certain niche of society, with predetermined limits and possibilities. Then we spend our whole lives fighting to remove the limits and expand the possibilities. Of course, every country has its own nuances, but the overall trend remains the same.’

‘I think it’s a natural process of human society’s development. Especially in the age of digital technologies. It’s so convenient: you enter your number, your code, and it’s done.’

‘To hell with this ‘done’! ‘ – Zoozero snapped angrily and jumped to his feet. – ‘I am a person, not a number. The tragedy of our era is that in the mad race for progress, we lose our humanity and become robots. Modern consumer society seems to shape us, push us into a certain mold. Naturally, I mean the format of individuality. It forces us to act within strictly defined boundaries.’

‘What’s got you so upset, Zoo? You’re a free person, you have time at your disposal, and you’re free to act as you wish. There’s a library near the Botanical Garden; you can seclude yourself there, immerse yourself in reading, measure your own sense of life against Buddha, Plato, Nietzsche…’

‘That’s exactly the point, you have to run from this society into rare hideaways where you feel at least somewhat independent. The moment you step into the outside world, the pressure starts to weigh on you. You walk into a store and sometimes end up buying not what you want. You take what’s more profitable, fall for all sorts of promotions and bonuses. You yourself become a product in this world, of a specific type and category. Little by little, you give up your positions, submit to imposed trends.’

‘Wait, you do have a choice,’ - Marco objected. - ‘You change places, postpone things, pay more. Yes, society sets the rules, but we also make them ourselves, don’t we? Laws help us in everyday life, regulate norms of behavior. You can’t just walk up to someone on the street and hit them on the head. You could be held accountable for that, end up in prison. Or do you want chaos to reign in the world? Yes, it would be very interesting to live, but no one would pay a cent for your life…’

‘Don’t exaggerate, Marco. I fully understand that people sign various sorts of collective agreements about safety in order to live more peacefully. However, I am categorically against the society continuing to infringe on my freedoms, regulating sometimes trivial matters.’

‘I don’t understand you, give me an example.’

‘Let’s take transport tickets. To get to Bondi Beach with a surfboard and back, I have to buy a $7 subway ticket and then pay another $2 for a bus ticket from Bondi Junction station to the beach, and then pay the same amount for the trip back. That amounts to $18 a day. If I want to go somewhere else, I have to pay even more. But I have a choice! I can buy a weekly pass for all types of transport and travel within a certain zone in Sydney and its surroundings. And that will cost just $51. The benefit is obvious. There are also monthly, three-month, and even annual passes, which make your public transport travel cheaper.’

‘Great practice, don’t you like it? I bought myself a three-month multi-pass for $503 and I’m enjoying it.’

‘Good. Imagine you need to fly to Melbourne the day after tomorrow and then return on the seventh day. You don’t have a ticket. And in general, you plan to make a couple of trips over the next two months. Which ticket option will you choose?’

‘We need to calculate. In any case, a three-month ticket will pay off, even if you don’t use it for a few days.’

‘Exactly! You agree to the rules that are imposed on you because of a supposed benefit, and you’re willing to pay for unused trips. Just keep in mind: they are quietly fleecing you under the guise of benefiting you! At the same time, they subconsciously push you to travel only within the zone defined by the ticket.

There was a pause in the conversation to catch a breath. Indeed, a person does have a choice. They can buy a bottle of cola for $3 or six bottles for ‘a ten-pack’. However, this benefit is just a mirage for the customer, because in any decision the buyer makes, the one who actually wins is the seller. And not just the seller, by the way, but also the manufacturer, advertiser, supplier. And there are plenty of others who might covet your hard-earned money.’

‘That kind of arrangement works for me,’- Marco finally replied. - ‘Society itself has come to this.’

‘It gives us the illusion of choice. All these politicians, economists, sociologists – it’s all a facade. Behind it, quite obvious schemes are taking place. They hand us a product that we eagerly ‘consume.’ And the better (cheaper) this product is, the more willingly we swallow it. We cast our votes for parties and candidates to receive in return the invisible play of political lobbies. This is no longer the stubborn suppression of the masses typical of totalitarian times or immature democracy. No, we are deftly led by the nose, creating the illusion of well-being and prosperity. They suppress us using a more diversified approach. They abandon brute force in favor of the most sophisticated way to confuse us – lies. Falsehood lies at the foundation of consumer society. And believe me, all kinds of advertising are just the tip of the iceberg.’

‘Wait, don’t rush, I can’t keep up with the train of your thought. So it turns out that a person comes into the world, and modern society immediately involves them in a mysterious process of schemes. But what about people with disabilities, how can they be used to make a profit?’

‘History knows of instances when they were simply destroyed. But that is not in the rules of the total monster that governs modern society. Such people are also ground down, involving their relatives and close ones in the process. A consumer society cannot afford anyone living at its expense. Like in a supermarket, profit comes from each client and from the entire aggregation of clients.’

‘Alright. Then explain to me what benefit a consumer society gets from paying $4,000 a month to every child of an Australian couple? Is this some kind of advance on the future? How many people from Asia prefer to have children, live on welfare, and not work at all…’

‘I’m sure there is a logic behind it. Have you seen the pyramid of eight cubes stacked on top of each other, resting on the corners, in the center of business Sydney? It is deeply symbolic, in my opinion. A kind of cross-section of Australian society – one of the most advanced in the art of consumption. At the core of the sculpture are two cubes representing actual producers, above them are two cubes representing subsidy recipients, and on top are four cubes of various managers and marketers using the results of the work of producers and managing this entire complex organism. Four million people with disabilities out of 22.5 million of the population. By God, in modern society it is easier to cut off a leg or an arm to enjoy an average standard of living without any strain!’

+

Zoozero sometimes felt suffocated in prosperous Australia. As soon as he set foot on the ground at Sydney airport, he felt his heart tighten. He instinctively sensed how difficult it would be to part with his homeland. It was as if the sky pressed down, giving just enough air to think faster.

And why does your brain work better under stress? Because you start looking at life from a different perspective. You are walled in by the walls of imaginary understanding when you answer a hundred times a day with a smile and ‘I’m fine, thanks’ to the traditional ‘How are you?’ that irritates you with its sheer stupidity. They ask how you are and don’t even wait for an answer.

But zoozero is a fighter. He is used to fighting until the end, seeing meaning in confrontation. In Mother Russia, life itself is a war, an endless battlefield for self-improvement.

Australia is a different matter. It dulls the love of life. Everything is just too smooth here. You come here and end up in a cell of society, with all the rights and responsibilities that come with it. Want something beyond the norm? Society isn’t ready to help you; you can only rely on your inner resources or suffocate in the restricted space. There’s no point whining; everything is in your hands.

The sales and discount syndrome deeply penetrates the consciousness of the residents of the Green Continent. All these endless signs of freebies confuse you not only when you enter a supermarket. Looking at the simple mathematical layouts on advertising posters and announcements, you lose your mind and forget what exactly you need, why you are here. At first, Zoozero didn’t pay attention to promotions and special offers and preferred to stick solely to his own taste.

But one day they went to the hypermarket with Marco, and Zoo allowed himself to give in for the first time.

‘Look how cheap the best chocolate in the world is!’ exclaimed the Italian. ‘Only 3 bucks for 200 grams! Try it, it’s delicious.’

And our hero took a bar to try. ‘Chocolate is chocolate,’ he thought when he tested this confectionery marvel. ‘The best thing about it is the price.’ It can’t be said that Zoozero loved chocolate. However, after that incident, he could no longer pass by the memorable shelf indifferently. A new super promotion arrived, and he again took the treat in the golden wrapper, which then, under the heat, melted into a brown stain at the bottom of his backpack.

‘Ugh, you idiot,’ he wiped his textbooks and notebooks from the sweet substance. ‘You’re falling for that shit! Why the hell did I buy it when it’s plus thirty outside?’

In the consumer society, a certain illusion of happiness available to every person is skillfully created. The propaganda machine satisfies the needs of everyone without exception, spares neither the rich nor the poor. The first gets the best at high prices, the second gets the best at low prices. And everyone is happy.

Why did the students of the language school love the smelly bar in the center of Sydney so much, with an unacceptably dirty toilet for such a supercity? And they are ready to stand on their feet for hours, enjoying the disgusting smell of cheap cigarettes and the low quality of sounding music. Because each drink, including a glass of beer, costs a miserable three dollars before midnight and four after. It’s not five, six or seven bucks for a foamy drink in some pub... Such a dubious happiness.

The desire to think and bother disappears altogether. Only one thing should really worry you: where to get more money? The level of comfort in your life depends on your efficiency in this matter.

Nothing should stress you out except for colored bills with portraits of the proponents of a society of impersonal people. These children of the modern Western world are ready to work, even work themselves to death, just to get a taste of illusory freedom. To escape at Christmas to distant islands with azure sea waters and golden sandy beaches.

For those who do not want to wait, the entertainment industry offers intermediate pleasures – parties and festivals within reach of your multi-ticket. In Sydney, for example, the entire city center turns into one big party in the evenings. Especially closer to the weekends. Even after the noisy and carefree night in Moscow, Zoozero was shocked by the order that reigns in some areas of Australia’s largest metropolis.

Kings Cross. It’s a charming spot for nightlife. Equally loved by both residents and visitors of Sydney. The latter can see a sign here indicating how many kilometers it is from this place to other centers of global civilization. Zoo lifted his head and saw Moscow among other cities. 14,522 kilometers! Just the thought of how far you are from home makes you want to take a drink. Fortunately, here the selection confidently satisfies any demand.

When you find yourself inside a nightclub, it feels like everyone has gone mad. It’s impossible to talk here because the music drowns out any attempts at verbal communication. People move in some kind of chaotic rhythm, driven by the invisible whips of frenzied DJs. You yourself become part of the Brownian motion. At the bar counters – it’s a rush. Beer, vodka, wine, whiskey, champagne – all of it goes into the furnace of hellish fun.

It looks like primitive, even animal dances. Males and females lure each other as if competing in the ability to showcase their wild temperament. Alcohol ignites passions, removing all inhibition. In a little while, sex might begin right on the dance floor. Although no, norms of morality and rules of conduct help these impatience-stricken men and women not to cross the last boundaries of decency. Besides, the bouncers are not asleep; they escort the ‘ready ones’ outside to freshen up.

By three or four in the morning, the streets of King’s Cross resemble a dump. Hundreds of drunk people spill out of the clubs here. Devoid of any remaining sense, some vomit right on the sidewalk, while others devour fast food standing nearby, only to in turn regurgitate the contents of their stomachs. A disgusting sight. The brazen girls are already no different from the prostitutes operating in this area.

The street becomes slippery with filth, and the air stinks. Amazingly, in just a couple of hours, there will be no trace left of that stench. By dawn, Kings Cross will be washed and tidy again, and nothing will remind anyone of the night’s revelry. And many of those who lost their human appearance in one of Sydney’s hottest spots will, in the daylight, become ordinary students, employees of commercial firms, as well as respectable fathers and bustling mothers.

+

In short, Kings Cross is a great place to lose your mind. Zoozero couldn’t recover that night and didn’t immediately decide to go home. His feet led him somewhere down the street - toward the seashore.

‘Do you want sex, darling?’ suddenly a voice sounded very close. Zoo looked up and saw, about ten meters away, a monster in human form. It was a mulatto (male or female), dressed like a woman. In a miniskirt, with huge muscular arms.

‘If you have money, we could have some fun,’ the smile of this monster sent a shiver down zoozero’s spine.

‘No, thanks,’ replied our hero and quickened his pace. 

He didn’t exactly know where he was going. His landmark was the Sydney Tower, which rose on the horizon surrounded by skyscrapers. Our hero had a clear idea that the central subway stations were not far from it. 

‘Hey, buddy, got a light? ‘ a fair-haired young man stepped out of the darkness toward him. 

‘No, mate, I don’t smoke,’ Zoozero replied hastily and was about to continue on his way. 

‘Wait, where’s that accent from?’ the stranger asked in surprise. ‘You’re not from Russia by any chance?’ 

‘From Russia. How did you know?’ 

‘I’m from Estonia. My parents brought me here when I was little. My name’s Jak,’ he added simply and extended his right hand. 

‘Nice to meet you. I’m zoozero.’ 

They shook hands. 

‘I’m here with friends. We’re sitting on a bench, chatting. This is Samantha, she’s from America. Next to her is my childhood friend Tiit, our parents moved to Australia together. And thank God, because it’s very hard to live here without real friends,’ Yak said, gesturing for him to sit on the bench.

‘So how did you end up so far from your homeland?’

‘I came to study English and Olympic management in Sydney. I dream of participating in the preparation of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, so gaining work experience abroad is very important to me,’ Zoo answered simply and honestly.

‘Do you like it here?’ Tiit asked, a guy of about 25 with sky-blue eyes.

‘Well, how can I put it… I really like it because I know for sure that I’ll go back. As they say, visiting is nice, but home is better.’

‘Tell me about life in Russia. Our parents often talk about the Soviet times when different peoples lived in the huge country like brothers,’ Tiit pressed on. ‘They were members of the Komsomol, took part in building the Baikal-Amur Mainline. They say it was the best time of their lives. My dad and mom met somewhere in Siberia, even though they were originally from the same city – Tartu. Wow, how life works!’

‘You always get to know a person better during trials and hard work,’ noted Zoozero.

‘Yak’s and my families try to maintain communication with Russian-language and culture speakers. After all, we are neighbors if you look at the map. You know, it’s easier to talk to you, even without knowing Russian, and have a drink of vodka...’

‘And that’s despite the tense relations between our countries?’ Zoo asked cautiously.

‘Are you talking about politics? Forget about it! For me, you are a brother. If you have any problems adapting here, with work, please reach out and don’t be shy. We’ll help as much as we can.’

‘I didn’t expect such a paradox,’ zoozero smirked. ‘While politicians are busy fighting there, brotherhood of Soviet caliber continues in distant Australia. And what does Samantha think about this?’

‘I don’t care about politics at all, about this whole circus of switching sides,’ responded the American. ‘I want to live peacefully, so that no one from outside dares to destroy my personal happiness. I want a family, children, a home. To create my own world, my own planet, where I will feel good and comfortable. Yak and Tiit – my friends, I feel safe when I’m with them. Tiit and I are already married in a church ceremony, and we hope to live a long and happy life together. Working, meeting friends, having fun, traveling. I came from the USA to Australia to find peace, a quiet place where everything would be fine.’

‘Samantha is a geologist; she’s inviting me to the island of Tasmania, to one of the greenest places on Earth,’ added Tiit. ‘You can really live there in a small town, far away from all this civilization. Breathe fresh sea air and enjoy true freedom… We’ve already agreed that after finishing university next year, we’ll go to work in Tasmania to fulfill our dream.’

‘And will you take me with you?’ Yak asked half-seriously the couple who had just kissed.

‘Of course, buddy. We’ll find you a charming bride there so that our families can be friends later.’

At that moment, Zoozero felt out of place among these happy young people, whose lives seemed planned out for years ahead. Indeed, in Australia, it’s possible to make long-term plans; things are unlikely to change here. Certainly not for the worse. In Russia, most people start their adult lives against all odds. No social support or guarantees. Want children? Have them at your own risk if you’re so sure you can raise them.

Zoozero never got an answer from his new acquaintances to his own question about life in Russia. ‘Why would they care?’ thought our hero. ‘They are young, happy, talented. Why should they know that a significant portion of their peers from Russia are forced to fight for their existence in one of the largest and wealthiest countries in the world?’


Chapter 8

While wandering along an unknown road that eventually led him to Hyde Park, Zoozero recalled his life, going all the way back to his childhood. How he spent the first years in a shed covered with roofing felt - there is really no other term for the cramped, comfortless shack in the city of Ilyichyovsk. Such a dwelling was called a ‘nakhalovka.’ Probably because it was built without any official permission, in violation of all sanitary and fire safety regulations. A ‘nakhalovka’ would burn down in just a few minutes, releasing a thick, pungent black smoke from the roofing felt.

The funniest thing was that the district with these illegal structures was located - and still is - just a few hundred meters from a large monument to Vladimir Lenin, whose patronymic gave its name to the charming town near Odessa. Zoozero’s father worked at a ship repair plant and earned just enough to sustain a modest life with no prospects for the coming years. Zoozero’s family got in line for an apartment and, in 10-15-20 years, stood a good chance of obtaining legal housing.

Zoo remembers perfectly how his father would take him on a bicycle on warm summer mornings to the kindergarten ‘Little Red Riding Hood.’ He also remembers hunting big frogs nearby a drainage ditch as a little boy. How he cut his thigh when he ran into an open tin can, leaving a scar for life. How his mother and father would argue several times a day, unable to break free from the grind of life on the edge of poverty.

Then his father got a chance to radically change their entire way of life. A call went out at the factory for volunteers willing to go to the other side of the world – to Kamchatka, to a fishing collective farm. They had nothing to lose, and the young family set off after the big money, traveling 10 thousand kilometers.

It was a painful journey into the unknown. His mother and the little boy were completely exhausted by the time they reached their new home. First, a day on the train to Moscow, then a day waiting at the airport, then 9 hours on a plane to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Again the airport, a flight delay, a 3-hour flight on a small Yak-40 that kept being tossed from one air pocket to another. After all this hell, Zoozero was greeted by a bleak view of the district center, Ossora.

‘Mom, are we going to live here?’ he asked.

‘No, son. We need to go further. Dad will come and take us home now.’

The father had left for the new place of work and residence ahead of time and managed to slightly prepare the conditions for the arrival of his wife and son. From the Ossora airport, they all took a bus to the village of Karaga.

‘But where are the trees?’ the boy couldn’t help but ask such a simple question.

‘There are only dwarf birches and various bushes here,’ the father answered calmly. ‘We will live in the tundra, son.’

‘With reindeer and dog sleds?’

‘Exactly.’

In Karaga, the father arranged for a passing freight truck that finally transported the new settlers along a narrow road to a small spit jutting into the Karaga Bay. Kostroma Village: a few dozen wooden huts, a pier, a power station, as well as a shop and a club. Oh, and an elementary school.

People came to this God-forsaken place hoping to make some money quickly and then return to the ‘mainland.’ The parents of Zoozero agreed to unbearable living conditions in order to save up a small capital, enough to buy at least somewhat decent housing, and return to Odessa or Ilyichyovsk.

Few managed such a feat. Most remained on this patch of land, the island of Karaginsky, shielded from the Pacific Ocean. Nothing is as permanent as the temporary. Their children grew up, attending the boarding school in Karaga. They replaced their parents in the hard labor of this harsh land, where the sun did not shine in summer and appeared only in winter, when after a two-day blizzard the entire village turned into a snow-white desert. And people, walled up in their houses under a layer of snow, without electricity or light, each time found the strength within themselves to break through to the surface, to dig themselves out of this collective grave created by the elements. And to rejoice in the bright sun, which reflected in silvery glimmers on the snowdrifts.

For the local children, there was no better time. At first, they helped their parents dig windows and doors out of the snow, but afterward… They grabbed skis and sleds, ran joyfully into the street to tumble to their hearts’ content in the fresh, clean snow. However, not all village residents were destined to see the daylight again. Sometimes, a blizzard would catch someone on the street, toss the unfortunate person from side to side with gusts of wind, knock them down, and bury them in snow, leaving them there until spring…

One late autumn, the ocean raged so violently that it broke out of the tidal zone. Waves overcame the low barrier of the shore and crashed directly into the village. Horror reigned in Kostroma; people could only pray to God to save themselves and their relatives. The spit was simply swept by long ocean waves. Later, they said it was the echoes of a great tsunami, which showed astonishing mercy to the residents of the fishing village. At that time, fishing seiners that had been brought ashore and set for winter hibernation were torn from their places and carried out into the open sea. Zoozero spent several hours on the kitchen table, holding his beloved cat Vaska in his arms.

And once again, a new day came. And before the eyes of the villagers, saved by God’s intervention, amazed inhabitants witnessed a miraculous sight. The night frost had turned the village streets into one continuous skating rink. Carefully, as if not believing their eyes, men and women stepped out of their homes and tentatively walked on the ground, as if for the first time in their lives, only to slip and slide on the icy surface. People hugged each other, rejoiced like children, and thanked fate for such a magnificent gift after the night of terror.

It is rightly said that shared misfortune brings people together. That day, there was no question of work or everyday problems. School classes were canceled for the children. The villages people organized a celebration of life and human brotherhood for themselves, if you will. It felt as if even the cats and dogs had temporarily forgotten their eternal quarrels. And on that small, tiny piece of land, peace and harmony reigned.

+

In short, there is no evil without good. In one of the remote corners of the former Soviet Union, one could find sources of joy. The boys and girls living in Kostroma had plenty of experiences. And the most important of them was fishing. In the summer, salmon spawned in the bay near the settlement. You could catch them with your bare hands. You just wade in knee-deep and pick the one you like, as if in a store that sells live fish. Of course, they ate red caviar by the spoonful.

In winter, it was smelt. You make a hole in a thick layer of ice with a manual auger and enjoy all the pleasures of ice fishing. When you pull a silvery, cucumber-scented fish out of the hole, your soul rejoices. And how delicious it is fried! How its golden skin crunches between your teeth!

In the summer, in the waters near Kostroma, you can also see the greatest wonder of living nature – whales. Sometimes they swim around the spit along its perimeter, gently and so gracefully, as if ambassadors from other worlds. They leisurely wave their tails, exhaling fountains of water. For many residents of Karaga and Kostroma, the annual appearance of these sea giants in the bay symbolizes the beginning of something new and the end of an old cycle.

There is a belief that whales are not just intelligent animals. This form of existence was chosen by the ancestors of modern humans, who came to our planet from somewhere in space. They preferred water, the expanses of the ocean, to enjoy freedom and a life full of hidden meaning. Since ancient times, they have roamed around the continents, able to communicate across many kilometers using their amazing voice.

