Page 275
Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2026 1:02 pm
30 dollars for the bus fare. Do you understand how strange that is? It’s
completely illogical. A person who is guilty of a major crime on that very
subject shouldn’t even have the audacity to make a remark like that.
— Alexandr, — he says to me, — you told me that I irritate you and that things
are unpleasant for you. But I’ve also been ‘enduring’ for a whole year,” —
he actually used the word enduring — ”and I just decided to say it so there
wouldn’t be any weight on my soul — that you forgot those 300 dollars. I don’t
need the money, but I just had to tell you.
I thought to myself: “Oh, you little rat.” Can you imagine? I only thought
it, I didn’t say it. There’s no demon in him anymore, and maybe 50% of his
thoughts have turned in the right direction — there’s even something light
in him now that he’s admitting his fault. But at the same time, he just takes
a stone and throws it right into my heart, into my soul. What a little bastard.
If this employee ever reads this book, he’ll probably laugh. Or maybe he’ll
cry loudly or laugh loudly. I don’t know.
How did it all end? We reached no decision, because once again, I am not
allowed to take 100% control of anything. As I understand it, the employee is
supposed to go to his new job today and just... think. But what’s also unusual
is that no final period has been placed. It’s as if we are communicating, and
it seems he is no longer afraid of me. And I also feel very good, somehow
different — something inside me has clicked. I truly don’t feel any malice
toward him or that sense of rivalry like before. Everything is just in a state
of the unknown. Maybe this person will never write to me again — and if so,
that’s how it’s meant to be. Maybe he’ll call or write today and say he’s thought
it over and decided to keep working with me and quit the new job. Maybe he’ll
say he wants to do both and ask me to let him try working two jobs. And you
know what? I’ll say “yes.” We’ll see what comes of it. Why not? What do I have
to lose? What is my task right now? Again, it’s not the work — as the aliens
suggested. My task right now — despite the fact that this person, “shame on
him,” hasn’t confessed to even 50% of his crimes and just threw that stone
at me about me not keeping a promise a year ago — my task is different.
If the employee disappears and we just stop communicating — then we stop.
completely illogical. A person who is guilty of a major crime on that very
subject shouldn’t even have the audacity to make a remark like that.
— Alexandr, — he says to me, — you told me that I irritate you and that things
are unpleasant for you. But I’ve also been ‘enduring’ for a whole year,” —
he actually used the word enduring — ”and I just decided to say it so there
wouldn’t be any weight on my soul — that you forgot those 300 dollars. I don’t
need the money, but I just had to tell you.
I thought to myself: “Oh, you little rat.” Can you imagine? I only thought
it, I didn’t say it. There’s no demon in him anymore, and maybe 50% of his
thoughts have turned in the right direction — there’s even something light
in him now that he’s admitting his fault. But at the same time, he just takes
a stone and throws it right into my heart, into my soul. What a little bastard.
If this employee ever reads this book, he’ll probably laugh. Or maybe he’ll
cry loudly or laugh loudly. I don’t know.
How did it all end? We reached no decision, because once again, I am not
allowed to take 100% control of anything. As I understand it, the employee is
supposed to go to his new job today and just... think. But what’s also unusual
is that no final period has been placed. It’s as if we are communicating, and
it seems he is no longer afraid of me. And I also feel very good, somehow
different — something inside me has clicked. I truly don’t feel any malice
toward him or that sense of rivalry like before. Everything is just in a state
of the unknown. Maybe this person will never write to me again — and if so,
that’s how it’s meant to be. Maybe he’ll call or write today and say he’s thought
it over and decided to keep working with me and quit the new job. Maybe he’ll
say he wants to do both and ask me to let him try working two jobs. And you
know what? I’ll say “yes.” We’ll see what comes of it. Why not? What do I have
to lose? What is my task right now? Again, it’s not the work — as the aliens
suggested. My task right now — despite the fact that this person, “shame on
him,” hasn’t confessed to even 50% of his crimes and just threw that stone
at me about me not keeping a promise a year ago — my task is different.
If the employee disappears and we just stop communicating — then we stop.