"What！I”vesleptforsolong？Nowthatyoumentionit，I’mstarved!”saidDimitriandheheardhisstomachgrowlinprotest．Mariannahandedhimacupofhotchocolate．

        "Thereisfriedchickenandhamsandwichinthebag．Heatitupandeatit．Whycan’tyoustayawakeandfindsomeworktodoinsteadoflivinginyourdreams?"shescolded．"Whydon’tyoucomeandliveinmygarage?Youwon’tbeinanybody’swayandyou’llhaveadecentroofoveryourhead.”

        "No，thankyou，ma’am．Thanksfortheoffer，butI’musedtoithere．Tomethemostimportantthingistokeepupmyvitality．Thankstoyou，Ihaveenoughfoodtosustainmyphysicalhealthandkeepupmybrainactivities．Therestissuperfluousandmeannothingtome．"

        "OK，"saidMariannaresignedly，"Youdon’thavetothankme．Youwashmycarandwearequits．Getupnow，eatyourchickenandsandwichandgooutthereandgathermaterialforyourdreams．"

        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．

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