There are countless varieties of these giants. But among them, there is a special group of creatures of truly divine beauty. These are orcas. They are especially beloved by the residents of the Kostroma Spit. True demons, capable of destroying all living things in their path, even their own kind – whales and dolphins. Amazingly intelligent, agile, sometimes even mischievous and playful, orcas literally burst into the bay in a merry crowd. They would leap completely out of the water, showing their white bellies, and splash down, scattering numerous droplets.

The appearance of orcas in the bay near Kostroma coincided with their mating season and heralded the imminent arrival of summer. These sea wanderers were completely unafraid of humans, swimming close to the shore and joyfully displaying their shiny black-and-white attire, which shimmered in the sun, playing with its tones.

The little Zoozero loved watching their cheerful frolic. They were never lonely. Pods of seven to nine males and females circled in mysterious dances at the water’s surface, making otherworldly sounds. Their voices were especially noticeable at night, when they sang their serenades, which, along with the stars in the sky, created an incredibly mystical scene.

According to Wikipedia, orcas have a complex social organization. At its core is the maternal group (family), usually consisting of a female with offspring of different ages and adult sons. Several families, led by female relatives (daughters, sisters, or cousins), form a group or pod. On average, a group includes 18 individuals, and its members are strongly attached to one another. Moreover, each group has its own vocal dialect, which includes both sounds unique to that group and sounds shared by all orcas. A very stable family can nonetheless fall apart for several hours, especially during food searches. Orca pods are capable of coming together for cooperative hunting or various social interactions. Since all members of a pod are related to each other, orcas presumably mate during moments when several pods merge.

Relationships among orcas within a pod are extremely friendly and non-aggressive. In extreme cases, an annoyed individual may slap the water surface with its tail or pectoral fins. Healthy orcas take care of old, sick, or injured members of their group.

Zoozero was fortunate enough to see an orca literally just two meters away from him. This happened while he was crossing the bay on a passenger boat. Near the shore, the sea was calm, but in the middle of the route, the small boat was being tossed on the waves quite a bit. Like most boys his age, our hero wanted to feel the power of a real storm. He stepped out onto the deck, which was occasionally washed over by powerful sprays of salt water, and stood right by the railing.

Suddenly, something black emerged from the depths. Zoozero barely had time to react when, right beside him, directly in front of his nose, appeared a head with a distinctive white patch. By the way, up close it didn’t look purely white. There was a slightly yellowish tint to it.

Time seemed to stand still. Our hero stared in amazement at the sea hunter, and it also looked back at him. Zoozero would never forget that spark that flashed in the bottomless, black-as-night eye of the orca. As if a frozen tear had glimmered in the very depths of this mirror of the soul…

Astonishingly, instead of fear, the boy felt an overwhelming urge to hug and stroke the toothy monster.

Such moments leave an imprint on the subconscious, seeping into the fabric of dreams. From time to time, the orca comes to Zoozero at night, its universal eye taking him back to childhood, to a magical world where anything was possible. Magic should be close, it just hides from those who are unable to see it. And dreams… don’t they prove that our consciousness knows no boundaries…

Then a huge animal disappeared under the water, waving its tail in farewell. In fact, a little further away, other orcas were playing with a boat, coquettishly tipping onto their sides. But none of them dared to come so close to the hull, preferring to escort the vessel to the dock, making large circles and captivating all the passengers with their unusual performance.


Chapter 9

‘You make it up as you go,’ Sebastian exclaimed. ‘And do you really believe the girl will believe your tall tales? About the eyes of the orca, about the mirror of the black-and-white monster’s soul.’

‘A lot depends on you, my friend. If you don’t distort the meaning of my words, there will be a response.’

‘Know this, Zoozero,’ the Ecuadorian raised his index finger. ‘In two weeks I leave Sydney. My mission is complete.’

‘Tell me, was it hard for you?’

‘You’re an incomparable dude. First of all because you made all of this up. How to put it... It goes beyond ordinary conversation. Like walking on a knife’s edge. Me, you, her... You ask me if I gave you away. It would have been easy. And Stefania asked me about it too. But I held back. And do you know why?’

‘Probably because you wanted to be closer to her all this time.’

‘Exactly. That’s precisely why. She amazes me. Does nothing, stays silent. At the slightest provocation, she puts on her headphones – everyone can be free. It’s hard to talk to her purely because she doesn’t want to talk to anyone. She mocks people without making a sound.’

‘Why is that?’

‘You can’t get a word out of her,’ Sebastian shrugged. ‘At best, she smiles. Maybe she’s not entirely normal.’

‘I wonder, what does she like, does she have favorite books, favorite writers…’

‘Everything typical for her age. Sentimental rock like Metallica or Paramore. All that stuff like ‘Together Again’ performed by Evanescence, ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams’ by Green Day… But I think it’s all a facade. Behind it, there’s something more, something deep. Sometimes I get the impression she’s just looking for her own vibe, her own world. And that’s perfectly natural for her age. She hasn’t figured out her worldview yet…’

‘Wait, Seba, you’ve spent days talking with her. Are you saying she never told you who her favorites are?’

‘It’s strange, Zoozero, but I don’t remember. There are shared photos, lots of time together, but I don’t remember what the conversation was about. All sorts of nonsense, about Sydney, about food. Yes, by the way, she loves sushi, especially California rolls, and Oreo cookies. She mostly listens to calm rock music. Though, I already told you about that...’

The South American lowered his eyes. And at that moment, everything became clear.

‘Yeah, I see, and you’re head over heels for her, brother,’ laughed Zoozero. ‘So now we’re competitors. We’ll fight a duel for her heart.’

‘I don’t stand a chance,’ Sebastian smiled in response. ‘In the sense that she doesn’t need me. All this time she’s only talking to me because someone is speaking to her with my mouth. She thinks it’s romantic! And now you’ve just spouted all that nonsense about whales, and I feel like a complete idiot.’

‘O-o-o! You’re jealous of me, buddy.’

‘Of you? Not at all. Moreover, I sympathize with you because… you see, she’s kind of running from reality. Reveal your true face to her – and you’ll lose everything.’

‘Why are you so sure about that? You don’t like my appearance? Well, fine, duel.’

‘Go to hell with your jokes. I’m serious. She lives in some kind of imaginary world. We can just sit on a bench in the park and sit there in silence for a couple of hours. Then it’s as if she switches on, but her gaze is still vacant.’

‘I think you’re just not capable of truly interesting her,’ suggested Zoozero. ‘You have a more rational way of thinking. And thank God!’

‘Why is that? ‘

‘I wish you to believe in this world for as long as possible. For fate to always smile upon you. For you to achieve the goals you’ve set.’

‘Are you mocking me?’

‘No, not at all. People don’t run from reality for nothing. Everyone has their own reason. Usually, it’s a deep emotional experience, a strong shock that has shaken the immutability of the empirical world. It’s a kind of mental deviation.’

‘So, you’re crazy,’ - Sebastian raised his thick black eyebrows.

‘Only in a certain sense. Every person is a mystery of nature. We have the right to defend our uniqueness. And we do this our entire lives.’

+

Already on some sort of autopilot, Sebastian was passing new messages to Stefania. About an extraordinary opossum in Sydney’s Hyde Park, which every morning comes out of its little home in the thick branches and leaves to greet the sunrise. About our life, like ‘The Groundhog Day,’ devoid of any meaning without a hidden purpose, without constant self-improvement efforts to become better, more versatile. About the desire to go to the island of Tasmania and encounter there an unknown animal, perhaps even the last dinosaur.

However, this game had already lost its original sharpness. Seba was preparing to go to Paris for six months, and Zoozero, with all his usual passion, devoted himself to surfing – the astonishing dance with the waves.

It was amazing precisely all together – the English language, surfing, the stunning library opposite the school, in the depths of which one could find killer editions.

And Stefania.

Love for the elegant girl from Colombia stirred Zoozero. The world around him turned upside down. The surrounding environment concealed many mysteries, mysterious signs, and our hero plunged headfirst into a world of dreams and contemplation. According to Goya, the sleep of reason produces monsters. And among the many different books in the city library of Sydney, Zoozero’s attention was caught by an illustrated collection of fantastic beasts, captured in the art of various peoples.

Here is the head of a human or deity, appearing from the open jaws of a coyote. It is an allegory, a symbol of new life being born from another life.

Zoozero expected to see something special, resembling the monsters from his nightmares. He turned a page or two. Who is this? Ah, the Tupilaq – an evil spirit that visits the dreams of the indigenous people of Greenland. Next – images of sirens, the Chimera, then a reproduction of the epic battle of Alexander the Great against a herd of unicorns. Amazingly, everything he saw only brought a smile. Compared to some monsters who work as security guards, ticket inspectors, and conductors in public transport, these ones are definitely more likable.

The one-eyed monster from Buenos Aires seemed quite cute. A bizarre combination of a kind of childlike face with big ears and one eye, with a horse’s neck and a bull’s body. Depictions of spirits and fantastic creatures revealed the helplessness of their creators, their inability to capture real horror. All these images of tomb guardians and servants of death only reflected the fears of the artists and sculptors. And this circumstance seemed the funniest to Zoozero. Indeed, fear has big eyes, and one needs to keep a grip on oneself to avoid ending up in the claws of such monsters.

Even more amusing was the book dedicated to human ideas about space travel. I think it is appropriate to remind the reader that the earliest record of a journey to the Moon dates back to AD 165. The Syrian sophist and satirist Lucian of Samosata wrote in Greek the ‘True History.’ It can safely be called the first in the line of ‘space fiction,’ telling the story of how a sailing ship with fifty Greek athletes on board was unexpectedly carried into the sky by a powerful whirlwind. On the eighth day of this extraordinary journey, the people saw a round island approaching, which was literally filled with light. The travelers reached the Moon…

In 1638, the book The Man in the Moone: or a Discourse of a Voyage Thither by Domingo Gonsalez, the Speedy Messenger’ by Bishop William Godwin was published posthumously. Using a rather original device pulled by wild swans, Domingo Gonsales ascends to the Moon, where he discovers wonderfully formed inhabitants living without knowing sin (the pinnacle of morality in lunar society is marked by the fact that ‘there are no lawyers there’). By the way, at one time this little book caused quite a stir not only in England but throughout Europe, and it sparked a whole flurry of works about the Moon and its inhabitants – over 200 publications.

 

In one version of Baron Munchausen’s adventures, lunar inhabitants – the Lunars – are described. They completely managed without water, ate only once a month by placing food directly into the stomach through a special opening on the left side. If necessary, they could remove their heads from their shoulders and easily leave them at home. Moreover, Lunars could lend their heads to other members of their race and even sell them. Heads with good eyesight were especially valued.

 

Forgive me, dear reader, for this digression into the history of lunar utopias, but the subject of the inhabitants of this celestial body captivated the minds of many generations in enlightened Europe. Lucky owners of telescopes would tell their contemporaries about the Lunars, their habits, and their social organization. Zoozero couldn’t help but laugh when he saw the view of the Moon’s inhabitants through Sir John Herschel’s telescope. Other library visitors watched with interest as our hero took out his camera and started photographing the pictures in the book, bursting into laughter over and over again.

 

Finally, the last picture in this chapter, dedicated to a brief look at some of the prejudices and amusing notions of our ancestors. It’s not such a distant past, the threshold of the space age, the mid-19th century. This is how a ship for interplanetary travel was imagined – with a kitchen, a sofa, a toilet, a library, and even a room where one could relax in hammocks. According to the author of this VIP rocket project, long journeys through the expanses of the Universe wouldn’t be so tiring :)

 

+

After such a remarkable excursion into the history of human misconceptions, our hero went outside and headed to the subway station. Each time, for those who ascend to the second level of Circular Quay, a marvelous view of the Opera House opens up. A little from the side and a little from above. Depending on the angle of view, this amazing building changes its appearance.

It is sails… Yes, white sails full of wind, rushing somewhere into the distance. They seemed to rise from the surface of the water, filling with air before your eyes, and you could even hear them flutter. Shimmering in the sunlight, the roof of the Opera House came to life. It seemed as if at any moment this building would take off and perhaps fly to the Moon.

A small cloud covered the sun and cast a shadow on the Opera. Now it was no longer a swift run over waves on full sails of many yachts, but a sharp turn, a course change of a huge clipper. The vessel, steered by an invisible skipper, tilted as it made a turn to the right. With enough imagination, one could hear the many ropes tightening, wooden masts creaking, and commands being called on deck.

If you look at the Opera from the Harbor Bridge, the scene appears differently, coming to life with new colors. It’s not just a few yachts racing across the waves. And it’s not even a huge clipper. It’s a family of sailing ships. Dad, mom, and their child… They sail leisurely, as if taking a stroll through Sydney’s beautiful bay. With truly Australian hospitality, they greet the ocean liners weary from their long voyages at the pier. They also say ‘Goodbye!’, seeing the guests off on their distant journeys.

Looking at all this otherworldly beauty, Zoozero suddenly remembered that very soon he would be able to appreciate the Opera not only from the outside but also from the inside. After all, in a secret place, he had a precious ticket waiting for its moment to attend a Franz Schubert concert. And our hero sensed that this event would be remembered by him forever.

Chapter 10

Marco, Sebastian, and Zoozero put on the most elegant clothes they had with them. A month of anticipation had come to an end, and all three were preparing to see one of the masterpieces of world architecture from the inside. On their way to the Opera, they mostly encountered elderly people, mostly residents of Sydney, for whom the city authorities had traditionally provided discounts. On the veranda, a large man in a tailcoat was speaking to the audience about the history of the Opera’s construction and the upcoming concert. It was only at the very end of his speech that Zoozero realized that this was one of Australia’s leading composers, whose work would precede Schubert’s Great Symphony.

Finally, the sail-like gates opened, and with no small excitement, the student friends entered the concert hall.

‘What a magnificent place,’ Marco exclaimed, unable to contain his emotions. ‘I read somewhere that the Sydney Opera House has the largest organ in the world.’

Zoozero was beginning to lose his footing; his mind refused to believe what was happening. Automatically, he took his seat in this temple of music and prepared to detach himself from everything in the world. However, the first sounds from the stage brought him back to reality. It was undoubtedly modern art, complex and intricate, with overlapping motifs. Some semblance of Alfred Schnittke’s work, full of hidden anxiety and abrupt transitions capable of shattering any image that appeared in the mind. Yes, yes, just as you try to catch the slightest trend, you manage to hear, for example, the noise of the subway, when suddenly the soundscape changes and throws you onto the western coast of Australia, where you can easily encounter Aboriginal people, dive into their mysterious world, full of myths.

But then there’s a roar, the ground shakes, and you’re already in a mine where opals are extracted. Then another tumble, and, oh God, it’s no longer the Green Continent, but modern China, crowded with people building the great machine of a socialist economy with a capitalist twist. Then, bam!!! Completely different motifs sound, the call of extraterrestrial civilizations, the voice of infinite Space.

Fortunately, all this ultra-modern, even futuristic, chaos suddenly comes to an end, and a heartwarming silence is restored in the hall. ‘Damn it, how good that this overexcited composer-enthusiast didn’t manage to blow up the Opera from the inside, although he tried very hard,’ thought zoozero.

‘That was magnificent! Bravo!’ Sebastian couldn’t contain his emotions. ‘Such power, such passion!’

‘No more spit flying around, in my opinion,’ zoo retorted. ‘A mere attempt to outshout the horn of an ocean liner. Do you agree with me, Marco?’

‘Oh, isn’t this your favorite Schubert?’

‘Marco, you’re getting stupid right in front of your eyes,’ laughed zoozero.

‘Marco, you’re getting stupid right in front of your eyes,’ laughed Zoozero. ‘Schubert was a romantic, a singer of love and beauty. He would never throw you under the blow of a giant hammer. Let’s assume that that big guy on the veranda once again reminded us what a crazy time we live in.’

‘I liked it very much,’ Sebastian stood his ground. ‘It was not the sawing of a lonely violin, but a real brainstorming, a call to achievement.’

‘Ok, let’s not argue, friends,’ Zoozero patted Sebu on the shoulder. ‘Let’s wait for the main event of today.’

Meanwhile, the last preparations for the continuation of the concert were going on on stage. The number of musicians and instruments increased significantly. The lights in the hall began to fade, and from somewhere in the depths began to come the mesmerizing motifs of a work that Schubert himself was never destined to hear. The Grand Symphony was found by accident among the papers and personal belongings of the great composer. Until the end of his days, he doubted his talent for composing symphonies so much that he never dared to present them to the public. It was only ten years after his death that the sheets filled with music notes came to life and revealed to the world the profound soul of Schubert, the universe of his passions.

The first sounds rolled in like surf waves. They surrounded Zoozero and captured him. Then they carried him forward, driven by the crests, tumbling over him. Strangely, he did not feel vulnerable in the hands of the sea at all; he plunged headlong, swimming underwater with wide-open eyes, gazing into the azure distance pierced vertically by rays of sunlight. Like Ichthyander, he felt at home in this marvelous dimension, where one could soar like a bird.

Zoozero closed his eyes. He surrendered to boundless imagination. Over and over he heard a strange sound in the distance, completely elusive on the water’s surface. The beams of light struggled to pierce the depths of the sea from above, and meeting them was a calm voice from the depths. And Zoozero was at the intersection of these currents. They created a fantastic symphony, turning the whole mad underwater flight into a continuous dance.

There was nothing else. Light painting patterns on the water and beneath it, as well as the phantasmagoria of Schubert’s play on the strings of the human subconscious, an unparalleled swinging rhythm. Euphoria, blissful contemplation, a paradisiacal state of perfect serenity. No, deeper. It was a cleansing sliding through the expanses of living water, releasing the spiritual essence from the confines of existence.

The streams of light and sound at depth turned into pictures, childhood videos, into the faces of old and future friends, into human eyes. Zoozero suddenly caught a gaze full of mocking power, then the eyelashes fluttered, Stefania’s face began to fade away, yet through the thickness of the water one could still make out tears and two unextinguishable sparks in the depths of her dark eyes.

When he came out of his stupor, neither Stefania nor anyone else was in sight. He dashed one way, then the other. Finally, he began calling her, plunging into the dark depths. But something had changed. He felt that he was running out of air. With all his might, zoozero began clawing his way up toward the glowing patch of light he saw. The cold froze his movements, but he kept climbing higher and higher, grabbing with his hands and feet onto the invisible ledges in the wall of water. Suddenly, it seemed to him that any moment now, a huge chunk of ice, looming like a sinister dark mountain, would slam down and close off the window of light at the surface of the water. Zoozero made one final effort and... opened his eyes.

The first thing he felt when he returned to this mortal world was Sebastian’s head on his shoulder. The Ecuadorian was sleeping peacefully to the accompaniment of Schubertian resonances. Marco didn’t take his eyes off the stage. Another minute, and the hall erupted in applause.

‘That was incredible, Zoo,’ the Italian said, not sparing his hands. ‘I’ve never experienced anything like that. To be honest, I didn’t even know who Schubert was. Now I will remember it for the rest of my life.’

Zoozero never recovered that day. Returning home, he securely hid the little ticket that had these words printed on it: ‘SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE. WHERE IMAGINATION TAKES YOU.’ ‘Moments like this in life require tangible proof,’ our hero thought.


Chapter 11

Luck had definitely turned in Zoozero’s favor. When he decided to switch to a more advanced class, he could never have guessed that among his new classmates would be Stefania. Twice a week. And even though Sebastian was now heading to France – he had completed his mission.

She seemed like a mystery. To Zoo’s inner eye, she was a tough nut to crack. He felt her courage and will, which intertwined wonderfully with true femininity and gentleness. A perfect combination! Every word she spoke was precise, like a shot. She stood out above everyone with her emphasized elegance, crowned by poise. She seemed like a goddess.

She never once answered a teacher’s question incorrectly. She remained silent when silence suited her, as if hiding behind a veil. Then, effortlessly, she would cast it aside, explode the silence, her voice sounding like a cool mountain waterfall. Watching her, Zoozero lost concentration, sometimes not even hearing the teacher’s questions, answering off-topic.

He was afraid to look at her, but noticed every little detail in her behavior. How she casually adjusted her hair, how she crossed her legs, how she puckered her plump lips into a bow. She squinted her eyes and clenched her fists, giggling with her tiny friend from Japan, mocking the Mexican Alejandro when he tried to flirt with her.

Zoozero had completely lost his mind over the young Colombian girl. Naturally jealous, he could not bear it if any of the students had the audacity to interact with ‘his’ Stefania. For example, right during class, the sturdy Pere approaches her at a dangerously close distance, chatting in Spanish, taking advantage of the teacher drawing some diagram on the board.

Zoo immediately comes up with a way to divert the threat from his beloved. On the last page of his notebook, he writes in large letters ‘Are you happy?’ and directs the question to his Catalan friend. Naturally, Pere, along with Stefania, nods happily and laughs in response. Once again, Zoozero found himself the center of attention of a dark-haired beauty. Incidentally, she sometimes lingered with her gaze on the mysterious man from Russia. It’s fascinating to know who lives in the world’s largest country.

…A teacher named Kevin finished drawing columns, each labeled with the name of the country represented by the students in the class.

‘Ok,’ he addressed the audience. ‘Now let’s talk about the associations you have with Germany and Germans.’

‘Hardworking, boring, persistent, arrogant, precise…’ came voices from all sides.

‘And also well-organized, proactive.’

‘Blond and tall!’

‘Alright, that’s enough, in my opinion,’ Kevin summarized. ‘What about Italians?’

There were immediately three of them in the class – Silvia, Lorenzo, and Demetrio. And they seemed completely different! Calm and very home-oriented Silvia. Clearly kind and gentle, with a sweet face. The stormy and spirited blue-eyed handsome Lorenzo. A footballer with interesting dribbling and a purely Italian way of speaking – with the stress on the last word of each phrase. Mysterious, very sensitive by nature, Demetrio surprised Zoozero when he played the piano divinely in the student campus leisure room.

‘Italians are noisy and insincere!’

‘They love talking to themselves, to their hands, always rushing somewhere!’

‘Good cooks, but bad drivers!’

Naturally, Italians rejected all negative things said about themselves. With their inherent passion and expressiveness. It was truly fun to observe how people from other countries imagine you and your fellow citizens.

The third to defend her nation’s honor was Stefania. Zoozero waited with interest to hear what interesting things would be said about Colombia and Colombians.

Suddenly, silence fell over the class… The first thing that came to mind was on everyone’s tongue, but it was completely obvious that no one wanted to hurt the charming creature named Stefania.

‘Colombia is all about the mafia and drugs!’ suddenly blurted out Zoozero.

You should have seen how Stefania’s expression changed in an instant! Her eyes flashed like lightning and almost burned our hero to ashes.

‘Shut up!’ she growled and nearly lunged at the stunned Russian with her fists.

‘We don’t have a drug problem! It’s just a prejudice! ‘

‘Ok-ok, Stefania,’ Zoozero tried to ease the embarrassment. ‘To hell with drugs. But I do know for sure that Colombians can dance really well.’

‘And they’re also friendly, sociable, hospitable, and don’t always know how to control their emotions,’ added the German Anabel, Stefania’s friend.

‘I’d probably agree with the last part for sure,’ Zoo tried to joke.

Then they discussed other nationalities. Spaniards turned out to be true patriots, but also very musical, cheerful party animals. Australians – sporty and healthy, simple and open, ready to help. Mexicans – slow, lazy, and brave, with a sense of humor. As for the residents of Russia, Zoozero learned with some regret that, in the eyes of the rest of the world, we appear as people who like to drink heavily, sometimes rude and cold, but overall serious, straightforward, and attractive.

‘Perhaps that’s better than being self-absorbed egoists who look down on everyone else, as was said about the French,’ our hero concluded.

+

On one of the last school days before the Christmas holidays, Zoozero was the first to enter Kevin’s classroom and took the most comfortable spot in the softest chair. Hardly had he started enjoying the cold energy drink ‘Mother’ all alone, when the door opened and Stefania herself flitted into the classroom. She radiated youthful freshness and was clearly in a cheerful mood. She looked around and threw her bag onto the chair next to Zoozero. He almost dropped his jaw. Then she deftly ducked under the desk and in an instant was closer than ever before to our hero.

‘Hi, zoo!’ she gave him a pat on the shoulder and pulled out the same can of ‘Mother’. ‘Cheers!’

‘Cheers!’ Zoozero’s eyes lit up, and he took another sip. The drink hit harder than a shot of vodka.

The Russian suddenly felt a slight dizziness; he closed his eyes and then immediately opened them again. The effect was sort of like putting on yellow glasses. The world became brighter. He cast a stunned look at Stefania. She was staring at him, stretched into a wide smile.

‘Stefania, you’re so delightful,’ he blurted out involuntarily.

‘Are girls beautiful in Russia?’ she asked. ‘And in general, what are they like?’

‘It depends on the season. In winter, they hide under thick clothes, under many layers, and it’s hard to see their true beauty. But just a smile and a kind joke are enough for our women to overcome all the boundaries of their garments. They are very strong but also gentle. You can easily see this in spring, when they bloom along with the surrounding nature and begin shedding their heavy clothes. Walking through springtime Moscow, you are struck by how many beautiful women we have! In the metro, on the street, in the store. They are everywhere, so familiar and close. Sometimes they seem overly accessible, always open, and slightly cheeky.’

‘How interesting. And what happens to them next – in summer and autumn?’

‘When June and July arrive, they become most beautiful. Tanned, vibrant. Many are ready for adventures, fall head over heels in love, and can sweep any man off his feet. These are not just casual flings or sexual adventures, but sudden, sometimes very deep feelings for which our women are willing to take risks, putting their careers or family well-being on the line. Then comes autumn, a time of separations and personal dramas for many. They mourn with us, with men, and remember those wonderful times when they lost their hearts to love. However, many immerse themselves in true feelings and spend days filled with genuine romance with their loved ones. Autumn in Russia is the most poetic season, a time for deep immersion…’

Zoozero had just managed to bring the story about the seasons in Russian love full circle when the classroom gradually started filling with other students. Stefania kept her gaze fixed on the Russian for a long time; he told her truly amazing things, probably completely beyond her understanding. Or perhaps she managed to catch unfamiliar motifs that had never been heard before, expressed in his story?

‘You’re laughing at me, Zoozero,’ she whispered in his ear. ‘Taking advantage of my youth and inexperience to tell all sorts of fairy tales. I’ve seen a few Russian girls in our school - nothing special. I would even say, plain.’

‘There can be exceptions to the rule, ‘ Zoozero smiled in reply. ‘You study both English and even Japanese, yet you don’t know such simple things.’

Then the lesson began. At first, its topic didn’t suggest any complications. Kevin declared that it would be about parts of the human body. He drew the silhouette of a person on the board and suggested filling it in, starting with the head. He divided the class into pairs, each of which had to give English names to all the hands and feet, noses and chins.

Stefania and Zoozero turned to each other, and our protagonist was given an unreal opportunity, unimaginable even in a dream, to carefully examine his beloved from head to toe. In every detail, each of which deserves a separate description. He could enjoy her image for the full 80 minutes of this fantastic lesson.

The Colombian girl’s hair shimmered in the sunlight that peeked into the classroom. It was a rich chestnut color, reached down to her waist, lay almost carelessly on her shoulders, and hid behind her back. It was obvious how much Stefania herself valued it. She knew how to play with it, changing her part, sweeping it to the left or to the right. Even earlier, Zoo had noticed how skillfully she used her hair as a tool for changing her image. How she becomes strict and overly serious when she pins up her hair in a powerful bundle, revealing her true face. How she turns into the most tender creature when she ties her hair in a simple ponytail. How playful she looks with her hair down, already unmistakable in school, even if she’s facing away from you.

But Zoozero especially liked it when a strand of hair fell over one of her eyes, and Stefania looked with the other as if secretly, with a childlike spark. Then she would suddenly throw her head back, and her companion would be met with a completely different gaze from those two black eyes – adult and intelligent, very bold, even challenging. Combined with a barely hidden smile, it was unbearable – for Zoo definitely.

‘I think your hair is so thick because you have big ears,’ Zoozero suggested. Stefania, instead of answering, lightly moved her beautiful hair back and revealed her charming ears – and everything was perfectly in order there.

‘Come on, show me your eyes,’ she coquettishly squinted one eye. ‘I want to look into your soul’s mirror.’

‘O-o-oh, I love your English!’ – Kevin appeared completely unexpectedly, although, apparently, he had been watching the Russian-Colombian dialogue for some time. ‘Keep it up.’

Showing his eyes for inspection was not an easy task for our hero. He didn’t like it. Only in those cases when he needed to convince his interlocutor or say something very important did he lock his sharp gaze on them.

He lifted his eyes to Stefania and smiled with his magnificent smile, capable of disarming anyone. They looked into each other’s eyes and remained silent. Finally, Zoozero – after all, he is a man and should be the leader in the couple – managed to ask a question:

‘And what did you see in my soul, Stefania?’

‘Your smile doesn’t save you,’ was the reply. ‘I’m familiar with that look. Very familiar. He lacks happiness, just one little thing. Although he is filled not only with sadness but also with hope.’

Zoozero was ready to hug her right then. He barely restrained himself from doing it. And then he thought for a long time about whether it was worth acting that way at that moment.

‘I see the same thing in your eyes, Stefania,’ he said in response. ‘Maybe that’s why we are here, in Australia, so far from home.’

‘We’re certainly not here to be sad. Are you happy, Zoozero?’

‘More than you can imagine.’

And they continued to study each other. Unfortunately, Stefania did not have dimples in her cheeks, and her front teeth were a little horse-like. But her lips seemed made for love – plump, they turned into a charming little bow when she blew a kiss. Her very high forehead was impressive, the kind Stefania liked to look at sometimes, especially when something displeased her.

Following her head were a straight neck and delicate shoulders. As it turned out, despite being two levels behind, Zoozero was much more familiar with the terms of this lesson. His gaze fell to her chest… She was wearing a tank top and did not intend to hide that part of her body. But why, if it was her chest that highlighted her femininity and sexuality?

Through the thin layer of light fabric, her perky nipples were clearly visible. It seemed like an amazing coincidence, but Stefania had dressed possibly even too strikingly that very day. Neither before nor after that, Zoozero had noticed such liberties from her.

Her legs in the short denim shorts seemed the best in the world. Not white, but not tanned either, they were of the most delicious, cappuccino shade. From her entire appearance and the way she carried herself came the feeling of a ripe fruit, appetizing on the outside and sweet in taste. When she turned her back, started to move – it was like a song. The girl from Colombia was a true beauty, she affected all of Zoozero’s senses. Often during the lesson, he caught the admiring glances of other students, who sincerely envied the Russian for studying the heavenly creature from every angle.


Chapter 12

Thoughts buzzed like bees in his head as he returned home, locked himself in his room, and paced from corner to corner. She was the one he had secretly dreamed about all his life… Even when he met his wife, his heart refused to accept that choice. Even when he shared all joys and sorrows with this wonderfully kind and caring person. There was something inside, an inexpressible obstacle, that prevented him from ending the search in the hope of finding his goddess. Zoozero transferred all his love from his wife to his daughter; for this little being, he was ready to sacrifice himself, his time, interests, and career. Yet life cruelly punished him for this foolish altruism. The family fell apart, and all plans for the future collapsed spectacularly...

No, he could swallow the bitter pill. Again, for the sake of his daughter. Lose his love and self-respect, agreeing to humiliating conditions of life anyway. But he didn’t do that; he decided to erase 12 years of family happiness from his past. Having plunged to the bottom of the world’s deepest depression, he never stopped dreaming. Sometimes it seemed to him that he saw the face of the one without whom he could not live.

‘She will be different. I will find her no matter what. I will change my life, endure and fight, pray to God for otherworldly help, travel to the ends of the earth... Maybe it is not destined for me to win her heart, but I must at least see her, talk to her... I need to know that she exists on Earth!’ this is how he raged through the nights, unable to sleep. This burning passion for her helped him cope with a reality that had fewer and fewer good things left.

After his wife’s betrayal, his own home turned into a prison. It was nothing like the relations between Israel and Palestine, where one would kick the other in the boot, and the other would spit in the tea. Things with his wife were far scarier than that. And it nearly all ended in a half-drunk, madcap scene, when his fingers were squeezing the last breaths from her throat...

In moments of uncontrollable rage, he could no longer restrain himself. All his pain, his unbridled temperament remained deep scars on the body and soul of the unhappy woman who had once loved him to the point of losing consciousness. And the daughter tore herself apart, screaming in hysteria: ‘Daddy, my dear, calm down... I love you both, how will I live now...’ She was only 10 years old, but the bitter truth of life confronted her eyes during those endless nights when terror from hell suddenly and seemingly forever burst into her bright home.

She screamed with all her might: ‘In love, you have to forgive, Daddy, how don’t you understand this? Anyone can make a mistake; haven’t you ever been wrong?’ She repeatedly threw herself under the endless blows of the monster who had lost all reason, looked into his enraged eyes, hoping to see at least some traces of humanity. And the beast would stop, fall to the floor, and writhe in terrible convulsions, managing within seconds to travel a long path to hell and back. Then he would fall silent, lose consciousness, only to wake up again in this world that had declared war on him.

He began to talk to himself often. As if he sensed that among the two natures that distinguish every Twin, which muddled his thoughts and sometimes prevented him from taking even the simplest step, there had appeared a face of a different kind – evil and merciless. This being was destroying his mind, trying to bend it to its dark will, to kill every trace of humanity.

‘Darling, I beg you, don’t do this to me. You don’t even understand how dangerous this is,’ he would often say these words before falling asleep in those happy days of their marriage when the sky in their world was so cloudless. ‘Understand, I don’t know what will happen to me, to all of us. I’m even afraid to think about it.’

‘That’s impossible, sweetheart. You know how much I love you,’ she replied, her voice filled with unearthly warmth.

But in his soul, these words only resonated as some kind of ominous echo. Yes, yes, he knew in advance what would happen to him. Zoozero felt it with some fibers of his soul and was already beginning to prepare himself for a fierce struggle for himself, for his self-consciousness, against an all-powerful stranger who, after some time, tried to bend him to his will.

‘Fool, you set me up! He entered me, you don’t know this breed, and thank God!’ he would howl on those insane nights, when their quiet apartment turned into a battlefield.

‘Who?’ she would wipe the blood from her face and look into his bottomless and cold sockets, filled to the brim with despair and horror, in which the familiar glimmer of hope occasionally flickered.

‘A demon, or maybe a whole legion. They are bound by fear, just give them a loophole in the soul…,’ he kept yelling foaming at the mouth, smashing walls, dishes, and furniture.

‘You’re crazy, go to a hospital, or I’ll report you to the police…’

He only laughed in response. What police, a transcendental war was raging inside him, and both sides of his two-faced nature stood united against the darkness surrounding them on all sides.

+

Then he would lie on the floor for hours, staring at the ceiling, appealing to the Lord, who allowed unbearable suffering for His creation. From time to time, even before, he would drive himself to a near-fainting state, especially in his youth, when he spent entire nights trying to find the answer to the one question that gave him no peace. He devoured books like hamburgers, but felt no satisfaction. Plato, Origen, Nietzsche, Florensky… They fell into place in his worldview like stones, becoming the bedrock of his personality, yet providing no answer. On the contrary, their lives and works only strengthened his irresistible desire to speak solely with the Source. And he would push himself to exaltation, sometimes feeling an indescribable clarity of consciousness by morning, and would fall asleep hoping to awaken in another existence.

But each new day brought him back to the cursed reality. He was cut again and again as if alive when he looked around. ‘If You exist, then why is there so much evil in the world?’ for someone, this question might have been of utmost importance, yet Zoozero was exhausted by the lack of response. And he searched everywhere… First and foremost for the Lord, to learn the answer directly from Him. In search of divine justification, he stepped onto the slippery path of Job, fully aware of how it could all end.

He unquestionably trusted fate, cherished a dream in his soul, stubbornly refused to simply follow the happy rails of earthly prosperity, and had mastered the remarkable art of seeing good in the bad. For some reason, he was confident that a true trial awaited him and was mentally preparing for it. He was astonishingly eager for people, for their destinies, pouncing on anyone who might provide new food for thought, young or old, thin or fat, police officer or convict. Fortunately, the profession of journalism provided him with countless opportunities to meet very different people.

He kept searching and hoping to meet someone who would understand him, someone who would be on the same wavelength. Not even love, but just a friend, not tied hand and foot by social ties, free from stereotypes. But he was still missing, so he learned to enjoy solitude, argue with himself, find the right answers to burning questions.

‘There is a situation and there is you who found yourself in it. I examined it from all sides - only badly. A little bit of a drink is even worse. So what to do? Try to look at the state of things from the outside, dissociate yourself from a personal point of view. Take a break, finally. And then an amazing solution comes to mind, turning every step on the way to its implementation into an unforgettable holiday.’ Zoozero tried not to tell anyone about this discovery. He tried it when He was really pressing. It works!

An unexpected decision to go to the other side of the Earth is from this opera. He had a job, his own business, money... And what happened? Turkey, Cyprus, the eternal desire to escape to Goa - nothing more radical. But when life pressed down so hard that our hero ended up under the weight of his dreams and surrounded by his cursed principles, a filthy little thought of spitting on his ‘self,’ of becoming like everyone else, ‘not sweating the small stuff,’ gnawed at his consciousness like a worm. He drove away all those ideas like ‘one step back, two steps forward’ or ‘first stick in your hand, then squeeze your whole body through.’

No way. Zoozero even started contemplating suicide, watching with delight as the high-speed Sapsan train rushed just a hundred meters from his house. That railway projectile was especially beautiful in winter. It lifted a snow trail behind it and disappeared among the trees. Then, with a whining sound, it announced its next approach. It was a vivid symbol of the coming future, an unrestrained era.

And our hero remembered his childhood dreams. He thought about how much of his mission he had fulfilled. He looked back on the past and caught himself thinking that he could never have dreamed of such a future for himself. He approached the mirror, making eyes at himself. ‘Super! I will soon be forty years old, and I can afford to dream and achieve my goals. Isn’t it a miracle? The most important thing is that the dream makes me stronger, more beautiful. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll check the strength of the metal forehead of the Sapsan. Not because I am weak-willed and spineless, but because I am brave and decisive,’ he thought, jumping on the horizontal bar. And he continued to work on himself, tear and tie his will into sea knots of varying complexity.

He was not aware of his immediate future, but his friends and acquaintances looked at him with disbelief. Like, Zoo is darkening, he is up to something like this again. You know, in all his words and actions one could feel the strength of his unbending temperament. He stood on the edge of the abyss, while enjoying the sharpness of the moment, pulled out a fig to the old woman of fate and said with a smile: ‘Come on, take a bite!’

The Olympics had long been his life. And when it turned into a dream, he grabbed the chance to take part in it with both hands. Surprisingly, the Russian resort of Sochi became the Winter Games capital on the very day Zoozero learned about his wife’s infidelity.

‘Ruslan, I suggest we go to Sochi,’ he proposed to his friend the day after the family disaster.

‘No problem,’ was the reply. And by the evening, they were already speeding south from Moscow by car, fueled by some sort of devilish enthusiasm, passing through Lipetsk, Rostov regions, and the Krasnodar Territory.

A week later, Zoozero returned home, saw a completely unfamiliar wife, and said to her: ‘It’s over.’


Chapter 13

However, enough of the sad stuff. Let’s return to sunny and magical Sydney. It was the penultimate class with Stefania before the Christmas holidays. Zoozero decided to take action. After the morning lessons, he seized the right moment when the Colombian girl was alone and suggested to her:

‘Stefania, want to come with me to Sydney Olympic Park and play some golf?’

‘That sounds interesting, how does it work?’

‘It’s simple: we take the subway there, buy a bucket with 70 or 120 balls, and hit them out onto the field! Have you ever played golf?’

‘No, but I really like it. I’d love to try.’

‘I’ve never played either, but I really want to. Pick any time!’

‘Right now I need to chat with my relatives on Skype…’ she said uncertainly.

‘No problem. Think about when it’ll be convenient for you,’ Zoo replied and happily headed toward the subway station.

Then he got on the train. And suddenly he realized what a fool he was! ‘Stop, she was ready to go right now, maybe after having lunch and talking with her family, Stefania was completely free… OMG, I didn’t even get her phone number! I acted like a total loser because she was clearly showing that it could happen right then. Oh, the horror!’ these were the thoughts plaguing our hero.

Completely frantic, he ran home and immediately dove into Facebook. He quickly found Stefania Ortiz among Sebastian’s friends and sent her a message.

‘Hello! Let’s play golf today!’

Every ten minutes, Zoozero checked his Facebook page for a reply. But there was none. Deep down, zero felt ominous notes of worry… He feverishly typed on the keyboard, sent Stefania his mobile number, and suggested they exchange contacts.

‘Please, make sure to tell me when you’re ready to play golf!’
No reply, not even a greeting.

‘It’s okay, in two days we’ll meet in class, and I’ll try to talk to her again,’ Zoozero comforted himself. It all felt like talking to a personal spirit from a children’s joke about a cowboy and Indians. ‘This isn’t the end yet, Zoo, you have to try approaching her again,’ the inner voice kept repeating.

‘Maybe she looked at my Facebook page and something confused her? My age, some photos…’ our hero conversed with himself day and night. ‘It’s quite possible that she simply doesn’t like me. Not her type of guy. What if Sebastian was right when he said that as soon as I reveal my face, her interest in me would immediately vanish. My God, she guessed who was behind the messages from Seba! Damn, I’ve blown it.’

All the remaining days, he did nothing but search for Stefania at school. But she was nowhere to be found. She had disappeared. In Kevin’s last class, no miracle happened. Everything was in place, but his beloved was gone. Three weeks of summer break loomed like a black hole, and this made Zoozero feel uneasy inside. Yes, it wouldn’t be easy to endure such a separation when it seemed for a moment that happiness was so close.

And there was no Sebastian to find out where she was. Zoozero’s heart was breaking. The last days before the holidays at the language center seemed endless. ‘So, why did you come here?’ Zoo pushed himself. ‘To study English and sports management. Then study if you want to take part in the Olympic project. You have surfing, so train!’

Sydney was bathed in sunlight. Everywhere there were only happy faces. Ocean liners, each more beautiful than the last, were docking at the main pier. The strangest December of his life was giving hot days and warm nights, the scent of blooming Australian summer. Zoozero caught himself thinking that he had changed. Or rather, he had found himself again – cheerful and full of hope. He kept thinking about Stefania, looking for her everywhere with his eyes – in the subway, on the street, on the beach. Several times it even seemed to him that he had met her, but it wasn’t her.

If the reader could see with what fanatical zeal Zoo had thrown himself into self-discipline. ‘You’re aiming for the easy way, you fool,’ he talked to himself. ‘And what did you do to make her love you? All doors are open to her, Stefania is just starting her adult life. She’s going to fly, you know? And you have only narrow cracks left, where you need to have time to slip through, while there is at least some chance...’ He whipped himself with an invisible whip and regained his taste for life.

Zoozero became increasingly aware that the Colombian girl was the only way to escape. Love mobilized his whole being, he felt that he was ready to move mountains. Pictures of the world around him changed with fantastic intensity, but they did not fly by, but were securely fixed in his brain. He even began to make notes in his notebook. No, Zoo didn’t keep a cheating diary like it did in his early youth (he ended up throwing it away because it was all stupid passions).

It’s just that amazing things happened to him, worthy of special mention...

+

Reader, have you ever brought yourself to exaltation? Is this when a flood of emotions hits you, and you find yourself in a state of overwhelming exhilaration? I hope everyone has experienced something like euphoria at least once in their life, and of course, remembers the circumstances that accompanied it. They are no less important than the flight of the soul or feelings. A stadium and the victory of your favorite team, the birth of a son, love at first sight…

On December 13, 2011, Zoozero was in the Sydney city library. The setting was fairly ordinary, nothing special. No organs or angelic trumpets, the soul was not stirred.

Strange people visited this place, and they behaved unusually as well. Many pensioners came to the reading room; they were ready for any kind of activity just to fight the cursed boredom. Some of them were perhaps hiding in the storage areas and nooks of the library from the blazing sun.

Mysterious men and women were looking for something here, rifling through books on the shelves, flipping through pages. Here is a man of about fifty, who sank into a soft armchair and... immediately fell asleep, without ever opening the bright album of photographs of some Papuans. Exactly an hour later, he opened his eyes, stretched slightly, and as if nothing had happened, headed for the exit.

The library felt like another dimension in the heart of bustling Sydney. You step through its doors and enter a wondrous world where you can drift along the waves of entire historical eras, peek into the hidden corners of the Earth, and travel through the Universe. Its fresh, cool air, seemingly infused with ozone, and its magical silence make you pause and reflect. Here are the folios, witnesses to human quests and achievements. They are neatly arranged and await their grateful reader.

Books cannot live without our attention. When you pick up a worn and battered edition, you can’t help but feel a sense of respect for it. You almost feel the energy emanating from those who came before you. I wonder who it was? An elderly man wise with years, or a very young being just beginning the search for answers to eternal questions? Zoozero always enjoyed it when there were comments left on the pages of a book; he himself loved engaging in discussion with the author, making notes.

While searching in the library for what you need, your eyes wander everywhere. For example, an entire room full of shelves dedicated to George Orwell. There is everything here. Among various editions of his works and studies of his work, Zoo’s attention was drawn to a very small book, like a prayer book, called ‘Animal Farm: A Fairy Story with a Sad Ending.’ It was covered in comments, its pages worn thin from use. Not surprising, as no one can remain indifferent to the bitter lesson when bloody deeds were committed in the name of the greater good. Orwell, like Swift centuries earlier, delivered his verdict on human society…

Our hero chased away the dark thoughts and dived into ‘The Future of Sports Business.’ Knizhentsiya is not from the remarkable ones, with an old-fashioned language. Typical of Western researchers who tend to overestimate the level of results achieved.

Suddenly, Zoozero put his notebook and pen aside, and his gaze became glassy. Then he looked at the clock. 16:10. He had never felt anything like it, but immediately realized what was happening. A demon was being expelled from him. And Zoozero had nothing to do with it. He found himself in the role of a passive observer. Some foreign entity was crawling out of the pores of his skin, like mince through a meat grinder. This was accompanied by a strange nausea and dizziness. At the same time, his entire being was filled with a sense of pleasant reset.

Everything was as sudden as the Lord’s appearance to Saul on the road to Damascus. He stood up and headed to the bathroom. He approached the mirror and saw his face in the reflection, which had changed. As if a veil had fallen from his eyes. A slight tremor ran through his shoulders and back. ‘God, You are playing with me!’ slipped from his tongue. Slightly swaying, Zoozero returned to the reading room. Consciousness seemed brighter than ever. He sat at the table and wrote in his notebook: ‘All these years are a beautiful haze. Without purification, there is no renewal.’

Demons enter without knocking and leave without saying goodbye. They hide from God’s eyes in the dark corners of human souls. And we think we are capable of resisting these powerful beings who skillfully exploit our weaknesses. We lack the will to shut the door to uninvited guests. Zoo recalled Christ’s words about those who strive through physical and moral exercises to achieve perfection, the unity of soul and body. These spirits existed before us; they whimsically challenge God and look down on unfortunate humans. Who are we to them? Just pawns in the mysterious game of the universe.

We die and lose our bodies. Everything is very reasonable. Our ancestors, according to biblical accounts, lived for hundreds of years. Then less and less. Perhaps this is the trajectory of human civilization. We will move into virtual space, completely shedding our material shells – after all, we want so badly to conquer death! And we will learn to do this – becoming bodiless spirits, and the problem of overpopulation on the planet will resolve itself. This world will perish and make way for a new one, or rather, a newly self-created world. We will have to silently watch its development – for many generations of its predecessors.


Chapter 14

Rumor has it that Stefania decided to go on Christmas vacation with her friends to an Australian resort town – the Gold Coast. Another Colombian, Lorena, told Zoozero about this.

‘I don’t know exactly where or for how many days, but she definitely went there,’ she said. ‘Why are you so interested in her?’

‘It’s not me,’ Zoo was embarrassed. ‘One of my friends is interested.’

‘Is it not Alejandro from Mexico?’ Lorena smiled slyly. ‘He’s been flirting with her for a long time. But she doesn’t like him – he’s kind of boring.’

‘Not Alejandro either. Another person.’

‘Fine, if you don’t want to say, that’s okay. Where are you planning to go?’

‘To Tasmania, but only after the New Year,’ Zoozero replied. ‘I’ll probably spend Christmas in Sydney.’

‘Come with us to Cairns, to the Great Barrier Reef! They say it’s magical there. There are four of us – Louisa, Loreto, Sasha, and me. You know all of us well.’

‘Can I have a little time to think about it?’

‘No. We already have the plane tickets and the hotel room booked. If you wanna join us, you’ll have to get the tickets yourself and find accommodation options. My advice: invite friends so the trip doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg. It’s one thing to go alone and quite another to rent a room or an apartment for a whole group.’

‘Okay, I’ll definitely think about it. Thanks for the offer.’

The conversation with Lorena happened on the school stairs. Zoozero had slightly missed the moment when he needed to decide about the holiday trip. And now his student friends are scattering all over Australia, while he stays in Sydney, unsure what he’s even looking for. Our hero left the school and stepped into the usual big-break crowd near the entrance.

‘Hey, Zoo,’ greeted him the ever-smiling Spaniard Javier. ‘Where are you going for Christmas?’

‘I’ll be here, in Sydney. I think I can keep attending school if I want to. They’re making a special group, I guess…’

‘Ugh, how boring, buddy. Come join us for a real car adventure instead. We will be communicating with Australians, and our language skills will improve way beyond what school taught us.’

‘Name the participants if you’re serious,’ Zoozero encouraged.

‘We have a real gang – me, Mikael, and Simon. We’ve already rented a car and an apartment. There’s only one spot left.’

‘Are you going far?’

‘Just a thousand kilometers, with stops in all sorts of cities and towns along the coast. Can you imagine how cool that is?’

‘Is it Brisbane?’

‘We’ll stop in Brisbane too, where else would we go? But the final destination is the Gold Coast.’

‘The Gold Coast?’ Zoozero jumped up.

‘Yeah. They say the waves there are the biggest in Australia. But we’ll have a small car, and your friend won’t come with us,’ Javier nodded toward the surfboard that was always with Zoo. ‘It’ll be really cheap money-wise. Come with us; it’ll be fun.’

Refusing such an offer is a luxury you can’t afford. The company is just right. Javier (25) – a fun guy, a football trickster, capable of pulling all sorts of stunts with the ball. He supports Real Madrid – a team that is iconic to our hero. Mikael (22 years old) – a Portuguese living in Switzerland, is also a footballer and a fervent fan of Benfica, which traditionally ranks among the top five football clubs in terms of popularity for Zoozero. Finally, Simon is Korean and not a footballer. But this 23-year-old guy seems surprisingly kind and positive.

In short, wonderful guys.

And the most important thing was that there was at least a tiny chance of meeting Stefania. Not seeing her, not feeling the presence of this embodiment of femininity nearby seemed like an unbearable punishment. ‘Even if I don’t become her man, her beloved person, I want to see her to witness that she exists in this world,’ Zoozero thought.

+

And they headed for the Gold Coast. In a brand-new, small Toyota Corolla. All the way, they listened only to Spanish and Latin American songs with their endless transitions from great happiness to bottomless sorrow. In this music, life was brimming; it couldn’t leave anyone indifferent. Friends were having fun, anticipating a grand Christmas, while Zoozero sank into a deep trance, where inner experiences intertwined with Stefania, a melody full of blood and mad love, bursting out of the speakers.

‘Why so sad, Zoo?’ Simon nudged him in the shoulder. ‘Pour some for our Russian friend!’

Within moments, Zoozero was holding a glass of vodka with cola, their entire international community bubbling over with uncontrollable joy. Only Javier, who had the dubious pleasure of being behind the wheel, at first said seriously:

‘Guys, don’t drink without me! Be human at least!’

But then he burst out laughing and revealed his magnificent smile wide open, which had driven many girls from different continents crazy.

‘I’m with you in spirit, friends. But I have no patience left. That’s it, we’re making a stop for the night in Coffs Harbour.’

‘We don’t care, we’re resting, Javi!’ a remarkably mature and serious Mikael went on a rampage. ‘When else will we be able to have so much fun? Zoo taught us how to drink real Russian vodka, and I absolutely love it.’

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro! It seemed like Don Omar was about to blow up from the inside, the car stuffed with a volatile mix of happy young people, alcohol, and recklessness. Suddenly, at the height of the fun, red and blue lights started flashing behind them, a siren sounded, and a loud voice seemingly ordered our guys to stop and pull over.

‘It’s the police,’ Javier said calmly. ‘It will be interesting to find out what happened.’

Following an old Russian tradition, Zoozero opened the door and got out of the car to see what was going on. A huge policeman drew a massive gun and aimed its bottomless barrel straight at his forehead. ‘No way! What a situation!’ raced through the head of the guy from Moscow.

‘Get in the car, quickly!’ commanded the man in uniform.

‘What’s the matter?’ Zoozero started to ask.

‘I count to five! One, two, three, four…’

The Russian was already back in the car, eyes wide with surprise.

‘You have violated the rules,’ began the law enforcement officer, tucking his gun into its holster and examining Javier’s documents. ‘My partner and I were following at a distance and noticed that you spent a long time in the far right lane, which is meant only for overtaking and avoiding obstacles. That incurs a fine of $300.’

Everyone nodded in agreement. Except, of course, for our Rasha. Zoozero started playing the standard bagpipe tune familiar to Russian drivers.

‘But, excuse me, we were not aware of such a restriction. You can see for yourselves that we are not from Australia, so how could we know these details?’

‘Who are you and where are you headed?’

‘Students. Spain, Switzerland, Korea, and Russia. We are heading to the Gold Coast for a vacation. Javier, our driver, is driving a right-hand drive car for the first time ever. We had no ill intentions and are driving within the allowed speed. Is there really no chance for us to be forgiven? We wouldn’t want to start our vacation with such an incident…’

‘I think your fun is already in full swing,’ the policeman softened. ‘I hope the driver is sober?’

‘Of course, I never drink and drive,’ crossed himself Javier.

‘Okay, you can go, but don’t break the rules again,’ the police officer even had a brief smile on his face. He returned the documents, turned around, and headed toward the patrol car.

‘Hey, Zoo, where did you learn to talk to the traffic police like that?’ Javier asked, looking somewhat admiring.

‘A law enforcement officer in Russia might suspect something’s wrong if you just listen silently. Moreover, it could even lead to extra scrutiny. That’s how it works here: you get stopped for a violation, and the punishment is usually what you can negotiate with the police.’

‘Well, miracles,’ Mikael said.

‘Some kind of fairy tale,’ added Simon.

Around midnight they arrived in Coffs Harbour. It seemed like there was no quieter city on the planet. It felt as if you could hear the darkness itself, its faint humming. The friends didn’t bother looking for a hotel and decided to sleep right in the car.

Zoozero couldn’t sleep. That night in the Australian outback reminded him of Mother Russia, of its endless expanses. ‘I’ll return home and travel at the first opportunity,’ he thought. He tried to close his eyes, but what was that? First, a bright dot in the distance, then it began to approach and grow larger. Then, he could clearly see the serious face of Stefania, illuminated by an unearthly light. She puckered her lips and looked at him from under her brow. Oh, what a beautiful gaze that was! Intelligent, brave, penetrating straight into the soul.

Zoozero opened the door and stepped out of the car onto the street. A small cloud covered the Moon so that its soft light filtered through like a sieve. One of its rays fell to the ground and reflected with a shine. Zoo approached and saw a golden ring on the sidewalk. He picked it up and tried to examine it in the light of the nearest streetlamp. Without a doubt, it was a wedding ring. Smooth, so that the lives of the spouses would be smooth. Judging by the size, it belonged to a man.

At that moment, as if another circle of life had closed. Zoozero remembered how, at the age of ten, he used to dig in the hot sand of a paradise beach in Ilyichyovsk and found exactly the same ring. Back then, his mom said that according to folk beliefs, this meant an upcoming wedding or simply a wedding. ‘You will be happy, son,’ she said.

And now, a new happiness. Isn’t that too much for one person? Zoo walked to the car, where three young men were peacefully snoring, then went a little further to a public toilet, between two doors of which hung a map of Coffs Harbour with a detailed guide to the surrounding places. What seems amazing is not even the place he found himself in, but the quiet yet fundamental changes happening in his soul...

Zero returned to the car, then fell into a short nap, and upon waking the first thing he did was reach into his pocket. Yes, there it was, the golden wedding ring. So, it wasn’t a dream. In the bright morning light, he noticed the engraved inscription on its inner side: ‘For long-long love.’

Thank you for every hope, Lord!

+

It was curious that Zoozero didn’t even know exactly where their noisy group was headed. Well, the Gold Coast or something, a famous resort area… He fully relied on his friends, who had carefully planned the trip, counting every dollar, choosing the apartments, studying the infrastructure of their future vacation spot. They even took vodka from Sydney just in case. Our hero threw only the most necessary things into his small backpack – a few spare t-shirts and underwear, shorts, the Bible, and an English-Russian dictionary.

How surprised Zoo was when it suddenly turned out that there was no city called the Gold Coast! ‘Then where exactly are we going?’ he asked Javier.

‘This place is called Surfers Paradise. Many wealthy people from around the world come here at Christmas to enjoy a carefree summer.’

‘Surfer’s Paradise…’ Zoozero muttered. ‘Judging by the name, I’ll have an excellent opportunity to catch some waves.’

‘And why not?’ Mikael responded. ‘We’ll be living right by the ocean shore. If you want, you can rent a board and ride the waves.’

When they arrived in Surfers Paradise, they were struck by the abundance of luxurious skyscraper hotels, which soared skyward with their sleek bodies into the blue sky, not a cloud in sight. The apartment they got was indeed impressive. Each of them had their own room; in addition, there were two showers and two toilets, a kitchen equipped with everything needed for a bachelor’s group, a huge living room with three sofas, and two enormous balconies with rocking chairs.

‘This is better than I could have imagined!’ exclaimed Simon. ‘The rest of this idyllic corner of Australia will probably be just as amazing.’

Mikael and Javier didn’t waste any time and already took a sip of an alcoholic cocktail. Then they started dancing, fortunately, there was plenty of space in the apartment to move around.

‘Friends, let’s go take a walk around the city and see what’s around,’ suggested Zoozero. ‘We have a wonderful place to stay, let’s make sure we’re really in paradise.’

‘I suggest we take a swim in the ocean after the long trip,’ Javier responded. ‘Personally, I wouldn’t mind freshening up…’

‘Okay, splendid!’ The idea was met with cheers, and the four friends headed toward the shore.

There was no doubt about where they needed to go because the roar of the surf was clearly audible from the street. They crossed one street, then another… the sound of the ocean grew louder, but the shore was still not visible. After two more streets, it became difficult to hear each other. Words seemed to dissolve into an unimaginable roar, and they had to shout to keep the conversation going.

Finally, they crossed another stretch of asphalt and stepped right into the raging elements. Zoozero had never seen waves like this before. Here, they were furious, rolling onto the shore with a certain intensity, sometimes individually, sometimes merging in twos or threes. The speed with which the breakers approached the shore and unleashed their power was astonishing.

Naturally, swimming was out of the question. All along the sandy beach, there were warning signs indicating that entering the water was strongly discouraged. Moreover, lifeguards patrolled back and forth in special jeeps, ensuring that the rules were followed.

Visitors to Surfers Paradise walked along the tide line, occasionally wading knee-deep into the water. But even then, anyone could feel how the ocean seemed to try to grab your leg with a lasso and drag you into the depths. Naturally, what kind of surfing could there be under such conditions, so the city’s name sounded almost like a cruel joke to wave-riding enthusiasts.

Yet human capability sometimes seems limitless. Especially when you see, amid all this oceanic chaos and squally winds, a distant ghostly figure literally soaring above the waves. It rushes toward the shore, driven by sharp gusts of wind, and it becomes clear that this is some brave soul with a kite. His feet are firmly attached to the board, and his hands never release the small parachute. He rises several meters above the surface of the water, faster than the waves that open their jaws, barely touching the ocean! This is his element; the ghost-man takes a turn almost at the very edge of the shore, even brushing the sand, then catches a whirlwind and rushes back somewhere into the distance, where the sea and air elements are already indistinguishable to the human eye.

An airplane appears in the sky with a banner that reads ‘Merry Christmas!’, and everything happening around wildly detaches one from reality. The ocean roars, struggling to break free from the shackles of the shore; many people play with the waves, running from them and then approaching again. Zoozero decided to dip slightly into the cool water as well. Javier followed his example.

‘Don’t play with the waves, Zoo,’ warned the Spaniard. ‘I’ve professionally practiced open water swimming and know how unpredictable the sea can be. This is the ocean, there are strong rip currents here, and there are also places where both converge and create a powerful flow capable of carrying you far from the shore in seconds. Don’t let the waves cover you higher than your waist!’

‘What, are you a coward?’ Zoozero laughed. ‘I’ve been playing with water my whole life and I know all its tricks!’

‘The ocean is a formidable thing. You are powerless against it, believe me. If it grabs you, don’t even try to fight it. Its will is the law; you must obey. I’ll show you something right now.’

And he swiftly ran after a wave retracting from the shore, entering the spot where the tide currents meet. He skillfully took advantage of the moment when the ocean took a barely noticeable pause to unleash new strikes of its breakers. Right before Zoo’s eyes, Javier’s body disappeared in the water up to his neck. Then he was carried under a huge, about four-meter, wave and swept under it so that only foam and spray were visible…

‘Javier!’ the astonished Russian unwittingly exclaimed.

He was staring at the zone where the waves were coming in, they were coming one after another...

‘Zero, I’m here!’ shouted the Spaniard from somewhere to the side and behind. ‘Did you see how it’s done? Like surfing, you just catch the wave with your body as if it were a board. Stretch out your arms and legs. The ocean will carry you to the shore by itself. The main thing is not to panic and not to try to swim out on your own. Remember, you need to relax, breathe through your mouth at the first chance, and wait for a strong current toward the land. Let’s go together, I’ll teach you.’

Time and again, they entered the churning ocean and learned its rules. It was simply incredible, but the waves carried them to the shore effortlessly.

‘So, do you like it?’ Xavi smiled broadly. ‘We cover 50 meters in a few seconds.’

They would have continued fooling around like this, but the lifeguards had already started paying close attention to them.

‘Guys, stop your antics! Don’t make us worry unnecessarily. We’re not forbidding you to freshen up in the water a little, but don’t go deeper than waist-deep.

‘Okay, everything’s under control,’ Javier gave a thumbs-up. ‘We respect your work and won’t break the rules anymore.’

Suddenly, a panicked voice came over the radio in the two-seater rescue jeep, and those huge guys immediately jumped into the vehicle and sped away. Half a minute later, a helicopter appeared in the sky, then a second, then a third.

‘Look, something’s happened,’ Simon pointed with his finger. ‘Let’s run and see what exactly.’

The whole group of four friends ran full tilt along the trail left by the jeep. After covering roughly a kilometer, they saw a large number of people and rescuers on the shore. Not far away, three helicopters were hovering over the waves. They descended so low to the water that it seemed like the waves were about to swallow them.

‘What happened?’ Zoozero cautiously asked one of the witnesses.

‘Someone drowned,’ the man answered without visible emotion. ‘Although maybe they’re still alive… See, there, his board was washed ashore.’

A chill ran down Zoozero’s back, a feeling like no other. He remembered well a piece of plastic, painted in the colors of the Australian flag, which was so securely attached to the feet of that daredevil... The board lay carelessly, as if it had given up its breath.

‘Over there, they’re carrying him!’ a voice came from the crowd.

Zoo shifted his gaze to a group of people wearing life jackets. They were pulling a lifeless body ashore, entangled in the ropes of the kite. In an instant, the rescuers cut these fetters and unbuttoned the wetsuit to the waist. The face of the dead surfer was petrified with horror. Apparently, he was not yet thirty years old. When he was laid on his side, water flowed from his mouth. The muscular body of the man who had just taunted the ocean was now sprawled helplessly on the shore next to his surfboard.

‘They should be buried together,’ someone’s thought burst out.

After a short satisfaction with the death, the rescuers loaded the surfer and his board onto a jeep and took him out of sight.

‘Do you understand now, Zero, that the ocean is not to be trifled with?’ whispered Javier.

Then the whole group of friends silently headed towards the main exit from the beach. It was designed as a beautiful, wide staircase with a carved arch that bore the inscription ‘Surfers Paradise’.


Chapter 15


The vacation on the Gold Coast remained in Zoozero’s memory tinged with a slight sadness. And even a cheerful company of friends couldn’t dispel a certain bittersweet feeling. Our hero had not given up hope of accidentally running into Stefania there; he scanned everywhere with his eyes – on the street, in cafes, in shops. But he had no chance, because the Colombian girl had already returned to Sydney and spent Christmas there.

More and more, everything happening around Zero reminded him of a surreal movie. Every event resonated in his soul with a mystical echo.

