Afterthesplendidbreakfast，heputonhisnewshirtandshoeswhichhehadretrievedfromthegarbagecanthedaybefore，andfeltthatlifeingeneralwasfineindeed．Sopushinghiscartinfrontofhim，hewentoutintotheworld．"IwonderwhatI’llfindtodaytoweaveintomydreams”hethought．Everydaywasfreshandnewtohim．Hehadafeelingofexpectancy，likeachildgoingtoDisneyland．Hestrolledaimlesslyaround，watchingpassers-byhurryingtowardstheirdestinations．"Whyaretheyinsuchahurry?"hewondered．"Lifeshouldbeplacid,tobeenjoyed，notsohurried...”Thedaypassedwithouthisseeinganythingoutoftheordinary．Dimitriwasdisappointed．"Uh-uh，nomaterialformydreamstonight．It’sgettinglate．"Justthen，hesawanoldcouplewalkinghand-in-hand，takingtheireveningstroll.Thengettingtired.theysatontheparkbench．

        "Honey”saidtheoldmantohiswife，”Sonnyboywrotetousyesterday，askingustogototheirplaceforChristmas．He’sagoodboy．"

        "Youknow，darling，"hiswifereplied，"notonlyourson，ourdaughtertoo，hasinvitedusforChristmas．Theyarebothgoodchildren，butwhichplaceshouldwegoto?”Simpleasthesewordswere，Dimitricouldseelove，happiness，tranquillityandasenseofprideofhavingmadesomethingoutoftheirlives．Theirlife，theirlovewaslikeabarrelofwine，whichhavingbeenbrewedawholelifetime，wasnowperfectandfittodrink．Hestoodrockstill，deeplyimpressedbytheoldcouplebeforehim．

        “Therewassomethingworthwhileinthislifeafterall,”hethought．

        Dimitriwasavagabondwithmorethanonerestingplace．ItwaslateandtoofarawayfromMarianna’srestauranttogetsomethingtoeat，sohedecidedtofindoneofhisnumerousrestingplacesandturnin．Helookedaround．Thenearestplacewouldbetheabandonedsewer，hedecided．Itwasthehuntinggroundofprostitutes，theirpimps，drugdealersandtheircustomers．ButthesewerenothingtoDimitri．Whenhecametothesewer，hegathereduphisscantybelongingsfromthecartwhichheleftagainstthewall，thenpullingupthelidoftheman-hole，hesteppedgingerlydownthenarrowladder．Hehadn’tusedthisplaceforafewmonthsnowandwasn’tasfamiliarwithitasheusedtobe．Inthedark，hisfoottouchedsomethingsoftandwarm．Itwasamoaninghumanbody．

        Dimitrilithiskerosenestoveandsawayounggirl，noolderthanfifteen，curledupinaheapontheground，withtearsandnasalmucusalloverherface．Shewasmoaningandshiveringuncontrollably．

        "AreyouOK?"heaskedbendingoverher．

        "Twenty...twenty...twentydollars..."shebeggedinahoarseandalmostindistinguishablevoice．Dimitriknewthatshemustbeanaddict，tormentedbyherneedfordrugs．Hesearchedthroughhispockets,foundadollarhereadollarthere,anotherfromhissocks，untilhegotsomethinglikefifteendollarsandgavethemtoher．Thegirl’slusterlesseyeslitupasshegrabbedthemoney，struggledupthestepsandsaid，"I’llberightback.”ItwasthenthatDimitrisawshewascrippledandwalkedwithalimp．

        Aftershehadleft，Dimitrispreadouthissleepingbagandpreparedtosleep．Thegirlwasbackinlessthantenminutes．Shewasnormalnowandwasnolongershivering．

        "Doyouhaveanymoremoney?Givethemtomeandyoucanhaveyourwaywithme..．Ineedthemoney.”

        "What’syourname?"

        "Sheila．"

        "Howoldareyou?"

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