THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION

4

  

Christian met his brother with a lawyer - a short, stout man with a stubby mustache and a shiny bald patch over a sloping forehead. William Woollis kept a small law office in the city and was a fairly well-known man. Christian had known him since childhood, since he was in charge of all family affairs during his father's time. 

  - Don't worry. - Apparently, noticing with what tension Christian peered at the scoreboard, the lawyer patted him reassuringly on the back: - We will cover this case quickly and without consequences. I already know how to solve everything. The police have no reason to press any further charges. Carl's actions under state law fit into the concept of "self-defense." If he had not tried to protect himself, then at the scene of the accident there would have been two corpses instead of one. As for Anders, after giving evidence, they will leave him behind. William chuckled softly and added: “Everything is all right with Karl, and what’s there and how, it doesn’t concern us at all, it’s his business. 

  Christian shook his head. He's calmed down enough. Vullis was right: the main thing was that everything worked out, and his brother survived. On the phone, the Keeper did not mention any problems with the police at all, only said that he, his friend and Carl, who decided to ride with them for company, had an accident. Anders himself escaped with a concussion and a slight fright, Karl spent several days in the hospital, but the third passenger died before the arrival of the doctors. It never occurred to Christian to ask what exactly he died of, and even more so he did not think that his brother had anything to do with it.

  The minutes ticked by. The flight was delayed, and Christian looked at his watch more and more often. Leah's class was due to end soon. Despite the fact that the school was not far from home, my sister never returned alone - Karl followed this very strictly.

  Remembering how happy Leah was when she found out that her brother would arrive a day earlier, Christian could not help smiling. He did not talk about the reasons for his return - he was afraid of hysteria. Over the past few days, his sister had plagued him with endless questions and premonitions. However, she was not far from the truth: after all, trouble really happened to Karl.

  Vullis's soft exclamation forced Christian to concentrate. Peering into the motley flow of people coming towards him, he finally noticed a familiar figure. 

  Karl walked slowly and heavily, as if moving his legs through force. Seeing them, he waved his good hand and grimaced in pain. A bandage was white under black, matted hair, and a split eyebrow and a maroon bruise on his cheek were so visible that some people looked around warily. 

  "Did you break your arm too?" – answering a mean greeting, Christian said displeasedly and gently touched him on the shoulder just above the cast. How did they let you go at all?

  Carl smiled tightly.

  “I was very persuasive,” he replied calmly and, deciding that he had said enough, he concentrated completely on the questions of the lawyer. My brother didn't ask about Leah, he just glanced gloomily at his watch and, with difficulty getting into the car, turned to the window, frowning like an old raven.

Sitting next to him, Christian sighed and leaned back. The reaction of the twin was predictable: Karl always perceived any deviation from his instructions as a personal insult.

With a jerk, the car rolled smoothly forward. Rare trees flashed past the house, somewhere in the distance the sea flashed with strokes of white lambs ...

  - Shall we go to the clinic? - calming down, Christian suggested cautiously, hoping to somehow defuse the situation.

  “You can,” the twin replied curtly, without turning his head. “I still have to warn you… I won’t be able to work yet. He sighed, then added softly, “I’ll take care of other things.” We have too little time left.

  - What are you talking about?

Shrugging his shoulder, Carl silently leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

  The two-story, squat building was generously flooded with sunlight. The white stone walls, having absorbed the midday heat, shone so that they blinded the eyes, and the blue sky was reflected in the closed windows with rare clouds dried up from the heat. 

  “Come with me, you can help,” his brother suddenly said to Christian and, turning to Woollis, added: “William, wait for us for half an hour, I'll try not to linger.

  Unlike Leah, who visited the clinic quite often and was even sometimes present during simple operations, Christian came to her only once, and even then as a patient - with an attack of acute appendicitis. Carl, who was on duty, operated on him himself, although because of this he had to endure a short fight with the chief surgeon. However, Christian then did not care who and how would save him from pain. 

  The brother went through the emergency room and immediately turned into his department. On the way, throwing on the dressing gown filed by the nurse, Karl asked her to escort Christian to the office of the head physician.

  “Write the application for me,” the twin explained curtly, clumsily buttoning the buttons with his left hand. - Don't set a date yet.

  Christian nodded. The white walls and the smell of the hospital had a depressing effect on him. 

  “Mr. Vallor, this way, please,” the girl hurried, almost bowing, looking at him with interest and at the same time with some apprehension. “Here, there are samples here ...” Having seated him at a wide, half-empty table, she handed him a pen and a stack of papers, some of which had already been filled out in someone's uneven handwriting. - Do not hurry, I will wait and, if necessary, I will prompt.  

   Christian did not have to prompt: he was accustomed to working with various documentation.

  - Should I wait here? - Holding out the finished papers, he stood up and looked inquiringly at the girl.

  - Since there were no other instructions, I can take you to your brother, - she hesitated a little, dropping her eyes to the floor.

  "Instructions?" – mentally repeated Christian, slightly frowning. Knowing the nature of the twin, he had long ceased to be surprised at the unquestioning obedience of those around him, but right now for some reason it became unpleasant. Karl's remark about time was far more disturbing than the strange accident story. It seemed that the brother did not leave dangerous thoughts and continued to think about leaving the Big World.

  It took quite a long time to go. After giving Christian a dressing gown, the girl escorted him to the opposite wing and, gently knocking on the freshly painted door, looked in and asked if he could enter.  

  - Invite, of course, - a soft baritone sounded. I'll sign the papers later, it can wait. 

  

  It was cozy and surprisingly cool in the small bright room. Apart from the IV drip next to the raised bed, there was nothing around that reminded me of a hospital. 

  Still, twins are amazing. The old man, who was half-sitting on the bed, smiled and looked at Karl with such a gratefully warm paternal look that Christian felt a long-forgotten childish resentment wake up in his soul. After the departure of his father, the wound from the loss did not heal. If not for his brother, he would hardly have been able to put up with it. Karl remained his only support until they found his sister and a farewell letter on the doorstep. From that day on, Christian was left alone. The connection between him and his brother, which seemed to him unshakable, was easily and irrevocably broken by an infant's hand.   

  “That’s right, Georgios,” Karl replied and, calling Christian, briefly introduced them to each other. 

  “You need to keep a better eye on your brother,” the old man remarked half-jokingly, slightly narrowing his inflamed, lashless eyes. “Breaking hands like that is a crime. 

  "I'll try," Christian replied with a polite smile. “Although sometimes it is very difficult. 

  Glancing at his watch, Carl stood up heavily.

  “We have to go,” he said under his breath. - I hope, in two weeks, when I return, you will already be on your feet.

  “I’ll be where I’ll go,” the surgeon smiled somehow sadly and waved his hand at the door. - Go already, go. Although in your place I would lie down for a day or two: you need to take care of yourself.

  - I'll stay at home. - Approaching Christian, the brother took him by the elbow and, without saying goodbye, led him out of the ward.

*   * *

  Small specks were clearly visible on the light beige shabby floor. Forgotten by someone, the pen was pressed lonely against the shabby wall, strewn with sunbeams from the wide-open windows. From the yard came the voices of freshmen who had finished their classes and the teacher's high displeased tenor, blocking the general hubbub.

  - Can't be! - Throwing back her dark curly hair, Anika laughed loudly, completely ignoring the interested students turning around. - Wow! From someone else, but from you I did not expect! Karl will probably kill his brother now, and then at the same time this hero. And I think why are you so mysterious today!

  Frowning in annoyance, Leah rested her elbows on the windowsill and looked out the window. Karl's plane was supposed to land by now, and there was still a lesson left until the end of class. If it were not for the report for which she had been preparing for more than a month, and not for the desperate lies of Christian, who convinced that everything was fine, Leah would not have gone to class at all. But she did not want to burden her already anxious brother with her presence. Although she found out that something had happened to Karl much earlier than Uncle Paul's morning call: since the evening, the premonition did not allow her to breathe normally, so Leah hardly slept at night.

  "Hey," Anika waved her hand urgently in front of her face. – Can you hear me at all?

  Startled, Leah nodded and smiled uncertainly. The friend, like all the graduates of their stream, was almost three years older than her. They knew each other since the gymnasium, where Leah entered at the age of eight, having successfully passed the exams for the elementary school mastered at home. Anika then became the first and only one with whom she managed to get along on an equal footing. 

  “Wait...” Noticing Mark, who had already approached the freshly painted white bench, Leah pulled away slightly. Cheeks immediately became hot.

  Leaning over the window sill, Anika narrowed her brown eyes. 

  - Oh, yes, it's Hamali! His brother was in the penultimate grade when I went to school. Tall, with curly hair. He was always instructed to speak ... - She hesitated and added a little quieter: - It seems that he drowned six months ago. I heard from someone. It's a pity. 

  - What? Leah frowned and involuntarily glanced at Mark, who had already sat down on a bench and opened a book. He arrived almost an hour early.

  “Drowned,” Anika repeated. I don't remember his name, but he was a prominent one. The younger one looks like him, only taller and darker. Their father once worked with mine, and then he left everything and went to his homeland, to Turkey. Looks like he had another family there. I remember that my mother and aunt discussed this story for a month. 

  Leah smiled sadly and, straightening up, put her arm around her friend's shoulders. Her chatter is the only thing that somehow distracted from disturbing thoughts. Mark was really sorry, but he couldn't think of anyone but his brother. Two weeks of separation seemed like a bottomless abyss. Leah felt that she had matured more for them than in a couple of years.

  - Shall we take a walk? Anika unexpectedly suggested, glancing briefly at the teacher who had passed by. - The most important thing has already passed, and I just can’t stand the lesson in this heat.

  - Can. Leah pursed her lips thoughtfully and looked at her watch. - I want to be at home by the arrival of Karl ... If we hurry, we will have time.

  - What about your hero? I thought we were going to the sea.

  Noticing that Mark was looking at them, Leah affably waved her hand and, unable to restrain herself, smiled embarrassedly.

“You are getting ahead of yourself, Ani. Her voice sounded surprisingly even. - He's just an acquaintance. I asked to see him out because Christian couldn't, and you know how Karl would react if…” She trailed off, choosing her words, then shrugged her shoulders, “If he finds out I was unaccompanied. I don't want him to be nervous about me today.

  Anika rolled her eyes expressively.

  Carl, Carl, Carl! Everywhere and everywhere your Carl! Not everything is in order with his head: don’t go there - you will fall, don’t go here - you will get sick, don’t do this - you will get hurt! How can this be tolerated? You are no longer a child, and he is not your father!

  He is more than a father to me and closer than a mother, Leah mentally protested, forcing herself to calm down. It was useless to prove anything to Anika: she always remained with her opinion. 

  “Enough, Ani,” she pleaded softly. - Enough... Let's go downstairs.

  They left the Lyceum when the bell rang, and immediately ran, laughing and overtaking each other. 

Seeing her, Mark closed the book and, smiling, stood up. 

  "I thought we'd have to wait," he said. – Home?

  Leah nodded and, imagining Anika, looked at her watch again. The yellow circle of the dial showed almost half of the second.

  “The plane was supposed to land twenty minutes ago,” she said. - I think we can.

  They walked to the house in silence. Mark tried to stay at a distance and for some reason kept looking around. Anika surreptitiously watched him, carefully hiding her sarcastic smile. It was obvious that she wanted to ask something, but she restrained herself. Already at the gate, a friend took Leah by the elbow and, kissing her on the cheek, whispered:

  “Call tomorrow, you won’t come anyway.”

  Leah waved goodbye. She really did not intend to leave the house in the coming days: she wanted to be with her brother.

  “Looks like we got ahead of them. - Mark lightly pushed the wicker door and, without asking, stepped onto the path. “Christian asked me to stay with you until they arrive, in case you decide to come back early.

  – I already guessed. - Having asked with a sign not to close the gate, Leah went around him and, taking out the key, inserted it into the keyhole without looking. 

  A loud plaintive meow, which was heard simultaneously with the click of the lock, did not bode well. Opening the door, Leah grimaced in disgust.

  - Bama, stop! she shouted after the shaggy red cat who had rushed away. - Pour it on the mat again! Carl will skin you!

  - He crawled under the sofa. Mark looked at her cheerfully and stepped over the threshold. - Get it?

  The sharp screech of the brakes made them both jump in fear. Rushing back to the door, Leah ran out onto the porch and froze motionless. My heart was beating so fast that I could hardly breathe.

  Woollis got out of the car first, followed by Christian. Saying something to the driver, he opened the passenger door and, holding out his hand, helped Carl.

  Seeing that her brother staggered, Leah automatically clung to the wooden railing. Even from the porch, it was clear that he could barely stand on his feet. The bandage around his head had slipped to the side, and his bandaged arm looked almost white even from a distance. 

  “Oh, God,” Leah whispered almost soundlessly, settling down on the plank floor. Dark circles flickered before his eyes.

With a frightened cry, Mark picked her up and helped her to lie down. 

  - What happened to you?

  Hearing quick footsteps and Karl's anxious and angry call, she tried to get up, but couldn't. Weakness and cold rolled in waves, deeper and deeper plunging the world into quiet darkness.

  - Move away, quickly! Almost tossing Mark aside, her brother lifted her head to let her breathe. His broad hand under the back of her head trembled slightly, but the darkness immediately receded.