Take, for instance, a funny incident that occurred on the way back from the Gold Coast to Sydney. Zoozero had fallen asleep on the back seat of the car, and when he woke up, he didn’t immediately realize what was going on. Instead of a wide highway, they were traveling down a narrow forest road with no signs of modern civilization around. He glanced at his watch – 7 a.m.

‘Where are we going?’ he asked his friends, looking around.

‘Searching for a gas station, because we’re running low on fuel,’ Mikael answered.

‘And what kind of wilderness is this? What kind of gas station can there be?’ Zoo didn’t calm down.

‘We saw a sign with a picture of a gas station and decided to turn off the main highway,’ Simon explained calmly. ‘But we haven’t found anything yet. How many kilometers of gasoline are left, Javier?

‘Judging by the speedometer, twelve.’

‘How long have we been since we left the highway?’

‘About 23 kilometers.’

‘Very well. It turns out that we won’t have enough fuel to get back to a busier road...’ Simon continued the conversation with surprising composure.

Meanwhile, the road was getting narrower. Not a single car coming towards Toyota Corolla! Not a single sign of civilization around! Something gray flashed in the bushes. Then again and again. Why, it’s a kangaroo! Despite the seriousness of the situation, the friends found enough enthusiasm to stop, get out of the car, and gawk at the wild animals. One of the symbols of Australia was sitting fifty meters away and chewing grass. Some of his anxiety was only revealed by his constantly moving ears. Javier tried to get closer, but the kangaroo suddenly turned around and disappeared immediately. It was astonishing to see how this seemingly clumsy animal vanished from sight in just two jumps.

‘What should we do?’ Michael voiced the pressing question.

‘Take pictures of the kangaroo!’ Simon raised his index finger. ‘Let’s walk around here a bit and decide how to proceed.’

And they ventured further into the forest, which seemed magical. It felt as though everything around was alive. You walk, look around, and nature seems to play tricks on you. One moment a large lizard slips away underfoot, the next moment a big-tailed kangaroo dashes off, then enormous parrots hop from branch to branch with a crackle. Just like in a childhood game of tag.

Quite unexpectedly, in a small clearing, the friends saw a wooden house surrounded by a fence. Two cars were parked at the gate – a small sedan and a huge jeep-pickup. When they approached the house, the sound of a dog could be heard.

‘Hey! Is anyone here?’ shouted Zoozero.

The only reply was a loud bark...

‘Heeey! Help us! People!!!’ shouted all four of them.

The dog behind the fence barked and growled, earning its keep.

‘There’s probably no one home,’ said Javier. ‘Let’s go to our car.’

‘What’s the point? I suggest we wait for the owners of this house. They have cars, so they must have fuel too,’ insisted Zoozero.

‘We could be sitting here all day. Maybe we should just turn around and go back? I heard a Japanese car can go another 50 kilometers after the fuel gauge hits zero,’ the Spaniard insisted.

‘Let’s all shout loudly together, and then we’ll decide what to do next,’ suggested Zoo.

And in unison, they yelled loudly: ‘People! Help!’

There was a sound like a door creaking, someone’s voice commanded the dog to be quiet, and then the gate opened. A woman of about fifty-five came out. It was impossible to imagine a more Australian appearance for her. Tall, lean, with a manly face and sinewy, strong hands, she was dressed in worn-out jeans and a checkered shirt.

‘What happened?’ were her first words.

‘We are looking for a gas station because we are running low on fuel,’ Mikael took on the role of negotiator, as he had the best English in the group. ‘Could you help us with something?’

‘And where is your car?’

‘Not far from here.’

‘The nearest gas station is 20 kilometers away. Can you make it?’ the woman asked.

‘It’s hard to say… the gauges show that we have fuel for 7 kilometers left. If you have a bit of fuel, we would gladly buy it.’

‘Wait, let me see. Looks like there is something.’

And she disappeared behind a noticeably slanted wooden fence, where almost no paint remained. In general, this strange house deep in the forest gave the impression of a lonely old retiree giving way to time. Everyone has forgotten about him, and he is forced to live out his life, to cope with difficulties on his own, as far as he can.

Then a shaggy dog appeared in the opening of the gate, as old and unkempt as its owner, like everything in this strange house. She looked at the intruders with interest and even began to move her tail from side to side little by little.

‘You’re lucky, I found 5 liters of gasoline,’ the woman returned with a triumphant look and handed Javier a plastic canister. It was obvious how glad she was that she had been disturbed. Apparently, people didn’t come here often.

‘I’ll show you the way to the gas station,’ she suggested, and headed for her jeep.

‘Don’t worry,’ Zoozero began, ‘we will get there ourselves, you explained the way to us.’

But the woman no longer heard anything. She jumped into the cab and started the engine. The friends moved to their Toyota and poured all the contents of the canister into the tank. Then their rescuer drove up, whistled, putting two fingers in her mouth, and gestured to follow her.

‘It’s amazing that everything is going so well,’ Mikael grinned. ‘If it weren’t for this wonderful woman, what would we do?’

‘We must thank her, give her money,’ Simon said. ‘I was already completely desperate when the road in the forest ended.

Exactly 20 kilometers later, at the intersection of two small roads, there was indeed a small gas station, with a caf; and a shop. Friends safely refueled and were ready to kiss the Australian woman.

‘Oh, guys, it’s not worth thanks,’ she modestly replied to all these huge, big and big ‘thank yous’.

‘What’s your name,’ Zoozero asked.

‘Samantha.’

‘How much do we owe you for your trouble and for the gasoline?’

‘You offend. It’s nothing to me. We are human beings and should help each other. Isn’t that right?’

‘You helped us out of trouble. Let us treat you to at least a cup of coffee.’

‘I don’t have time. Have you seen what kind of household lies on me? I’ve slept too long today. I have goats and poultry there... They’re waiting for me to feed them. So, I should say goodbye. Don’t get into such scrapes anymore!

She winked mischievously, and a minute later, her jeep disappeared among the trees.

‘Samantha is eccentric,’ remarked an elderly man, apparently the owner of the shop and caf;. ‘She has lived alone on the edge of the forest her whole life. People even say she can talk to animals. Kangaroos aren’t afraid of her at all. I’ve known this woman for over thirty years. And she always keeps her distance from people.’

+

Almost a week away in Sydney made him see this wonderful city in a new light. It was preparing for the New Year celebration, growing increasingly enchanting. The fairytale-like quality of everything around didn’t fit into Zoozero’s perception, not even into his imagination. There’s probably nowhere in Russia with such a variety of shades of color, sounds, and scents. Plus, the natural Sea Breeze deodorant from the ocean… It was impossible to imagine that the wave of life could carry him to this fantastic shore. To further convince himself of the irrationality of reality, he could dive into the Botanical Garden.

They headed there with Lyudmila – the only Russian person with whom Zoozero allowed himself rare communication in his native language in Sydney. She was 36 years old, seemed a bit funny and whimsical, but sincere and straightforward, with a simple appearance. However, a real woman is always a mystery. She is capable of changing radically, using her taste, charm, as well as handy tools – makeup and outfits.

A striking example is Lyudmila. It seemed she paid no attention to herself, preferring to go to the language center without makeup and in outrageously practical clothing. Tall and slender, with dark semicircles under her eyes, with a short girlish braid… Her whole image was somehow unformatted, especially in comparison with elegantly dressed French or Italian women. ‘What a shame for Mother Russia,’ Zoozero involuntarily thought when they first met in Michael Fish’s class. Her English was much worse than our hero’s, and on top of that, she was very shy about speaking because she was afraid of being laughed at.

‘Help me, please, tell me what to do now,’ she kept asking Zoo, not understanding the meaning of the tasks. And the Russian patiently explained to his compatriot, cursing under his breath the schedulers and the groups, by whose will he ended up in the same class as Lyuda. In short, she latched onto him completely.

And then she suggested exchanging contacts – email, phone, and Skype information.

‘I’ll send you a letter to your email, and you must reply, we’ll stay in touch,’ Lyuda simply said. ‘Who knows, I might have questions about the homework, and just in general…’

‘Well, damn, I’m stuck with her,’ Zoo muttered in frustration. ‘Now she’ll bother me with her antics.’

When he got home and opened his email, among the incoming messages he found a message from Mila Kizyakova. ‘God, people really do get the last names they get,’ Zoozero clicked on a few keys and opened the letter from his new acquaintance.

‘Zero, I’m sending you my contact details for Skype and a Facebook contact, you can add me as a friend. I suggest we meet tonight, have a drink, and then maybe go somewhere to dance. After all, there’s no one else here, let’s get closer,’ it sounded almost pleading. Whether Lyuda wanted it or not, she managed to play on a delicate string in Zoo’s soul.

Without much enthusiasm, he copied ‘Mila Kizyakova’ and pasted the entry into the search on Facebook. Among the results, there was no Lyudmila. When he added ‘Moscow,’ the computer returned just one option. Everything matched, except the person in the photo. It was a stylish lady from a glossy magazine cover. Out of simple male curiosity, Zoozero opened the profile and, with astonishment, recognized in the available photos the peasant girl Lyuda, who had miraculously transformed into a chic businesswoman.

She was definitely sitting there, waiting for the moment when Zoo would add her as a friend on Facebook. ‘9:00 PM at Circular Quay station. Is that okay?’ - that was her first message. ‘Okay. I’ll grab something to drink,’ he replied. Clear as day.

For his date with his Russian girlfriend, Zoozero decided to wear his stylish black shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes, which were reserved only for special occasions. As he descended on the escalator at the destination station, Lyuda almost clapped her hands in excitement.

‘Oh, you’re a real handsome man!’ with these words, she grabbed his hand.

‘Thank you, you look amazing too!’ he didn’t lie for a moment, as Lyuda appeared before him in the best light – wearing a light and playful short lilac dress. Already tall, with heels she stood nearly half a head taller than her companion. Our hero even felt a bit embarrassed.

‘Where shall we go, classmate? Any plans?’

‘I suggest we find a bench under the Opera House roof and have a drink.’

‘Sounds romantic,’ Lyuda replied in an English-style manner. ‘So what are we waiting for?’

They walked along the world-famous perimeter of the Opera, which was brightly lit by lanterns. Yet, they didn’t encounter a single person. Where the building’s facade seemed to plunge into the bay, it was darker. Slightly to the right, under a snow-white canopy, there was a summer caf; where a wedding was taking place and music was playing. The Russian couple found a solitary bench.

‘Isn’t it great here, Lyuda?’

‘Magnificent! Look, the Australian flag at the very top of the Harbor Bridge! I never noticed it before.’

Zoozero silently took out two plastic cups and a bottle of liqueur from the bag. An older woman at the store had advised them to get the chocolate-flavored one made in Australia. The drink had a rich aroma and went down easily, like a chocolate milkshake.

After the first glass, Lyuda placed her hand on his knee and asked:

‘Has it been a long time since you had sex, Zoo?’

‘Five months.’

‘Longer for me. Do you want me to tell you the tragedy of my life? ‘

‘Maybe let’s not talk about sad things, Lyuda? ‘

‘You are a very handsome man, so why have you been without sex for so long?’

‘I am very selective about that. Is that enough?’

‘No. What does that mean?’

‘I like to sleep only with someone I like. Now do you understand?’

‘Not really… Would you want me?’

‘Your straightforwardness is endearing. Is it the alcohol talking?’

‘Don’t dodge the question. You act this way yourself. Just tell me, do you want me?’

‘I don’t know yet. Can I think about it?’

‘What is there to think about, we’re not in school, are we?’

‘Tell me, are you married?’

‘Yes, of course,’ Lyuda’s voice trembled slightly. ‘So what?’

‘What about marital fidelity, vows… Won’t your conscience bother you?’

‘Pour another glass. That’s it, good. Now I suggest we drink to love – the most wonderful of human feelings. Do you agree?’

They clinked glasses and drank everything in one go, like true Russians.

‘Brrr, the first one was much nicer… How strong is this, Zero?’

‘Fifteen. Want some chocolate?’ Zoozero asked and handed us a bar of the world’s famous chocolate, which can be bought at the most attractive price.

‘Delicious. You know how to guess women’s desires.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘About liquor, about chocolate, about this bench by the sea,’ it was obvious that Lyuda was a little blown away from alcohol. ‘Now we can talk about serious topics. I think you asked me about marriage?’

‘Not quite right. I’m not very interested in knowing this, I don’t want to get into your personal life. His own is enough in full. Just answer: are you cheating on your husband?’

‘What do you think?’ her hand first lowered Zoozero to her thigh, and then slowly crawled up...

‘Lyuda, I have some principles. In particular, I have no dealings with married women. And do you know why?’

‘?’ the question froze on her face. The hand overcame the hottest spot of the man’s body and reached the torso.

‘Because it smacks of meanness. Don’t you think so?’

Lyuda rested her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and began her story in a half-whisper.

‘I love my husband very much, we have two children. But ten years ago, he was in a terrible car accident, after which he became impotent. No intimacy, only tears. I cried so much, prayed to God, lit candles in the church, sought out folk healers – all in vain. And one day he said to me: ‘Lyuda, you are a young and beautiful woman, you want a fulfilling life. Leave me, find someone else.’ ‘What are you talking about, dear? Is that fair to you? You’ve done so much for me in this life. I will never leave you, for our love, for our children.’

‘Lyuda, stop. It’s hard for me to listen to this.’

‘Let me get it off my chest, Zoo, I want you to understand me. He told me not to fear love elsewhere, that he completely understands. And he really stands by his words. I’m not promiscuous, believe me. It’s just that sometimes I so miss purely male attention. Work, home, kids. It seems to me that I missed my happiness in this sea of ‘everyday life.’ I guess I’m tired of the dead end I found myself in. My husband is a successful businessman, and he is ready to leave me our big house, give me a lot of money, just for me to be happy. He’s great, he never loses his life optimism. It was his idea to send me to Australia for 9 months. ‘Go,’ he says, ‘it will help you get distracted, look at life differently.’ That’s why I’m here. I miss him and the children very much.’

Tears appeared in Lyudmila’s eyes. Zoozero hugged her, and they sat like that, silently, for about half an hour.

‘We still have some liqueur left,’ he tried to lighten the mood. ‘Shall we drink to family?’

‘Oh, I’m already drunk… I don’t drink alcohol at all.’

‘Today is one of those times when you can slightly forget the rules,’ Zoo smiled, pouring the last third of the bottle into the glasses.

‘Can I kiss you?’

‘We should, after all, we’ve already become like family.’

And they kissed gently, like old lovers who happened to meet after years. Zoozero felt a powerful surge of something good, truly warm, and suddenly he really wanted to dance.

‘Let’s go to ‘Ivy.’ They say it’s a great nightclub.’

‘As you wish, my knight,’ her face looked younger, a spark appeared in her eyes, and her light brown hair fluttered in the gentle breeze.

The most popular club among Sydney youth, ‘Ivy,’ was packed. The Russian couple went up to the second floor, where you could at least hear your own voice. On the way, they ran into Laura the psycho, a couple of South American girls who looked like sluts with big butts, and a few more from the language center students. Finally, they saw the busty Frenchwoman Marie with a Ukrainian last name Karpenko, which sounded funny to them when emphasizing the last syllable.

‘I never think to meet you here,’ Marie’s English was awful. ‘Want to drink friendship.’

Fortunately, a table became available, and Zoozero suggested taking it before it got too late. Marie barely managed to explain that she would come over soon with her boyfriend. While she was away, Zoo grabbed two alcoholic Mojito cocktails – one for himself and one for Lyuda.

Marie soon appeared with an unfamiliar young man and didn’t even bother to introduce him. They sat opposite the Russians and started making out passionately. Then Marie broke away from such an intimate act, suddenly grabbed Zoo’s glass, and took a greedy sip.

‘Very good,’ she smacked her lips.

‘You can finish it, he’s yours now,’ our hero responded instantly.

Marie laughed very suggestively and shared the drink with her beloved. Refreshed, they once again began to visually demonstrate what a French kiss is.

‘And these guys are totally uninhibited,’ Zoozero remarked.

‘Believe me, not only they are,’ Lyudmila smirked. ‘Many people here, to put it mildly, lack modesty.’

‘I didn’t even suspect before my trip to Australia how freeloaders foreigners could be. Based on our experience interacting with our students, you could even make a ranking of countries that love freebies. Who would you put in first place?’

‘Italy. More precisely, Italian women. I’ve noticed that they even get offended when they aren’t treated or when the treats stop. What do you think?’

‘I agree with you. And I’d probably add Spaniards to the list. There are some pretty shameless people among them too.’

‘Let’s find a table where it’ll be calmer for us,’ Lyuda suggested. ‘Look, another room over there – I think the music is different there too.’

And they moved into the adjacent room, where the atmosphere allowed them to relax. Marie and her friend broke away from what they were doing and were about to follow them, but a huge security guard blocked their way and, for some reason, didn’t let them pass, despite the affectionate couple gesturing energetically. Lyudmila and Zoozero didn’t even notice that their peace had been threatened, as they plopped down on a large, soft, beige leather sofa and began silently enjoying the beautiful music.

‘Fantastic,’ Zero said suddenly. ‘It’s very beautiful here. In the midst of youth madness, the roar of musical cannonade, there is a place where the soul sings. Look around, there are mostly people in this room who are in their thirties.’

‘And how do you like our table made of transparent glass, which is illuminated in turquoise color?’ Lyudmila’s voice no longer seemed tired.

‘Maybe we should dance?’

‘You’re guessing the desires again. How do you do it?’

‘I just choose what I like,’ Zoo smiled.

He helped her free from the tender clutches of the sofa, hugged her waist and lightly pressed her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her cold nose in his earlobe.

‘Are you cold?’ he asked.

‘I’m divine,’ she whispered.

Slowly spinning and swaying slightly, they were completely detached from reality. They did not get to the beat of the music, did not pay attention to anyone around. And even when the speakers stopped sounding, they smoothly plunged into silence, continuing to move in an orbit known only to them.

They watched the sunrise together in Hyde Park, Zoozero showed Lyuda his Australian friend – a curious opossum who would leave its home somewhere in the palm tree crown and climb down the trunk every day at exactly 4:30 a.m. Then they waited together for the first bus going to the Bondi Beach area, where Lyudmila lived. They didn’t plan to become lovers; they just enjoyed being together because they were from Russia.

+

What a strange New Year in Sydney! Here’s a slightly decorated Christmas tree at the entrance to the city library. It’s +30°C outside, and there it stands, branches splayed. Zoozero ran into Lyuda by chance. They grabbed some ice cream, sat by the tree, and started not believing what was happening around them.

‘Don’t you think it all feels like a beautiful dream?’ Zoozero asked. ‘Personally, the mix of heat, T-shirts, shorts, and Santa Claus reminds me of a funny joke.’

‘Exactly! I decided to send a couple of holiday cards home… I started picking them out and couldn’t stop laughing. I decided to send it to my kangaroo in a red and white hat. Personally, I don’t feel the arrival of the New Year at all.’

‘Where will you celebrate it?’

‘I can’t say for sure. Probably with my neighbors in the building. We’ll enjoy the fireworks on the opposite side of the bay, from the Zoo side. From there, you can see both the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge well.’

‘Are you aware that for most people around the world, the fireworks in Sydney mark the start of the New Year? They say it’s an unforgettable sight.’

‘On December 31st, you have to secure a good spot early in the morning, because there will be about two million people around the bay. An Australian told me this. 10-11 a.m. will be the optimal time.’

‘My friends and I are meeting at the Botanical Garden at 9:30.’

‘We can toast, even if we spend the whole day under the blazing sun,’ Lyuda grimaced. ‘You can really feel how ruthless it is here. It burns like crazy, you could even get burned. No sunscreen will help.’

At that moment, they heard strange sounds somewhere behind them. They turned around and saw a carriage with an open top very close by, drawn by a team of three horses. Santa Claus with a long white beard was driving it. He offered a ride with the wind to anyone who wanted.

Zoozero and Lyuda happily jumped inside, and the dashing team of colorful horses carried them to the very center of bustling Sydney. There were still three whole days until the New Year, but the city’s residents and visitors were already out celebrating. Music, fun, laughter. Flocks of huge white cockatoos screamed as they flew overhead. The astonished Russians didn’t even notice how they ended up in Darling Harbour. The friendly Australian Santa Claus suggested continuing to enjoy the day in one of the city’s most entertaining districts.

Zoozero and Lyuda got off and found themselves in the middle of a raging celebration. The carriage picked up two more lucky passengers and, taking a sharp turn, sped away. On its back wall, Zoo barely managed to read the most truly New Year’s message: ‘Who told you that you have to shave your beard?’

On the eve of the New Year, the ever-cheerful Darling Harbour, with its abundance of restaurants, cafes, and various entertainments, turned into one continuous festival. It existed both day and night. Street performers with funny tricks and fire-eating, cheerful competitions, dancing, and singing chased away the calm and measured pace of life from these places.

But the most mesmerizing spectacle was the daily fireworks. They seemed to anticipate that one unique and unrepeatable show that happens only once a year. Watching the pre-New Year illuminations in the ‘backup area’ near Darling Harbour, visitors to Sydney could only guess what the show on the main ‘stage’ on New Year’s Eve would be like.

+

On December 31, the sun was scorching. From early morning, one could already feel like a Christmas turkey in the oven.

Zoozero met up with Pere, and they headed to the meeting point at the entrance to the Botanical Garden. To their considerable surprise, by half past nine in the morning, a line about 100 meters long had formed among those who wanted to celebrate the New Year right here. People were gathering here in large groups and entire families. Among them were many Sydney residents, who, according to a long-standing tradition, had a picnic with views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House on the last day of the outgoing year.

