The Runaway

Ninth day of the week

Nedelya, the ninth day of the week, begins positively for the majority, because after the obligatory morning exercises it was not necessary to go to work. Only direct party state services worked, namely: the "National Agitation Service", regulators, patrol, precinct and administrative houses. Mileena decided to get up early and go for a walk, because the weather was great. The clock was 07:120, which means she needed to hurry. She jumped up, covered with goose bumps, washed herself, and ate the remnants of cake and biscuits with tea. I opened the drawer under the sink and looked. For the next week, she could cook Westland's traditional table: fried beef tongue with cucumber, maozedongia (boiled rice in tomato sauce with fried onions and carrots with minced meat and corn), and sauerkraut. She took binoculars, looked out the window and saw in the distance a whole column of white "Rínkho Kenté", each turned in a told area. In a hurry, she pulled on a silk dress with a dark blue top with splashes and a pink skirt, as it was fashionable, a beige coat and random beige shoes without looking. She ran down the stairs and stopped near the house manager's room, and knocked on the window.

- Vladlen Palych ... Vladlen Palych, vysōsvet!

- Good morning, what do you want...- said the breathless manager

- I came to say that for reporting, give me an absence today for a good reason."

- Does that mean?

- I mean, I'm not gonna appear at the morning excersises today.

- Chaplina, is that you? I thought you and I agreed yesterday!

- No, Vladlen Palych! Today I'm gonna be picking grass and cutting bushes in our neighbourhood, can I at least take a break from my weekend at least in the morning?

Vladlen Palych just waved his hand: - Well, youth! Impossible to hold you down anyway. Go, I'll think what to say about you.

- You are gold! - said Chaplina and rushed out from the entrance.

Leaving her neighbourhood, she noticed how people who not long time ago were quietly asleep went out onto the street, while she just walks along a wide street and looks around. It seemed to her that this was real freedom. Two "Rínkho Kenté" passed by, Mileena stood up, turned to face the road and gave a salute until the cars passed by. She continued her journey straight to the main square, where there was a monument to the Great Idea in the form of a huge burning torch, nearby was the Mausoleum of the Mothers, and the All-Union Library. On the vast expanse of the square, standing with its back to the panel, a crowd of young women under the command of a certain old lady settled down. Ladies were dressed in light green dresses with red flags in their hands. They were waving their hands in different directions and singing some short lines of a national songs. And the old lady was giving orders who in which line should go and who does not keep up with her comrades. The young girl felt happiness. The only thing on the streets was not a single young guy or man. As well as dogs and cats. Strange birds flew over the city in flocks. They were many like pigeons, but they looked like eagles. She looked at the road and noticed that the girls, probalby having no free space between each other, ride on a bus on which loudspeakers are mounted on top, and an "SNA" employee is sitting next to the driver. Mileena was interested in observing this, because until that moment she could not afford to look at Yongsaang's morning life. But she suddenly became puzzled by the question: "why is there no way out of this city?" She looked and saw a group of young guys who climb each other like a ladder, and the top one wipes a panel with a picture of Dea and Elizabeth with a rag. Meanwhile, another "Rínkho Kenté" was driving along the street, the voice of the announcer said:

"And it is not just words! This is the motto of our existence! We live to be blessed by the sun of a great nation! Do not forget to take the purchased newspapers to the accepting point, every evening."

She stood again and gave her salute until the van drove through. She walked further and further, the sun had not yet risen too high, and suddenly, someone shouted behind her: "Chaplya!"

- Why you?! What? - she turned and saw her old classmate - Katya? Volkova?

- That's right! - said snow-white girl - Where are you going?! What will you do?

- Well, I don't know, I'm just walking.

- Let me guess, you're skiping something as usual. Remember how you skipped an arithmetic class, and only came back before the bell rang, and they wrote to your school diary: "Unsatisfactory! Parents invited to school!" And then crossed out because you were under care of the government.

- Yes I remember. And you skipped a history class, hid the diary under the stairs at school, and then it turned out that the teacher got sick and the lesson was canceled, but you still could not get the diary back!

- Damn, how glad I am to see you, my bunny! - said Katya and hugged her friend

- Katyusha, I have a topic to discuss with you, about my parents.

- So, I'm listening. Did you find out something?

- In fact of the matter. Yesterday I sat next door with aunt Pasha and she began to tell me how my mom and dad met. And she said something about the fact that my dad was a very handsome young guy, and my mother was an advanced engineer, and the party gave her my dad as a gift for her merit. How would you feel? Can you imagine?!

- Shock! - Katya declared. - But you know, that week that we did not see each other, I received a letter inviting me to visit the "Atlantis" organization. And you know, I think you should go there too.

- Will we be in time?

- And what do you want? Go for a volunteering? You have a waist like a wasp, a sick intestines, I'm sorry, and your muscles are atrophied. You will exhale the soul out of yourself, if you do this, excuse me. If I show them my letter then no one will do anything with you.With these words, they went further along the avenue, past various billboards. One of them read: "The Great Idea lives in each of us!"They went farther and farther, and then went down the subway.

- Do you read the newspaper in this shop window? - asked Katerina

- No. What's the point? You buy it anyway, and then you have to hand it over.

- Do you bring them back?

- I do, but I understood why we are doing this.

- What's the difference! We bring, they accept. As long as they put stamps for it.

- But you think so in vain - Milina said - By the way, I write everything down in the smallest details in a notebook, and made sure that party politics change very often. Our Party is far from being a Social Democratic party, but the most capitalist one. Maybe Social Capitalistic.

- Oh! - Katya stared - It can't be! In my opinion you are too worried. By the way, if I would be in your place, having such reasoning, I would sit at home and say that I'm ill.

- What for?

- Well, you were a smart girl at school. Almost an example, a prototype of an ideologically correct citizen! And then it turns out that the symbol of the country is fake? You're more like a demoman now. You could lead an underground opposition club.At this moment, a train pulled up to the platform. The young ladies, platform overseers invited the passengers to take seats in the coaches. Katya leaned towards Mileena and said:

- I am not against you, I am always for! You know me for so many years, I know you quite a lot as well. And so I hope that we won't be heard by patrol, or "party dolls."

- Do they still exist? - surprised Mileena - God!

- Honestly! They walk in parks, work in food stalls, they look not noticeable.

- That's a nightmare.

- Yes, and anyone can be a "doll". Neighbor, friend, anyone. Awfully scary time. But they do it because they get paid well from the party.

- I realized. - Mileena said cautiously - Maybe you know, I probably won't go anywhere, because I really need to volunteer, otherwise they will say, you know...

She got up and hurriedly ran to the door of the train. Her heartbeat accelerated, her breathing quickened, and sweat appeared on her forehead. She looked at the portraits of mothers in the coach, then at Katya, then at people around her, it seemed to her that the atmosphere was very pressing on her. As soon as the train left the tunnel to the station, a bright light blinded her. The doors opened and Mileena literally ran out in a panic. Katya tried to catch up with her and shouted:

- Mileena, Mileena what's wrong with you?

- Nothing. Let me go! - the girl tried to free herself

Katya didn't drag her by force, so she let her go and, standing still, watched her friend run away to the end of the platform. She shouted after her:

- If anything happens, call me at any time! Do you hear me? - and said quietly under her breath - Take care of yourself.

Mileena ran out into the street as if she had committed some serious crime. From the big screen, which was in the center of each district, an elderly TV presenter lady, Pe Linua, was already broadcasting: