coffee
And not because I want to have breakfast, but because it's a routine.
I make myself eat something and then go to work.
This office, this all is practically my home. And evenings…
If only you knew how much I'm afraid of evenings, if only you knew!
I stay at work till late until the porter starts jingling his keys.
I pretend that I have lots of work to do but in reality I just have nowhere to go.
What about home? Home; there is only a TV at home; I can't even have a dog because there's nobody to walk it out during the day time.
That's it.
Of course I have friends, acquaintances, but all of them have families, children, and household cores.
You see, I've turned myself into an old woman. And I'm only 36.
- What do you mean - 36?
- Yes, I'm younger than you, Anatoly Efremovich.
- And how old do I look like?
- Like thirty… five
- You are lying again, comrade Novoseltsev!
- You only wear gloomy clothes, with no gloss.
- Really? I've never noticed.
- Sign here and donate 50 kopeks. Barovskyh has a jubilee - he's 50 years old
so it's 1 kopek per year - quite cheap. Sign here, please.
- Jubilees aren't in fashion now.
- Verochka, when you're fifty we'll donate for you too.
- I will not live up to it. I have a harmful job.
- OK, Anatoly Efremovich. Go to your place.
I do have lots of work.
And by the way, I need to find out why the Minister called.
- Don't be angry with me, don't scold.
- You too,
for me being so honest with you now.
- So what, Tolya?
- Novoseltsev, donate 50 kopeks!
- So have the old woman fired you?
- She is not old.
- Why are you dawdling, Tolya?
- I'll stay to work a little more.
- Ura, can you spare me a minute?
- Hello, Olenka!
- Can we meet tomorrow evening?
- I can't tomorrow; we're going to visit relatives.
- And what about the day after tomorrow?
- And on the day after tomorrow my friend has his birthday.
- Ah, and on the day after after tomorrow there'll be a hockey game on TV, right?
It's difficult for me to leave home at weekends.
- But you should understand everything.
- OK, go, you need to have a rest from yesterday.
- See you tomorrow.
- Can I come in, Ludmila Prokofievna? Ludmila Prok…
Vera, send for the most brilliant mind
of the present, please…
What do you mean - who? Novoseltsev, of course.
Come in, comrade Novoseltsev, take a sit.
Dear Anatoly Efremovich, I want to reward you according to your deserts,
as they say everyone gets what they deserve.
Our leader, i.e. myself, has had, though strange, an idea
to appoint you, one of the best workers in domestic statistics
(we'll not conceal it, ha-ha-ha), to appoint you the head of Light Industry Department.
Ve-ery light industry. How do you feel about it, Anatoly Efremovich?
- Negatively, Prokofya Ludmilovna.
I'm inert, slow, clumsy and shy, Ludmila Prokofievna.
I'll fail the entire work of Light - very light - Industry Department.
- Come in.
- Thank you.
- Don't be shy, comrade Novoseltsev.
- Thank you, Ludmila Prokofievna.
- Take a seat.
- I obey you.
My name is Anatoly Efremovich.
- I will remember it, comrade Novoseltsev.
- Is it worth bothering about such nonsense, our esteemed Ludmila Prokofievna?
- It is, especially as I consider you to be the most hard-working...
- Hm, come on…
- Not "hm", but hard-working employee.
- Oh, come on, Ludmila Prokofievna. Is it worth spoiling me like that?
- Everybody's left for home, but you've stayed like a dummy.
- I've stayed like a dummy, as you justly put it,
because you criticized my report, and criticized it justly.
- Your modesty does you credit.
- My modesty is nothing comparing to your boundless astuteness, our esteemed Ludmila Prokofievna.
- Excuse me.
- Excellent…
- I'm sorry.
- Excellent. No, this is interesting,
it becomes you.
- I'm really sorry. Please, this is your place.
- Well, why, you feel comfortable there.
- No, let's you... there - here…
But why do you consider me to be such a bad employee?
- Why