On a normal day, the place, enclosed by a metal fence, seemed beautiful but quite ordinary for Sydney. Tall palms on a low hill with a soft carpet of green grass, colorful bushes with whimsical flowers, simply flowers scattered as if by the careless hand of a genius across flowerbeds and along sidewalks. All of this aroma and colorfulness could not only be felt and seen. It could be heard. On the New Year’s Eve morning, a small patch of ground just a couple of steps from the language center transformed into a kind of nature carnival. Special touches were added to the entire performance by the snow-white cockatoos, who flew over the visitors’ heads in cheerful flocks again and again. But were these winged giants with yellow crests the only ones? Here, one could see many species of parrots, from small to large, colorful, with long and short tails. It even seemed as if they were flying in from all the surrounding areas, chatting loudly, perching on tree branches, power lines, and the roofs of neighboring houses in anticipation of the New Year celebration, the grand feast.

Exactly at 10 a.m., the entrance to the Botanical Garden was opened, and the line began to move. As people approached the metal detectors, they saw the smiling and friendly faces of the security guards, who wished each visitor a wonderful holiday. Zoozero and his friends from different countries and continents couldn’t wait to immerse themselves as soon as possible in this fragrant and refreshing paradise, where they could spend the whole day enjoying the incomparable view of Sydney and the bay, and basking in the greenery and flowers.

‘Is everyone ready?’ inquired the Frenchman Sebastien as soon as they crossed the longed-for gates. ‘On your marks, get set, go!’

And they ran with all their might, accompanying this unforgettable moment of happiness understood by everyone with loud, ecstatic cries. They fell onto the grass, jumped, hugged, rolled, and tumbled on the green carpet. Each of them had been here more than once, but it didn’t matter. This had never happened before, and it would never happen again. Everyone behaved like children, forgetting all the conventions.

Take the Frenchwoman Mariette, for example. Look at her! She met a wonderful guy from Switzerland named Alban in Sydney, and now together with him she draws mysterious circles to the rhythm of a waltz. She is a professional dancer and, of course, knows how to bend music to her will, giving it visible expression. It is the dawn of a summer day, nature is waking and stretching its branches, leaves, and petals toward the morning sun. Mariett unfolds like a lily on a pond, gently taking her beloved’s hand, and together they shine with smiles – there is no one happier in the world.

Now, turn your attention to the two Japanese girls – they are completely different. One of them, Ayumi, seems flat as a halibut, she is predictable, in love with the camera, though it brings her nothing good, no breakthrough either within the frame or beyond it. The same flat shots with a surface smooth as a casino table. Remove the eyes and a few other features, and Ayumi is no different from European girls. She doesn’t stand out at all.

Another matter entirely is Riza. She is wrapped in Japanese attire from head to toe. A smile appears on her lips like the rising sun, and it makes everything astonishingly bright. And for whom? For everyone who sees her. Trust the author of these lines; he asked her friends to be doubly sure. And what about enemies, you ask? What enemies could there be for this soft and fragile girl with a scatter of freckles on her face? She dresses in colorful national costumes every time, appearing as a living symbol of the mysterious country she comes from. Add to that her playful dimples on her cheeks, mischievous black eyes – sometimes you can even hear her fluttering her long eyelashes. And her lively laughter, as sincere as the touching chirping of birds around.

Still, there is something that unites the two students from the Land of the Rising Sun. They seem quiet and well-mannered. But the two German friends behave more provocatively. One is named Bushra, the other – Stephanie. They are up for any trouble except starvation and are ready for adventures, just not to stay at home. However, they certainly cannot be called airheads. Bushra is an athlete-acrobat, capable of performing various flips and complex jumps. She has excellent English, with very precise grammar. In general, German students are really impressive. They love to study and do so very successfully. Well-organized and curious, young people from Germany try to be active, socialize readily with others, and always keep the group lively.

Stephanie caused a sensation two months after New Year. At the talent show organized for the language center’s students in one of Sydney’s nightclubs, she was the true star. It turned out she has excellent vocal skills, and Stephanie performed some songs from her repertoire. Yes, she writes poems, then turns them into songs, so that she can eventually ‘light up’ the stage. In her hometown of Saarbr;cken, she is the lead singer in a young rock band. Together with her friends, they play not so much rock as light alternative music, filled with beautiful love lyrics written by Stephanie.

And now both girls from Germany are hugging and singing at the top of their voices. Zoozero listened and recognized ‘Michelle’ from the Beatles’ repertoire. Then Sebastien, the witty and perpetually drunk Chilean Gonzalo, as well as the well-known Portuguese Mikael, joined Bushra and Stephanie. They placed their hands on each other’s shoulders, closed their eyes, and tried to mimic the birds. They almost succeeded.

+

An international group of students settled under a tall palm on the soft slope of a hill, from where a mesmerizing view of Sydney Harbour unfolded. Watching this delightful scene, one could only talk about beautiful things. Zoozero decided to sit on his favorite hobby horse and started a conversation with the Japanese girls about literature.

‘Tell me, have you read any Russian writers?’ our hero asked.

The Japanese girls shook their heads in the negative.

‘Maybe you’ve at least heard of them?’

‘Tol-stoy... Dos-to-evsky...’ it was clear how hard it was for Riza to recall these names before she said them.

‘Are you aware that Russian literature has had a strong influence on yours?’

The Japanese girls again shook their heads in refusal.

‘How can you not know? Dostoevsky influenced the works of Jun’ichir; Tanizaki and K;b; Abe. At home, they even sit next to each other on my bookshelf!’

‘O-o-o!’ It was a classic response from Japanese students, regardless of their gender or age, whenever they wanted to express surprise, confusion, understanding, agreement, or disagreement, as well as excitement and disappointment. Sometimes, all of these emotions appeared at once in this exclamation with its strange intonation.

‘Do you understand who I’m talking about?’

In response, the Japanese women nodded affirmatively.

‘I really like ‘The Box Man’ by Kobo Abe. This novel shows the face of modern society, from which people prefer to hide. They put on masks, boxes on their heads, play certain roles to hide their thoughts, motives for actions, to avoid being vulnerable to others. What do you think about this?’

‘O-o-o!’

‘Damn it all,’ muttered Zoozero in Russian.

In response, the Japanese women nodded affirmatively.

+

Zoo decided to go and take a look around. He went down to the very edge of the hill, where a steep cliff began. The place was fenced off with a charming carved railing. He walked a little to the right, and before him spread Opera in its white robes. From this spot, it could be seen as if from a bird’s-eye view, even if not from the highest point.

Opera looked like a snow-covered mountain ridge, with smaller and larger peaks, steep rocky slopes, and smooth descents. In the rays of the morning sun, it reminded Zoozero of those unforgettable moments when he approached Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by plane. Even in the summer, the white peaks of the volcanoes sparkled in the sunlight, dazzling the eyes. A chain of snow-white mountains surrounded the cozy and so familiar Avacha Bay. You look out the airplane window and see waves washing over the rocks – ‘Three Brothers,’ ‘Devil’s Finger.’ How beautiful it can be sometimes, in a place where living is unbearable!

Sydney has nothing to do with this. At this point on the globe, the curve of human well-being met the line of natural beauty. There are many such places on Earth. However, Zoozero felt that one of these points was right beneath his feet. He turned his head to the right and to the left and saw happy people, many of them children. They were cheerfully spreading blankets on the ground, opening large, colorful umbrellas to shield themselves from the scorching sun, preparing for a long ceremonial mass, the highlight of which would be the world-famous fireworks.

It’s hard to say whether this was the strangest New Year of his life. Yes, for the first time in his life, it was nearly 40 degrees Celsius on December 31st. But where in Russia is it not forty degrees on that day? Even in the toughest times, the people of our country greet the coming year with unparalleled enthusiasm. This holiday gives hope for positive changes and allows for a little dreaming.

Looking at the blooming paradise around him, Zoozero recalled perhaps the most unusual New Year of his life. Most likely, it was 1992. It was a difficult time for people in Russia. Contrary to all economic laws, it happened that store shelves were empty, and most citizens’ pockets were empty too. The hungry maw of social revolution swallowed up all the long-term savings of citizens, which had been set aside bit by bit for a ‘rainy day.’ And everyone felt like they were in one big hole.

Together with his friend and classmate Ruslan, whom he had met in an interesting way just as they later became friends, 20-year-old Zoozero sat in the kitchen of a one-room ‘khrushchyovka.’ They had nothing to eat or drink, and occasionally the refrigerator ‘ZIL’ would wake with a buzz, blowing useless frost – empty, like the winter wind. They recalled some uncertain day in April in eighth grade, when independently of each other they had decided to make little bombs.
 
‘What did you have with you, Zoo?’ 

‘Red lead and silver. Remember how after the explosions there were purple stains left on the walls? I painted the whole of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in ultramarine.’

 ‘And I had manganese with potassium permanganate. It rumbled so loudly that the whole neighborhood was on its ears.’

‘I’m a fool, I decided to make a time bomb. I stuffed it with an explosive mixture, made a fuse, and it did not explode.’

‘I remember this story, Zoozero. Then you took a smoldering bundle in your hands...’

‘I blew some devil, and this thing burst into flames in my hands. I feel that I got into a story. I go up to a puddle – it was outside – and look at my reflection as if in a mirror. And even in muddy water, I see that my face is purple. I went home, and matushka was washing things in the bathroom. Well, I blurted out directly: ‘Mom, I got burned.’ She glanced in my direction and fainted. I immediately ran to call an ambulance. She was pumped out, and I was taken to the hospital.’

‘My mother also lost consciousness. I decided to make a bomb at home. One awkward movement, and an explosion of bangs! She flies into the room, and I have no bangs, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. Thank God I managed to close my eyes...’

‘Yeah, yeah, I somehow shut mine too.’

‘And do you remember how our mothers later saved us with sea buckthorn oil? I’ll never forget: I walk into the classroom after the hospital, and the kids, who were making a racket before, immediately fell silent.’

‘What idiots we were,’ Ruslan chuckled. ‘And we didn’t calm down either. When we became friends, we started doing fireworks together. It was fun when a little bottle of fixer and hydropirit almost exploded on my balcony.’

‘Damn, I barely managed to throw it out the window... But the adrenaline rush was something else!’

Lost in memories of a not-so-distant childhood, they didn’t even notice the clock hand nearing ten in the evening. Only two hours left until the New Year. Nothing hinted at a celebration, and they were hungry.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Ruslan and Zoozero went to open it together. On the doorstep stood a cute girl holding a huge bag with the word ‘Marlboro’ printed on it. It was an iconic bag from the Perestroika era. A kind of transformer. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary sports bag, but it folded and unfolded like an accordion. You could use one compartment, or two. When you unfolded all three parts, its height was over a meter. How much you could pack into it, the boys were yet to find out.

‘Hi, boys!’ said Snegurochka cheerfully. ‘I don’t see any signs of a celebration. Come on, help me out. Why are you just standing there like statues?’

It was a fantastic surprise. Later, recalling the whole story, Ruslan said that indeed one of his 24-year-old acquaintances named Natasha had, as if casually, mentioned that she might come over for New Year’s. She asked for the address, seemingly just as a formality.

Ruslan carried the bag home. Snegurochka took off her outerwear and began taking out the gifts.

‘Okay, this is the Christmas tree. How were you planning to celebrate New Year’s without a green beauty? These are garlands; we need to hang them diagonally from the ceiling of the room. Come on, guys, don’t be slow, there’s little time left until the celebration begins,’ she seemed to know in advance how things would go and brought everything necessary with her. ‘There’s champagne, vodka, compote – I made the compote myself. Be careful, there are salads in plates at the bottom of the bag, don’t break them!’

Ruslan and Zoozero set up the festive table, spread the white tablecloth, and tidied up the apartment. In about half an hour, the place was unrecognizable. On top of that, the friends remembered that there were cedar branches on the balcony, and their pine scent immediately filled the air, adding more authenticity to the New Year atmosphere.

‘Now everyone, wash and shave!’ commanded Snegurochka. ‘I won’t allow any slackers to sit at my table. Quickly to the bathroom!’

Natasha had brought a ton of food – sausage, cheese, smoked fish, candies. Even a chicken seasoned with spices. She put it in the oven, which hadn’t been used for several years.

‘What if we hadn’t been home?’ asked Ruslan, combing his hair. ‘What if we had gone out visiting?’

‘I called you 20 minutes before I arrived. You picked up the phone, but I didn’t want to ruin the fun, so I just hung up and decided to deliver a real surprise. Did it work? ‘

‘You could say that…’ Zoozero replied.

That New Year was a very merry one. The celebrations lasted for three whole days. New guests kept coming to apartment number five in the five-story building on Shturman Elagin Street. There was no reason to lock the doors, because people were coming and going day and night.

Zoozero fully came to his senses on the afternoon of January 3rd. He looked around and the first thing he saw was a huge green palm tree drawn on the wall with a marker. He started laughing loudly and woke up Ruslan, who was sleeping on the same couch.

‘Ruslanchik, look at this!’

His friend barely opened his eyes.

‘Who did this?’ he asked.

‘I don’t know.’

‘Gosh, I just had new wallpaper put up…’

‘I actually like it,’ Zoo remarked. ‘What an unusual New Year’s landscape…’

In the Sydney Botanical Garden, that picture on the wall seemed to emerge from memory. Twenty years ago, a palm tree at New Year seemed like an anomaly, a joke. And now you can grab her rough trunk and see that she is no worse than a fir tree. Besides, we started living better than in those tumultuous times, no matter what you say.

+

For about an hour Zoozero was alone, wandering around the area where exactly 6,000 people had gathered that day. He saw with his own eyes how upset were those who couldn’t make it into that number, how the merciless electronic counter stopped at a round figure, and how the police blocked the entrance.

‘Tell me, is it possible to leave the area for a couple of hours, say, to go home for a camera?’ Zoo asked the guard.

‘Yes, of course.’

‘That’s great! So I could come back here afterward?’

‘Come back where?’

‘Well, to my friends in the Botanical Garden.’

‘Of course not.’

‘Don’t you give special papers to go out and come back in?’

‘Of course not.’

‘And what if it’s really, really important for me to make sure I turned off all the electrical appliances at home?’

‘You can ask someone who lives with you, or your neighbors, to do it.’

‘But there are, after all, force majeure circumstances when no one will be able to help me… Do you understand me?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘So, will you make an exception for me?’

‘Of course not,’ summarized with his usual smile the smooth-shaven, neatly dressed man in a beautiful blue-and-light-blue uniform.

Such a remarkable dialogue it turned out to be. Our hero was curious to find himself in a situation where you are not entirely free. No, that’s not the right way to put it. Without a doubt, you can leave the premises, but without the right to return. Those are the rules of the Botanical Garden on December 31. You won’t have a special mark on some part of your body or a counter-ticket, as in a nightclub or at a concert. Everything you need is inside – free restrooms (their number is also calculated based on the stated number of visitors), food, drinks, free sunscreen to avoid getting sunburned. Just in case, there is a medical team and police on duty.

But something was preventing Zoozero from breathing freely. Better not to dwell on it, but still… It turns out, there are a few types of freedom to choose from. One is in a happy territory, where you shouldn’t pay attention to the fences around you and simply enjoy the celebration. Don’t like it, tired of it? You can be behind the fence, where you are completely unrestricted in movement and free to avoid the places where you feel uncomfortable. This is a different kind of freedom. You can try another way and mix your existence by moving from one state of freedom to another.

‘So, I agreed to spend the whole day in this ‘zone’ myself,’ Zoozero thought, ‘and no one is holding me here if I decide to change location. But why can’t I come back here? Like in Eden, you eat the fruits of all trees except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. No, the comparison isn’t accurate. But the feeling is strange: you get free pleasure in exchange for limited freedom… God, what am I even talking about? As my mom would say, after listening to all these musings: ‘You need to cover your head, or you’ll get sunstroke!’ And indeed, it seems I’ve already overheated.’

He looked around. Only happy faces. The New Year’s vigils were gaining momentum.

The first sign of the approaching holiday was a plane bursting into the clear sky over Sydney Harbour. Using special white smoke, it spelled out against the blue background, ‘R U GOING 2 HEAVEN.’ The meaning of the expression didn’t immediately register with Zoozero.

‘Xavi, what does that mean?’ he asked his Spanish friend Javier.

‘It’s like ‘Are you going to heaven?’ or ‘Are you ready to go to heaven?’ basically, the typical shortened phrase used in chat communication.’

Meanwhile, the plane entered another loop and started doing stunts again. This time it was simpler – ‘Trust Christ.’ Interestingly, from Zoozero’s perspective, the second phrase appeared in the sky right above a building in the Rocks area, where on the glass of one of the windows it said, ‘ONE WAY! JESUS.’ This seemingly residential building was located at the very beginning of the Harbor Bridge, so Christ’s words appeared as a call not to doubt, to move forward toward the intended goal.

It was hardly a mere coincidence. To speak like that, you need to see that very coincidence. Zoozero asked several of his friends if they had noticed the words on the window before stepping onto the famous bridge. No one had seen them. Christ? The inscription?

It had already been mentioned before how our hero sometimes attributed mystical significance to external attributes. He was constantly seeking answers to internal questions, digging into himself and the world around him. In the ordinary occurrences of life, he found signs, hints, and calls. He felt the divine presence constantly and very close. To make it clearer, Zoozero lived a mystical life akin to the first Christians, who awaited the second coming of Jesus Christ every day. He also became upset when midnight came and flipped the next page of the calendar, and was again filled with reverent awe upon meeting the new morning…

+

By half-past ten, dusk was settling in. On an ordinary day, with the onset of darkness, the city would be enveloped in silence and calm. But not in downtown Sydney during the pre-New Year period. People, weary from the hot sun, were starting to regain their energy and prepare for the fireworks. Meanwhile, activity was picking up not just on land, but at sea as well. In the place where nimble ferries usually scurried back and forth, small sailboats slowly gathered, their masts, decks, and sides adorned with garlands of soft crimson.

‘Wow!’ said Sira, who had come to Australia from the fantastical city of Barcelona. ‘Look, you can barely see the sea. It feels like the bright silhouettes of the sailboats are floating in the air!’

Exactly one hour before midnight, the roar of fireworks could be heard. They were even partially visible. The colorful spheres exploding and scattering across the sky seemed to be shot from somewhere on Bondi Beach. It was a false alarm, but all the people in the Botanical Park sprang to their feet from their comfortable spots to stand and await the main feast of the day.

A few minutes before the New Year, the huge number ‘60’ appeared on the semicircle of the bridge over Sydney Harbour. The crowd froze, unable to take their eyes off it. Finally, the countdown began, and everyone gathered shouted out the numbers in a frenzy, getting closer to the celebration.

‘...Five, four, three, two, one...’ and then the sky over Sydney Harbour lit up with millions of lights.

Strangers, like close relatives, began hugging and congratulating each other. It was a carnival of fireworks. The lavish bursts, like the hot girls from Rio, danced merrily across the night sky. Their mischievous fire set everything in motion – not just people, but buildings, ships, and trees. The famous bats from the Botanical Garden flew away in terror, scattering as if fleeing a battlefield, like the fascists at Stalingrad.

It was amusing to see two eternal rivals in captivating tourists’ sighs – the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge – putting aside their starry pomp. These enormous human creations also started to dance, shimmering in different colors, and seemed to rejoice in the celebration along with everyone else. The fireworks show lasted no more than 15 minutes, then took a brief pause…

It resumed with an astonishingly beautiful spectacle. The curved arch of the bridge was lit up with red and purple bursts, and below, along the entire span of more than 500 meters, bright white lights began to flow, forming a magical silvery waterfall. Its streams fell from a height of 50 meters, creating a mesmerizing and majestic scene. Zoozero later said that from that moment, his already fantastic life turned into a fairy tale, a continuous adventure.

After the fireworks, everyone poured out onto George Street. Usually, the businesslike and slightly haughty central street of Sydney opened its arms to the wide flow of cheerful people on New Year’s Eve. How many people were there? 1-2-3 million? Who can say for sure... The beautiful capital of New South Wales did not sleep and allowed no one else to sleep either.

According to a pre-planned plan, Zoozero and his friends decided to welcome the first sunrise of 2012 in an apartment located in Darling Harbour. There lived a Colombian Lorena, Brazilian girls Luiza and Sasha, and also a Chilean Loreto. From the apartment, they had direct access to the roof, which offered a wonderful view of Sydney’s sky.

‘Zoozero, do you want to try our national strong drink – pisco?’ asked the Chilean Gonzalo. ‘Just be careful it’s not too strong for you. You’re Asians, not much of drinkers.’

‘Do I look like an oriental type of person?’ Zoozero smirked. ‘What nonsense are you talking about? Unlike you, I don’t have the habit of sleeping under the table.’

‘When did that happen? You improvise on the fly. I’m always staying on my feet. I have a world map that clearly shows who is worth what on planet Earth. South Americans are unparalleled when it comes to male virility and bedroom skills, dancing talent, and drinking ability.’

‘Plus football.’

‘Oooh! That’s not even worth mentioning. Religion!’

And they drank a shot of pisco, and the name of this drink was completely justified. Strictly an acquired taste, or rather, for a true connoisseur. For a devoted admirer.

‘I live in a great country,’ Gonzalo said, smacking his lips after a salvaging gulp of Coca-Cola. ‘Not like your Russia, where savages live. Primitive Asia...’

‘Hey, Gonzalo, watch your turns, or I’ll tell Uncle Vova everything,’ Zoozero replied very seriously. ‘He’ll drive all of you underground – into the mines – and you’ll be mining valuable minerals for us. That’s much more useful than just yakking away.’ –

‘Who’s Vova?’ amazement showed on Gonzalo’s face.

‘Vladimir Putin, our president. He’s such a cool guy, words can’t even describe it! He can clearly explain who’s who in this world.’

‘I don’t care about your Putin! I’ve never even heard of him. What the hell is this from the hill?’

‘He can do almost everything: fly planes and helicopters, command surface and submarine cruisers, he has a black belt in judo. If needed, he’ll even go to space. That’s the kind of man leading our country. A man of steel!’

Gonzalo and everyone around burst out laughing.

‘And why the hell does he need all that?’ Pere asked, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. ‘Isn’t managing the country enough for him?’

‘Putin is the terminator of world politics. He pulled our country out of the crisis and now he intends to take on the rest of humanity…’ Zoozero rolled his eyes upward, making it all seem quite convincing. ‘In particular, he’ll grab by the ass all sorts of slackers like Gonzalo, who only think about sex, parties, and booze, and force them to bring value to society with a pickaxe in hand.’

The entire international group silently stared at the Russian.

‘Zoo, have you lost it?’ the beautiful Louise couldn’t help but ask, her eyes always reflecting a readiness to help. And now one could also see real doubt, whether it was really about Putin, or if her classmate was joking around again.

‘From just one shot, even if it’s a Chilean national drink, that’s impossible,’ Zoozero said cheerfully, winking at Gonzalo.

In general, our hero had caught some sort of communicative flow and was being boldly creative.

‘Guys, don’t you feel like we’re all walking on our heads here?’ he asked. ‘For this reason, the blood flow to the brain increases, which in turn makes us think in a completely different way. Here in Australia, unique thoughts come to mind, crazy ideas that seem quite real.’

‘You mean the Southern and Northern Hemispheres? I also thought, when I looked at the world map, that everything would be upside down here,’ suddenly, the rather quiet Korean Simon joined the conversation.

‘It feels as if my left and right brain have completely switched places,’ Zoozero continued. ‘Some kind of amazing transformation. A sense of lightness of being, pure romance.’

‘Perhaps it’s happening because you’re far from home, far from your usual life. Nothing is weighing you down, there’s a chance to truly relax, to perceive the world around you as it is, without thinking about unrelated things…’ Shasha, a psychologist by training, shrugged.

‘I’ve never really buried myself in everyday problems, I tried to breathe deeply… But perhaps I’ve never experienced such a powerful uplifting of the spirit from external circumstances. How can one witness the New Year’s fireworks in Sydney without it leaving an impact? You want to capture everything happening around you and within you on camera, on paper. Or am I wrong, Shasha?’

‘I also feel uplifted. It’s natural, after all, we’re renewing ourselves here: learning English, expanding our communication horizons, making new friends, discovering a country that once seemed so distant from the inside, living as if on the Moon.’

‘Exactly right, Shasha. And we’re not just space tourists. Research and observation matter to us. And the duration of the journey gives us the opportunity to let the surrounding reality sink in and become part of us.’

‘We’re here for different reasons; I’m not counting on language learning. Everyone had their own reason to leave home and come so far away. Whoever I spoke to, everyone is satisfied. Australia holds an honorable place on the shelf of personal achievements and acquisitions,’ Sharlesandra knew how to speak sensibly and clearly. ‘And here we are now, sitting on a soft sofa (that’s exactly how it sounds in English - Author’s note) on the roof of a house in a charming Sydney neighborhood and enjoying the arrival of the New Year in the company of friends from different corners of the planet. And what stars, the Moon...

And really, isn’t it a miracle? Zoozero scanned everyone who was around. Sebastien, Louisa, and Loreto were busy at the barbecue grill, repeatedly bringing out new portions of grilled meat and sausages. Gonzalo sat cross-legged on the couch opposite, entertaining two young German girls, Bushra and Stephanie, with his drunken jokes. Pere was pouring drinks and moving back and forth with a bottle, offering another drink every time. Simon sat quietly in the far corner, embraced by Japanese girls who gently stroked his stiff, upright hair. Mikael leaned on the railing, lost in thought as he watched the sky showing the first signs of dawn.

+

Suddenly, a distant chime rang out. Then two more.

‘Probably Lorena’s back,’ Shasha said simply, getting up to open the door.

Voices, kisses, and ‘Happy New Year!’ could be heard. Moments later, happy Lorena flew onto the roof holding a bottle of champagne. She went around everyone, giving a couple of gentle kisses to each.

‘Hi, guys! I see you haven’t been bored!’ the Colombian shouted cheerfully and shoved a bottle into Mikael’s hands. ‘Open it!’

Zoozero got up from the couch to go to the bathroom, but immediately plopped back down, unable to move. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Slowly, with remarkable femininity in every movement, into his field of vision came … Stefania. He watched her, her hesitant steps. Her broad smile that lit up everything around like a lightning flash.

He hadn’t seen her for what felt like an eternity, he had written her three messages, but she hadn’t replied. He struggled to fall asleep, conjuring her image in his mind. As always, despite all his efforts, Zoozero couldn’t manage it. Her face, her figure, the whole Stefania that he painstakingly pieced together in his imagination, would dissolve and scatter into tiny, meaningless particles, the image blurring like in Salvador Dal;’s ‘The Persistence of Memory.’ Every new attempt, like the one before, ended in failure.

Every time he hoped that Stefania would appear to him, even in a dream. He tried to force his brain to play that very movie at night. But she never came, putting our hero through cruel emotional torment. There was Facebook, where he could see her photos. But those images only intensified the feeling of distance, an insurmountable barrier between them, even a sense of loss.

‘What if she couldn’t bear living so far from home for so long and went back to Colombia?’ paranoid thoughts began to creep into this question...

And then she was here, right nearby. She wished everyone a Happy New Year, glanced around at everyone, and ducked into the first little nook – a corner of the sofa directly across from Zoozero.

It was unbearably sharp, like being on the edge of a knife. Mere fractions of a second separated him from the moment they would meet eyes. In this situation, it was inevitable. He gathered all his courage so as not to look away at such a crucial moment. He was about not only to look into her soul but also to reveal his own, which was much harder to do. Although he had nothing to hide behind the curtains of his eyelids, because he was playing only his own role.

All his life, Zoozero had made decisions and taken actions, experimenting on himself to find out what would happen next. He kept himself in check and disciplined himself strictly according to his own rules. And now came one of those moments when it’s time to take the exam of the integrity and appeal of your personality. Each time his form changes, but the essence remains – you cannot cheat.

If you don’t pass, you lose interest in yourself. And a new exam might never come. Most likely, someone else has already had this idea, but Zoozero had never encountered it anywhere. About the fateful exams of your ‘self.’ You prepare for them for years, but you never really know the place or the time...

Then Stefania began to lift her head, moved her hair out of her eyes, and finally fixed her gaze on Zoo. Our hero recoiled slightly but endured the test. At first, her gaze was neutral, then surprise appeared, followed by a whole storm of emotions. It was the look of a fairy unexpectedly encountered in a forest glade. Or a nymph by a stream. Pure and bright. It illuminates the hidden corners of your soul and reveals its own. And at that moment, you understand where you have arrived. For a few seconds, they looked at each other. Astonishment was frozen on both faces. In her eyes, the bravery and resolve of an Amazon were astonishingly combined with genuine feminine tenderness, ready to pour out as tears. In his eyes you could see a spark, childlike curiosity, a subtle smile. Strangely her gaze seemed even older and more serious.

A spark passed between these pairs of black eyes. Two completely different people from opposite ends of the planet examined and felt each other in a mere instant. Both were completely flustered and henceforth afraid to even look straight ahead. Zoozero seemed to have swallowed his tongue and stared absentmindedly into the distance, where the dawn was chasing away the remnants of the night. Stefania looked one way, then the other. Finally, she found solace and engaged in a lengthy conversation with Pere.

‘Zoo, what’s wrong with you?’ Louise asked with concern. ‘You look kind of lost. Do you want something to eat?’

And she sat down next to him, lightly hugged him, and rested her head on his shoulder. Zoo, whose receptors were in extreme excitement, immediately felt that Louise exuded strength and energy, remarkable for a short and outwardly fragile girl.

‘I have three older brothers in S;o Paulo, they love me very much, and I like sitting with them from time to time and just being silent,’ she chirped. ‘Oh, you’re so hot!’

Louise said the last phrase so loudly that many people looked in their direction. Including Stefania, who sharply turned her head and cast her piercing gaze with slightly squinted eyes. Then she got up from the sofa and went to the far corner on the roof to be alone. She put her hands on the edge of the fence and stared into the distance. Maybe he needs to go up to her and talk to her? However, Zoozero didn’t.

‘Why are you lost? You told me you liked Stefania,’ Louise whispered and nudged Zoo in the side several times. ‘Go to her, try to talk. Go, Zero, don’t be so shy!’

However, he did not budge. Such a fool! Someone else in his place would have been on his knees and serenades, but he was not. Louise even threw up her hands, saying, how to understand these Russians?

‘It’s not about nationality, it’s about me personally,’ our hero calmly explained. ‘I don’t like to talk idly. And in general, this is my business.’

‘Of course, yours,’ the Brazilian pouted. ‘I just wanted to help you. In South America, it is not considered shameful when an adult man is courting a young girl. On the contrary, she may really like it. When I was seventeen, I had such affairs that you wouldn’t believe it. What’s wrong with loving and feeling loved?

It was approaching six in the morning, and someone suggested going to Bondi Beach as a group. Since most of the friends didn’t have any beach gear with them, they decided to meet in three hours.

As they were leaving the apartment, Shasha asked Zoozero if he would come to Bondi Beach as planned. Behind her, Stefania’s face peeked out. The Russian looked at the Colombian girl, smirked, and firmly said, ‘No.’ Then he stepped out the door and said aloud in Russian, ‘Looks like you’ve got a chance, fool.’


Chapter 16


Three days after the New Year, Zoo was sitting on a plane flying the Sydney – Hobart route. He was heading to Tasmania with his Chilean friend, Miguel. Miguel had a good reason to visit Australia’s most exotic state. Being a long-distance runner, he decided to participate in the annual marathon sponsored by a well-known confectionery brand. And, of course, to see the amazing island as well.

When they landed and stepped off the plane into the fresh air, a rather bleak scene unfolded before their eyes. The small airport looked more like a tiny warehouse. The gray sky seemed ready to break into rain at any moment. There were no signs of a city within sight. Zoozero looked at Miguel. The Chilean just shrugged, as if to say he was just as surprised.

It turned out that the trip to Hobart required a 16-kilometer ride on a small bus with a trailer meant for luggage. The driver turned out to be a ridiculously cheerful guy. Along the way, he would take the microphone in his hands and talk about the history of these places, showing the sights, even stopping the vehicle to help passengers get a better look at everything. For each place, he had strictly personal associations and amusing stories. Sometimes it seemed that he was completely absorbed in his story and not paying any attention to the road. However, there were few cars on the highway, and the bus seemed to drive itself along the jagged route.

Finally, they crossed a beautiful modern bridge over the bay and entered Hobart. This city immediately seemed somewhat magical. Its neat streets, arranged in a parallel-perpendicular pattern, would go up and down as if lulling you. Sometimes these hills and descents were quite steep, and the passengers had to hold onto the seat handles. The architectural appearance of the city was defined by the 19th-century style, dominated by small 2-3-story buildings with ornate facades, painted in vivid colors. One of these buildings – bright green with white window frames and sills – turned out to be one of the local ‘backpackers,’ or a cheap hostel with daily rates.

At the entrance to the hotel, visitors were greeted by the main symbol of the state – a Tasmanian devil with its mouth wide open, made from a piece of stone by an unknown sculptor. When asked by the administrator if they were familiar with the ‘backpackers’ rules, Miguel nodded affirmatively, his friends filled out a form, and soon they received the coveted key with a keychain for a four-person room.

It was evening. Upon entering the living space, designed in the best traditions of a Soviet-style dormitory, Zoozero noticed a shabby door with a large, cloudy yellow pane of glass, which was covered from the inside with a piece of cloth. The room turned out to be so small that two people could not turn around in it. All its furnishings consisted of two bunk beds, a rusty washbasin, and a window covered with blinds.

‘Where is the toilet, the shower?’ Zoozero blurted out.

‘Somewhere on the floor,’ Miguel replied calmly. ‘If you don’t feel comfortable changing in the room, you can do it there. I suggest taking a shower, then looking around the hotel a little and then organizing dinner. How, is it going?’

‘No problem.’

The toilet and shower were located in the same room, they were separate cubicles with very conventional doors and walls and were located opposite each other. Three pieces on each side. Thank God, the room was divided into men’s and women’s departments.

‘Keep in mind, there’s no one here right now, and it’s pretty quiet,’ Miguel warned. ‘In the morning, closer to the check-out time - 10.00, it will not be possible.’

‘Thank you, friend. I will keep this in mind.’

When they returned, the light was on in their room. Not expecting a catch, Zoozero settled on his bunk on top of the blanket in only his underpants. And he indulged in relaxation for 5-10 minutes. Suddenly the neighbor downstairs stirred and rose from his seat. How surprised our hero was when, opposite the middle of his body, a head appeared from below... a woman’s head. With a rather cute little face.

‘Hi,’ she simply said, ‘my name is Rikke.’

‘Hi, I’m Zoozero,’ he said, noticeably embarrassed, and began frantically hiding under the blanket. It looked funny, and Zoo nearly fell from the second tier.

‘Don’t be shy,’ she smiled, ‘where are you from?’

‘From Russia... From Moscow... And you?’

‘From Denmark, the city of Aarhus. Have you ever heard of it?’

‘Yes, of course,’ he did not lie. ‘I know you have a football club with the same name. It was even the champion of Denmark.’

‘Absolutely right! You’re the first foreigner in my life who has heard anything about Aarhus,’ Rikke smiled again. ‘Are you staying in Hobart for long?’

‘For a week. I think that’s quite enough time to see the most interesting things here.’

‘More than enough, just right. I also plan to stay in this hotel for a week, so we’ll be good neighbors!’

‘And I’m Miguel,’ finally spoke the Chilean. ‘From Santiago. Have you been here long?

‘The third day.’

‘So, maybe you can show us around the hotel.’

‘With pleasure. Shall we go?’

And the three of them went down to the first floor, to the so-called ‘living room,’ where there were quite a lot of people.

‘Hello everyone! So, here’s the billiard table, the TV, a DVD player with a decent selection of movies, even a small library,’ Rikke would make an excellent tour guide. ‘And this is the kitchen, here you can cook anything you want. Breakfast is free until 10 a.m., consisting of milk, tea, coffee, and toast with jam and butter. You can put your own products in the fridge, just label the package so no one accidentally takes it. It’s better not to leave alcohol here, or it’ll disappear. At the reception you can find out about tours, but it’s better to do it at the information center 500 meters from here. Well, that’s about it.’

‘Thanks, Rikke,’ said Miguel and suggested they have dinner together.

‘Okay, I don’t mind. Where? Here?’

‘Why not? We can chat with people at the same time.’

‘Agreed,’ Rikke raised her thumb. ‘I have everything I need in the fridge. I’ll wait for you here, and meanwhile, I’ll take a spot in the living room.’ 

‘We’ll be back soon,’ Miguel beamed. ‘And we’ll have a drink to celebrate meeting!’ 

‘Okay, guys.’ 

‘Fun place – a ‘backpackers’,’ noted Zoozero as they stepped out onto the street. ‘I feel like I’m back in my university years. In our student dorm.’ 

‘Of course, there’s no question of special comfort, but it’s fun. There’s definitely no shortage of social interaction.’ 

They stepped out into the evening of Hobart. They looked left and right. Could there be any shabby supermarkets, or even more, hypermarkets, in this toy-like city that seemed built from cardboard for children? And indeed, they had walked over three hundred meters already, yet not a single grocery store in sight. They peered into some shop with a beer mug on the display window. It turned out that here they sold equipment for brewing beer and ale at home; a rather elderly hostess offered them to try her products. 

‘Quite a thing!’ Zoozero raised his eyebrows. ‘Is it possible to buy some of this magical drink?’

‘Oh, no!’ the Australian woman was embarrassed. ‘It’s prohibited by law. Unless I can pour some more since you liked it so much.’

The friends didn’t bother pretending to be shy boys, even though both had been that way more than once in their lives. The hostess smiled widely and disappeared into the back room, only to return with full glasses of a light golden drink.

‘Cheers!’ and the three of them drank together.

Their mood visibly lifted, having learned the location of the nearest supermarket and having given the kind woman a couple of compliments memorized from lectures, the Russian and the Chilean headed in the indicated direction. Just two hundred meters on foot, and they found everything they needed for the first evening on the distant island of Tasmania.

Rikke awaited them, sitting at a table in a secluded corner where they couldn’t be seen, but they could observe everything happening on the first floor of the backpacker. Miguel went to the kitchen to make spaghetti, while Zoozero followed the grand hustle and bustle around with undisguised interest.

‘First time at a ‘backpackers’?’ Rikke slightly distracted him.

‘Yes. Tell me, how many people live in that room over there?’

‘How should I know? I think twelve or sixteen people.’

‘Mixed men and women?’

‘Probably. And what’s the problem? Essentially, people spend the evening and night here. They only need a shower, a toilet, the ability to cook food and sleep… A great option for those who have come here for a short stay.’

‘It seems that not just every square meter, but every cubic meter of space is being used here. And you, I see, are used to such things.’

‘I’ve been traveling all my life. That’s the kind of work I do,’ Rikke smiled.

‘And what kind of work is that?’

‘I’m an archaeologist by education, I do historical research.’

‘How interesting,’ Zoozero enlivened. ‘I graduated from the history faculty, but haven’t worked a single day in the field. And what is the scope of your scientific interests?’

The Danish woman didn’t have time to answer this question because Miguel appeared with a pot and plates.

‘I was as quick as possible,’ he smiled broadly. ‘Zo, where are the vodka and cola?’

‘They’re warming up in the refrigerator, I’ll bring them soon.’
‘No, I suggest we eat first, and then drink a little. Agreed, Rikke?’ the Chilean seemed the embodiment of gallantry.

‘As you wish, I completely rely on you.’

As much as Zoozero disliked this stupid Western habit of eating and drinking separately, he agreed to Miguel’s suggestion. ‘After all, one has to get into the mindset and behavior of the rest of the world,’ he thought, digging into spaghetti with pieces of bacon.

‘Very tasty,’ said Rikke. ‘And why did you come here?’

‘I’m going to run a half-marathon here,’ Miguel babbled. ‘It will be the day after tomorrow. Plus there are tourist goals; I really want to see Tasmania. I hope a week will be enough for everything.’

‘Hard to say… As a historian, I can reveal a secret to you: time is a relative concept. Much depends on the goals set and the depth of immersion into the subject of study. You have a week; you understand yourself that this is far too little to truly ‘dive into’ what is happening here. So, just a superficial look of a tourist. But do not be upset, even this little will be enough for you; you will never forget Tasmania!’

‘My toast is ready already,’ Zoozero jumped up and rushed to the kitchen.

‘A very interesting person,’ Miguel leaned toward Rikke and said in a half-whisper. ‘He constantly radiates positive energy.’

‘I already felt that,’ she nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, our hero returned with a frost-covered bottle of vodka and vanilla cola. For some reason, on this very day, when the fairy-tale mood was supported by some quietly bubbling atmosphere around, there was a desire to drink something childish, something that would return at least in distant sensations to the most carefree time of life. And the taste of vanilla matched none other than the sweet anticipation of new discoveries and experiences.

Miguel and Zoozero got tipsy very quickly. Most likely, because they were a little tired from the trip. The Russian watched with great interest what was happening around. Someone had sprawled on a small leather sofa and was watching a cheerful action movie on TV. The billiard table was occupied by a noisy group of French people, knocking the ball to the floor with loud laughter time and again. There were also couples in love, chirping about the eternal as if for the first time.

Completely different people in age and social status. But something united them. Then, in the doorway appeared a slightly scruffy tall young man. With his height, he would barely fit through without bending. However, he still had to do it, as on his shoulders was an even taller backpack, with flags of different countries dangling from it. He loudly said ‘Hello!’ to everyone and headed to room number 3. It was one of the 16-bed rooms. He flung open the door, ducked down again, and disappeared into the maze of bunk beds. Zoozero peered after him with curiosity. The room was sheer chaos: bags and backpacks were scattered so haphazardly that even the devil himself wouldn’t make sense of this mess.

And what do you think? Suddenly, from this crush of people and things, two lovely girls in beautiful evening dresses of black and white appeared on the door screen. They were two graceful swans, gliding past the amazed crowd with an indescribable sense of self-respect, spreading the enchanting scent of expensive perfume. The French pushed aside their cues, accompanying the whole scene with exaggerated admiration ‘oh-la-la-la’.

‘My God, Emma! Where are you all dressed up like this?’ asked one of the little birds who had been savoring some pleasures of love in one of the secluded corners of the living room.

‘Try to guess, Linda.’

‘Theater, I think.’

‘Exactly!’ Emma opened her eyes wide and pressed her lips together. ‘We are going to see Shakespeare!’

And all those gathered, as if on command, began to applaud these heavenly beings, who had found in our turbulent times the desire and the opportunity to touch the beautiful.

‘Are you aware that the Royal Theatre in Hobart is the oldest in Australia?’ Rikke asked. ‘I’ve already been there. It’s not far from us, on Campbell Street. It’s very beautiful inside and out. So I completely understand the girls.’

‘I would like to take a souvenir photo,’ suggested Zoozero. ‘I’ll quickly go to the room for the camera.’

When he opened the door, he was immediately hit in the nose by a strong smell of sweat. Their tiny room became even smaller, as they now had a new neighbor. Judging by the amount of stuff, he had come to Hobart for at least the rest of his life. At the same time, all of it emitted an exceptional stench. A kind of mix of dirt, dampness, and bodily secretions.

‘Who could that be?’ he began to ponder aloud, completely forgetting why he had gone upstairs and entered his room.

Slightly pushing him in the back with the door, so that Zoo almost fell into a pile of stinky stuff, first a young ‘Fyodor Konyukhov’ entered the room, and then a similarly bearded face appeared, but already an older ‘Konyukhov.’

‘Hi, buddy, ‘ - simply said the younger version of the famous Russian traveler. ‘I’ll spend the night here. I’m Mike, United States.’

‘Zoozero, Russian Federation,’ our hero shook the extended hand.

‘And this is my father, his name is Simon.’

‘Hi, buddy,’ smiled the older ‘Konyukhov.’ ‘Six months ago we were in Russia. We are professional rafters, you know what that means?’

‘Yes, of course. You go down mountain rivers, I’ve seen it on TV many times.’

‘Exactly! I’ll never forget rafting down one of the tributaries of the Yenisei in Siberia. It was exceptional extreme! Our raft overturned, and I had to spend a whole hour in icy water until I was pulled out and brought to shore. I thought that was it, hypothermia. Then one of your guys stripped me, rubbed me with alcohol, wrapped me immediately in three blankets, and the next day I was as healthy as a bull,’ recounted the little story by ‘Konyukhov junior.’

‘Alright, enough talking, Mike. We need to get up early tomorrow, and the guy probably has things to do too. Come on, wash up and go to bed.’

The Russian grabbed the camera and went down to Miguel and Rikke.

‘We have a wonderful new neighbor,’ he smiled, ‘from America.’

‘Male or female?’ Rikke asked.

‘A very brutal man,’ replied Zoo.

They drank to Russian-Danish-Chilean friendship, then to the ‘backpackers.’

‘Truly, I tell you,’ started Zoozero, ‘I have never encountered anything like this in my life. It feels like the people gathered here all have a splinter stuck in one place. They can’t sit at home in the comfort of air conditioning and a well-stocked fridge, and they are looking for all kinds of adventures, ready to sniff the smell of other people’s feet and armpits.’

‘Does he smell very bad?’ Rikke guessed right away.

‘To me, it’s unbearable,’ smiled Zoo.

‘And you can’t open the window because it will be cold at night… Welcome to the ‘backpackers,’ friends!’ for the first time in all this time, the Danish girl laughed, and cute dimples appeared on her cheeks. ‘Nobody will mind if you settle down to sleep here in the ‘living room.’ But don’t be upset if it gets too noisy.’

‘It’s okay, I’ll manage somehow, life has yanked me by the hair in many places…’ Zoozero was getting drunk before their eyes, his face increasingly melting into a foolish smile, and his gaze growing hazier. He himself felt it: a veil, light as white tulle, was covering him, shutting off his mind.’

‘It seems you were going to take a walk around Hobart before bed,’ Rikke addressed Miguel.

‘So there you have a Russian! He’s not much of a drinker, after all,’ Miguel tried to look as lively as possible, but his strength was waning as well.

Spaghetti, ham, and a hundred grams of vodka had done their job. Both the Russian and the Chilean continued the conversation, as if insisting on their not very persistent desire not to disappoint their new acquaintance. It looked very comical. The consciousness of both friends stretched to the point of getting out of control and rushed headlong into some black hole. Rikke’s words sounded like a trembling echo, like chewed-up tape on an audio cassette. Even funnier were their own responses reflected in their personal perception. It was squawking; it was hard even to get simple words out, not to mention parts of words – all those suffixes and endings. At first, the friends felt a certain embarrassment, but then a haze descended so deeply that such mistakes and absurdities in this situation didn’t matter at all. They just wanted one thing – to bury their head into something warm and soft and finally switch off.

+


Zoozero returned to this world on the morning of January 5, 2012, feeling a slight coolness blowing on his face. He opened his eyes, lifted himself slightly, and turned his head toward the window. The blinds were open, and the shutters as well. Through this opening, a sea breeze flew into room number 7, and the gentle sun tried to peek in. Our hero began to slowly shift his gaze, inspecting the ceiling and walls, then he noticed Miguel, or rather, the person wrapped in a blanket with his head buried. It was undoubtedly Miguel, clinging to the remnants of sleep on the top bunk of the opposite bed.

Then Zoo tried to lower and focus his gaze on the lower bunk, remembering the smelly American from yesterday. He and the pile of things were already gone. Suddenly, the Russian shuddered and leaned back slightly. Rikke was staring straight at him! She smiled, then simply said: ‘Good morning!’

‘G-g-good,’ stammered Zoo.

‘Guys, you only have an hour left to get yourselves together and have breakfast with the magical free toast.’

‘And where’s the American?’

‘He left at 7 a.m. Didn’t you hear?’

‘No, of course not. I was sleeping like a dead man.’

‘Is that a Russian expression?’

‘Which one?’

‘Well, sleeping like a dead man.’

‘Yes, we express it that way sometimes. Why?’

‘Just wondering. I’ve never heard of such a thing,’ Rikke gave Zoozero her sweet smile again.

‘What time is it?’

‘The eleventh man went. Yesterday I cleared the table and put all your food and vodka in the refrigerator. It says ‘Zoo’ on the package, so you will find it.’

‘Oh, yes! Yesterday... I don’t remember the end of the evening well. I hope we behaved with dignity?’

‘Like sleepy little children. You, for example, fell asleep on my chest.’

‘Come on!?’ Zoozero was genuinely embarrassed. ‘And what happened next?’

‘We sat in the living room for a while, then I managed to push you a little. In the end, it helped you go upstairs and go to bed.’

‘I have no words to express my gratitude to you, Rikke. Tell me, did we undress with your help, too?’

‘No, not at all! It’s up to you. You washed, brushed your teeth and went to bed. I speak like children. Very obedient children.’

‘Hey, dear child, wake up!’ Zoozero pushed Miguel, who was hiding under the covers. ‘We’re late for breakfast.’

‘I’m not sleeping anymore,’ the Chilean stuck his head out. ‘I need to go for a run of 7-10 kilometers. That’s my morning routine. So I suggest everyone follow their own plan.’

‘Okay, while you run, I’ll take a shower, have breakfast, and walk around a bit.’

‘Sounds good!’ agreed Miguel.

When Zoo entered the spacious room where the toilet and shower stalls were located, he saw a person cleaning there. It was hard to tell whether it was a guy or a girl, because he was hiding his face. He moved in jerks, all his actions were somewhat awkward. It was obvious that he was disabled, with possible brain function impairments.

Seeing such beaten-down people always made Zoozero feel a mixed emotion. On one hand, it was disgust, and he was always embarrassed by it. He sometimes felt ashamed of himself, but couldn’t help it. He wished he could never see the twisted smiles of Mother Nature, who allowed these unfortunate beings, doomed to a lifetime of suffering and incomplete lives, to come into the world. The second feeling was always pity. The heart contracted at the despair-filled eyes; in them was reflected the entire tragedy of a person forced to drag out their existence against all reason.

What is it like to feel barely hidden disgust and the damned pity of others toward oneself, to be an eternal outcast? These people live in a state of constant emotional stress, which only exacerbates their original mental problems. They shrink, trying to hide from the whole world, withdraw into themselves, and deep down hope for a miracle, for a magician capable of helping them become ordinary people. But days, months, and years pass, and the unfortunate human beings usually find no solace. They increasingly turn into some kind of shadow-people and, eventually, depart into the afterlife, freeing themselves and others from unbearable existence.

It is precisely upon seeing people with disabilities that you first realize how happy you should be, because everything is fine with you. But upon examining this issue more closely, you start to feel despondent, because you can’t do everything either. You exist within certain limits, and not everything is given to you. We come into the world from the start as some kind of disabled, capable of achieving only what is truly within our power. Some are given more, some less. Of course, we can correct and improve certain things about ourselves. Watch over yourself, get rid of some extra fat, engage in sports… But all these actions will not change the main thing – you are the way you are, and you need to be extremely careful to continue to like yourself at least a little.

Zoozero slapped his hand on his stomach, turned the shower faucet, and stopped the flow of strange thoughts. He dried off with a towel that bore the names of the largest Australian cities. Hobart was last on their list, and for some reason, its symbol was an image of a mountain. Zoo stepped out of the cabin, bumped into the janitor, smiled at him, and simply said, ‘Good morning!’ The man smiled and returned the greeting. ‘That’s great! He’s not so scary as to chase gloomy thoughts through the head,’ our hero thought and said aloud: ‘Have a good day!’ to which he nodded: ‘You too!’

After breakfasting on crispy toast with strawberry jam and butter, Zoozero went into the room to change for the morning walk. Miguel was tying the grey laces on his bright yellow sneakers. He was also wearing red sports briefs and a blue tank top. This colorful appearance, combined with his slightly bulging eyes, for some reason reminded Zoo of the parrots in downtown Sydney, who stole sugar from tables in summer cafes.

‘Well, all set, I’m ready,’ Miguel said.

They left the ‘backpackers’ together to meet the daytime warmth, which was already confidently overcoming the morning freshness. The Chilean trotted down the street, and Zoozero decided to go a little uphill. After two hundred meters, he turned right and headed up the road, lined on both sides by tall trees resembling poplars. Along it on both sides were private houses that were all different from each other, each with its own plot of land. Another three hundred meters ahead he saw a small sign that said ‘City Park.’ No gate, no arch. Zoo hesitantly stepped onto the path and after a few dozen meters found himself in a real forest.

The path wound and went higher, disappearing among the bushes and trees. There was a ringing silence. The air felt so clean that it nourished not only the body but also the soul with oxygen. Zoozero stopped and looked around. It seemed like the same forest as in Russia, but completely different trees and plants! Instead of pines and oaks – towering eucalyptus trees whose canopies blocked the sun, and wide fig trees with intricately intertwined powerful branches arranged in a Gothic style; instead of usual bushes in Russia – huge ferns with three-meter leaves.

Zoozero ventured about two hundred meters into the forest and saw a house with a low fence. It was surrounded by nature on all sides and apparently served as some kind of hut for the rangers. Otherwise, why would it be here if you can’t even drive up to it in a jeep? Zoo walked around the house - nobody. As soon as he took a few steps toward the trail, he heard a rustle in the bushes. A couple more steps, and a grey-brown animal with short front legs jumped out from under the wide fern leaves. For a few seconds, it examined the uninvited guest who had disturbed its peace and then, with already familiar Zero energy, hopped away to a safe distance. A kangaroo! But for some reason, small… Maybe a young one? While Zoo looked in its direction, another one of the same size jumped out of the bushes. Later, at the hotel, Miguel explained who these small creatures were. This is a reduced copy of a kangaroo living on the island of Tasmania – a wallaby.

After meeting these unusual creatures, Zoozero immediately felt that this forest was alive. And he began to look more carefully around, peering at the ferns and trees. Suddenly, a lyre-tailed bird emerged from the forest. Big, like a pheasant, with an equally long tail, but almost entirely black. It climbed onto a log and began to sing. And so strangely, as if it weren’t just one bird, but a whole flock singing – whistling, rasping, clicking, and chirping.

For some reason, Zoozero remembered the characters from Russian folk tales from Soviet films of the 1940s-50s. Any moment now, some forest spirit or little old man of the woods should appear, and miracles would become reality. He walked another five hundred meters up the gentle slope of the mountain, and the forest became lighter. Zoo stopped and noticed a small rise a little off the beaten path. A narrow rocky trail led to its top. He turned left, stepped onto it uncertainly, and began to climb.

While walking along it, lizards of various sizes basking in the sun scattered to the sides. By sensation, as one moved upwards, it was as if a zipper was unfastening, revealing some kind of case, from under which a picture hidden from prying eyes appeared to the light of God. At the same time, each step became easier and easier. As if there was no ground underfoot. On the top of a small hill, there was a clearing, in the middle of which grew a short tree with three trunks.

From here, there was a magnificent view of Hobart. Of the bay, the geometrically lined bridge, the small boats and yachts at the piers. Zoozero lifted his gaze higher, to the sky. There, too, a charming balance had been restored; the clouds moved calmly, driven by invisible air currents, sometimes revealing the warm sun, sometimes covering it like with a veil.

Suddenly, someone pressed the stop button, and the video stopped. It is hard to put into words the incredible feeling when you suddenly find yourself in another dimension, in an online museum of today. Zoozero suddenly turned into the handle of a fantastical fan; every movement of his altered the order of frozen things, set the stained-glass frames around in motion, which spread out to their full width, then folded, blocking each other, disappearing entirely, giving the possibility to see a new incredible pattern.

Our hero stood, spun by an unknown force that tugged at his soul so that he felt himself inside a large sphere, driven by air currents. Zoozero desperately turned his head, raised his hands to the sky, and closed his eyes. There was a sensation of appropriate nausea, but so light and desirable that in anticipation of it his whole body was filled with warm reverence. Gentle electric waves ran from his chest through the whole body and lightly tingled at the fingertips as they emerged outward. The dizziness also caused no discomfort; he just wanted to give himself entirely to the mind-blowing spectacle.

His consciousness got out of control and pierced images from the past, present, and future like an arrow, gradually slowing down its transrational flight. It was not an ordinary exaltation, but a sharp and crushing explosion of feelings. Zoo tried to grasp the remnants of self-control and whispered the fiftieth psalm. In his ears, every word resounded like heavenly thunder, making a physical pain in his ears even perceptible. He was tossed and smeared with the words, ‘Sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be cleansed, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.’ Out of complete helplessness, he clutched something solid at the very moment when the fiery orb blew up the last contacts with this world…

Zoozero found himself among three trunks of a small tree in the center of a clearing. He clung to them with both hands and feet.

It was incredible. He looked around. The place was definitely familiar to him from previous visions. The circle closed, a stage of life was completed. Zoozero felt a lump in his throat as he found himself between two realities. And where should he go now? Where is his world?

Faces of relatives and friends flashed before his eyes, episodes from life that seemed long forgotten. Even objects in the smallest details. And then he lost control of himself again. First, he fell to his knees, buried his forehead in the dry grass, and burst into tears - the Creator was washing his soul. Zoo began to pray properly.

‘Lord, I’m needed by no one - only by You. Do not leave me, My Dear, without You, I do not exist. I ask You for only one thing – be with me always. Otherwise, what’s the point of living…’

+

Zoozero was in a hurry to tell Miguel that he had found a miracle forest. The Chilean expressed delight without much enthusiasm, agreed to see the beauty of nature, and suggested taking a little nap first. Ugh, people can be such bore sometimes… However, that’s their problem.

How sweet that dream was! Midday flight!!! Two hours of a bright fairy tale, in which the main character was Zoozero.

And waking up was gentle. And again thanks to the spirited freckled little face named Rikke. She quietly entered the room and launched a wave that created a breach in the shell of the magical space. Through the opening, a beautiful vision rushed afar. Zoozero opened his eyes wider and felt himself in another magical world.
 
‘Rikke, hi.’

‘Hi. Why did you come here?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe you can tell me?’

‘I think not to sleep.’

‘For such dreams, I’m ready to lie in bed for a week or even a lifetime.’

‘If only that were possible…’

‘Rikke, what are you doing tomorrow afternoon?’

‘Studying archival documents, probably.’

‘How about we go check out the oldest brewery in Australia instead! On the way we can discuss pressing historical issues.’
 
‘Better the day after tomorrow, if that works for you.’

‘Sounds good.’

The conversation had reached its purpose – Miguel woke up. He peeked out from under the blanket and looked like a rodent with shiny black eyes. He still didn’t fully trust Zoozero, and it would be better if they got closer soon because communication would then become much more interesting.

+

And the Russian turned out to be a wonderful guy! Really positive and somewhat resourceful. In the sense that he always found a certain unique touch in what was happening, looking behind the scenes of ordinary phenomena. With his smile and his school-level English, he charmed people, easily made contacts, and even tried to joke. The humor was not always understood, but his spirited laughter completed the effect – it was fun.

They let go of the ropes of the departing schooner, tasted tender freshly prepared seafood, sailed along the Derwent River under the Tasman Bridge at the entrance to Hobart. And they even had the opportunity to steer a small pleasure boat using the helm.

The capital of Tasmania is a pristine corner in our turbulent world. Of course, not everyone is destined to reach a city located at the southern end of the planet, a place from which Antarctic expeditions depart. What do tourists want? To see wonders – the tallest skyscraper, the biggest bridge, the most-the-most... Hobart does not impress with scale or grandeur. It just settled on the shore of the quiet Sullivan Bay, at the foot of the forest-covered Mount Wellington, as if in a huge and soft armchair.

For now, demographic processes and globalization bypass him. The local population is typical Australians, fair-skinned with a reddish tint. Their English is very difficult to perceive and understand. There are also few entertainment establishments that tourists love so much. And the clubs and pubs operate at most until midnight. Only a few exceptions allow their visitors to ‘party’ after midnight, and even then only on weekends.

Miguel and Zoozero arrived in Hobart in the height of summer, when the daytime temperature is a comfortable 22 degrees Celsius. It is so magical here that at no moment does the feeling leave that you are in a fairy tale. Wonderful somehow…

‘There is a mystery here, my friend,’ said Zoozero.

‘What kind?’

‘I don’t know, but there definitely is one.’

‘Tell me what you feel. I can’t do it like you, my friend. You know how to flip through the book of life.’

‘Íè õðåíà ñåáå!’ exclaimed the Russian in Russian and then added in English: ‘Don’t make an idol of me, I just know how to spread my wings sometimes. You can do it too.’

‘I agree, but you are capable of more. Everything revolves around you, sings a song, don’t you notice? Being with you is easy and fun, like in childhood, you know?’

‘And did you want to be a child forever?’

‘Yes, and you?’

‘No, I fight for the right to be free. Although that is utopia, of course. I adore utopians because they find the strength not only to imagine goodwill but also to build bastions for it on earth.’

‘Then they collapse along with dreams…’

‘No, Miguel, such citadels remain in history, wandering from century to century to be resurrected in a new temporal dimension. They only grow stronger with years.’

‘Zoozero, can I help you?’

‘And what can you do?’

‘I know how to be silent and listen. But I don’t see wonders like you. I work on myself, covering kilometers of life, running some endless marathon, and in my head it’s just mush – no connecting idea. You, however, are always like someone in power. Sorry for my frankness, but I have never met people so alive.’

‘There is a mystery here, my friend. ‘

‘What kind?’

‘I am not afraid of death. You could even say I despise it.’

‘I believe you,’ Miguel said. ‘What about life?’

‘Imagine, you have fallen in love with a fairy. And you try your best to be worthy of her. She constantly demands something new, unusual, even magical from you. As long as you manage this difficult role, she finds you interesting. The moment you calm down, stop, feel some kind of stability, try to make her your slave, life seems to disappear, dissolve into unnoticed trifles, leaving, at best, just sweet memories about itself.’

‘That’s unfair,’ Miguel said.

‘Why?’

‘We are weaker than those who are more perfect than us. Humans don’t stand a chance.’

‘They do,’ Zoozero said firmly. ‘It is more advantageous for us to appear weaker, but in reality, this is not the case.’

+

On January 7, Orthodox Christmas, it was decided to go on a short trip outside of Hobart. The final destination is the world-famous Port Arthur prison. It’s hard to say what exactly motivated Miguel when he decided to take certain actions. Simple interest, probably curiosity. At times, it even gave the impression that he was filling a kind of diary of his journey across Australia, only to then show everyone, look, I was here and there. Here are the photos, here’s the witness – Zoozero.

Every person should have a secret. For some reason, Miguel did not have one. He is honest, sincere, kind-hearted… But somewhat readable, easily predictable. Programmed. And he is not the only one among the newly made friends-foreigners of Zoozero. They spin their circles and kilometers of life, acting according to innate and acquired rules. Stop, is it just them? Roughly the same could be said about most of those who live in Russia.

Perhaps this is explained by a loss of interest in real life. People have stopped being surprised. If something is unclear, it is enough to take out an iPhone, press the necessary keys, and get all possible answers on the screen. There are so many of them that the sheer abundance of internet pages offered for consideration can lead one into the deepest thickets of knowledge. And each such immersion into the depth of direct and indirect information can take a whole lifetime.

But a person is satisfied with what comes to the forefront. Zoozero once typed into a search engine the question ‘What does a person need for happiness?’ There was no end to the answers. He smiled and said, addressing himself: ‘People are looking for proof of the existence of God. Here it is: infinity. Simple things lie on the surface until you take a close look at them. You start digging deeper and veering aside.’

People are afraid of being afraid. They seek explanations for earthly things, because the unknown frightens. In any case, when it is nearby. Here, the devil is the embodiment of evil. He is terrifying because he rules over evil. But who knows what he looks like? Has anyone met him? Can describe him? In the Bible, he appears in the form of a serpent, and on the island south of Australia – in the form of a small and amusing animal.

The devil lives in Tasmania and enchants everyone who sees his true nature. At first, the first settlers who explored the expanses of the amazing island south of Australia could not explain the origin of the soul-chilling sound that usually pierces the night darkness and makes blood run cold in the veins. Even now, when everything is as clear as daylight.

The Tasmanian devil is a charming black creature. With a white checkmark on its chest, and red ears on the inside. It seems sleepy and half-blind when it comes out of its shelter – in thick bushes, in crevices among rocks, in empty burrows, under the trunks of fallen trees, where it makes a nest from bark, leaves, and grass.

At first, it sticks out its nose from the dwelling with stiff whiskers protruding forward. Then a sleepy face appears with closed eyes. He sniffs the air before making sure he is safe. His eyes are closed even when he takes his first steps out of the hole. He sways slightly, stumbles, and begins to open his little black eyes. He stumbles upon a tramp like himself, yawning. They smelled each other – everything was fine, everyone was ours.

The Tasmanian devil is somewhat reminiscent of the American actor Danny DeVito – just as funny and ridiculous in appearance, he reveals himself in a completely new way in each role-hypostasis. It is the unique dissonance between his appearance and his famous voice that is astonishing. For example, a group of half-asleep animals was thrown a piece of meat. How they rushed at him and grabbed him with their teeth! At the same time, the roar-snoring-screeching seems to reveal the true essence of the devil – predatory and ruthless. But watching how each of the animals pulls the prey, while quite democratically allowing their rivals to do the same. Finally, tendons tear, bones break, a piece of meat is ripped into pieces, and the Tasmanian devils scatter to the corners to indulge in eating.

After that, they stroll around a bit and then flop to the ground, sleeping together with their noses buried in each other. In short, very positive and friendly guys.

(To be continued.)